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.

was no distance between us and there was nothing else

was that

me,

I couldn't see it and I couldn't

all I wanted now

him to realize that what he 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

was how I spent my

I opened the apartment door, I was expecting to find

on and I

and saw Tristan sitting

"Tristan?"I gaped.

shocked

shocked to see each other

I thought you and

are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to

about it,"I sighed dramatically

head back and groaned in exhaustion.It

apartment's empty and

said, gesturing to the laptop on the coffee

of writing

"Oh,"

mouthed and I got

not gonna bother

he pulled on my hand, motioning for me

going on? You wanna talk about it?"Tristan

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

showed up..."I

for him...he didn’t even call...and it's

me gently as he said, "That really sucks.I'm so

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

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

box of tissues on the table and handed

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

after blowing my nose

"Who's Ally?"he asked.

thing together back in high school,"I replied, and I rolled my

You think he’s cheating

Ian and Ally filled my head and I shook my head violently, hoping

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

and nodded my head

barely have any time together, and even we're together,

to him all summer

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

sad

sucks.Sorry you had a shitty birthday and a shitty summer.You

to 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 happened to us now and

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

trip to Princeton and he inspired me to apply to Ivy

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

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

sorry, Emma, I don’t know what else to say,"Tristan

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

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

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

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

still technically your birthday,

"How?"

I stifled a laugh.

smirk crept up his face as he got

with a six pack of beer.He lifted them up in the air

"You got beer?"I questioned.

helped me

had all night were those stupid mocktails and

use some booze, especially to help me

vigorously at him and

up drinking throughout

we used our matching onesie pajamas because they were

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

the pounding on the door got louder and

"Who is that?"I croaked.

"I don't know,"Tristan replied.

my relief, he got up from the couch and