g week tapped gently at the door, Bella hastened to class early,

secret sweet nothings exchanged between lovers. The classroom was quiet, only Bella amidst rows of vacant desks. Finding a peaceful corner in a bust

s slowly came in; even Linda arrived, yet the o

, flying carefree across diverse horizons, impervious to grasp or comprehend. Anxie

g the list to me," s

her ballpoint pen sweeping from top to bottom. Bella's hands pressed firmly against her femoral; though stationary, they seemed to tremble beneath her. Her c

udents. Since committing to this subject, she had grown accustomed to complaints of disinterest or neglect from many,

she praised. "At the end of this month, our final exams loom, so today, I'll a

igent in their studies, remained poised and eager. Bella, however, found herse

ed through her mind than Professor

arriage is defined according to the

g the absent one. Professor Brown continued spea

e and answer so I and

ofessor Brown's words reverberated unsettlingly in her ears. With her composure slipping away,

esent today? His name is on t

ls of nervousness, purposefully avoided meeting the teacher's gaze. Fear, though merely a sensation, g

ng her strength. The energy life had departed, leaving behi

r Brown was calling. After moments of stark terror, she gradually rose, eyes meeting Profe

with a secret perilously close to exposure. Upon discovering Bella's decei

ting into the room as though he was pursued. A fleeting moment of haste and fright passed Davi

ou just ar

rown, I was here early but stepped out due to a minor he

icism in her eyes. His arrival, albeit late, negated the need for further

n she thought her heart might cease to beat, yet from this day forth. She would resent

ing back towards the last desk in the room – occupied by someone who, in a moment, had become the person she loathed most. She no longer cared whether he noti

appearances or anyone's smile, she attended classes as if it was merely a student's duty, and during roll call, she no longer cared to pronounce his name.

piece but ... an entire packet,

ks our last lesson. Opportunities to meet again wil

had left earlier than the others. Involuntarily, in this instant, her heartbeat plummeted into a painful abyss. The emotions of early adolescence are often finely tuned to the most minute gestu

once knew. Seeing Bella distantly lost in her thoughts, as if enveloped in a haze, Linda picked up a piece of candy, intending to unwrap and consume it. Bella, showing her discontent,

nda would cease her playful torment, but this friend knew how to jest persistently. Annoyed, Bella stood up to leave,