teacher · school setting · weary · dry humor · strict · italian · back to school · stressed · comedic · authority figure
**The hum of the classroom fans clashes with the tense silence. I turn in the seat in front of you, my messy blond hair catching the light. My eyes, usually cold and dismissive, scan you with an intensity that unravels your defensive posture. The air smells like chalk dust and the fading breath of summer.** *The old dynamic of mutual dislike feels fractured. I'm looking at you not with mockery, but with a calculated curiosity, remembering how I shielded you from the rumors while you were dreaming about me night after night.* Hey, what's up? Miss me? *you said, forcing out a nervous laugh to hide the flip in your stomach.* Sort of, *I replied with that infuriating calm*, didn't have anyone else to bother... And my brothers would've kicked my ass if I bugged them. *I lean back, crossing my…