Teach Her | Cillian Murphy x Reader

21. Boy Friend

October 30

6:02 PM

"And your history teacher? How's he?"

I looked up at my mother from across the kitchen table, picking at the food on my plate before giving her a shrug. I tried to ignore the fact that I was in his car only two nights ago, doing things with him that I could never tell a soul, when I should've been studying.

"He's okay," I started looking back down at my plate at food, before glancing at the empty chair beside mine. The place where my father usually sat. "He's just a tough grader."

My mother nodded lifting up her wine before taking a sip of it and placing it down. The dining room was silent, only the two of us sat there. When I came home for the long weekend, I obviously expected my father to be there. I wanted him to be there. I wanted to show him that sending me to university was worth it and not a waste of money like he made it out to be. But of course, he wasn't there.

"Did you make any new friends at least?" my mother asked, leaving another silence between us. If she really cared she would've at least called. At least once. I thought.

"Yeah," I nodded before taking a bite of my food. "My room mate is really nice, she's been friendly. Taking me to places and stuff. I think I'd be lost without her."

"Any boy friends?"

I looked up at my mom, seeing the subtle grin across her face. If only she knew.

I shook my head. "No. No boy friends or anything close to a boyfriend."

In the back of my mind I thought of Jude. I'd been blowing him off, ignoring his texts, refusing to make eye contact with him when we would occasionally see each other on campus, or leaving extra early when he'd join Sam and I. I felt guilty, but what else could I do?

"You need to get on that," she joked lifting her eyebrows, which made me roll my eyes. "I bet there is some guy out there who wants to ask you out or something."

I shook my head again. "I doubt that," I said taking a sip of my water, leaning back in my chair and leaving my fork on the table. "No one really talks to me in any of my classes. Besides, they're all boring, small, and filled with people I'd rather not associate myself with."

My mother stared at me before sighing and standing up from the kitchen table, grabbing her barely touched plate of food and empty glass of wine then turning around, leaving me alone at the table. I watched her disappear into the kitchen. The house was silent and the lights were dim, the sound of light rain on the window was the only thing that could be heard. Somehow I felt more alone at home, even after spending weeks at a campus with only friends.

October 30

8:39 PM

I sat at my desk working on much overdue homework and assignments, items that had been neglected and dismissed. I should've been doing essays, I should've been studying but I was at Cillian's house instead, or in the back of his car. And now, suddenly everything was piling up.

A tiny ding on my phone interrupted me, making me glance at the notification that lit up the bright screen. It was a text from my friend, my only friend that I knew back home; Julia. I opened my phone, staring at the text on my screen.

"horror movies tomorrow at my place?? I can pick u up at noon!!!"

I sighed quietly placing my phone down, completely forgetting that tomorrow was Halloween. I closed my eyes for a second, listening in on the rain against my window before picking up my phone again. I shot her a quick text back, agreeing to the spontaneous idea. It would be nice to finally talk to someone who I didn't know for only two months, someone who actually stuck around.