Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMA’s POV : 

Hailey was basically hyperventilating.

I put my hands on her arms and kept shushing her, hoping she would calm down.

AJ, lan, and his mom were still in the kitchen.

"lan and I are just waiting for the right time to tell everyone.So, please, can you not say anything, especially to Kristen?"

I whispered to her with pleading eyes.  "Wow...like...wow,"

"Hailey, please, promise me.This stays between us," Hailey was quiet for a while.

Her eyes darted to the direction of the kitchen, and when she saw that no one was coming out, she finally nodded her head and said, "I promise I won't tell anyone. Only if you'll do one thing for me,"

"What is it?"

"Don't say anything to lan about what you saw earlier,"  

"What do you mean?"

"I know you saw us.AJ and I," she stated simply.

She was referring to that moment when I entered the dining room and saw him kissing her hand.

"So you and AJ are..."

"AJ and I started hanging out at the end of summer break and we're just trying to see how things go," she paused and let out a sigh

"We haven't told lan or anyone else yet.lan can be a bit overprotective at times, I don’t know how he'll handle his little sister dating his friend.So, we're just waiting for the right time.Kinda like what you guys are doing,"

"Wow..." was all that I could say in response.

"Yeah, so please don't tell lan anything, and I promise I'm not gonna tell a soul about you two being...you know,"

"Right...yeah..."

I was about to say something else, but then we heard footsteps.

"Turkey's ready!"

AJ announced as he brought over the big tray of turkey and placed it in the middle of the long table.  

"What are you girls chatting here about?" lan followed with plates of side dishes.

"Oh, I was just telling Emma all your dirty little secret.Did you know he used to be in the school’s Christmas production back in the sixth grade?" Hailey was quick to answer.

"lan was in a school play?" I gaped at him and he just shrugged.

"Don't listen to anything she says," he warned me and Hailey stuck her tongue out at him.

"Grab a seat everyone. I know you all must be starving,"

Kristen came in with the bow of mash and gravy.

We all took a seat around the table and AJ started pouring drinks for everyone. People had wine in their glasses, but not me.

"She's not drinking," lan said simply and that was that.

"Before we start, why don’t we go around the room and say what we're grateful for this Thanksgiving?"

Kristen said to everyone, "I'll start. I'm grateful that we're all healthy and happy, and all my children are here.Plus Emma and AJ.You two are always welcome,"

"Hear, hear," Hailey raised her wine glass and cheered.

"I'm grateful for the Giants, they're doing really well in the playoffs," AJ followed as he sat next to Kristen.

"That's right," lan nodded at him.

"Also grateful that business was good this year. And that I can spend Thanksgiving with all you guys," AJ continued.

AJ was smiling to everyone on the table as he spoke, but his smile for Hailey lasted a second longer than everyone else.

"Ok, my turn," Hailey chirped.

for my family.I'm grateful for all this delicious food, shout out to my _ beautiful momma _ for preparing everything.And also...I'm grateful for

and

the way Hailey said AJ’s name, it was as if there was some weight

for my mom and for all you guys, but

me and said, "Thank you

said as I took

and the delicious food.Grateful to be a part of this wonderful night with these wonderful people.And of course,

my gaze on lan and

get a room

and I were staring deeply into each

forgotten that there were

exclaimed before things could

Dinner was amazing.

and stuffing, Kristen brought out pies for dessert

PM, Kristen decided to head to bed, while the four of us were still chilling in

movie, The Shining by Stanley Kubrick, because why not? The four of us sat on the long couch, Hailey and I were in the middle and next to me was lan and next to her was

a beer bottle in

one earlier and lan

I feel like

noticed it too, but she

was kind of helpful,

topic of my age or college came up, she would distract

I would exchange a knowing look and

the couch watching this movie.The movie was

kid was riding his tricycle around the hotel and he came

I buried my face into

to notice she was being so

to help Hailey and return

to lan that I was basically half sitting on

caused lan’s attention to be

okay there?"

not even the

are we watching this on

you

"Whatever,"

and turn my face

there,

on his chest and

watching the movie when suddenly lan jerked my body with his two hands

"Aaahh!"

baby and it caused Hailey to

"What the hell?"

snapped at lan who was

on the laughter as they high fived

"You suck!"

and sat straighten my

on," he cooed and tried to get me to lay my head on his

I kept my gaze on the

I felt his hand snaked around my waist and it pulled me back

tight in his arms and placed

just too

blushed and flushed my

of my eye, I noticed AJ was

pushed away, so

be good if

decided to do the only thing I knew how to do.Lifting my face up to his, I found his lips with mine and I kissed him slow and gentle.He tasted like cherry pie and alcohol,

best part," he murmured lowly,

playfully and said,

part," Damn,

gotten into you?" a

sister.But also, you look delicious.I couldn't

bottom lip down with his thumb.Then he leaned in and he kissed

were closed but I could hear

lan let out an

I looked

it whenever," he said simply and

to me and