Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMA’s POV : 

By 9 PM, I gave up.

I never felt so humiliated in my life.

I asked for the check and paid for the four glasses of mocktail I had and left a nice tip for my waiter.

The hostess smiled a sad smile as she saw me walking out of the restaurant alone.

I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

I went back to the apartment because I didn't know where else to go.

I saw my reflection in the mirror when I walked in and I looked so pathetic.

I did my hair and make up, I put on a dress and everything, only to be stood up by him at my birthday.

I was angry, embarrassed, and frustrated.

But mostly I was sad.

I thought tonight would be special, but no.

It was just any other day for Ian.

He had other things that were more important and I just had to take the back seat.

Feeling stupid, I took off the dress and put on an oversized sweater instead.

Tears were running down my face and it totally ruined my make up, but who cares? It wasn’t like it was important anyway.

I scrubbed my make up off angrily and pulled my hair into a messy ponytail.

I looked around the empty apartment and I debated on what to do.

I could stay here and wait until he gets home and hear about how sorry he was that he missed my birthday dinner, and tomorrow he'll go to work and ignore me again completely.

Or… I could pack my bags and leave.

There was a train running between Philly and New York City every day and if I leave now, I could make it before the last train leaves.

I didn’t think too much about it, I knew what I had to do.

I couldn't believe what I'm saying, but I needed some space away from him.

It would be better for us both.

My heart was hurting too much and I couldn't take it anymore.

So, I quickly packed my bags and I wrote him a note.

Dear Ian, You don’t have to apologize.

I know you're busy and I'm not a priority at the moment, and that’s okay, I understand.

But I think it’s best I leave so you can focus on your work.

No hard feelings.

Emma.

It sounded petty, but whatever.

I was too upset to be nice.

My uber was now waiting for me downstairs and I took a moment for one last glimpse of the apartment.

Leaving the spare key on the kitchen counter, I turned off the lights and closed the door shut.

I turned off my phone for the rest of the night.

I didn’t wanna hear any more ‘I'm sorry’ or ‘I'll make it up to you’.

I had enough of his empty promises.

I was tired of all that.

I put up with it all summer long and I needed an out.

At least when we were far away and he was busy with work, I didn’t have to feel this hurt because I could blame the distance.

distance between us and there was nothing

truth was that

loves me, sure he

I couldn't see it

now

petty, but I wanted him to realize that what he was doing to me was

late that night.I took

how I spent my birthday

opened the apartment door, I was

were on and I heard the sound of the

walked inside and saw Tristan

"Tristan?"I gaped.

shocked to see

to see

here? I thought you

here? Aren't you supposed to be in the city with your boyfriend?"he

wanna talk about it,"I sighed dramatically and joined him on

my head back and groaned in exhaustion.It had been

apartment's empty and I like the silence.Helps me get

said, gesturing to the laptop on the

doing a lot of writing because

"Oh,"

and I got up to my

I’m not gonna bother you.I’m just gonna get

my hand, motioning

on? You wanna talk about it?"Tristan knew something was

I burst out crying into his shoulder, snorting like a sad

showed up..."I

didn’t even call...and

me gently

because he’s working towards his

out to New York City if he didn’t even have the time to spend with me.Why bother making a reservation

grabbed the box of

anymore.I think he got bored with me or something.His priority is

blowing my

"Who's Ally?"he asked.

of his best friends, but they used to have a thing together

are you saying? You think he’s cheating on

Ian and Ally filled my head and I shook my head violently, hoping it would go

the dinner and he didn’t

my lip and nodded

any time together, and even we're together, he’d always be on the phone with Ally

said anything to him

the way ..but...I can’t do it anymore.I thought by now things will get better, but it

out a sad smile and said,

you had a shitty birthday and a shitty

year for my birthday, he drove for hours and took me on

for us.My sixteenth birthday was the first time I met him at that bar in

took a road trip to Princeton and he inspired me to

eighteenth birthday, he

on my nineteenth birthday, I had a lot of expectations and they were all

sorry, Emma, I don’t know what else

to hear all my

been looking at that word document for the past hour, not doing anything.I need a break,"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

and the time showed

still technically your birthday,

"How?"

I stifled a laugh.

he got up and headed to

of beer.He lifted them

"You got beer?"I questioned.

me write

some?"All I had all night were those stupid mocktails and

could use some booze, especially to help me forget all about this

vigorously at him

I ended up

re-run of Law and Order on TV and we

asleep on the couch and Tristan fell asleep next to me, when a sudden loud knocking woke us

groggily as the pounding on the door got

"Who is that?"I croaked.

"I don't know,"Tristan replied.

he got up from the couch and staggered towards the