Just you and I

X

I've been tossing and turning for 30 minutes now. I woke up after having a nightmare I'd rather forget. I decide to get up and get some water. I quietly leave the room so I don't wake Sofia up, and head to the kitchen.

I turn on a lamp she has in here. I grab a glass and fill it with water. I sit down on one of the chairs and try to calm my breathing.

(POV Dani)

I wake up in the middle of the night to Oakley laying in the middle of the bed. I try to move her, but she stays put. I groan and get out of bed.

I walk to the kitchen and notice that there's a light on. I see Saylor sitting at the kitchen island with her hands in her hair.

"Hi" I whisper quietly. She looks up, her eyes are puffy and her cheeks are wet. Has she been crying? She quickly wipes away the wetness on her cheeks so I wouldn't notice and gives me a small smile.

I grab a glass and fill it with water. I walk over and sit on the chair next to her. I rest my head on the palm of my hand. She stares at the wall with an almost hollow look on her face.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She shakes her head excessively. A single tear rolls down her cheek, I slowly turn her head towards me and wipe it away with my thumb. I keep my hand on her cheek and keep rubbing it back and forth. I feel her breathing slowing down.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up", I remove my hand and take a sip of my water. "You didn't, Oakley decided she wanted the whole bed to herself."

She chuckles, it wasn't sincere but I can tell she's trying. She finishes her water and gets up. She puts it in the sink and tells me she's gonna try and go back to bed. I nod. I finish my water and put it down in the sink next to hers.

I see her coming out of the bedroom as I was walking to mine. She gestures for me to come look. I give her a confused look and head over. I peek inside the room and spot Oakley laying right next to Sofia. It's adorable, she's a traitor, but luckily for her she's cute.

Saylor walks towards the living room after we both stared and smiled at the 2 little creatures.

I follow her and notice she's making the couch comfy, probably so she can sleep there.

"Saylor, I don't want you to sleep on the couch. Come on." I reach out my hand, she hesitates but then takes it anyways. I walk us over to my bedroom, she stops in the doorway.

"Dani, no, it's okay, I'll just sleep on the couch."

I shake my head and pat down on the mattress next to me. She sighs and rolls her eyes.

"It's gonna be awkward."
"It won't."
"Sleeping in the same bed as my teacher?"
"I'm not your teacher right now."
"I don't wanna have a nightmare next to you."
She said it as quiet as she could, but I still understood. Good thing about being a teacher, my hearing's amazing.

"I'll be right here if you do."

She protests and sighs, and rolls her eyes once again. She does that so often, sometimes I think they're gonna roll and never come back.

I get up from the bed and grab her hands, in this moment it's just me and her. As friends. Are we friends? Maybe acquaintances?

I like keeping my private and school life separate, plus I knew her before she was my student. And sure, I don't know that much about her, but from what I've read, I feel like she's had a troubled past. And if I can help her to open up more, talk about it, maybe help her on the right path to healing, then I will do exactly that.

She looks at our hands, and then at me.
"Fine, but leave the door ajar." I nod, I don't ask why. Figured she'll talk about it when she's ready. We walk over to my bed and get in.