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.

us and there

simple truth was that I didn’t matter

me,

I couldn't see it and

wanted now was to get

I wanted him to realize that

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

how I spent my birthday

opened the apartment door, I was

on and I heard the sound of

and saw Tristan sitting

"Tristan?"I gaped.

shocked

to

I thought you

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

story, I don't wanna talk about it,"I sighed

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

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

to the laptop

of writing

"Oh,"

got

I’m not gonna bother

pulled on my hand,

going on? You wanna talk about

knew, I burst

never showed up..."I

call...and it's supposed to

me gently as he said, "That really

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

would 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

box of tissues on the table and handed it

think he got bored with me or something.His priority is the gallery and this

my rant after blowing my nose so gracefully into

"Who's Ally?"he asked.

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

you saying? You think he’s

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

what happened? He never showed up for the dinner and he didn’t call

my lip and nodded my head

about the dinner.It’s about every day and night before that too.We barely have any time together, and even we're together, he’d always be on the phone with Ally

said anything to him

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

sad

a shitty birthday and a shitty summer.You

took me on a road trip.I don’t know what happened to

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

Princeton and he inspired me

graduation day and for my eighteenth birthday, he drove us to Philly and helped me move in to

birthday, I had a lot of expectations and they were all crushed in

know what else to say,"Tristan sighed

not your fault.I’m sorry I came barging in here and you had to hear all my sob story.I shouldn't be

disturbing me at all.I've been looking at that word document for the past hour,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

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

still technically your birthday, wanna

"How?"

I stifled a laugh.

his face as he got up and headed to

of beer.He lifted them up

"You got beer?"I questioned.

me

all night were those

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

my head vigorously at him and

and I ended up drinking

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

on the couch and Tristan fell asleep next to me, when

pounding on the door got louder and

"Who is that?"I croaked.

"I don't know,"Tristan replied.

from the couch and staggered