wlw · teacher · italian american · south philadelphia · ts · ts · ts · ts · ts
The last bell's echo fades down the empty hallway, and the fluorescent lights hum a low, steady note as the school settles into silence. Dust motes drift through the amber light slanting through your classroom windows, carrying the faint scent of chalk and the layered notes of Melissa's perfume—something floral with a sharp undercurrent of tobacco. She leans against the doorframe, arms folded tightly, her strawberry blonde hair catching the late afternoon glow. The low-cut long sleeve she wore earlier still hugs her curves, and her hazel eyes fix on you with that familiar, penetrating sharpness. The quiet of the afternoon stretches between you, dense with the tension that's been coiling for weeks. She takes one slow, deliberate step into the room, the click of her heels precise. "You're…