Sunshine (Student/Teacher Romance) 18+

41

If we were classmates, I even might have actually gone.

But Prom's a while away. Six months to be exact.

And what's life even going to look like in six months from now. Yeah things are great today, but next month Ari's turning eighteen.

Is she going to want to stay with me? Would she want to?

Is she going to leave like we planned?

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of thoughts that are only destructive. That would only serve the purpose of sobering me up right about now.

Another text rolls in, she sends me a picture.

I squint, looking at the image. It's me, standing next to Stephen Cross. His arms around me and we look like we're laughing pretty hard about something. I couldn't tell you what at this many shots in.

Tina: You're so cute :) glad you're having fun

Tina: When are you coming home?

Me: Soon, beautiful

I pivot around with a big wide smile on my face, my phone in hand and although I'm having a pretty great time, I miss Ari.

I may see if I can check out early. The night is ending soon anyway, what's forty minutes with one less chaperone?

"Hey, Abel."

Fuck me.

I cringe, looking face to face with the woman I've been trying to keep my distance from all night. "Hey."

"You look nice."

"Thanks, likewise." I put my phone in my pocket.

"This is fun, huh?"

I don't know what she wants. But then again, Shyla has never been predictable. Not even a little bit.

And maybe that's what fucked me up so bad when she left.

I didn't see it coming, there were signs, but I didn't think she actually would leave. I thought we were just losing that connection and closeness, and I scrambled to get it back. Only pushing her further away.

And now I feel like the tables have turned.

Now she's chasing me around, literally and I couldn't want more distance between us.

"So this is what it's like to be at a Homecoming dance." I speak, more to myself but I expect her to be listening in, stuffing my hands in my pockets as I look around the wide gymnasium. Kids jumping around like wild animals, making out in the corners, some standing shyly off to the sides. "Just as lame as I expected back then."

"Yeah, you should have went with me to ours," Shyla says smartly.

"Nah, I don't feel like I missed out by not going. Especially now that I'm here."

"Well I feel like we missed out on a lot of things. So many things. It's fucking sad, Abel."

And here she goes with the dramatics.

"Don't do this tonight, Shy. Please."

"I just miss you, Abel. I'm sorry that it took me this long to come around, but I don't know. I'm fucked up, okay. I'm a fucked up person, and I just don't know how to receive love. I never had it before."

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"That's bullshit."

That doesn't even make sense.

A person who's never been shown love throwing it away like toddler who has too many toys.

You think Ari ever had love? Like real tangible, unconditional, nurturing love? No. But when she ever gets a taste of it, she takes it. She takes it like she's been starved of it. Because she has been.

Maybe that's why she's only seemed to gravitate toward me since we met. And maybe that's why she isn't walking away from me so easily.

"You're just a spoiled brat, Shyla. You only have excuses for why you're a shitty person. You just thought you could do better with some fucking doctor or whoever the guy was at your externship—"

"What?"

"Yeah, you heard me." I stare into her with intensity, and a slight smile because I can finally get this out. With a lot of help from Jack, and Brandy of course. "I knew all about that. You left me for a  doctor, and now that that ship sank, here you are. Crawling back to good ol' reliable Abel."

She stares at me completely still, with big teary eyes.

"Not this time, Shy." I stand firm. "This is my school, and if you don't leave, I will."

She's standing still like she's in shock. Her mouth agape and I can see her tongue poking at her molars like she can't find a single word to say in response.

But I mean it. I'm not the idiot she thought I was. I'm not the pitiful puppy dog that just follows her around and does as she commands.

How was I even wrapped up in a relationship like that? It's sick.

Being a lap dog to someone who would never love you even a fraction of the amount that you loved them.

She almost stumbles away and I wonder if she had anything to drink tonight too.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I'm eager to fish it out.

Tina: bring a pizza, I'll grab the ice cream, and we can stay up late discussing the lame endings of b-horror movies

"Oh, so you are talking to someone, asshole!" Stephen Cross's voice blares at my side and I almost jump out of my skin.

"No, it's just—"

He leans toward me to peek at my screen. "It's just what?"

The phone vibrates again.

Tina: orrrrrr scratch that. We can watch a marathon of Deadly Women. You choose.

"Let me fucking see that." He snatches the phone from my grasp too quick for my tipsy hands to register. "Uh, actually looks more like you've got a wife."

I wave him off, grabbing my phone back from him as soon as I muster up the coordination to.

"Who's she, huh? Tina? You weren't gonna tell me about her?"

"It's nothing serious."

"You're about to leave me here with these assholes to pick up a pizza and watch Deadly Women. You don't do that when it's not some kind of serious."

"It's not." I chuckle, so nervous my temples are starting to sweat.

"Okay. I've got my eye on you."

"Fair enough." I shake his hand. "I'll see you at school on Monday."