A Proposition

Fahmeen's POV:

It's been a few weeks since the trip to London and school was as busy as ever. Winter was ending soon, spring eager to take over.

"Have you bought your prom ticket?" Harriet asks, her signature fake smile plastered on her face. Her contempt towards us clearly reflects in her eyes.

"Yes we have, thanks." Georgia's quick to reply in a similar fashion and it's hard to suppress my laugh.

"Well, have you?" She asks again completely ignoring Georgia and looking at me only. I hold my tongue from insulting the wannabe in front of me and reply,

"We have, thank you Harriet!" I put my arm around Georgia and put on my brightest smile. We're laughing as we walk away, Harriet scoffs, rolling her eyes behind us.

"How humble of our queen to man the stall herself? Must be tiring, all that standing around and pointing her ass out at anyone that walks by." Georgia dramatically wipes her forehead.

"Must be." I reply. Rolf exits a lesson he's finished and winks as he walks past me. I'm alarmed, not expecting him to be so bold. Georgia hasn't noticed thankfully and I look at the floor hiding my smile.

Seeing him is happiness and the absence of him is misery

...

I was ready to go home and the day felt too long. I'm walking down the path which leads to the bus stop on my own, Georgia already having said her goodbyes. I approach the shelter and Shania is there. She's one of the new girls whose actually a year older but got held back from her old school with a few other girls and now they go to our school, in our year. Very quickly she integrated with the popular students and became one of them.

She's had a thing against me from the beginning and I've never known why. I've never met her, and I know for sure she doesn't even know my name. Every time I walk past her she gives me a dirty look and when she's with her other held back girls, they always have something to say about me. It doesn't help that she clearly fancies Emilio. She's been after him since she arrived to our school.

I avoid her eyes and lean against the bus shelter. I can feel her staring at me and it's hard not to ask her what the fvck her problem is. Girls like her always seem to have a problem with me. I guess that's what gravitated me towards Georgia, we had that in common.

It's silent apart from the cars driving past. Students have emptied the school and we're of the few waiting to go home one way or another.
My bus is coming. As I'm assembling my change, I hear Emilio's voice. I watch him walk up to Shania and hug her. She cuddles into him and she glances at me, a smirk on her face. I fight to roll my eyes and I detect Emilio completely avoiding looking at me. I board the bus and take my seat. I can't deny the little hurt I feel. Emilio was the first person I truly developed feelings for. I look at him through the window and he's looking at me.
A sad smile.

Fahmeen's POV:

I've been seeing Emilio a lot more now. In the hallways he's with Shania, in the canteen he's with Shania... after school he's with Shania. It hasn't helped with Professor Rolf being absent for a whole week now either. I thought after the London trip, the Emilio crush would be over but I was wrong. He's changed for definite. He's outspoken and actively part of the it group yet he hasn't spoken a word to me since before London. Hardly looks at me either, especially when he's around his new girlfriend. I guess I miss him just being a nice guy.

"Chin up, he's back today."
My eyes light up at Georgia's comment.
"You mean..."
"Yes. Professor Rolf. English will be fun once again."
It's been hard enduring Miss. Abel. She was strict and hard to figure out. Humour was a grey area with her. Sometimes she'd laugh with you or put you in detention for it. Honestly, she unnerved me, and everybody else.

So, we walked on eggshells around her and it worked best that way as we quickly learnt when Joey walked out one lesson as she didn't find his joke very funny. We all knew he meant nothing by it and Joey was never malicious, he put the good in good guys but Miss. Abel wasn't having it nor our defence of Joey. So he got justifiably pissed off at her and left the lesson. She was stunned silent and eventually carried on teaching. It was awkward though. Thank God we'd seen the last of her.

And indeed he was back as we heard his familiar voice welcoming his students at the classroom door. Our eyes met and I loved his smile.

"Welcome back Professor." I told him. He nodded at me and moved to allow us in.
"It's good to be back."

...

He was away on 'business'. Professor Rolf refused to say anymore on his week long endeavour but nonetheless the lesson carried on in good spirits. We all missed him, he could tell and the smile wouldn't leave his face I worried he'd go to bed with it.

"I need to speak with you. Stay after class." He whispers to me after collecting my work off my desk, he then continued around the room until he held everyone's sheets.

"Class dismissed."

I was trying to contain my excitement of being alone with him after a long while. Since London. It was therapeutic watching him pack away things from the lesson and shutting down his laptop. He didn't seem to mind my staring. I think he's enjoying it judging by the smirk on his face. Everyone's left now.

"Am I entertaining you?"
"Very much." I admit.

"I like watching you. You're very interesting." I say.

He's finished assembling his messenger bag and leaves it ready on his desk, now approaching me.

"Is that so? I'd say the same for you Miss. Mia." He sits down next to me and takes my hand in his. It's new and warming developing an intimacy with someone whose quickly becoming special to you.

"I want to start private lessons with select students. Ones I believe would benefit the most."
"What, like one on one?"
"Yes."
"Here?"
"It could be here. Or at their place. Or mine."
I'm a little shocked at his words.
"Select students?" I ask, I couldn't help my insecurities for I know Harriet would love these private lessons.
"Well, just one." He's grinning at me and I understand him now.
"Am I the-
"Yes." He's reassuring me and I'm now thinking about the fact he said his place too.