"He is your teacher, and you should show him respect," I reminded myself, attempting to control these intrusive thoughts. But deep down, I couldn't help but question "Does it matter?"
Throughout the night, I tossed and turned, feeling completely helpless and drenched in sweat. Eventually, I gave up on sleep at all.
Slowly, I rose from my bed and made my way toward the window. Peeking out, I noticed that his window had a curtain, yet the light inside was still on.
As he reached out to touch the curtain, preparing to lift it, I quickly dropped my own curtain and turned away, clutching my chest.
"I should take a bath," I whispered to myself, desperately seeking a distraction.
Somehow, the night passed by, and in the morning, fueled by the eagerness to catch a glimpse of his face, I quickly put on my shoes and rushed out.
Have I ever been this punctual before?
And there he was, engaged in conversation with his colleague, his laughter filling the air.
It felt like a breath of fresh air on a perfect morning - his beautiful cheeks and perfectly defined jawline.
I found myself lost in this enchanting sight, until Willow's voice broke through my imagination.
Startled, I spun around to see her running toward me, her arm around my neck. "How dare you arrive before me today?" she exclaimed, playfully pulling me away.
But even as I turned away, I caught a glance of him - I think that was a smile that seemed to be meant just for me, if only for a moment he just looked at me for a small moment and with his smile still there he looked back at the person he was talking to.
As we walked through the hallway, I couldn't help but notice stares from the people around us.
Why was it always the stare? But this time, their gazes held a judgmental feel.
"What's gotten into them?" I questioned, scrunching my face in confusion.
"Jealousy, my dear, jealousy of three of the most beautiful ladies, as always!" Willow answered me, making us chuckle.
I entered the classroom and realized that Harry was absent. As we settled into the classroom, the whispers grew louder. I couldn't help but notice just one guy sitting in the corner, seemingly quiet as compared to the others, I was not sure why he was quiet until his friend began to gossip.
"I doubt Mr. Darkwood will show up after what he did!" the guy exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?" the previously quiet guy inquired.
"You don't know? Dude, he has no idea!" His friend pulled out his phone and displayed something that caused this guy to grin.
"Woohoo!" he chuckled.
"What's happening?" I turned to Willow.
She approached him, snatched his phone, and glanced at the screen, "Oh my God!" she gasped.
I walked over to her, took the phone, and saw my own photo from the funeral.
It was captured at the exact moment Mr. Darkwood pulled me toward himself.
There were two images - one where he was holding me, and the other where I was looking at his face.
I was left speechless, but Willow punched him, leading to a physical fight between them.
Just then, Mr. Darkwood entered the room. "Oh my God!" he exclaimed, rushing in to break up their fight.
"What is wrong with you two?" he shouted.
"Don't you have any respect for the dead? Were you there just to tear her reputation apart?" Willow rushed toward the guy and punched him again.
"Willow!" Mr. Darkwood yelled, grabbing her and holding her from back.
"Go ahead, take pictures of this and post them on social media too!" Vincent taunted.
"What? What are you talking about?" Mr. Darkwood inquired, confusion evident on his face.
Vincent stepped back, then approached him, showing him the photos. "Look!"
Mr. Darkwood's eyes grew wider, the caption read “Beauty and the pervert!”
"Wow! Just... wow!" He stepped back, running his fingers through his hair.
"I can't believe that you are Gen Z and your mindset is still stuck in the 10,000 BC!"
He walked over to his desk and rested his head on it. "Is this what I am trying to teach you? Is this the lesson you are learning from me? I may not be as old as your other teachers, but I am still your teacher. Is this how you disrespect all of them?" He shouted.
Feeling even worse after being laughed, I was still trembling and felt somewhat sick. However, after he finished speaking, he grabbed his files and exited the classroom, which troubled me the most.
In the cafeteria, Willow informed me that Mr. Darkwood had left for his home and due to his anger, she doubted he would ever return.
It was disheartening news to hear. "Are you okay?" Willow inquired.
"Yeah, I suppose so," I forced a smile.
"I know what you need," Willow stated.
"Not another party, please," I chuckled.
"No, not a party, but a sleepover, maybe at your place?" She giggled.
After a moment of deep thought, I replied, "Actually, that sounds like a great idea! My mom is heading back to the city this evening for some unfinished business, and I've never been home alone before," I added.
"Then it's settled," Christine struck the table with excitement. She's the quiet one, so she doesn't speak much.
Upon arriving home, I noticed Mr. Darkwood's car parked in front of his house. I made my way inside my house and saw my mom about to climb a ladder to reach something on a high shelf near the yard.
"Mom!" I called out. "Don't do that! Let me do it for you. Just tell me what you need!" I offered.
"There are my documents in that cabinet!" she exclaimed, I began to climb the ladders.
Just as I began my search, the doorbell rang, causing my mom to rush to the door.
It was Mr. Darkwood, and she warmly invited him inside.
He had brought cookies as a token of appreciation for the delicious cookies we had given him before.