Kentrell's leg bounced uncontrollably beneath his desk, his heart racing like it was trying to outrun his thoughts. A storm of worry brewed in his chest, growing heavier by the second.
Earlier in gym class, he'd seen her slip into the hallway bathroom. He hadn't followed hadn't even slowed down. He told himself she just needed a minute, told himself not to hover, not to make things worse. He'd rushed to take his own bathroom break and gone straight to class afterward.
Now he regretted it.
She should've been back by now.
The classroom door remained closed as students shuffled into their seats, chatter filling the air. Kentrell glanced at the clock, then at the door, then back at the clock again. Each passing second tightened the knot in his stomach.
When Ms. Johnson walked in, adjusting the papers on her desk with her usual careful precision, his anxiety spiked. She hadn't called the class to order yet there was still time. Hope flickered weakly in his chest.
Then she reached for the blue marker.
His heart sank.
Blue marker meant attendance. Attendance meant tardy.
Panic surged through him, hot and urgent. He didn't think he just moved.
"Ms. Johnson! We need to talk!" he blurted, forcing calm into his voice as he hurried to her desk. His eyes flicked back to the door, willing it to open.
Ms. Johnson raised an eyebrow, unimpressed but amused. "Kentrell, what have I told you? It's 'we have to talk,' not 'we gotta.'"
"Right sorry. My bad," he said quickly. "But either way, we really do need to talk."
She crossed her arms, giving him her full attention. "Okay," she said slowly. "About what?"
He froze.
About what was a perfectly reasonable question one he absolutely did not have an answer to.
His mind scrambled, blank and buzzing all at once. A grammar lesson was the last thing he could focus on right now. He tapped his fingers lightly against her desk, his mouth opening and closing like the words might magically appear.
And then
The soft click of the door handle turning.
"Kentrell?"
His heart leaped straight into his throat.
Her.
Relief crashed over him so hard he almost laughed. He spun back toward Ms. Johnson, words tumbling out in a rush. "Oh uh I can't remember what I was going to say. Guess it wasn't that important. I'll write it down next time so I don't forget. I'm just gonna head back to my seat now."
He didn't wait for a response.
As he walked away, a triumphant smile tugged at his lips. Ms. Johnson had definitely caught his grammar slip-ups but that didn't matter. What mattered was that Portia had made it in before attendance.
No tardy lardy. No walk of shame. No unnecessary attention.
As he slid back into his seat, his chest finally eased, warmth spreading through him at the thought.
Anything for her, he realized.
And that realization made his heart soar.
