Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMA’s POV : 

"What's that?"

Tristan asked as he saw me putting up a painting on my bedroom wall.

"A birthday slash housewarming gift from Ian,"I replied.

Ian spent the night last night, but he had to return to the city early this morning.

I was sore and tired from our late night sessions, I ended up sleeping until late.

That afternoon, I woke up to a USPS delivery guy ringing my doorbell and giving me this big framed thing wrapped in brown paper.

On the wrapping was also a card and it said: Dearest Emma, Since I can’t bring you to the gallery just yet, I’m bringing a small piece of the gallery to you.

Happy sweet nineteen, my love.

So grateful you came into the world because you make my world better every day.

All my heart and soul, Ian.

Ian sent me a painting of his original work, titled Paint The Town Red.

On the painting were a skyline of New York City and a silhouette of a girl standing in the middle of it all.

Everything was in black and white except for the girl and the umbrella she was carrying and it was bright red.

After hanging the painting on my bedroom wall, I stood in front of it for a couple of minutes just staring at it and wondering what it meant.

"I'm assuming this painting’s about you?"

Tristan stood next to me and tilted his head to the side, studying the painting.

"I guess so?"

"What do you think it means?"

"I'm not too sure.I've been staring at it for the past fifteen minutes.The title is Paint The Town Red, but the town is in black and white..."

I had texted Ian thank you for the gift and he asked me if I liked it or not.

I told him of course I loved it, and then he asked me if I knew what the painting meant.

I wanted to say yes, but I had been staring at it for a while now and I had no clue.

"I think I know what it means,"

Tristan said suddenly.

"What?"I turned to him quickly.

"The only thing that’s red is the girl with the umbrella.That’s the town, not the actual building,"

 "What?"

"The town...the place...or maybe his home is her, not the city itself,"

"Wow..."

I paused for a moment as the realization hit me.

What Tristan said was true.

I was calling me his world, this is what the painting meant.

"Damn, Tristan, that’s some observation skills you got there,"I went to grab my phone and texted Ian right away.

I wrote to him: "Am I red? Am I your world?"

Seconds later, he texted back: "Bingo.I knew you'd get it, you're such a smarty-pants,"I was smiling to myself as I read his text.

Even though I wasn’t the one who figured it out, I shamelessly took the compliment.

"So, your boyfriend painted this? He’s a great artist,"Tristan said again, he was still admiring the painting.

"Yeah, he is,"I nodded.

"I'm assuming last night went pretty well?"Tristan said with a sly smirk.

can say

heard everything.These walls are pretty damn thin,"he said as he knocked on the wall a few

was being so loud last night and Tristan was sleeping in the room

my god...don’t

it.I lived next to my sister my entire life.It's the

so sorry you had to endure

hand went to cover my mouth,

night long.What was it,

my god!"I slapped myself on the face out of sheer

you're still apologetic.Sophie would just gloat," Tristan laughed again as he made

lunch, will you erase last night from

it lunch and dinner and you got

"Fine!" I breathed.

of this ever again, especially

grinned innocently

I have roommates now.I can’t just have crazy bunny sex with Ian around the apartment without a care in

I made up, everything was

do, but he always made sure to make some time

however, I was

I would have to declare a major by the end

pick my major, Sophie and Tristan pushed me

Korean Society on campus and Tristan was working in the school

wasn't a bad idea.Joining all these clubs would give Aa SA im het me an idea of what I

first started with the cooking club, and I got two words for you:

various cuisines, but I was also able to bring home free

Sophie loved

I stopped attending the club after

clubs and it gave me a lot of insight on diversity and the different cultures of

got into K- Pop for a bit.I also enjoyed

cheese and wine, so fancy! I also joined a sports

I was on the swim team

didn’t think I was good enough for the varsity teams at UPenn, and I didn't wanna commit to

me was mostly for exercising and

I visited the school newspaper a few times because Tristan insisted that I go check it

writer or a journalist like him, but I did enjoy print media because

visual arts, so he put me in charge of the advertisement section in

admit it at first, but I came to enjoy working for the advertising

learned that a good ad should not only be visually appealing, but

classes, a little bit of social life, and a decent amount of sleeping hours,

would make time during the weekend to go

but we'd meet once every two

least

on who

it was my turn to

each other.We've learned

wasn’t about the quantity of the time, but

day, we would drop everything

and I

11 AM train to the city and grab lunch with Ian by the Grand Central

late October, so the air outside

cute white sweater and my black leggings and I completed the look with

about to leave the apartment, when suddenly I heard yelling from Tristan’s

you! She was just

"You

Tristan clapped back.

You're my brother and I'll kill anyone who takes advantage of

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

open, so it wasn’t hard for me to take a peek

was sitting on his bed while Sophie was standing in

in the air was thick and

none of your business, Soph!" Tristan

your business is my

said cautiously

"Nothing," Tristan muttered quickly.

"Emmie, good, you're here,"

to me, "You can settle

it?" I

for me to come

was standing next to her in front of Tristan, and he just