Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMA’s POV :

"What do you think?"he said.

"I don’t know.Are you?"

He looked at me as if I should know the answer already, but I just stared at him with a puzzled look on my face.

"Every day I woke up and I wished that I'd just die,"he paused for a beat before continuing, "To live a life without you is like not living a life at all.But if that’s what happiness is, then yeah, I guess I’m fucking elated,"

Not even this level of sarcasm could hide the pain and bitterness in his words.I didn’t realize he was feeling all these things.He never seemed to show it.Guess the joke was on me.

For the past month, I pretend like I was happy and fine.If anything, I should have known never to judge a book by its cover.

"Why didn't you say anything?"I croaked.

"We're over and that's it.It doesn’t matter what I feel,"

"But it does matter,"I found the words escaped my lips before I could stop it.

Maybe it was the alcohol in me that was being brave, but I took a step closer to him.

I wanted so much to pull him into my arms and bury my face into his chest.

"Emma,"he warned, but he didn't move away.

"It doesn’t have to be over, does it?"I looked up at him when I was an arm’s length away.  

"Emma —"

"Does it?"I pressed on.

We were standing so close to each other.

I leaned my face upwards and he leaned his head down.I could feel his warm breaths on my face and it was like oxygen to my dry lungs.For the first time in months, my heart was beating so fast and strong, like it was beating again after an absence of life.

When I saw that his lips were only a mere inch away from mine, I closed my eyes and waited in anticipation...

"Hayes?! Is that you?"suddenly a loud voice called out and we pulled away instantly.

"John?"lan squinted his eyes at the two figures standing at the distance behind us.

I looked at the two figures and noticed it was Coach Pullman and Ms.Diaz.I heard rumors that the two were going steady, and by the way they were holding hands with each other, it seemed like the rumors were true.

"Who's that?" Ms.Diaz put her hand over her eyes to see clearer.

Shoot! It’s not good that they saw us together! "Ah, I was just telling Ms.Sinclair that she has to go back to her room.She's breaking curfew,"

lan was quick to react.

"Oh, it’s senior week.Take it easy, Hayes,"Coach Pullman sounded a little drunk.

The two of them then walked away and I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding.

lan looked relieved too.Thankfully it was dark out here and they didn't seem to notice anything off about us.

"You should go," he said finally.

"But..."I started to speak, but he cut me off quickly.

"And to answer your question, yes, it does,"he paused for a moment before continuing, 

"Just because two people love each other, doesn't mean they have to be together,"

lan’s tone was cold and flat.

He didn’t wait for me to say anything else and he turned away.I wanted to call out after him, but I knew it was useless.

Even though it was clear as day that he still cared about me, he had made his choice.He chose not to be with me and I had to accept that.

"Just because two people love each other, doesn’t mean they have to be together,"

least it meant that he still loved me...And with that thought in mind, I pulled out the locket from my back pocket.I stroked the heart locket for a few times before I put

downstairs for breakfast.Tiff was filling me

found out that Brad was talking to a bunch of girls online.He

never cheated on her and that he was only talking to

she was on her own in this trip, Brad could easily sweep

the cheer squad had their boyfriends with them on this

she could focus her energy on being

breakfast buffet as I listened to Tiff going on

didn't feel like eating too much, so I just grabbed a slice of toast

and Tyler were

them and Tyler's eyes lit up as soon as he

how’s your head?"I said

but the

on the latest dish on Madison

tuned out of that conversation and he slid his chair

to you last night, did I? It’s kind of a blur.Hope I didn’t say too many

"No, you were fine,"

a laugh, "No more drinking for me for the rest of

all? Then how are we

I heard that there’s a Burger King nearby.It’s no chick-fill-A, but it's a start?"I found his obsession with chick-fill-A very amusing.And it sounded way better than this slice of toast I had

and maybe later we

"Yeah, totally,"

walk around,"Tyler stood up to his feet

“l see yall later,"

as if he didn't want any

stared as Tyler

hand and he led

turned back to look at Carrie and Tiff who gave me a puzzled

and I ended up

was honestly a

we found a place that

a museum.We decided to hit the museum first and Tyler was

one of seven surviving colonial era lighthouse towers, that’s so

a candy store,

such a dork,"I shoved him playfully

last one to the top is a rotten egg!"he said as he was mid-running

"Hey! Not fair!"

to push past him but he covered my way with his back.We were laughing as we pushed past each other

to the top of the lighthouse, but it didn’t feel like it because I

the top, I was

air felt absolutely refreshing and there was nothing but miles and miles of beautiful blue

put his hands in the

cheated, your big ass was on my way,"I

sore loser,"he

up, dork,"I shoved

I didn’t realize was how weak

him, I ended

quick to catch me and he

him, and at the same time he was looking

inch away from each other and my eyes

do anything else, he leaned his

"Tyler —"

instead

sweet forehead kiss and it

pulled away and

you on the

I was blushing and I felt embarrassed,

a soft laugh and he wrapped his

didn’t know what was happening here, but he felt warm and nice.I decided not to overthink things and I put my arms around him,

the lighthouse, Tyler and I walked around the pier and we talked about the future as we sipped on

it was sunset, and we decided to hit the beach.We didn’t have a sip of

but Tyler and I just enjoyed each other’s

was completely dark outside.It was getting cold and Tyler was nice enough to give me his jacket.We thought about going back to the

together.In the end, we ended up sleeping next