“School is terrible,” Emily complains, and Luke plants a kiss on her cheek.
“It’s not that bad, sweetheart,” he whispers, prompting Emily to scoff. “Remember, if it weren’t for school, we wouldn’t have met,” he adds, and Emily beams, leaning in for a kiss. I can’t help but smile at them.
“Okay, I’ll leave you two to it. I’m off to find something,” I say casually, standing up and wandering aimlessly.
As I stroll around, I hope to find someone to chat with, but no luck. With a huff, I decide to go into the classroom and spot Professor Winston, who is busy signing papers. He catches my eye, and I return his smile.
“Good morning, Mr. Winston,” I say softly, and he responds with a somewhat peculiar smile.
“Good morning, Miss Moore.” He continues his task as I settle into my desk, pulling out my notebook. “Class hasn’t started yet,” he laughs, and I grin.
“I know; I was just bored out there and thought I’d kill some time,” I murmur, and he nods.
I flip to a blank page and start doodling in various fonts.
“Wow, Nina, you’re the funniest person around,” Mr. Winston says.
“You know, most kids would beg for ten more minutes of recess, and you come in here wasting time?” he chuckles, and I shrug.
Silence hangs awkwardly between us before I break it. “Do you enjoy being a teacher?” I ask, turning to him; he seems surprised.
“If I didn’t like it, why would I be here?” he replies, and I simply shrug, continuing to doodle.
“Is it bad?” I mutter, earning a laugh from him.
“Not bad, but not as good as I’d wish it to be,” he admits, and I can’t meet his gaze for some reason.
“Why not show me?” I suggest slyly, noticing him close his folder and put his pen down.
“To prove that you enjoy teaching,” I elaborate.
“Of course, I’ll prove it,” he replies, a hint of indignation in his tone. I let out a sarcastic laugh.
“Sure,” I say and focus on my notebook again.
“Any tips for becoming a teacher, Miss Moore?” he asks as he sits across from me. I shake my head without looking up. “Look me in the eyes when I’m talking to you,” he insists. After momentarily meeting his gaze, I divert my eyes again.
“Miss Moore, I just gave you an order,” he states sternly, making me gulp. “Look at me, I said!” he commands, startling me. I feel his hands gently gripping my cheeks, forcing me to face him. “Any suggestions?” he asks, and I swallow, shaking my head.
“No,” I whisper, and he raises an eyebrow.
“No what?”
“I don’t have a suggestion,” I clarify, and he narrows his eyes.
He then relaxes his grip and looks directly at me. I lick my lips nervously as the first bell rings. He continues to study me intently, and I frown.
“I’ll be waiting for you in my office after your last class, miss,” he tells me, and I wrinkle my nose.
“Why?”
“Detention,” he replies, and I roll my eyes.
Moments later, the class begins as my classmates file in, and Mr. Winston starts his monotonous lecture. I breathe a sigh of relief when the bell finally rings, and I quickly pack up my things.
“Are you coming?” Emily asks as she approaches me.
“I have to go to Mr. Winston’s office,” I respond.
“Why?”
“Detention,” I reiterate, and she nods before leaving.
As I finish packing, I glimpse over at Alex, who is now entering the classroom.
“Alex?” I whisper, surprised to see him.
“It’s good to be back; I missed you guys,” he says, and I can hear the girls around me murmuring in delight. “Alright, let’s get back to class.
Everyone, open your books to page 134.”
He looks incredibly handsome, and I can’t help but lick my lips.
“Can I step out to throw this away?” I ask, lifting my pencil sharpener, and he nods.
As I make my way back, I accidentally drop the sharpener into the trash, which is already overflowing. I grumble to myself about the annoyance and promptly retrieve it before returning to my desk.
Alex continues the lesson, discussing societal rules. When the bell rings, signaling the end of class, I start to gather my things, ready to leave.
Emily’s voice breaks my train of thought, asking if I’m joining her, but I decline since I’m required to head to Mr. Winston’s office.
So, I glance back at the classroom as everyone shuffles out. I see Alex busy with paperwork, and I wonder why he’s back.
“As I walk past, See you later, Miss Moore,” Alex calls, making me sigh in response.
“Goodbye, Mr. Gray,” I reply, turning to leave when I hear him chuckle. I glance back, confused.
What?
“Have a nice day,” he offers simply, and I exit, rolling my eyes at the interaction.
As I make my way to Mr. Winston’s office, I find him exactly as before-still signing papers.
“What’s with all the paperwork?” I ask again.
“Work stuff,” he replies, a little distracted. I frown, feeling slightly neglected.
“So what’s my punishment?” I ask, aware of the detention awaiting me.
“Being with me for an hour,” he states simply.
My eyes narrow as I interpret that. I shift nervously in my seat, feeling his indifference weigh on me.
I sit down in a chair, setting my backpack aside. I’m not particularly bothered by this detention; it’s just that he’s giving me little attention. Frustrated, I shift in my seat, and when that fails, I cough to gain his notice.
When he glances up, I smile sweetly. “It’s inconsiderate to ignore your guests,” I tease, fluttering my eyelashes.
He arches an eyebrow but keeps working. I huff and cross my arms, feeling restless. I begin to fidget and distract myself by examining his belongings.
“Isn’t that a baseball over there?” I comment, noting a ball on a shelf.
“Didn’t anyone teach you not to snoop?” he replies without looking up.
“I was taught to treat others as they treat me, so if you ignore me, I’ll poke around a bit,” I quip, and he chuckles.
“Whatever,” he mutters, prompting an exaggerated sigh from me.
“Seriously, if you’re not going to punish me, why am I here?” I ask, but he’s still not engaging. So, I pull out my notebook and start doodling.
When the alarm finally goes off, he tells me I can leave. I quickly gather my things and almost walk out the door, but then I see Alex emerge from his office, smiling at a girl who just left. I lick my lips when I see him and he looks back at me, I gulp.