Beyond The Classroom

02 - Book #2: Talk to Faye

Faye woke up to the soft caress of her boyfriend's touch. She stirred gently, trying not to wake him up, but his hand tightened around her waist. "Marcus..." Faye whispered, attempting to gently remove his arm. Her voice was a mix of affection and slight annoyance.

"What?" Marcus mumbled, still half-asleep. Just then, the familiar sound of her phone ringing cut through the peaceful morning silence. Marcus glanced at the phone on the nightstand. "Who's that?" He asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and irritation.

Faye reached for her phone, lying back on the bed as she checked the caller ID. It was Yoko. Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly declined the call. She barely had time to set the phone down because it started ringing again. "Babe, who is it? Can you turn it off?" Marcus grumbled, pulling the blanket over his head.

Faye rolled her eyes, feeling a surge of frustration. She declined the call once more, but the persistent ringing continued. Before she could react, Marcus snatched the phone from her hand. "Let me answer that," he said, his voice firm.

"Marcus, no-" Faye tried to protest, but it was too late. Marcus had already answred the call. "Hello? Who's this?" He asked, his voice rough with sleep.

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Yoko spoke, her voice surprised. "Faye? Who's this?" She asked cautiously.

Marcus hesitated, but before he could respond, Faye snatched the phone back. "Hello, Yoko," she said quickly, trying to keep her voice steady. "What's up?"

There was another pause, then Yoko's voice came through, hesitant. "I was hoping we could meet up for coffee."

Faye's mind raced. She glanced at Marcus, who was watching her intently. "Uh, I'm not free right now," she lied, feeling a pang of guilt. "I've got a lot on my plate.
Sorry, maybe another time."

Yoko's disappointment was palpable event through the phone. "I see. Well, take care, Faye."

"You too, Yoko. Bye." Faye ended the call, feeling a knot form her stomach. She placed the phone back on the nightsnsd and turned to Marcus, who was frowning.

"Who was that?" He asked, his tone sharp.

"Just an old friend," Faye replied, avoiding his gaze. "She wanted to grab coffee, but I told her I'm busy."

"Good," Marcus said, sitting up in bed. "You are busy. We need to find a new designer for the business." Faye nodded, feeling a strange sense of relief mixed with dread. She quickly got out of bed, eager to escape the uncomfortable conversation.

As she dressed and left the room, she couldn't shake the feeling that things were spiraling out of control.

Days passed, and Yoko continued to call, but Faye never answered. She already found an excuse, claiming she was busy with work and other commitments.

In reality, she was avoiding a confrontation she wasn't ready to face. Her relationship with Marcus was already strained, and she didn't want to add to the tension by rekindling old feelings with Yoko.

Meanwhile, Yoko was struggling with her own emotions. One evening, as her parents called for dinner, she declined, saying she wasn't hungry. Her stepmother, concerned, went to check on her. She knocked gently on Yoko's door.

"Come in," Yoko said, her voice muffled by the pillow she was lying on.

Her stepmother entered and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Yoko with a worried expression. "How are you?" She asked gently. Yoko sighed and sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "Faye and I met," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.