corruption

two ੈ✩‧₊

Matty Healy's Pov:

I'm standing at the front of the classroom, my voice echoing slightly as I go over the final points of today's lesson. We've spent the last fifty minutes dissecting Shakespeare's *Macbeth*, focusing on the themes of ambition and power. My hand is idly tracing lines on the whiteboard as I speak, though my mind keeps wandering—drifting back, time and again, to Lacie.

She's sitting there in the second row, her black hair falling in soft waves over her shoulders, her lips slightly parted as she listens—or pretends to. I find myself glancing her way more often than I should. I can't help it; there's something about the way she carries herself, the way her eyes occasionally meet mine before quickly darting away, that pulls my attention like a magnet. It's wrong, I know that. I shouldn't be thinking this way about a student, but every time I try to tear my eyes away, they seem to find their way back to her.

I clear my throat, forcing myself to focus on the lesson. "So, Macbeth's downfall isn't just about the consequences of unchecked ambition. It's also about..." My voice trails off as I notice Lacie shift in her seat, crossing one leg over the other, the hem of her skirt riding up just slightly.

Stop it, I tell myself. Just finish the lesson and get out of here. But then she looks up at me, her blue eyes catching mine, and for a split second, I swear she knows exactly what I'm thinking. My heart skips a beat, and I stumble over my words, "...about how his guilt drives him to madness."

I force myself to look away, focusing on the far wall of the classroom. I can feel a slight flush creeping up my neck, and I pray that no one has noticed my lapse. I wrap up the lesson quickly, asking if there are any final questions. My eyes betray me again, though, flicking back to Lacie. This time, however, they're met not with her gaze, but with Nina's.

Nina is sitting beside Lacie, her eyes narrowed, watching me with a knowing look that sends a jolt of panic through my chest. She's noticed. She knows I've been looking at Lacie, and now she's just sitting there, not saying a word, but her expression says it all. She knows.

I feel the room closing in on me as I force a smile and dismiss the class. "Alright, that's all for today. Don't forget, your essays are due on Friday." The students begin to gather their things, and I keep my eyes fixed on my desk, avoiding Nina's stare. I can hear the shuffle of papers, the scrape of chairs, but all I can think about is how I've let my guard down, how stupid I've been.

As the class empties out, I risk one last glance in Lacie's direction, but she's already gone. Nina lingers for a moment longer, her eyes still on me, before she turns and follows her friend out of the room.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, my heart still pounding. What the hell am I doing? I can't let this happen again. But as I gather my notes and head to my office, I can't shake the feeling that I'm already in too deep.

Lacie's pov:

As soon as we step out of the classroom, the door clicking shut behind us, I can feel the tension melt away. Nina and I exchange a quick glance, and I can see the corners of her mouth twitching, fighting to hold back a smile. It's like we're both waiting for the other to break first, but I can't help it. The moment we hit the empty hallway, it's over. We both burst out laughing, the sound echoing off the walls around us.

"For fuck sakes Lacie," Nina manages to get out between fits of giggles, "you're so obvious, I could see him looking at you the entire time!" She nudges me playfully with her elbow, and I roll my eyes, trying to act like it's no big deal, but the heat creeping up my neck gives me away.

"Brother he's so fit," I say, though I'm laughing too, my voice a mix of embarrassment and excitement. I can still feel the way Mr. Healy's eyes kept finding me during class, how his voice would hitch just a little whenever our gazes met. It was electrifying, like this secret little game that only we were playing—except, apparently, Nina was in on it too. I hope this can be a remake of our delusions from when we were 13 and make me and Mr. Healy happen.