Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

Chapter 53: Prodigal Son 

EMMA’s POV :

"Honey, you should eat something,"mom said as she watched me play with this spoon full of oatmeal.

I woke up this morning with swollen eyes and a heavy heart.I wished I didn’t have to wake up.

Tiff and Carrie had to go to school, so mom was back watching over me.

"I'm not hungry,"I sighed and pushed the bowl away.

"What's going on with you? You were fine yesterday,"she said.

She was as sharp as always.I stayed quiet and reached for my book instead.

Tiff and Carrie had brought over my homework and books so I could stay up to date with the lessons at school.

"Did something happen last night?"mom said again.

She was studying my face and I was trying my best to avoid eye contact.

"No, mom.I’m just not hungry," I replied simply.

"Emma, I’m your mother.I know when something’s not right with you,"she stated sternly.

"I'm fine mom, just leave me alone," I groaned, my tone of voice was a little higher than I had anticipated.

"Hey, don't talk to your mother like that,"she scolded.

"I'm sorry.I’m just...tired,"

I really hoped that she would drop this and move on, but she was persistent. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

She had been mostly quiet around me the past few days, she didn’t want to upset me.

But she was grilling my friends for information and sometimes she would sneak around the room and read the message cards that friends had sent me, hoping to get a clue.

Maybe she was at her wits’ end.She couldn't take not knowing any more.Taking a deep breath, she sat at the foot of the bed and took my hand.

Looking right at me, she then said, "We gave you a lot of freedom this past year because we trusted you, Emma.You never gave us a reason not to, until now.So please, excuse me if I’m trying to be your mom,"

"No, mom.I’m just not hungry," I replied simply.

"Emma, I’m your mother.I know when something’s not right with you," she stated sternly.

"I'm fine mom, just leave me alone,"I groaned, my tone of voice was a little higher than I had anticipated.

"Hey, don't talk to your mother like that,"she scolded.

"I'm sorry.I’m just...tired,"

I really hoped that she would drop this and move on, but she was persistent.

She had been mostly quiet around me the past few days, she didn’t want to upset me.

But she was grilling my friends for information and sometimes she would sneak around the room and read the message cards that friends had sent me, hoping to get a clue.

Maybe she was at her wits’ end.She couldn't take not knowing any more.

Taking a deep breath, she sat at the foot of the bed and took my hand.

Looking right at me, she then said, "We gave you a lot of freedom this past year because we trusted you, Emma.You never gave us a reason not to, until now.So please, excuse me if I’m trying to be your mom,"

"I'm sorry,"I bit my lip and looked away.

"I don't want you to apologize, Emma.I just want you to be honest with me, for once,"

"About what?"

"Well, about the pregnancy for starters.Can you tell me who the father was?"

"Does it even matter?" I scoffed.

"I told you he was a nobody and there’s no more baby now, so case closed,"

"It's not that simple, Emma,"

"It is, believe it or not," I stifled a bitter laugh.

It was that simple for lan to end things with me.

No more babies, no more relationship, and no more future.

"I don't know what's making you so upset today, but I’m gonna bet it isn't because Tiff and Carrie had a sleepover here last night.I’m old and I'm your mother, remember? I can pick up on these things.My money says it has something to do with him, the guy you're seeing all summer,"

"Mom, please, just drop it.I don’t wanna talk about it,"I pleaded.

Talking about lan with my mother was the last thing I wanted to do.

Every time I closed my eyes, all I see was his face when he told me that things had to end.

My breath was caught in my throat every time I remembered the moment he turned his back on me and left the room.

Tears pooled around my eyes as I heard his voice ringing in my ears, telling me that he will always love me.

Mom took one look at me and as if she knew what I was thinking, she then asked, "Why? What did he do? Did he came by last night?"

"He did nothing! Alright? He did absolutely nothing..."my voice cracked and tears trickled down my tired face.

It was involuntary.I didn’t mean to cry and say all those things to my mom, it just happened, and I couldn't take it back.I was sobbing incoherently and mom pulled me into a hug.I cried into her chest and said, "He left, mom.He left me..."

"Oh, honey," she cooed gripped me tight.

"I love him.I love him so much...And he just left me,"I said in between sobs,

"He said everything was too much for him.Finding out that I was pregnant...getting into an accident...I was too much for him..."

"Oh Emma," she stroked my hair and let out a sigh,

"He’s just a boy.He doesn't know what he’s doing,"

Obviously mom didn’t know who I was talking about, but her words were enough to help me calm down.

"And you're still so young.You'll get through this, I promise,"

Mom was being so kind and understanding, and I felt bad.

I had been lying to her all year long and here I was, still lying to her.I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.I knew I couldn't tell her about lan, but I wanted to tell her everything else that I could.

"Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t you tell you before...I thought I was being careful with the pills but I messed up.I went to the clinic with Tiff and Carrie to get an abortion, but then I couldn't and then I got into an accident and..."

I couldn't continue the rest of the story without crying again, so I stopped.

"I'm so sorry mom, I’m the worst person on the planet,"I murmured to her chest.

