My Insensitive Professor

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I wake up in the same position as yesterday, but now I'm completely covered by the sheet and Dylan didn't even call me to go to bed. I sit up, but my neck muscles protest. I try to turn my head to the side, which only makes the pain worse.

I get up and go to the kitchen where I grab the medicine box, take an Advil, and head back to the bedroom. My eyes widen as I see the time on the bedside clock. It's almost nine o'clock! There's no chance of going to school now.

I go to the bathroom, throw the sheet into the corner of the floor, and turn on the water. As I step in, my neck muscles relax in the hot water, easing the tension.

I leave the bathroom and put on my casual jeans and a white blouse, comb my hair, and let it dry naturally.

I go down to the kitchen and find Dylan looking thoughtfully at the fridge, and for a moment I'm confused. Where did he sleep?

"Good morning, Eve," he says, almost singing, and smiles. "How are you?" I raise an eyebrow, Dylan seems fresh and rested, the result of a good night's sleep.

"I have a stiff neck. Why didn't you wake me up to go to bed?"

"You were in a deep sleep, so I took advantage of your mom's bed!" That's so Dylan! "And I noticed her sheets smell like lavender, not... anything else!"

"Dylan!" I reprimand him, but the smile is bigger and I end up laughing at his remark.

"Speaking of your mom, where's Mrs. Linda?"

"You know, flying, and she ends up not having time for s*x, that's why her bed linen smells like lavender." If I talk about s*x with anyone other than Dylan, I get embarrassed, red, burning up, but with him it's different. I've always been able to share my fears with Dylan.

"And David?" I ask, changing the subject.

"He's fine, he was sad because I left him to sleep alone." David has been Dylan's boyfriend for a long time, and their story wasn't a bed of roses.

The beginning was complicated, Dylan's family didn't accept him for being gay and he was kicked out of the house as a teenager. We were already friends, and my mom and I took him in at the time. He lived with us for a while until he met David, the man who swept him off his feet. At first, David was jealous of our friendship, but over time he understood that a friendship like ours is beautiful and rare.

They left at the beginning of last year to explore some of the world's riches, and now they're back and living together. David is five years older than Dylan, he graduated in Law and is a really nice person. I absolutely adore him.

Meanwhile, Dylan still has to finish high school with me.

"Why didn't you invite him to sleep here too?"

"He said he had a stressful and busy day."

"Are you ready to bump into your family any day now?" Dylan makes a face like he just sucked on a sour lemon and didn't like it.

"I think it will happen at any moment, but I'm not worried about it. I finally feel fulfilled."

"I can see that." I clearly remember his pain two years ago, and it's wonderful to see him well. I shared his pain of not being accepted for his sexuality by his own family, who should understand that sometimes we don't aspire to the future they planned for us.

"He proposed to me," Dylan confesses with a broad smile on his face.

"You said yes, right?!"

"Of course I accepted. That's partly why we came back. Besides wanting to return to where I grew up, I wanted to tell my best friend that she'll be my maid of honor!"

"I'm going to be the maid of honor? Have you set a date yet?" I ask, perplexed.

"Not yet, but we will soon, now that I've come of age."

"Dylan, I'm so happy for you!" I walk around the kitchen table and hug him tightly. "Thanks for letting me sleep in," I whisper, smiling in his ear.

"You're welcome, Eve." We step back and I watch him happily. Dylan's getting married!

"First day back at school and you're already skipping," I joke.

"It's not like I'm a fan of studying."

"I know." I raise my eyebrows at him, it wasn't a big secret that Dylan never liked studying.

"Today we're going out for dinner and we want you to come along."

"I think it's better if I don't go. This is a moment you two need to be alone together."

"You know you never bother us, Eve! We both want to know what's been happening with you in this town, and besides, we want to know if you've given away your "V" card (virginity)" I feel heat creeping up my cheeks. "Oh my God, Everly! Did you really?" Dylan practically shouts.

"Of course not!"

"Then why did you turn red?"

"Earlier this week, I went to the park to draw and ended up sketching a man. His name is Joshua, and he gave me his number, made it clear that if I wanted to draw him again, I could call."

"Eve, that was a pretty direct signal!"

