Aria sat down on Emily's bed, "so you wanted to talk?"
Emily took a deep breath, "how did you manage to push through with your relationship with Ezra even though everyone was against it?"
"Is this about Paige?"
"No, I think- I think I like someone. Someone else other than Paige."
"Who is it?"
She gulped and avoided Aria's eye contact, "a teacher."
"Oh," Aria's eyes widened.
"I'm thinking about dropping her class."
"Why? Is it that bad?"
"Well, I just don't want to be put in a situation where I'm tempted to be a bad person."
"So you're saying I'm a bad person?"
"What? No."
"By saying that having a relationship with a teacher is wrong, you do know that you're indirectly calling me a bad person because of my relationship with Ezra."
It is wrong thought Emily. "No Aria, you are a good person. What I'm saying is that if I continue to have feelings for this woman that it would make me a bad person because I already have a girlfriend. I mean, I'm assuming that after what happened with your parents, you know very well that there are consequences to being unfaithful in a relationship."
"Yes but it's almost impossible to shut off your feelings, Em."
"Can't I at least try?"
"If you think dropping her class and avoiding her will help you, then go ahead but I'm just warning you, sometimes the harder you try to let go, the more your feelings will grow."
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"Thanks for meeting me, Byron" said Ella.
"What are ex husbands for?" He joked.
Ella stared at her cup of coffee and then focused her attention on Byron, "I can't look at myself in the mirror anymore."
"Is this about your breakup with Zack?"
"No. Lately, I've been having dreams about a student of mine."
"Erotic dreams?"
Ella rolled her eyes and refrained from slapping him in the face, "No, more like romantic dreams."
"Well is he coming on to you in reality?"
"I don't think she is."
"She?"
"Emily."
Byron almost choked on his coffee and after wiping his mouth with a napkin asked, "Emily?"
Ella sighed, "She's acting different."
"What do you mean by that?"
"She's acting like how you acted around me when we first met. Actually, she's acting like how she used to act around Allison."
"Well has she tried anything?"
"Well, no. She did stay after class one day to ask me for help on one of the assignments I gave them."
"Don't think too highly of yourself. She is probably just going through a rough patch with Paige."
"I hope so," whispered Ella.
"What?"
"I mean yeah she probably is."
"Wait, you don't like her, do you?"
"Of course I like her, she's one of our daughter's best friends."
"You know what I mean, Ella."
Ella gripped her hands on the table, "Even if I did, I would never do anything of that sort because it would be unprofessional, immoral, and an abuse of my position."
"I'm not saying that you're going to do anything."
"What's wrong with me Byron? I've known Emily since she was a little girl. I've seen her grow up into a beautiful young woman right in front of my eyes. These feelings are completely wrong."
"It's not the feelings that are wrong, it's only if you act upon them that they become wrong."
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Emily watched as Mrs Montgomery handed back the marked assignments. She anticipated nervously as her teacher approached her desk. Mrs Montgomery placed Emily's assignment on the desk. Emily instantly noticed a note that said "See me after class" attached to the assignment. She avoided checking her grade because she was sure the note's purpose was to discuss her recently poor performance in the class.
As the class was reading the assigned material, Emily felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She took her phone out and read a text message from Paige.
This book is so boring. Why don't we just text each other throughout the rest of the class and pretend like we're reading?
Emily smiled. Then, she looked up from her phone and saw Mrs Montgomery looking at her. Afraid that her teacher had seen her texting, Emily put away her phone.
The bell rang and Emily closed her book. As she was inserting her things into her bag, Paige wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and asked, "Do you want me to walk you to your next class?"
Emily kissed Paige and said, "No, it's okay you go ahead. I have to talk to Mrs Montgomery."
"Alright, see you later," The two girls kissed each other once more before Paige left the classroom.
Emily stalled by putting away her things as slowly as possible. She dreaded having to talk to Mrs Montgomery. Emily had felt very awkward around her ever since she figured out that she was a little "hot for teacher."
Emily rolled her eyes, stuffed her book into her bag, and paced her way to Mrs Montgomery's desk, "You wanted to see me?" Asked Emily.
"Yes. I heard you wanted to drop my class."
"Did Aria tell you?" Emily asked in disbelief.
"No, why would Aria-" Mrs Montgomery was curious about this revelation but decided to ignore it, "your guidance counsellor told me."
"What? Don't they have some type of confidentiality clause in their code of conduct?"
"Emily, why do you want to drop my class?"
A voice in Emily's brain urged her to lie but she couldn't bring herself to speak.
"Emily, does this have something to do with me cheating on that test for you?"
"No, Mrs Montgomery, I've let that go."
"Well, did something happen with Paige? Do you want to drop this class because you don't want to be around her?"
I don't want to be around youthought Emily. "No, Paige and I are doing great."
"So then, what is it?"
"It's just that- well I-"
Mrs Montgomery crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow which intimidated Emily.
"I like you, Mrs Montgomery," Emily said with her eyes closed.
"Well, that's very sweet of you, Emily."
Emily scoffed and began to become frustrated, "no, Mrs Montgomery, I find you attractive, okay? There, I said it. But I know that it's wrong and it can't happen because I'm in a relationship. I am a good and faithful person and I don't want to be put in a situation where I'm tempted to be a bad person by trying to cheat on my girlfriend with my teacher! And I know that even if I tried doing that, I wouldn't succeed because you think your moral compass is so well-developed that even the thought of having an affair with one of your students would never cross your mind so I just-"
Abruptly, Mrs Montgomery gave Emily a kiss.
