With a shy demeanor, I approached Professor Ortega, who looked at me with a half-smile. I sat next to her figure, perching on the lectern.
My feet scraped the floor, swinging my legs back and forth. I tried not to let a smile escape when I saw Jenna's feet only reaching halfway down the lectern. Despite the heels, she was at least 10 centimeters away from the ground.
Nervously, my hands intertwined, resting on my lap. Jenna watched her students like a vulture, giving a disappointed look when she saw two girls whispering to each other, probably asking for answers. I absentmindedly bit my lower lip while watching Enid write on her paper.
I hope she wrote something.
Jenna cleared her throat, tilting her head in my direction. My hairs stood on end as I felt her breath against my cheek.
"What color do you like?" she asked, and I was perplexed by her question. I could feel her gaze on the side of my head. "Really?" Inevitably, the corners of my lips lifted, forming a shy smile. My gaze was focused on the class.
"Blue," I replied, avoiding eye contact between us. Jenna smiled faintly. "Yours is black, right?" I asked, glancing at her from the corner of my eye.
She nodded slowly, looking confused.
I looked at her hand beside my hips. With a tilt of my head, I indicated for her to look down, and she smiled when she saw my range of action.
Her black nails.
She raised her hand, making her bracelets jingle. With her arm in the air, she held her hand steady, spreading her fingers. "Do you like them?" she simply asked.
Instinctively, I took her wrist, taking a quick glance at her hand. "Yes... they are really beautiful," I smiled.
"Do you like mine? They're skin-colored," i joked. I didn't have nail polish on, and she chuckled shyly at my joke.
We fell silent, enjoying each other's presence. The atmosphere was pleasant and not at all uncomfortable. I must admit that I liked Jenna; I enjoyed chatting with her. I think it was mutual because she attempted a conversation to establish a kind of friendship between student and teacher.
"Nice ring," the dark-haired girl suddenly remarked. Jenna took my hand to get a closer look at the ring my grandmother had given me. Her eyes marveled at the beauty of the white metal.
With a laugh, I took it off, placing the precious ring in her hands. "Try it on," I smiled. I knew it would be too big for her hand, but trying wouldn't hurt. As I predicted, it was too large for her fingers, but she still managed to make it fit on her thumb.
The sound of a chair being pulled back made her look towards the middle of the classroom. The teacher clenched her jaw in annoyance, closing her eyes at the squeak. Deborah walked towards our direction, handing out the exams.
She gave Jenna a stern look. Jenna smiled at her, placing the test on top of mine.
"And tell me..." I redirected my attention to the dark-haired girl. Her eyes were attentively focused on my face. "Why this passion for Calculus?" She raised the corner of her upper lip. "It's not a true passion... I simply understand numbers," I shrugged indifferently, answering her question.
"Well... in a few months, there will be a competition. You should participate," she confessed, and I fell silent, pondering her words. Jenna stepped down from the lectern, capturing the attention of those who were still taking the exam.
"Guys... you have..." she emphasized the letter 'e', "...10 minutes." Panic-filled groans resonated in the room at the news. Jenna stood in front of me, observing my legs swinging from side to side. She lightly tapped my leg with her hand, indicating that I should stop. I obeyed her request and stopped in mid-swing.
The vibration in my pants pocket made me jump in surprise. I grabbed my phone and saw a message from Erick.
Erick was one of my best friends and openly gay. I smiled when I saw the message, and this caught Jenna's attention.
"Who is it?" she asked, leaning her head towards my phone with curiosity. "Oh, just a friend," I smiled, puzzled by the sudden question. Jenna nodded with a smile.
The sound of the bell prompted a series of movements, and one by one, students handed in their exams, many of them furrowing their brows at how it had gone. Within seconds, the room was empty.
Enid jumped with her backpack on her shoulder and approached us, handing me my backpack. I gave her a grateful smile, and she winked at me.
"Shall we go? We have history now," she said, walking towards the doorway.
"Miss y/n, can you stay for a moment?" Jenna exclaimed, arranging the papers. I nodded and gestured to Enid with my hand to go ahead without me.
I would have caught up with her in a few moments.
Enid gave me a mischievous smile and left the room, leaving me alone with Professor Ortega. "Do you need something, Professor Ortega?" I asked, nervously biting my lower lip. Jenna genuinely smiled as she put the tests into her backpack.
"Oh, call me Jenna. We're only a few years apart," she laughed at the thought. I nervously tightened the strap of my backpack.
Anyway, yes, I do need something," she cleared her throat. "As I told you before, there will be a competition in a few months, and I would really like you to participate. You have talent," she looked at me with a half-smile. "I'll be your tutor, of course, and I can help you with the exam," she tilted her head to the side. "You just need to stay a couple of afternoons a week. Do you accept my proposal?" she asked with a hint of hope.
I blinked in confusion, surprised by her proposal.
"Umm... can I think about it and give you an answer by the end of today?" I suggested, feeling a strange pressure on my shoulders. I didn't want to make hasty decisions; I wanted to avoid getting her hopes up for something I hadn't thought through yet.
She gave me a big smile. "Then I'll see you later, T/N," she winked playfully and with a giggle, she left the classroom, leaving me completely alone.
The sound of heels fading away.
My cheeks turned red, and I started fidgeting with my fingers. My thumb didn't feel the familiar sensation of the metal ring around my finger, and with agitation, I looked at the missing ring on my left ring finger.
Jenna still had my ring, damn it.
A notification on my phone snapped me out of my trance. I turned on the screen and saw that it was from Enid.
Enid: Having fun with the sexy teacher, are you?
I rolled my eyes at her stupid comment and quickly walked to my next lesson. History awaited me, along with an Enid who wanted to hear gossip. But the back of my mind kept replaying the conversation with Jenna, making me think about the upcoming meeting this evening.
You need to stay calm, you can do this, y/n.