I arrived at Wednesday with my backpack slung over my shoulders, walking to school with a sense of discouragement. The melodies of "death bed (coffee for your head)" filled my ears but failed to lift my spirits.
I couldn't help but feel apathetic about the idea of seeing Jenna during the last period. I was certain I had ruined everything, and the thought of facing her captivating brown eyes embarrassed me.
Damn, another unintentional compliment.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to find some calm as I walked down the path. I paused the music when I saw Enid approaching from a distance, full of energy.
"Hey," I murmured, taking off my headphones as the blonde looked at me with confusion.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, immediately noticing my mood.
Is something wrong? Well, I've become attached to my Calculus teacher in just two days, thought she was going to kiss me, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and now I'm terrified of seeing her again.
Of course, I wasn't going to tell her all that.
"Nothing... I didn't sleep well... you know, nightmares," I responded with a shrug, trying to sound indifferent as I adjusted the uncomfortable uniform. Not only did I have to wear a black-and-purple striped uniform, but also an annoying tie that made it hard to breathe.
Damn tie.
"Did this nightmare have brown eyes and a charming smile?" Enid asked absentmindedly, slinging her arm over my shoulders.
I tensed at her words but tried to hide it. I'd forgotten how perceptive Enid was at reading people.
"No, actually, I lost count of how many eyes the monster had," I quickly replied, making up an unconvincing excuse.
"Sure…" she said, narrowing her eyes at me.
"Hey, girls!" someone shouted.
We turned toward the voice and saw Ajax and Xavier hurrying toward us. Ajax put his arm around Enid, and the blonde got distracted, sharing a sweet kiss with her boyfriend.
I managed to avoid Enid's interrogation.
Nevermore's misunderstood artist fell into step beside me, greeting me with a nod.
"Mind if I steal her for a while, Black?" Ajax asked, smiling at Enid. I pretended to gag as I saw Enid's shiny, love-filled eyes brimming with mischief.
"Not at all," I admitted, stepping aside as Ajax took Enid's hand off my shoulder.
Xavier and I watched as Ajax and Enid ran through the gardens hand in hand, laughing.
"Well... looks like it's just you and me," Xavier said shyly, hiding his blushing cheeks behind his long hair. I laughed nervously, and we walked through Nevermore's gates.
I knew Xavier had feelings for me, but I only saw him as a friend... like a little brother, and I didn't want to disappoint him.
"Do we have Art now?" I asked nervously. Xavier nodded. I took a few steps forward, and my eyes widened when I saw Jenna in the distance.
My cheeks flushed, and I froze in place.
Jenna Ortega was talking animatedly with her coworker. My heart raced uncontrollably, nervous yet captivated by the sight of the woman.
Today, Professor Ortega had opted for a more casual style. She wore a simple pink sweatshirt that was at least two sizes too big for her, ripped jeans at the knees, and white sneakers. Her hair was tied in a messy ponytail.
The absence of heels highlighted her short stature.
I grabbed Xavier's arm and started walking down the hallway when I saw Jenna turning in our direction. I relaxed, knowing I had avoided the brunette, and with a sigh of relief, I walked toward our classroom.
...
I managed to avoid Jenna in various ways, but inevitably, I had her in the last period. I took a deep breath before entering the classroom, lowering my head when I saw her seated at the chair in front of the desk.
I felt immense guilt seeing a smile forming on her lips. Damn, that oversized sweatshirt made her even more adorable.
"Hey," she said nervously.
I remained silent, avoiding her gaze. I focused on looking at the back of the classroom and felt a pang of disappointment when I saw Enid and Spencer sitting in my usual spot. The girl still had a red nose from her cold, and Enid was animatedly chatting with her friend.
I felt betrayed.
With impatience, I took the only available seat, right in front of the desk. I put my backpack on the floor and sat down, feeling somewhat frustrated. Jenna raised an eyebrow at me, seemingly trying to figure out what was going on.
"Are you okay?" she asked, standing up and putting her hands in the pockets of her sweatshirt.
I held back a smile at how adorable she looked and nodded.
My lack of response made Jenna frown, her gaze hardening. She clenched her jaw, seemingly annoyed.
If I acted coldly, maybe I could avoid talking to Jenna.
"I'm fine," I replied coldly, avoiding eye contact and taking out my pencil case and notebook, ready for the lesson.
Jenna huffed and made a strange noise in her throat.
In my peripheral vision, I saw her hand dangerously close to mine, and my eyes widened as I realized her intent. Jenna's hand grabbed mine, pulling me up from the chair. I tried to stay calm as I followed her out of the classroom, our hands intertwined. A pleasant sensation stirred in my stomach, and I tried to ignore the soft contact of her palm against mine.
Before crossing the door, I saw Enid standing up from her seat, looking at me with concern.
"Excuse me," Jenna said firmly, trying to make her way through the students hurrying to their classes.
I looked at her and involuntarily smiled, realizing that her height barely reached my chest.
Professor Ortega stopped in front of a storage room and opened the door. She shut it firmly to ensure privacy and released my hand, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What's going on with you?" she asked seriously, clenching her jaw.
"Nothing... can we go back to class? We have a lesson to attend," I said, distractedly looking at the door, needing to escape the narrow space.
" I'm the teacher here... so you're staying," she said, her brown eyes full of anger. "Why have you been avoiding me since this morning? And don't say you haven't because I know you have."
Her gaze softened, her brown eyes shining with sadness.
"I..." I took a deep breath.
If I wanted to get out of there, I had to tell the truth.
"I don't know... I was afraid I'd made you uncomfortable the other day," I confessed, a weight lifting off my chest.
Jenna relaxed, a timid smile appearing on her face.
"You didn't make me uncomfortable... if that's what you were worried about... you can relax," she shrugged, smiling again.
"Good," I said, smiling in relief.
"Martina... Next time, talk instead of running away, okay? After all, I'm your teacher... I can help you with anything," she said, her doe eyes looking at me as she bit her lower lip distractedly.
And that was the problem... you're my teacher... Jenna.
"Now... shall we go back to class? I think the others are wondering where we went," I stated, swallowing nervously.
Jenna nodded shyly, and we left the storage room, walking back to class, having lifted a weight off my shoulders.
Or maybe not entirely.