The English Teacher ➳ Emison

Chapter 1 | Senior Year

Emily walked up the steps of Rosewood High, offering friendly hellos to familiar faces as she passed by. It was the first day of her senior year, and she could hardly believe the day had finally come. Senior year had always felt like a distant event, something far off in the future—and now, here she was.

She couldn't help the excitement bubbling up inside her. The start of swim season was just around the corner, and she was eager to dive back in. Plus, there was something comforting about the routine of seeing her friends every day, something she'd missed more than she realized.

She hadn't seen the girls nearly 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 spent the evening catching up, talking about everything and nothing. Emily shared stories from Haiti, while Spencer talked about her full load of summer courses at Hollis, Aria gushed over her photography class, and Hanna ticked off the half-completed items from her summer bucket list. The night had been filled with laughter and warmth, a perfect welcome back.

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.

Part of why she had been so eager to escape to Haiti was her breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Paige at the end of junior 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 breakup had been a result of a shift between them, one that Emily felt, at least. They had been at a point where 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. She wanted to end things before they entered senior year, and things inevitably grew more complicated.

Even though she did enjoy Paige's company, she didn't want to forego the opportunity to make other connections 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.

For now, her focus was on the swim team. Her Stanford scholarship was secured, but Emily was determined to push herself even harder this year. Every race, every lap time mattered. Stanford had always been her dream school, and she had to keep her scholarship. The full ride they were offering was a financial lifesaver for her parents.

Her dad, Wayne, was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Pennsylvania National Guard, and her mom, Pam, worked as a secretary for the Rosewood Police Department. While they weren't struggling to make ends meet, there was a clear difference between her family and most of the other Rosewood families, many of whom were beyond wealthy. College tuition was something many of her classmates didn't have to worry about. But for Emily, this scholarship was everything. 

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.