"He's older."

"That's such an old-fashioned way of thinking."

"And..."

"Is there something else?"

"He's our calculus teacher!"

"Oh my God!" He puts his hands over his mouth, shocked, but then removes them and smiles. "It's going to be like those teacher-student romances I read about." "Absolutely not! Dylan, I'm not that kind of person, I don't think I could ever do something like that."

"What if he wasn't our teacher?"

"Then maybe I'd think about it."

"I need to meet him!"

"Tomorrow you will, and I'm so happy you're back," I say, desperately trying to change the subject. "I won't be alone anymore."

"Good time to come back to Montesano, right?"

"Good time, Dylan."

[...]

"Why are you giving me this drink?" I ask Dylan as he hands me the fifth glass of a sweet pink drink.

"Because you need to experience new things like any teenager," I look at Dylan and then at David, they're spinning and laughing at something.

"Dylan, I think this should be the last one," I hear David's reprimanding voice and I take the straw with my lips and start drinking while watching the two of them.

"I'm fine, David. Actually, I think I've never been better!"

"You won't feel that way tomorrow, dear," I flash a big smile.

"Dylan will take care of me!"

[...]

The alarm clock is so loud, it sounds like a dying animal! The first thing I notice is that everything hurts.

I hit the alarm clock and hear a crash that wakes me up quickly, the damn alarm clock fell.

I stagger to the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror, I look like Frankenstein's monster's bride.

Then I remember school. I have to go to school!

I shower as quickly as I can and put on jeans, a tank top, and a sweater along with sneakers.

I hear a horn and grab my bag, at least I won't have to take the bus anymore. I get in the car and look at Dylan.

"Do you look awful, or is it just me?, I'm gorgeous, I think it's just you." Dylan teases. “You’re perfect. Me? Not so much,” I mutter, I lay my head on the seat and close my eyes, but it still doesn't stop hurting.

"You look like you have a killer headache."

"Why did you let me drink so much yesterday?" He looks at me clearly amused.

"Because you needed to experience your first hangover!"

"Well, I never want to go through that again! Jerk!"

We arrive at school just as the bell rings and I walk slowly to the first calculus class.

Unfortunately, Dylan isn't in this class with me and leaves me at the door with a kiss on the forehead. I look into the room and see Joshua watching me intently, his eyes seem to be on fire, or maybe I'm just imagining it.

I go to my seat, sit down, and put my materials on the desk.

Joshua starts teaching the lesson, but my chaotic mind can't focus, the pain in my head becomes so intense that I put my hands on it and feel sweat dampening them. My stomach starts to churn and I feel nauseous, I run out of the room without caring about the laughter that follows me, I push the bathroom door open, rush into a stall, and start vomiting until I feel someone holding my hair in a ponytail.

"Let it all out, Everly," The voice says. Oh no! Joshua!

"Go away!" I say, trying to push him away with my hand, but I start vomiting again, his hands move to my back in a sort of comforting gesture. Despite practically throwing up everything, I still feel shivers from his touch.

I flush the toilet and Joshua hands me several pieces of toilet paper. I wipe my mouth and walk past him without looking him in the eyes, heading to the sink where I rinse my mouth, trying to get rid of the bitter taste.

When I turn around, I find Joshua with a look that could kill.

"Did you drink yesterday?"

"Yes," I whisper, anticipating a reprimand.

"You shouldn't, you're still very young."

"I know."

"If you..." I see him clench his fists in anger.

"If you?" I repeat, encouraging him to tell me the rest.

"Nothing," "Go to the nurse's office and see if there's any painkiller, because I'm sure you have a headache. Don't do this again and bring me the notes, this could get me into serious trouble." He leaves, leaving me alone.

[...]

Joshua

I see Everly arrive with a boy, he kisses her on the forehead and it fills me with overwhelming anger, if I can't have her, then no one can!

She sits in her seat but seems distant. I confirm this when I see her running out of the room and I follow her, pausing the class.

I see her enter a stall in the bathroom and start vomiting, and this confirms what I thought, making me nervous.

Taking care of her, I almost blurt out something foolish. If you were with me...

But Everly never will be.