The English Teacher ➳ Emison

Chapter 1 | Senior Year

Emily walked up the steps of the entrance to Rosewood High, amiably saying hi to people she knew as she walked past them. It was the first day of her senior year and she couldn't believe this day had come. It used to seem so far away.

She was genuinely quite excited to be starting out this year. The swimming season was awaiting her, and she really looked forward to seeing her friends every day.

She'd missed the girls all summer, having been gone for the past two and a half months, working away in a camp in Haiti with people from Habitat for Humanity. She had wanted to volunteer ever since she was a little kid and saw the advertisements for Habitat on TV, but this summer had been the first one where her mom actually allowed her to participate in the program.

She'd gotten home merely last night after a long flight. She was greeted warmly by her relieved mother, then whisked away to rest. She only lay down briefly, before getting up to meet with her three best friends - Hanna, Aria and Spencer. The girls were practically her sisters, having been bunched up together ever since 7th grade.

They had talked about anything and everything, from Emily's volunteering experience to Spencer's full load of summer classes at Hollis College, to Aria's photography course, to Hanna's half-completed summer bucket list.

The summer had passed by very quickly for Emily. She came in minimal contact with the 'outside world' when she was in Haiti, and had spent her time working with the other volunteers for long hours every day. Her team finished six houses by the time they left, and she had never felt more fulfilled than the day of her departure back to the US.

One of the reasons Emily had wanted so badly to go away for the summer was her break up with her ex-girlfriend, Paige, right at the end of the previous school year. The girl was on the swim team with her, so Emily wasn't sure how they were going to get along this year, but the reason she had broken up with her was the fact that she feared that she was falling into a relationship where the feelings just weren't there anymore. She didn't have those romantic inclinations toward Paige nowadays, and she felt it was wrong to stay with her like that.

Even though she did enjoy Paige's company, she didn't want to forego the opportunity to make other relationships in the year she had left in this place. She couldn't do it to Paige, either. She wanted the best for the girl, she wanted her to be able to pursue someone who returned the same feelings.

The swim team was Emily's priority at the moment. With her Stanford scholarship secured, she wanted this year to be about upping her scores and making better lap times in the upcoming races. She was excited to be able to go to her dream school, so she knew she had to keep this scholarship no matter what. They were offering her a full ride, which hugely helped her parents fund her college education.

Her father, Wayne, was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Pennsylvania National Guard, and her mother, Pam, was a secretary for the Rosewood Police. It wasn't that they were struggling to make ends meet, but there was still a very clear line between them and most Rosewood families, who were beyond rich. Not many other people she knew in Rosewood struggled to pay for college without a scholarship.

She shook off the bothersome thought as she spotted her best friends in the hallway, standing and chatting by their newly-assigned lockers. A fond smile rose on her face as she approached them.

"Hey, Em," Aria greeted excitedly when she saw her, causing Hanna and Spencer to turn.

"Hey, guys," Emily returned graciously, spinning her locker combination. "Ready for this year?"

"More like, ready to die of sleep deprivation. It's way too early right now," Hanna grunted in displeasure, but a grin suddenly tugged on her lips as she bounced over to Emily, causing her to chuckle in amusement. "Let me see your schedule!" she urged.