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 before he finally

"Hey, you,"

over

healthy and

this personal emergency that I heard about? You're not attending parent teacher

"Nope,"he said simply.

"Why?"I asked.

it's an archaic

person when you can basically

was joking, but I could tell something

me what’s going on,"I pressed on.He sighed and paused for

Fine.

didn’t wanna do parent teacher conferences because I don’t know what I'll do if I have to see

about meeting my

over the phone.Will you come over after you're done

tell

"Every little detail,"

you in a

made my way back to

on and on

had a bored look on her face but Carrie watched him

art teacher, Mr.Hayes is resigning from

sudden change of topic piqued

"He is?"

Tiff pretended to gasp.

talking about it.Apparently, he signed a contract for two

such a bad

I asked cautiously.

"For his career? Yeah,"

it was the most obvious thing in the world, "My theory is that it's probably because of

"What do you mean?"

asked again, afraid that he might be

right? She probably broke his heart

let

wasn't relieved, I was somewhat

one date!

nudged my elbow to stop me from

quickly recovered and said, "Never

It's NYU! Let’s go check it

a little bit too loud

my arm quickly and led

"Thanks for that,"

I whispered to her.

happening? Is Mr.Hayes really quitting?"she

"I think so,"

he did

"Of us.Yeah,"I sighed.

going all out,"she paused for a moment before saying, "He must really like

really

to sacrifice so much, but hey, at

with

our little talk, Tiff and I

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

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

have to sacrifice anything to be with

to have everything he ever

he had to give up teaching, his job, his career...all for a girl.A silly, silly

would that even be

fair and parent teacher conferences, I told my parents I was hanging

was making way to lan’s apartment

still in his normal sleeping clothes, no shirts and a pair

was on and it looked like he had been sending a

greeted me with a

a bunch of schools.How

"It's alright,"he shrugged.

paced around the

pretended to

"lan, what's going on?"

, ‘Why did you ditch parent teacher conferences? And why

not like this,

my arms and raised

that even mean? "I'm serious

I’m serious about us.

future with us

saying, "But if your parents meet me now as your teacher and someday

That would be confusing.

got a

didn’t wanna meet

I asked cautiously.

caller, whatever you wanna

and I couldn't help but

towards me and closed the distance

my chin up and his

lips found mine and he coaxed me into

noticed something was off

it? What’s with that look on

away slightly and bit

thinking about this all day

About that word ‘sacrifice’.

I don’t know how I feel about you quitting your job, throwing away your career because of