Smile For Me (Student/Teacher)

"She Likes You"

"Thank god, you're home." Bailey breathed out, squeezing me tightly.

I awkwardly patted him on the back, hoping he saw that I was okay and unharmed. "Yes, I'm fine." I added on, just to be clear that I was exactly that. Fine.

"Where've you been?" Austin came out in a panic.

I opened my mouth to speak, but sure enough, nothing came out.

What was I supposed to tell them? I had just gotten back from being with their friend, who also happened to be my teacher. Remembering the look on his face as I left made my mood go dark, and I wondered how it would be if I told him I loved him before I left. I wondered if he would've return it, I'm sure he would have. I wondered how it would have been if I stayed and if I had kissed him.

I shook it off the best I could, and knew, as much as I loved Charlie, that I was just trying to cover up the feeling of... Of this sudden emptiness. I wouldn't ever see my dad, and I wondered when that thought would get old.

"Diana?" Austin snapped his fingers at me and I jumped, then shook my head.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"No, I was asking where you've been."

Dammit, I forgot.

"Just around." I was about to say Erin's, but something thought better of it. I'm not sure what that was either.

"Erin came by, she said you haven't been answering your phone."

That makes sense.

"I left it here." I began heading upstairs, but then I was stopped again.

"Dye, please." Austin sighed in exhaustion, taking my hand. "Stay in one place, your worrying us."

I stared at him in awe, for some reason suddenly fury hitting me like an eighteen wheeler, the anger at them all for being worried about me when he was their father as well. I snatched my hand away angrily and they backed up a small step, strangely fearful, and very aware at my sudden and serious switch in mood. "What the hell is wrong with the three of you?" I snapped, seeing them exchange confused looks. "You're worried for me? Seriously?" I laughed bitterly, actually scaring myself a little bit and thought I was about to cry again. "Stop bullshitting yourselves." I said loudly, my volume on the verge of a shout.

Chris' brows furrowed at my language and called my name sternly, about to scold me, but I stepped one step down the stairs and it shut him up. "He was your father, too! Stop acting like it doesn't phase you, stop making it look like I'm the only weak one." I began to shout, and I saw the look pass over each of them. I knew it, too. I was so incredibly right, they were ashamed to admit it. "Yes, I'm fucking sad, but what pisses me off the most, is that you're here patting my back like my hamster just died. All of you need to take your stupid guilt and forget about it, because if he was here he wouldn't give a damn about how you thought he was already dead. Stop feeling bad about yourselves and learn that it's okay for once to feel bad for yourselves."

After that, I spun around and stomped up the stairs, waiting in my room until I heard them all leaving. I checked my phone, seeing Erin called me a bunch of times, but left no texts. Connor texted, asking how I was doing, and saying he wanted to come over. Cole the same. I didn't know who to reply to first, so I went with my best friend. The one I had neglected the most.

But when I called her, she didn't answer, and instead knocked on my door.

I went down and opened the door, seeing her face for what felt like the first time in eternity and attacked her with a hug. She hugged me back, and suddenly I heard her crying into me. That's when I realized I was the one crying first. "I'm sorry, Erin." I said, finally.