Spank Me, Daddy

The Moment Everything Changed

Chapter 6

ANN'S POV

I had made a promise to myself.

No more unnecessary staring.

No more overthinking every little thing Ethan Reyes did.

And absolutely no more imagining things that would never happen.

From now on, I was going to focus on myself.

My studies. My future. My sanity.

Especially my sanity.

Because if I continued like this, I would probably end up needing professional help.

"Ann!"

I nearly dropped my phone.

Natalie appeared beside me, carrying two cups of iced coffee.

"Why are you staring at your screen like you're waiting for a confession?"

"I'm not."

"Then why are you smiling?"

I immediately straightened my face.

"I'm not smiling!"

She handed me a cup.

"Sure, bestie. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

I took the coffee and glared at her.

"Can we please have one normal morning?"

"Of course!"

She paused.

"After you tell me whether you've seen Sir Ethan today."

I almost choked.

"NATALIE!"

She burst out laughing.

And just like that, my peaceful morning was ruined.

Again.

THE PRESENTATION

Our first class of the day was supposed to be simple.

A group presentation.

Nothing terrifying.

Nothing complicated.

At least, that's what I thought before Ethan walked into the classroom carrying a stack of papers.

"Good morning, everyone."

The class greeted him.

He placed the papers on his desk and looked around.

"As announced last week, your presentations will begin today. Each group will present in front of the class."

My smile disappeared.

Wait.

Today?

I slowly turned toward Natalie.

She slowly turned toward me.

Neither of us spoke.

Then she whispered, "Bestie, please tell me you practiced."

I swallowed.

"Define practiced."

Her eyes widened.

"ANN!"

"I DID PRACTICE!"

"WHEN?"

"LAST NIGHT!"

"FOR HOW LONG?"

I hesitated.

"...Ten minutes."

Natalie stared at me as though I had personally betrayed every friendship in existence.

"WE ARE GOING TO DIE."

"Stop being dramatic!"

"YOU PRACTICED FOR TEN MINUTES!"

"CAN YOU KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN?"

Unfortunately, Ethan had already noticed us.

"Miss Ann. Miss Natalie."

We immediately sat straight.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"

"No, Sir!" we answered together.

"Then please give your classmates the same opportunity to concentrate."

"Yes, Sir."

I wanted to crawl under my desk.

Natalie quietly mouthed, We're doomed.

I kicked her shoe.

She grinned.

I hated her.

Lovingly, but still.

THE MOMENT EVERYTHING WENT WRONG

When our group's turn finally arrived, I stood in front of the classroom with my notes trembling in my hands.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me.

My palms were sweating.

My throat felt dry.

And suddenly, every word I had memorized disappeared from my brain.

I looked at the first line of my notes.

Nothing.

The second line.

Still nothing.

My heart began beating faster.

Come on, Ann.

You've practiced this.

Just say something.

I opened my mouth.

But no words came out.

Someone in the back of the room whispered.

A few students shifted in their seats.

I could feel my face getting hotter.

"I'm sorry," I managed to say.

My voice sounded painfully small.

I tried again.

But the moment I looked at the class, my mind went completely blank.

Then one of my papers slipped from my hand.

It fluttered to the floor.

A few students laughed.

That was it.

My eyes began to sting.

I wanted to disappear.

I wanted to run out of the room and never come back.

"Miss Ann."

Ethan's voice cut through the silence.

I looked at him.

He wasn't smiling.

But he wasn't angry either.

"Take a breath," he said calmly. "You have time."

I swallowed.

"Sir, I—"

"It's all right. Look at your notes and start with the first point."

I nodded, trying to steady my breathing.

But my hands were shaking too much.

Ethan stepped forward and picked up the paper I had dropped.

He handed it back to me.

"There's no need to rush. A presentation isn't about being perfect. It's about explaining what you've learned."

For some reason, those words made my eyes sting even more.

I took a slow breath.

Then another.

Finally, I began speaking.

My voice was quiet at first, but gradually, the words started coming back.

I explained the first point.

Then the second.

By the time I reached the final part, I was no longer staring at the floor.

I was actually presenting.

When I finished, the classroom fell silent for a brief moment.

Then Ethan nodded.

"Thank you, Ann. You recovered well after a difficult start."

I blinked.

That was it?

He wasn't going to embarrass me?

He wasn't going to criticize me in front of everyone?

He simply acknowledged that I had tried again.

"Thank you, Sir," I whispered.

I returned to my seat as quickly as possible.

Natalie immediately leaned toward me.

"BESTIE."

I covered my face.

"Please don't."

"YOU DID IT!"

"I almost cried!"

"But you didn't give up!"

I slowly lowered my hands.

She was right.

I had been terrified.

I had embarrassed myself.

