Love Alarm [Based On A True Story]

Don't Cry

An eerie silence falls all across the room as every pair of eyes stares at the piece of paper in Miss Nessi's hands. I can hear not only my own heart beating, but also that of Claire behind me, making me feel like I can even smell the raw fear emitting from her.

Slowly but surely, Claire gets to her feet, followed by Patrick who keeps his head down, trying to remove the spotlight from him as much as possible.

Miss Nessi stares at the duo with her snake-like eyes, judging them and analyzing them before walking towards Claire with slow but confident strides.

"Is this yours, Miss White?"

Silence.

"Speak before I make you speak in the ugliest way possible."

"Y-yes ma'am."

I shut my eyes and inhale sharply, feeling repulsed at the way Miss Nessi always had her way with words, threatening but approachable.

She then hands the paper over to Claire, or more like shoves it into her hands. "Read it."

"Beg your pardon?"

"I said, read it. Out loud. For the whole class to hear."

This has me turning around and staring directly at Miss Nessi with wide eyes, unable to believe what she was making Claire do. And judging by the looks of it, I'm not the only one in shock. The whole class is staring at her in that same way.

"B-but...but-"

"But what, Miss White? What?" It's sickening how very calm Miss Nessi's voice always was, like nothing in the world affected her. She tilts her head and stares at Claire, challenging her to retaliate. "You don't want to?"

Claire's hands tremble along with her lips as I see the perspiration beading on her forehead while she avoids eye contact with Miss Nessi. "I-I-"

"Fine then. Don't. At least not here, in front of all your friends who most likely already know about this... relationship. How about we go somewhere more... pressuring?" Miss Nessi says all that with that calm voice, but when she asks the last question, a slow smile builds in her face, a sly one, like she was enjoying this. "Perhaps, the Principal's office? Where all the head staff will be gathered? Hmm?"

"No!" Claire suddenly yells, startling everyone in the room, even herself. "I'll... I'll read it. Here. Right here."

"Good choice."

The rest after this happened in a blur. I shut my eyes and stared at my lap with my hands into fists while Claire's whimpering voice echoed in the pin drop silent classroom. It was nerve wracking, disturbing, and repulsive what Miss Nessi had made Claire do. They might have been in the wrong for being in a relationship, but she has no right to make Claire read out something personal in public.

But she also knows that whatever she decides to do with this issue, neither Claire, Patrick, nor anyone in this classroom will raise their voice. Not because they are scared of her, but because they can't go to the Principal about this either. No one can complain against Miss Nessi for abusing her power as a teacher because then Claire and Patrick's name would be dragged through the dirt.