𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 (EDITING)

𝟐𝟔

emerson

"I don't care about your opinions," she declared, her tone slicing through the air like a knife. I felt a surge of frustration as I clenched my jaw, meeting her gaze with a piercing glare.

A bitter smirk played on my lips. "Then don't," I retorted, my voice laced with sarcasm. The air between us crackled with unresolved tension as our eyes locked in a silent battle of wills.

Avery leaned in, her scrutinizing gaze scanning my face. "I won't," she affirmed, her voice dripping with disdain. Her words hung in the air, a reminder of the hatred that simmered beneath the surface.

"Fine," I replied curtly, my tone tinged with bitterness. I averted my eyes, refusing to give her the satisfaction of further engagement. The atmosphere between us grew thicker with unspoken resentment.

A derisive scoff escaped her lips, and she reclined back into her seat, a gesture dripping with dismissiveness. The tension in the air lingered, heavy with the weight of unsaid words and strained emotions.

Avery's unwarranted dislike towards me, I found myself utterly baffled. I wracked my brain, trying to dig up any past incident that might have set her off, but I came up empty-handed. I vividly remember the day when my clumsiness resulted in an accidental coffee spill all over her. I apologized profusely, genuinely sorry for the mishap. Despite that, she clung to this grudge like it was her prized possession.

It bothered me more than I cared to admit. Our encounters were clouded with an awkward tension that I couldn't seem to shake off. I wanted to address the issue, clear the air, but her walls were impenetrable, leaving me at a loss for how to navigate this standoff.

It felt like walking on eggshells whenever she was around.

"How was everyone's weekend?" Amalia's attempt to diffuse the tension seemed to veer into unexpected territory. The group fell into a momentary silence, "My mum has a fling going on." Jasmine uttered, "Uh, thanks for sharing, Jas," I managed, trying to navigate away from the awkwardness. Kacey cringed visibly, her expression a mix of disbelief and discomfort. "That's... a lot of information," she remarked, attempting to mask her unease.

"I wouldn't want to know that about my teacher," Kacey added, shuddering at the thought. The image seemed to disturb Willow as well, who recoiled at the mental picture forming in her mind.

"Ew, why are you imagining it?" Jasmine questioned, casting a puzzled look toward Willow. "I—I don't know," Willow stammered, flustered by the unexpected turn the conversation had taken.

"I can imagine it, but I think it's more weird in my head," Andrew chimed in, his deadpan tone offering a hint of humor in the awkward moment. Amalia, however, wasn't amused.

"That's disgusting, she's your teacher," Amalia responded, her tone firm and disapproving. Andrew merely shrugged in response, a nonchalant gesture that seemed to imply he was unfazed.

"I'm gay," Andrew deadpanned, everyone hummed. I stayed relatively quiet, trying to divert attention from the room's palpable tension.

However, I couldn't shake the feeling of Avery's gaze fixed on me. Uncomfortably shuffling in my seat, I attempted to break the awkwardness. "What class do we have next?" I directed the question to Andrew, hoping to shift the focus away from the lingering discomfort.

As I turned my head, I accidentally caught Avery's eye. Feeling the weight of her stare, I swiftly averted my gaze back to Andrew, pretending to be absorbed in our impending schedule. My heart raced, hoping to avoid any further tension or confrontation.