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.

you can

are pretty damn thin,"he said as he knocked on the wall a

last night and Tristan

my god...don’t tell

lived next to my sister my entire life.It's the same thing,"he laughed

sorry you had to

hand went to cover my mouth, "I didn’t

night long.What was it,

slapped myself on

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

lunch, will you erase last night from

dinner and you got yourself a deal,"he

"Fine!" I breathed.

not a word of this ever again, especially not

innocently and

have crazy bunny sex with Ian around the apartment without a care in the world.I need to maintain some

and Ian and I made up, everything was right again in the

busy had a lot of work to do, but he always made sure to make some time for me despite his busy

however, I was starting to

a sophomore, I would have to declare a major by the end of this academic

Tristan pushed me to attend some of the

was an active member of the Korean Society on campus and Tristan

a bad idea.Joining all these clubs would give Aa SA im het me an idea of what I would like to

with the cooking club, and I got

got to learn cooking various cuisines, but I was also able to bring home free food every

Sophie loved

so I stopped attending

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

and got into K- Pop for a

so fancy!

in high school, I was on the swim team and

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

sports team for me was mostly for exercising and good

newspaper a few times because Tristan insisted that

him, but I did enjoy

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

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

be visually appealing, but also catchy

little bit of social life, and a decent amount of

time during

couldn't meet every week, but we'd meet once

at least once

would alternate on who

my turn to go visit

were great at making time for each other.We've learned

of

see each other, even if it was only for a day, we would drop everything and our

was Saturday morning and I was getting ready to

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

late October, so the air outside was a

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

was just about to leave the apartment, when suddenly I heard yelling

told you! She was just

was loud and year "You don’t

Tristan clapped back.

and I'll kill anyone who

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

it wasn’t hard for me to

was sitting on his bed while Sophie was standing in front of him with her

air was thick

none of your business, Soph!" Tristan

my brother so your business is my

here?" I said cautiously with my

"Nothing," Tristan muttered quickly.

"Emmie, good, you're here,"

she turned to me, "You can settle

is it?"

come

Tristan, and he just rolled his head back