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

loves me, sure

I couldn't see it and I couldn't feel

now was to get

wanted him to realize that what he was doing to me was hurting

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

was how I spent my birthday

the apartment door, I was expecting

were on and I heard the sound of the

walked inside and saw Tristan sitting on

"Tristan?"I gaped.

looked shocked

shocked to see each

doing here? I thought you and Sophie are coming

to

wanna talk about it,"I sighed dramatically

groaned in exhaustion.It had been a

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

to the laptop

lot of writing because he worked

"Oh,"

got

about me, I’m not gonna bother you.I’m just gonna

on my hand,

talk about it?"Tristan knew something

anymore.The next thing I knew, I burst out crying into his shoulder, snorting like a sad ugly

showed up..."I

waited for him...he didn’t even call...and

gently as he said, "That

the back seat all summer long, but that’s okay, because he’s working towards his dreams and I didn’t

bring me out to New York City if he

crying mess.Tristan grabbed the box

got bored with me or something.His priority is the gallery and this girl called

continued my rant after blowing my nose so gracefully into

"Who's Ally?"he asked.

friends, but they used to have a thing together

are you saying? You think he’s cheating on

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

never showed up for the dinner and he didn’t call

lip and nodded

any time together, and even we're together, he’d

never said anything to him all

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 was with

let out a sad

shitty birthday and a shitty summer.You deserve so much

took me on

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

took a road trip to Princeton and he inspired

he drove us to Philly and helped

lot of expectations and they

I don’t know

barging in here and you had to hear all my sob story.I

all.I've been looking at that word document for the past

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

see the clock, and

still technically your birthday, wanna

"How?"

I stifled a laugh.

up his face as he got up and headed to

a six pack of beer.He lifted them up

"You got beer?"I questioned.

helped me write better,"he

some?"All I had all night were

booze, especially to help me forget all about this

my head vigorously at him and said, "Yes

and I ended up drinking throughout the

and Order on TV and we used our matching onesie pajamas because they were so

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

groaned groggily as the pounding on the door got louder

"Who is that?"I croaked.

"I don't know,"Tristan replied.

he got up from the couch and staggered towards the