And learn his name she does.
"Zack, huh? I pegged you as more of a Dylan." She says, giggling to him as the bell that signals them to a lunch break rings. She's walking with him, when she hears a choked sob coming from the classroom.
Tuttweiler.
"One second, sweetheart. I'll catch up. I gotta get something." She tells him, walking back into the classroom to find the teacher crying hysterically.
Oh, poor lady.
"Excuse me, Ms. Tuttweiler? I couldn't help notice how you're crying. Uh, may I ask what's wrong?" She asks gently, startling the crying redhead.
"Oh my goodness! Geni, please don't sneak up on me like that! And it's nothing. I just… Men." The teacher sniffles, and Geni bites her lip nervously, wondering what to do and say.
"Well, I understand if you don't want to talk about it. Your love life is your business. I haven't got any right to just drop in on it. Sorry." She says, and the teacher shakes her head.
"It's fine, it's fine. You're actually the first person who's cared enough to ask why in the longest time. At this point, people just know." She sighs, and the young girl grimaces.
"Happens that often, does it? Well have you ever thought about taking a break from looking for love? Instead of going after the guy, wait for him to come after you. Now, I'm not saying you have to do that. Just some food for thought. Speaking of food, I'm sorry, Ms. Tuttweiler, but I've got some previous engagements that I'm late for." She says, leaving the brokenhearted teacher to her thoughts.
Only to see that her previous engagements had his own previous engagement.
A girlfriend.
"H-hey, Zack," She has to be careful to not call him anything else, not around his girlfriend, "Who is this pretty little thing?" She asks, seeing the brunette sitting on his lap.
"This, Geni," He's careful, too, because of his beloved girlfriend, "Is my girlfriend Maya. Didn't I tell you she was Australian? And you didn't believe me." He teases the girl on his lap, nuzzling her neck, making her giggle and shriek.
Geni clenches her hands into fists, taking a deep breath, trying to keep that ache away. Because she wasn't here first. She hasn't got a chance. Of course not.
"Sorry, Zack. It's nice to meet you, Geni. Zack tells me you're quite the artist." Maya beams, and Geni forces a tight smile.
Why, sweetheart?
"Well, I don't like to brag, but yea, I'm alright. I could show you, if you like." She says to the girlfriend, always so kind and sweet, taking her sketchbook from her bag.
"Oh, it's positively gorgeous! You've got to teach me to draw like this!" The girlfriend gushes, and Geni almost rolls her eyes.
No, girlfriend, just no.
She snatches the book from the girlfriend, practically ripping it, before she can get to the picture she drew last night.
The picture of her boyfriend.
"The rest aren't finished. They're horrible." She says, putting it back into her bag, her heart beating rapidly. Good God, what if the girlfriend had seen it?
Some shit would be going down.
She sighs, walking to the vending machine, getting a bag of chips and walking back to the couple. She stops, however, when she sees them sharing a sweet and loving and adoring kiss like the ones you see in romantic movies.