"It's okay, honey, it’s okay.You're not the worst person on the planet.Don't beat yourself up,"she said sweetly.

I wished that was true, but we all know I was a pretty shitty human being.I was a liar to my own mother.I was careless and I lost a beautiful life that I was carrying.

And apparently, I was toxic because I loved a guy with all my heart and soul.

"Why won't he stay with me, mom?" the words came out before I could stop myself.

I mean, was I really that bad? "Because he’s a gosh darn fool.Any guy who chooses to leave a girl like you is a fool.He doesn’t deserve you, honey,"

Was he really a fool? Or was it me, the girl that lost everything in the span of a week? - Mom stayed with me for a few more hours until I got tired of crying and I fell asleep.

In my sleep, I had this weird dream where I was walking through a cemetery.

I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I was looking for something.

I went through all the names on_ the tombstones, looking for one that I would recognize.

I was barefoot and my feet were covered in mud.

Rain started to pour and I began to run faster.

I went through a long row of tombstones until I finally stopped at one that looked different from the others.

The stone was covered in leaves, so I reached out to wipe them away.

lan Hayes.

The stone read.

"No!"

I said to myself.

My eyes then darted to the next tombstone and it was a smaller tombstone, like the ones they used for children.

There was no name and no writings on that one.

And then my eyes darted to the next tombstone, and there it was, the one that I was looking for.

The writing was clear as day.

Here lies Emma Sinclair.

"Mom!"

I screamed and my body jolted in shock.

I opened my eyes and realized I was still lying on the hospital bed.

I looked from side to side and noticed that the room was empty.

The clock on the wall showed that it was 2 PM, and the daylight outside the windows confirmed it.

"Mom?"

I croaked again, still panting from my weird dream.

There were no signs of her anywhere, which was weird.

Normally ,she'd always be around.

I wonder where mom went.I was walking sluggishly down the halls.

It was 2 PM and school was almost over.

I wished it were over already.

I had no more energy in me to go on.

Yesterday was brutal.

After leaving Emma's room, I saw her friends at the lobby and I told them to come up and check on her.

Then I went out and I never looked back.

I drank probably an entire bottle of whiskey on my own that night.

I drank until I passed out and woke up the next morning.

I had a throbbing headache all day long and I didn’t mind it.

The headache actually helped distract me from the pain in my heart.

It was a terrible thing that I did, but I had to do it.

What Emma and I had was never right from the beginning.

I was ruining her life by being a part of it.

So for once in my life, I wanted to do the right thing. She’s gonna be so much better off without me.

She'll get a chance at a normal life.

She can live her dreams and go to college without having to worry about me weighing her down.

I was walking down a quiet hallway, there weren't that many people around.

Any sudden move or noise would be terrible for my head, so when I suddenly heard this woman's booming voice, I had to scrunch my eyes shut and rubbed my temple in pain.

"It's you, isn’t it?"the woman yelled.

I turned my head around and squinted my eyes at the figure in front of me.

There was this lady, standing a couple of feet away.

She was talking to a male student and she was raising a finger at him.

"Mrs.Sinclair?"the boy spoke in confusion.

Wait, that's Emma’s mom...and that's that kid...Tyler.

"You're Tyler, right? You came by the house and we invited you in for dinner,"the lady asked rather sternly.

"Yes.is everything okay? Is Emma okay?"

Tyler looked confused.

"Is Emma okay?" she scoffed as she mimicked him, "Do you think she’s gonna be okay after you came over last night?"

"What?"

"Do you know what Emma’s been through? She deserves better than to be treated like this!"

"Mrs.Sinclair, I don’t understand, what are you talking about?"

"Don’t play dumb with me.I know everything.I know that you and her were dating.Even though she didn’t tell me who it was, I knew it was you.I saw it in the way you look at her,"

"Mrs.Sinclair, I think you must be mistaken —"

"She loved you and you broke her heart," she cut him off, she was fuming.

"She’s been through so much.Do you have any idea what she’s been through?"

Tyler was totally caught off guard.

He didn’t know what was happening and why this lady was yelling at him in the hallway.

Meanwhile, I just stood there like a goddamn statue.

My stupid brain was processing everything in slow motion.

"You're a coward for walking out on her like that, you know that? You don’t deserve her,"she spat again.

"Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I...I really have no idea what you're talking about..."he croaked.

She shook her head at him in disbelief and let out an irritated sigh.

She pointed her finger higher up to his face and threatened, "Stay the hell away from her or I swear to god...you don’t wanna hear the rest of that sentence,"

Not waiting for Tyler to respond, Mrs.Sinclair turned to her heels and walked away, disappearing out the door.

Several kids that were around us watched and whispered as they stared at the perplexed Tyler.

Tyler could only stand there and gape as Emma’s mom disappeared from his sight.

And I...the dumb motherfucker that I was...I was standing there, hearing all this, and I finally put everything together.

She thought Tyler was the boy that got Emma pregnant and left him.

She came here to tell him off.

She got the wrong guy, but I heard her message loud and clear, like it was being said to me.

And then I felt it again my chest, the breaking of my heart for the millionth time inaday.

Fuck, I can’t breathe.