But I had finished.

And for the first time that morning, I felt proud of myself.

Not because Ethan had helped me.

But because I had found the courage to continue even when I wanted to quit.

Maybe that was something worth remembering.

AFTER CLASS

When the bell rang, I packed my things and prepared to leave.

I wanted to go home, take a long nap, and pretend the presentation had never happened.

Unfortunately, Ethan called my name.

"Ann, could you stay for a moment?"

My stomach tightened.

Not again.

I glanced at Natalie.

She gave me an encouraging smile.

"You'll be fine, bestie."

Then she whispered, "Try not to fall in love with him again."

I nearly threw my notebook at her.

"GO!"

She laughed and hurried out.

I approached Ethan's desk.

"Yes, Sir?"

He set down the papers he was holding.

"I wanted to check how you're feeling after your presentation."

I blinked.

"Honestly, Sir?"

"Honestly."

I looked down at my hands.

"Embarrassed."

He nodded.

"That's understandable."

"I thought everyone would laugh at me forever."

"People are usually more concerned about their own mistakes than remembering someone else's."

I looked up.

He continued, "You struggled at the beginning, but you took a breath and finished. That's what matters."

I didn't know what to say.

For someone who always seemed so strict, Ethan had a way of saying things that made me reconsider my assumptions about him.

"Thank you, Sir," I said quietly.

He nodded.

"Next time, practice your opening more thoroughly. If you know how to begin, the rest often becomes easier."

"Yes, Sir. I'll work on that."

"Good."

I adjusted the strap of my bag.

Then, before I could stop myself, I asked, "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever get nervous?"

He looked slightly surprised by the question.

"Of course."

I blinked.

"You do?"

"I'm human, Ann."

I almost laughed.

Somehow, it was difficult to imagine Ethan Reyes being nervous about anything.

"What do you do when you're nervous?" I asked.

"Prepare. Practice. And remind myself that one difficult moment doesn't define me."

I went quiet.

One difficult moment doesn't define me.

I repeated those words in my head.

Maybe I needed to remember that.

Not just for presentations.

But for everything.

"Thank you, Sir," I said again.

This time, I meant it more than I could explain.

"You're welcome, Ann. Keep working hard."

I nodded and left the classroom.

As I walked down the hallway, I realized something had changed.

Not between Ethan and me.

He was still my teacher, and I was still his student.

But something had changed inside me.

For the first time, I wanted to become better for my own sake.

Not to impress him.

Not to make him notice me.

But because I wanted to be proud of the person I was becoming.

And maybe that was where my story needed to begin.

A PROMISE TO MYSELF

That evening, I sat at my desk with my notebooks spread in front of me.

Usually, studying meant finding every possible excuse to get distracted.

Checking my phone.

Watching videos.

Messaging Natalie.

And, unfortunately, thinking about Ethan.

But tonight, I opened my notebook and started reviewing the day's lessons.

No distractions.

No excuses.

Just me and my future.

After twenty minutes, my phone buzzed.

NATALIE 💗: How's my favorite dramatic girl?

I smiled.

ME: Studying.

NATALIE 💗: WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ANN?

I laughed.

ME: Very funny.

NATALIE 💗: Seriously, though. Are you okay after what happened earlier?

I paused before replying.

ME: Yeah. I was embarrassed, but I think I learned something.

NATALIE 💗: What?

I looked at my notes.

Then I typed.

ME: That I need to stop trying so hard to impress other people and start doing things for myself.

Her reply came a few seconds later.

NATALIE 💗: Okay, why are you suddenly mature? I'm uncomfortable.

I laughed again.

ME: Good night, Natalie.

NATALIE 💗: GOOD NIGHT, FUTURE TOP STUDENT!

I put my phone aside and returned to my work.

For once, I didn't feel the need to wonder whether Ethan was thinking about me.

I didn't need him to praise me.

I didn't need him to notice every little thing I did.

I could appreciate his kindness without turning it into something it wasn't.

I could admire him without expecting anything in return.

And I could have a crush without allowing it to control my life.

At least, I was going to try.

Because the truth was, my feelings hadn't disappeared.

Whenever I remembered his calm voice telling me to take a breath, my heart still felt strangely warm.

Whenever I remembered how he had encouraged me to finish my presentation, I still found myself smiling.

But perhaps feelings weren't something I needed to fight every second.

Perhaps I simply needed to learn how to carry them without losing myself.

I closed my notebook and leaned back in my chair.

"One step at a time, Ann."

For the first time in days, I believed I could do it.

I was going to focus on my studies.

I was going to build my confidence.

And I was going to become someone I could be proud of.

Even if Ethan Reyes never saw me as anything more than his student.

Because my future was bigger than one crush.

And I was finally ready to start acting like it.