Smile For Me (Student/Teacher)

Lost & Found

"Uh, no." I lied.

"Toby!" Andy called his brother. "I'm ordering pizza, get out of my kitchen!"

I heard Toby in the kitchen slamming the fridge door and groaning. "It better be quick." He said from the other room, then walked to the living room and winking at me. "I like the sleepy look, Diana."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks?"

"Are you spending the night?" Toby asked and Andy looked over at me for an answer.

"Uh, no, sorry. I think I need my own bed tonight."

"Where'd you take a nap, then?" Andy asked curiously.

My mind went blank for a split second, but I recovered invisibly. "My brother's."

He nodded. "You're staying for pizza, right?"

"Yeah, sure." I told him with a smile and he reached out to me and pulled me into a hug. "I never asked how California was." I said in his arms.

He cringed. "Uh, yeah it's not important." He said, playfulling pulling at my hair.

Toby behind us laughed. "He's just saving you from a long and boring conversation, be thankful."

I laughed, "Glad you had fun." I told Andy as he pulled back and pecked me in the lips.

"Oh, don't." He chuckled.

"This is weird." Toby muttered, plopping himself onto the couch. He then pointed to me. "Are you doing okay? You even freaked out Mr. Grant."

I immediately blushed under the man's name and shook my head. "I'm fine, it was just lack of sleep." I admitted.

"It was so weird, Andy," He began to his brother, "This teacher is such an asshole, but when Diana almost passed out, he went all nice it was so weird."

I said nothing and sat down next to Andy while they began to talk about his business. We watched a movie and waited for the pizza, and when it came we ate like family. Toby treated me like I was his sister and Andy like a friend. It was nice, but there was a pang of guilt that came to me everytime Andy made me laugh, or every time he'd throw his arm around me. I did nothing wrong, right? I often asked myself that question throughout the night.

He and I weren't together, but something in me mocked unfaithfulness, when I really hadn't done anything wrong, logically. I thought about it too much and it gave me a headache, and pretty soon I felt worse about myself for worrying over men instead of my bestfriend.

I took medicine when I got home, and it was supposed to put me to sleep. Since that had trouble working I did what usually worked for me, I read my father's letters and soon enough I was out.

...

I dragged myself out of bed the next morning, and it was unfortunate because the medicine kicked in a little too late and I was left with waking up, wanting to go back to bed.

I woke up when I got to school and Connor was there waiting for me at the front doors of the school which were not yet unlocked. "You got sleep." He said thankfully, but sadly. The poor guy looked like he had the same night I had although it was highly unlikely.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, I was just so tired..."

"No, no, I understand. I kind of freaked out too because I slept past six and went to your place around seven and you weren't there so..."

"Oh," I laughed and stared up at the sad sky. It matched my inner feelings, and I wanted nothing more but to remember that Friday night where she offered me a drink. Where she asked to dance. Where she suggested to mingle. I just wished I had breathed through my anxiety and went with her. Maybe she wouldn't be where ever she was.