"Woah," was Emily's only response.
"I'm so sorry," said Mrs Montgomery, ashamed.
"I have to go," said Emily, dumbfounded. She walked quickly towards the door but paused when she stood in front of it. Emily put her hand on her forehead and shook her head. She closed the door shut and walked her way back to Mrs Montgomery. Emily pulled her teacher towards her and planted another kiss on her that was much longer than the one Mrs Montgomery gave her. The two women continued to kiss, unaware that someone was recording them.
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Aria, Hannah, and Emily worked on their homework together in Aria's bedroom. Hannah dropped her pen purposely on to her notebook, "I'm so tired of this. Don't teachers realize that we have lives?"
"I guess not," said Aria while closing her textbook, "I don't know about you guys but the word procrastination sounds really good to me right now."
Emily and Hannah both laughed. Aria got off her bed and sat on her desk chair. She turned her computer on to check her e-mail. "Guys, come look at this."
Emily and Hannah walked to Aria's desk. "What is it?" Asked Emily.
"It's an e-mail from A. Should I open it?"
"Yeah, do it," encouraged Hannah.
Aria opened the email and saw a video of her mom making out with Emily in her classroom.
Aria and Hannah both turned around and looked at Emily.
"I can explain," was what Emily managed to spit out.
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Aria sat in the cafeteria as Hannah tried to comfort her. Mona sat down next to the girls. She turned to Aria and gave her a smug smirk, "Aria, you've really got to learn to control your family. First, your professor father sleeps with his student. Then, you seduce your english teacher and now you're supposedly 'cool mom' lusts after your lesbian friend. What's next, is your brother going to sleep with Fitz too?"
"Mona, this is not a good time," warned Hannah.
Aria chimed in, "Mona, if you had something do with this, I swear I-"
"What? You think I put some type of lesbian love potion into Mama Montgomery's cup of tea?" said Mona before taking a sip from her water bottle.
"Come on, let's go," said Hannah with contempt. Aria and Hannah walked out of the cafeteria and into the hallway where they saw Emily.
Emily walked up to them, "Aria, I-"
"Save it, Emily," said Hannah before leading Aria out of the hallway.
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Ella marked her freshmen students' assignments to try to get her mind off what happened between Emily and herself. Abruptly, Paige barged into the classroom.
"Emily told me what happened," said Paige, clearly raging.
"Paige, it wasn't-"
"What is wrong with you?"
"I don't know," Ella answered, honestly.
"Oh wait, you know what? I know what's wrong with you. Your husband cheated on you. Your boyfriend broke up with you. So now you're experimenting with a teenage lesbian to feel validation that you're still attractive, is that it?"
Ella felt like the words were stabbing her in the gut.
"You put on this facade of being the 'cool mom' and the 'cool teacher' but in reality, you're nothing but a desperate and insecure slut!"
"Paige, it was just a kiss."
"Well was it worth it? Was that kiss worth your students losing respect for you? Was that kiss worth your own daughter losing respect for you? Tell me, Mrs Montgomery, was it worth it?!"
"No," Ella tapped her fingers on the desk and sighed, "it wasn't worth it."
"Just so you know, I'm dropping your class too," said Paige before leaving the classroom and slamming the door shut.
After leaving Mrs Montgomery's classroom, Paige bumped into Emily. Emily grabbed her girlfriend's arm, "Paige."
"I don't want to talk to you."
"How many times do I have to say 'I'm sorry' before you forgive me? I don't want to lose you."
"You know what, Em, I'm not the person you should be talking to. You shouldn't be worried about losing me, you should be worried about losing your friendship with Aria. Your friend's mom? Really, Emily? That is low," said Paige before shrugging Emily's hand off her arm and storming away.
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Emily spotted Aria sitting by herself at a table and sat down next to her.
"I know that I'm the last person you want to talk to right now but hear me out. I really am sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did and I'm dropping her class."
Aria looked at her friend, "I forgive you."
"Really?" Emily said, stunned and smiling.
Aria nodded. "I don't know if I could forgive my mom though."
"Aria, you should. What happened was just as much my fault as it was hers."
"She's such a hypocrite. She lectures me about Ezra and then she goes off and makes out with one of her students. I thought she had more morality than that."
"Hey, give your mom a break. She really is a good person."
"You're just saying that because you like her."
"No, Aria. I admit I do. Ever since she cheated on that test for me because she felt bad about Maya's death, my feelings for her have been growing and I tried my best to stop them and I tried my best to keep this to myself but like you said, it's almost impossible to shut off your feelings."
"Yeah but she's the adult and you're the student. She should have known better."
"Well, put yourself in her shoes. Your dad cheated on her and Zack broke up with her. Hurt and insecurity probably clouded her better judgment. I guess the fact that I had a crush on her made her feel special. Something she probably hasn't felt in a really long time."
"I guess you're right," said Aria, "have you told Paige?"
"Yeah and she doesn't want anything to do with me. But I don't blame her."
Aria looked at a vulnerable Emily and felt sympathy. She gave her friend a hug.
"Thanks, Aria," said Emily. The two friends continued to hug one another, unaware that Mrs Montgomery was watching them from afar.
Mrs Montgomery wiped her tears away as she continued to stare at what a good and forgiving person her daughter had become. Paige's words reverberated in her head. She was right. Nothing was worth her daughter losing respect for her. Ella returned to her classroom and took Emily's name off the attendance sheet.