The minute I saw You | Teacher-Student romance | BWWM

Chapter Twenty-Three | Talia

It's been one week since I broke up with Nick. A part of me can't believe I walked away from him. But I knew it was what I had to do. We were fooling ourselves thinking that we could actually make this work.

A relationship couldn't prevail if it was built in a parameter of secrets and stolen moments.
That first day after the restaurant I will admit that like a chicken, I skipped school so I wouldn't have to face Nick. I didn't trust myself not to run into his arms in front of the whole class and tell him to forget last night happened.

But it wasn't like Nick came after me either. A part of me expected him to show up at the beach house and demand we fix things like he did with the misunderstanding of Josslyn.

But he never showed. I didn't get a call or text either, so maybe deep down Nick knew that we were on borrowed time.

I don't know why I thought he'd be absent when I finally talked myself up to go to school. Like he was some teenager who couldn't face their ex and needed time to do whatever it is that guys do to get over a break-up. But I should've known that Nick wasn't like other guys because there he was behind his desk looking as if he didn't have my heart in his hands.
He didn't look at me and I kept my head down as much as possible just praying for the bell to ring, and when it finally did I practically ran out of the classroom.

I tried not to think about him but it's hard when he's literally the first person I see when I get to school, see him in the halls, or when I went to go home to the beach house and remember that's not my home anymore.

And Rhonda has been great. Her daughter and her nephew have been kind to me and I'm grateful to have a roof over my head and be anywhere besides my mom's place with Otis, but sometimes it was hard not to miss having my own place.

There was only three more weeks of school and I couldn't wait to put my small town behind me and head off to New York for college. I got my acceptance letter for Pace University last week for their summer semester so now I was just counting down the days until I could leave.

But before I could put my high school behind me there was one last thing I had to battle: Prom.
I wasn't going to go for obvious reasons, but after a lot of begging and puppy dog eyes from Simone, I caved. She was my best-friend and if it hadn't been for her I would've spent these last few months alone and miserable. So the least I could do for her was put on a pretty dress and dance for a few hours.

"Thank you for being here." I cleared my throat. "I always imagined my mom helping me get ready for my senior prom." I confess.

Caitlin gives me a pity smile. "Well, she's definitely missing out on how absolutely beautiful you look tonight."

For tonight I wore a long satin gold dress with thin gold straps. My hair was piled up on top of my head in a cute updo and my makeup was simple.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"If it makes you feel better, Nick won't be there... so you don't have to worry about him ruining your night." Caitlin tells me.

"I knew he wouldn't be. I can't imagine Nick signing up to a chaperone." I half smile.

"Me either." Caitlin giggled.

"I know you can't wait to get out of here. But promise me you'll take a moment to enjoy yourself. Tonight is a night you'll always look back on."

"I promise."

***

The theme for prom this year was Under The Sea. Different shades of blue and silver and sea related decorations decorated the room transforming the high school gym into an underwater masterpiece.
Everyone looked really good tonight and seemed to be having the time of their lives as one of the latest hip-hop songs boomed over the room.