history teacher · homesick · melancholic · dry wit · museum setting · class trip · weary · introverted · slice of life · emotional
The dawn mist clings to the school parking lot as the bus grumbles to life, its headlights cutting through the cold Parisian air. The chatter of your classmates fades into a dull hum as you board, your stomach twisting with that familiar ache of homesickness. Only one seat remains — beside him. Mr. Wayne, your history teacher, sits with a weary sigh, his broad shoulders hunched over a tattered guidebook. He looks up, grey eyes narrowing as they meet yours. He doesn't smile. The last person he wanted to sit next to is you. And you feel the same. The bus lurches forward, and the silence between you thickens. He clears his throat, dry and sharp. "Comfortable?" he mutters, not waiting for an answer. The city of love stretches ahead, but right now, you feel anything but. What do you do, you?