Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMA's POV 

"Don't forget to check out Duke, Rice, and Vanderbilt,"

Mom said as we made our way through the booths at the school’s college fair.

"Oh yes, I heard Vanderbilt's got a strong liberal arts program,"

Dad nodded in agreement.

The school’s holding a college fair this Saturday, along with parent teacher conferences.

All the junior students are required, or as they say, encouraged to attend the college fair.

I wasn’t complaining though.

I wanted to spend my precious Saturday looking through colleges all around the country.

The only good thing about it was at least my best friends had to do it too.

I spotted Tiff and Carrie over at the University of Florida’s booth, and I knew what to do next.

"Okay, I got it.You two go meet my teachers and hear about what a great student I am.I’m gonna catch up with Tiff and Carrie,"

I said, waving my parents away.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting your teachers.Especially your AP art teacher, Mr.Hayes,"mom said and I quickly turned back.

"What? Why?"

"You worked so hard on his class.

You spent almost every day after school working on your art portfolio.

He must have nice things to say about you, I wanna hear about it all,"

she said as she turned to her heels towards the art room.

"Oh, you don't have to —"

"The line at Duke is empty.Go, go check out the schools.We'll regroup here in an hour,"

Dad shooed me as he walked off with mom.

My parents are meeting...my boyfriend.

At parent teacher conferences.

Oh crap.

Making my way over to Tiff and Carrie, I sighed dramatically as I pushed past the row of kids.

Tiff and Carrie turned to see me and they immediately knew something was up.

"What's going on?"Carrie asked.

"My parents are meeting Mr.Hayes.I totally forgot about that.I am so screwed,"

"Don't worry about it.I’m sure he can handle your parents just fine,"

Tiff replied.

"Actually, you don’t have to worry at all,"Carrie added, "

My parents went by earlier.

They wanted to see my art teacher too, but he wasn’t there.

Something about a personal emergency.

He’s doing his conferences with parents via email,"

"Oh...that’s very smart of him,"

It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

"See? He’s a smart guy.He’s handling it,"

Tiff said as she grabbed a few brochures from the University of Florida.

"In the meantime, I think you should check this out,"  "The University of Florida’s a total party school,"

Mark chimed in suddenly, appearing out of nowhere.

"Hey, babe.Did you see Rice and Duke already?"

Carrie greeted him.

"Yeah, you guys should see it.

Duke has the best engineering program—"

Mark was about to ramble on this topic for the next ten minutes, I could just tell.

"I have to make a call, I'll be right back,"

I said to Tiff and Carrie before slipping away from the crowd.

I found an empty, cozy spot at the end of the hallway and I dialed Ian's number.

line rang for a few times

"Hey, you,"

over the

healthy and fine, I was

that I heard about? You're

"Nope,"he said simply.

"Why?"I asked.

it's an archaic

when you can basically do

was joking, but I

what’s going on,"I pressed on.He sighed and paused for a beat before finally

Fine.

don’t know what I'll do if

about

do this over the phone.Will you come over after

tell

"Every little detail,"

in a

phone away, I made my way back to

on and

on her face but Carrie watched him as if he was

art teacher, Mr.Hayes is resigning from the

sudden change of topic piqued

"He is?"

Tiff pretended to gasp.

contract for two years but suddenly he just wants to quit.No one even knew

that such

I asked cautiously.

"For his career? Yeah,"

most obvious thing in the world,

"What do you mean?"

again, afraid that he might be on

date Ms.Diaz, right? She probably

Carrie let out a relieved

I wasn't relieved, I

went on one date! And she

elbow to stop

quickly recovered and

Let’s go check it

bit too

my arm quickly and led

"Thanks for that,"

I whispered to her.

Is Mr.Hayes

"I think so,"

did it

"Of us.Yeah,"I sighed.

paused for a moment before saying,

really like him

but hey, at least this way you two could be together.You two

said with

talk, Tiff and I

should be thinking about colleges, but I couldn't help but be reminded of Tiff's words

to sacrifice so much..."I hated the word

have to sacrifice anything to be with

wanted him to have everything he

to give up teaching, his job, his career...all

would that even

parent teacher conferences, I told my parents I was hanging out with

was making way to lan’s apartment

his normal sleeping clothes, no shirts and a

like he had been sending a bunch of

day?"he greeted me with a quick kiss

a bunch of schools.How

"It's alright,"he shrugged.

and paced around the

to play

"lan, what's going on?"

sighed and asked point blankly , ‘Why did you ditch

not like this, Emma.Not as

my arms and raised my

that even mean?

I’m serious about us.

my future with

me now as your teacher and someday we tell them

That would be confusing.

a

because you didn’t wanna meet my

I asked cautiously.

whatever

chuckled and I

took a step towards me and closed the distance between

chin up and

mine and he coaxed

he noticed something was off and he narrowed his

it? What’s with that look

away slightly and bit

thinking about this

About that word ‘sacrifice’.

know how I feel about you quitting your job,