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 was nothing else to

that

me,

the moment, I couldn't see it and

all I wanted now was to get

realize that what he was

late that night.I took a

was how I spent my birthday

door, I was

I heard the

and saw Tristan sitting on the

"Tristan?"I gaped.

shocked

to see each

doing here? I thought you and Sophie are coming back next week?"I

you supposed to be in the city with your

wanna talk about it,"I sighed dramatically and joined

my head back and groaned in exhaustion.It had been

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

said, gesturing to the laptop on

a lot of writing because he worked

"Oh,"

got

I’m not gonna bother you.I’m just gonna get some

pulled on my hand,

on? You wanna talk

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

showed

for him...he didn’t even call...and

linked his arms around me and cooed me gently as he said, "That

but that’s okay, because he’s working towards his dreams and I didn’t wanna get in the way

City if he didn’t even have the time to spend with

was a snorting and crying mess.Tristan grabbed the box

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

rant after blowing my nose so gracefully into the tissue

"Who's Ally?"he asked.

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

are you saying? You think he’s cheating

and Ally filled my head

up for the dinner and he didn’t call

my lip and nodded my head

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 talking

anything to him all summer long?"he

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 was

sad smile and said,

a shitty birthday and a shitty summer.You deserve so much better than

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

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

seventeenth birthday, we took a road trip to Princeton and he inspired me to apply to Ivy League

and for my eighteenth birthday, he

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

sorry, Emma, I don’t know what

all my sob story.I shouldn't be disturbing

disturbing me at all.I've been looking at that word document for the past hour, not doing anything.I need a

"Are you sure?"

"Yes,"

clock, and the time showed that it

technically your

"How?"

I stifled a laugh.

face as he got up and headed to the

came back with a six pack of beer.He lifted

"You got beer?"I questioned.

me

night were those

help me forget all

vigorously at him and

ended up drinking

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

AM in the morning and I had fallen asleep on the couch and Tristan fell asleep next to me, when

groggily as the pounding on the door got

"Who is that?"I croaked.

"I don't know,"Tristan replied.

up from the couch and staggered towards