How to make your teacher fall in love with you

Chapter 30

"You and Ella?"

"Yes." I hated having to admit it.

Nathan stood up, looking at me with a baffled expression on his face. He seemed to understand less now that I had finally admitted it to him. "Really? A relationship?" he asked.

I just had to roll my eyes once again. How many times did I have to admit it? I muttered another yes, and added, "What exactly is it that you intend on doing now that  you know it's true?"

I saw guilt in Nathan's eyes for a brief second, which he immediately masked. "Nothing. Why would I do anything about it?"

"I thought you'd jump on the opportunity to bail me out after... what happened last year."

"I'm not going to," he muttered.

Silence flooded the hallway for a few seconds. I did not know what to say, but could barely believe that Nathan would not tell anyone about this. He had looked so guilty for a second. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his mind, but I didn't dare ask. I did not want him to snap at me and change his mind about not bailing me out. I sighed, leaning against the door frame leading to my class room. I kept on glancing at Nathan without saying anything. He looked thoughtful for a while, too, until he finally looked up and decided to speak.

"And someone's threatening you about this as well?"

I nodded. "Uh-oh. Practically stalking me, actually."

"And you don't know who it is, still?"

It wasn't him, that I was sure of. I shook my head instead of speaking.

Nathan nodded, seeming to think about it as well. He suddenly looked straight at me, seeming to remember something. "Wait...what? How's Ella with John then all of a sudden? This is insane."

"Yeah I..." I shook my head once again, feeling sick. "I- I told you that her and I aren't together anymore. Don't ask me what happened or how they're together now." That is, if they were together. I was hoping that they were not, and hoped that I would be able to forgive Ella sometime.

"Is John the reason you broke up?" Nathan looked like he was trying to fix the last pieces of the puzzle now.

I bit my lip. "I guess," I said.

He glanced at me, then at the photo, and back at me. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He jerked around quickly, only to find John himself standing behind him. Nathan looked at him incredulously, while I glared at him.

"You've got some nerve coming here," Nathan told him.

"I'm not here to talk to you, Nathan. You and I already talked," was John's reply. Of course, I'd seen them exchange a few words right before the lesson, and now I wondered what they had been about. Probably Ella, though. I flinched at the thought of her. It honestly hurt, thinking about what had happened. Yes, it really was love. And still is. And love hurts.

John had now moved towards me and waited for me to get back to reality. I barely met his eyes. I had already ignored him twice these past two days, he had tried to talk to me but I wouldn't listen. Don't blame me, I was hurt. And I still am.

"Don't you have a lesson right now?" I asked.

"I dismissed class early... I just had to come here and talk to you," he said. I saw Nathan roll his eyes from where he was standing. He turned around and walked to the art room, totally ignoring both John and I.

I turned to John. "I just don't think I have anything to say to you," I said.

John took a step closer. "But I do. Please, just let me explain." I shrugged and didn't reply, and he took this as a cue to continue. "It wasn't Ella's fault, I swear. I was the one to make a move on her and I'm sorry that I did, because I didn't know how much I would hurt you. It started out as being just some innocent flirting.. and look what it led to."