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.

no distance between us and there was nothing

was that I didn’t matter

me,

couldn't see it and I couldn't feel

all I wanted now was

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

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 and hauled

how I spent

I was expecting

I heard the sound of the

saw Tristan sitting on the

"Tristan?"I gaped.

shocked

shocked to

here? I thought you

you supposed to be in the city with

long story, I don't wanna talk about it,"I sighed dramatically and joined him on the

my head back and groaned in exhaustion.It had been a long

apartment's empty and

to the laptop on

doing a lot of writing because he worked in

"Oh,"

mouthed and I got

not gonna bother you.I’m

wait,"he said and he pulled on my

talk about it?"Tristan knew something

burst out crying into his shoulder, snorting like a

never showed

didn’t even call...and it's supposed to

around me and cooed me gently as he said, "That

long, but that’s okay, because he’s working towards his dreams and I

catch my breath in between sobs, "But why would he even bring me out to New York City if he didn’t even have the time

snorting and crying mess.Tristan grabbed the box of tissues on

think he doesn’t love me anymore.I think he got bored with me or something.His

my rant after blowing my nose so gracefully into

"Who's Ally?"he asked.

but they used to have a thing together back in high school,"I replied,

saying? You think

images of Ian and Ally filled

never showed up for the dinner and he didn’t call you, so you got upset and you

and nodded

about every day and night before that too.We barely have any time together, and

said anything to him

kept quiet because I didn’t wanna get in the way ..but...I can’t do it anymore.I thought by now things will get better, but it never does.Even though I

out a sad smile and

sucks.Sorry you had a shitty birthday and a shitty summer.You deserve so much better than

be the best boyfriend ever.Last year for my birthday, he drove for hours and took me on a road trip.I don’t know what

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

to Princeton and he inspired me to apply to Ivy

he drove us to Philly and helped

was, on my nineteenth birthday, I had a lot of

know what else to say,"Tristan sighed

I came barging in here and you had to hear all my sob story.I shouldn't be disturbing you,

me at all.I've been looking at that word document for the past hour, not

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

clock, and the time showed that it was 11:45

still technically your birthday,

"How?"

I stifled a laugh.

up his face as he got

a six pack of beer.He lifted

"You got beer?"I questioned.

me

all night were those stupid

use some booze, especially to help me forget all about

nodded my head vigorously at him and said,

ended up drinking throughout the

watched a re-run of Law and Order on TV and we used our matching onesie pajamas because they were

in the morning and I had fallen asleep on the couch and Tristan fell asleep next to me, when a sudden loud knocking woke us

groggily as the pounding on

"Who is that?"I croaked.

"I don't know,"Tristan replied.

he got up from