Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMaA’s POV

"Girl, where have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks!"Tiff exclaimed dramatically.

Normally I would call her out for being a drama queen, but she wasn’t completely wrong this time.

Yes, I had been MIA, missing in action, for the past couple of days and I tell my friends where I went.

Not unless I wanted to be interrogated by the FBI.

‘Because yes, I was spending a lot of time with Mr.Hayes —I mean, lan.

"Sorry, I’m just a little busy with...my art portfolio,"I said as I closed my lockers shut.

The last period bell hand rang, but my friends had stopped me before I could leave school premises.

"That thing’s not due until the end of the school year.We still have, like eight months,"Carrie argued.

"I know, but I’ve been feeling very inspired lately.I wanna make sure I got a kickass portfolio, I might even use it for my college application,"

This part wasn't a lie.Spending a lot of time with my art teacher had its benefits.

Any free time I had in school, I'd spend it in the art studio working on my...craft.

After school hours, when I wasn’t in swim practice or cheerleading, I'd head over to lan’s apartment and we'd make more...art.

“Okay,"Tiff eyed me cautiously, 

"You do seem surprisingly happy.You're not hiding anything from us, are you? ‘Cause the last time we saw you was during the dance ar(d you didn't seem so well—"

"That was in the past," I cut her off quickly.

"After the dance, I did some soul searching and now I’ve completely turned over a new leaf,"  Tiff and Carrie exchanged a look before studying my face even further, trying to detect if I was lying."Guys, I'm serious.I'm so over Zach already and I just wanna work on myself for now.Believe me,"

I said reassuringly.

"Well, okay, in that case, I know you don’t have swim or cheerleading today.What do you say we head to the mall?"Carrie asked.

"Oh...actually, I can’t.I promised my mom I'd help her run some errands,"

I paused and noted the disappointed faces of my friends, "But we can hang out on the weekend?"

"Alright, it's a date.Don’t bail on us," Tiff and Carrie agreed finally.

"Absolutely.Now I gotta go.My, uh, mom’s waiting.See you guys"

I waved my hands quickly and disappeared out of the door in a flash.

School was over for the day and I couldn't be more excited. lan had invited me over to his place and he was going to make dinner.It still felt surreal to call him by that name.

I found myself blushing every time I said it out loud.I needed to work on that.

I arrived at his door at exactly 7 PM.

I was wearing my yellow summer dress, even though it was definitely fall, but I just wanted to look cute.

He opened the door and greeted me with his gorgeous mega-watt smile, that smile alone could send me into puddles.

He kissed my cheek, ushered me in, and took my coat.

the first thing I noticed as soon as I got

as he hanged my coat on the rack and

after him instinctively.  "I

"I'm

at my response and went to set

jazz and a candle

wine, and a bottle of grape juice I

romantic,"I rolled my eyes at him

to pull the chair nearby instead, gesturing for me to

complied and took a

from and started pouring the

I can handle some

as I lifted my empty glass, waiting for him to pour the wine, but he shook his head

can’t.I can barely handle you

glass and said,

my grape juice

dinner and I must admit, lan could make a mean

noticed he was being a little

kept looking at me as I was eating, and he was barely

"Everything okay?"I asked.

"So, how’s school?"he asked.

said it at almost the

stopped for a second and noted

You're gonna ask

raised an eyebrow at him and he just shrugged, "School is just school, I mean you know,

what

do you mean? You're being so formal

continuing,"I just wanna have some

wasI being a bit too serious and I felt

on my lip, I cocked my head to the side and gave him

we can skip dinner and get right

was still deadly serious.I decided

scolded, his tone was

"What?"

to the

wrong? Did I do something?"I

bit,"he said as he reached

think we need it 7 take it slow,"I looked up at him, searching his

genuine and gentle, and it took me by

time in his apartment and

always playful, flirty, and one

side of him?

Emma.I want us to last,"he said again and I felt my heart just leaped out

can

rake his lush jet-black

but smile, "You're really bad at

a deep

know.I've never done this before,"he admitted

Talk to

know someone,"he replied, pausing for a beat before saying,

gaped at him, waiting for him

never met anyone I wanted to get to know like this.Until