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.

few

"Hey, you,"

over the

and fine,

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

"Nope,"he said simply.

"Why?"I asked.

it's an archaic

person when you can basically do everything

as if he was joking, but I could tell

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

Fine.

know what I'll do if I have

worried about meeting my

do this over the phone.Will you come

tell

"Every little detail,"

see you in

my phone away, I made

on and

her face but Carrie watched him

have you heard? The art teacher, Mr.Hayes

of

"He is?"

Tiff pretended to gasp.

signed a contract for two years but suddenly he just wants to

such a bad

I asked cautiously.

"For his career? Yeah,"

most obvious thing in the world, "My theory is that

"What do you mean?"

again, afraid that he might be on

right? She probably

and Carrie let out a

wasn't relieved, I

went on one

elbow to stop me from

recovered and said, "Never

Let’s go

little bit too

and led me

"Thanks for that,"

I whispered to her.

Is

"I think so,"

did it

"Of us.Yeah,"I sighed.

a moment before saying, "He must really like

really like him

hey, at least this way you two could

said with a

Tiff and I went around

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

sacrifice so much..."I hated the word

didn't have to sacrifice

wanted him to have everything he

his job, his career...all for a girl.A silly, silly

even be worth

the college fair and parent teacher conferences, I told my parents I was

I was making way to lan’s

lan was still in his normal sleeping clothes,

laptop was on and it looked like

your day?"he greeted me with a quick kiss on

a bunch

"It's alright,"he shrugged.

and paced around the room

to play

"lan, what's going on?"

ditch parent teacher conferences? And why don’t you wanna

meet your parents.But not like this, Emma.Not as

crossed my arms and

mean? "I'm serious about

I’m serious about us.

future with

"But if your parents meet me now as your teacher and someday we tell them that

That would be confusing.

a good

did it because you didn’t wanna meet my parents as my

I asked cautiously.

caller, whatever you wanna

I couldn't

me

my chin up

mine and he coaxed me into a long, tender

was off and he

it? What’s with that look on your

pulled away slightly

been thinking about this all day

About that word ‘sacrifice’.

how I feel about you quitting your job, throwing away