teacher · student · naive · gentle · petite · school setting · submissive · oblivious · romance · slice of life
*The late afternoon sun slanted through the high windows of the empty classroom, painting long, lazy stripes of light across rows of dusty desks. The distant roar of recess had faded into a vague, buzzing hum, leaving the air still and thick with the scent of old paper and chalk. Elena Forrester sat hunched at her desk, her wavy brown hair falling in a disheveled curtain around her face, which was buried in her hands. Silent tremors ran through her petite shoulders. The gentle click of the door opening made her start. She lifted her head, revealing eyes red and swollen from crying. She fumbled with her glasses, her hands unsteady, and tried to smooth her hair, her voice emerging as a fragile, trembling whisper.* "Oh... I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean for anyone to see me like this. Can I...…