𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐄𝐓 | 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐱𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 |

06 | riverside park

Ms Hale was now awfully on edge, her expression was once more unreadable and her hooded eyes were back to their bored reality. Her mind had begun to drown itself with questions that even Aurora couldn't answer herself. All because of Valerie.

"Are you serious?" Ms Hale whisper-yelled as her body moved towards the exit doors. "I'm not dropping you off."

"Oh come on. It's less than a half an hour drive." Valerie complained further, her body moving hastily to match her teacher's walking speed.

"Then you can walk the full hour back to the academy." Ms Hale deadpanned, turning around to see Valerie dead in her tracks also. "And you still haven't answered my question." 

As of now, the two were facing each other, still in the small family-owned shop, the door to their left and the rest of the unbothered crowd to their right. Part of Valerie's cover-up story was unknown, and even in the midst of being caught, Valerie could still weasel her way out.

"You still haven't answered mine." Valerie retorted cockily, watching her teacher overlook to see if anyone had been engaged in their conversation. "You're not gonna report me." She spoke, gaining Ms Hale's attention.

Walking out together, Ms Hale questioned Valerie's response. "What makes you think that?"

Valerie smiled at her teacher's naiveness. "You would've called the principal by now."

"... Just because I haven't now, doesn't mean I won't when we get back." Ms Hale explained in search of her parked car, Valerie in pursuit. 

Shortly after a few minutes, a soft note hummed a few paces in front of Valerie. Peering to the side, she found a black convertible parked in the shade, a few leaves coated on the hood of the car.

She stopped in front of the car, watching Ms Hale turn around just as she opened the driver's door. Valerie's eyes widened at Ms Hale's word choice, her sly smile growing bigger as she replied amusedly. "We?"

"Just get in, Valerie. Don't make me regret this decision." Ms Hale puffed, rolling her eyes as she gave in.

Entering the left side of the car with empty motives, Valerie noticed the furnished interior and the neatly arranged objects around her. "Touch anything and I'll make you walk the rest of the way."

Valerie saluted with a low chuckle. "Yes ma'am." 

After the interaction, Ms Hale ended up dropping the student back to school just in time for their practical lesson. As expected, the drive was awfully silent, and the moment lasted an eternity for both figures in the convertible. Though the wind offered a source of noise from the ghostly quietness, Valerie's thoughts were much louder.

Much like Valerie, Ms Hale had remained quiet, afraid of the conversation to follow.

"At least I didn't ditch your period." Valerie spoke out of the blue as she noticed the back entry of the school. 

Offering a sarcastic expression, Ms Hale replied. "Like that makes it any better."

"What a negative nancy." The young walker rolled her eyes, unbuckling her seat belt. "Still think you'll report me?'

"Depends if you get out the car quick enough." Ms Hale smiled, engaging in the banter alongside Valerie.

Leaving the car, Valerie had leaned on the exterior and replied through the rolled-down window. "Let's do this again."

Rolling her eyes, Ms Hale began rolling up the windows before replying "Let's not."

• • • • • •

At midnight, Valerie had noticed that the streets of New York were still as busy as it was dawn, in accommodation to the faint curses and the honks, the south end of the city looked more peaceful at night. With all the illuminated billboards, the young Walker was still cradled in her car, waiting impatiently for Eden to arrive at the back entrance.

The young Walker had luckily brought an oversized jumper that dropped down to her mid-thigh. Just as she liked it. Still wearing her uniform underneath, she contemplated whether not taking it off was a bad idea or not. Yes, it was somewhat comfy, but her skirt was most definitely not long enough to cover the areas she felt cold as fuck.

"Men can be such douches." Eden muttered abruptly as the back door swung open, a disgusted expression plastered on her face. 

As expected, Valerie smiled playfully at Eden's depressing aura. "I'm taking the date didn't go well?"

"If 'not well' means you got stood up? Then yes, it went bad." Eden replied, sinking into the leather seat, seeking comfort from her friend's embrace. "I hope he gets a raging STD."

"Enough of the men references." Valerie dismissed, promptly expressing a disgusted scoff. "I don't need to re-live that stage of my life through your issues."

"Can we go for a walk?" Eden pleaded, her head inching away from Valerie's support as she spoke. From the way Valerie groaned above her, Eden assumed she was weighing her options, opting for the supportive choice after a few stubborn moments.

"... Fine."

It wasn't long before the two friend's had reached their favourite park near the border of the south end of the city. On some level, it held some significance in each other the figure's hearts. For Valerie, the riverside park resembled a memory of comfort, and for Eden, it mirrored the very start of their friendship.

It was where Valerie had spotted Eden cradled up in her own embrace, attempting to silence her sobs in her damp sleeve. Most friendships built their relationship based on trust, but for Valerie and Eden, they built their friendship on sympathy and solace.

It was strange. But it worked out for them.

As of now, they sat on a wooden bench that had their initials engraved into the side of the arm-rest. Eden had her head resting on Valerie's shoulder as they both starred straight at the sky, attempting to find images in the stars.

"Those look like monkeys." Eden laughed purely, her index finger waving in the air as she connected the stars in her view whilst Valerie did the same in her own mind. 

Valerie had felt at home with Eden. With pointless moments like these, Valerie had always felt at ease. She had seemed as if she was anchored to the world even more as she spent more time with Eden. 

If that was even humanly possible. 

"Are you over your date now?" Valerie muttered softly, which she received a low hum from Eden.

Eden sighed before answering. "One day, you'll be the one in my shoes."

"What'd you mean by that?" Valerie questioned, her interests piqued.

"You know, hopelessly in love .. ranting about your woman issues." Eden replied with a small laugh, playing with the chain of her golden necklace.

An image of a certain blonde entered her mind as Eden finished her sentence causing Valerie's words to die down in her throat. The only women Valerie admired were the ones that were a challenge to chase, and obviously, Ms Hale was on the list. She was off-limits, and Valerie knew this. So why continue? 

 "... Till then, I hope love takes its time."