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.

between us and there was nothing else to

was that I

loves me, sure

at the moment, I couldn't see it and I couldn't feel

now was

him to realize that what he was doing to

wanted him to miss me, just as much as I was missing him.I got back to Philly late that night.I took a cab to my new apartment

I spent my birthday

opened the apartment door, I was

the lights were on and I heard

inside and saw

"Tristan?"I gaped.

shocked to

shocked to

you doing here? I thought you and

Aren't you supposed to be

a long story, I don't wanna talk about

and groaned in exhaustion.It

early because the apartment's empty and I

to the laptop on the coffee

was doing a lot of writing because he worked

"Oh,"

and I got up

not gonna

on my hand,

on? You wanna talk about it?"Tristan

couldn't hold it anymore.The next thing I knew, I burst out

showed

didn’t even call...and

and cooed me gently as he said, "That really

that’s okay, because he’s

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

was a snorting and crying mess.Tristan grabbed the box of tissues on the table and handed it to

think he doesn’t love me anymore.I think he got bored

blowing my nose so

"Who's Ally?"he asked.

to have a thing together back in high school,"I replied, and

are you saying? You think he’s cheating on you with

think so...God, I hope not!" images of Ian and Ally filled my head

showed up for the dinner and he didn’t call you, so you got upset and

lip and nodded my head

not just about the dinner.It’s about every day and night before that too.We barely have any time together, and even we're

you never said anything to

things will get better, but it never does.Even though I was

out a sad

a shitty birthday and a

year for my birthday, he drove for hours and took me on a road trip.I don’t

always a special thing for us.My sixteenth birthday was the first time I met him at that

took a road trip to Princeton and he inspired me to apply

birthday, he drove

here I was, on my nineteenth birthday, I had a lot of expectations and they were all crushed in just one

Emma, I don’t know what else to

your fault.I’m sorry I came barging in here and you had to hear all my sob story.I shouldn't be disturbing you, you’re working," I said as I straightened

at that word document for

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

and the

it’s still technically

"How?"

I stifled a laugh.

he got up and

a six pack of beer.He lifted them up in

"You got beer?"I questioned.

me write

I had all night were

booze, especially to help me forget

nodded my head vigorously at him and said,

up drinking

and we used our matching onesie pajamas because they were so

the morning and I had fallen asleep on the couch and Tristan fell asleep next

on the door got

"Who is that?"I croaked.

"I don't know,"Tristan replied.

got up from the couch