Hearts in the Shadows (wlw teacherxstudent)

5th Chapter

[Marina's POV]

As Mr. Smith dismisses the class, Carter and I head out to meet Kayla and Sara in the school parking lot.

I feel a lot better now - the headache's gone, and I'm wide awake.

"Excited for German?" Carter asks as we walk.

I unlock my car, grabbing four bottles of Coke. I hand one to each of them, keeping one for myself. Kayla pulls out her pack of cigarettes, offering it to us. To my surprise, Carter takes one too.

"Excited? No. Curious? Maybe. I'm curious to see how bad it'll get and if we all fail," I reply.

"Yeah, I agree. But you must be excited," Kayla laughs, glancing down at the cigarette between Carter's fingers.

"Damn, why so nervous though?" Sara asks, just now noticing it.

I chuckle, answering for him since he's in the middle of a drag. "He's always nervous when it comes to school. We've got to get it right this year. I can't stand this place anymore," I add, letting out a dramatically frustrated sigh. They laugh, nodding in agreement.

"I heard it's a woman. Miss Rend... no, Miss Raiv- no, wait - Miss Ru-something. Whatever, it starts with an R," Sara says, trying to tell us more about the new teacher but completely failing. Our laughter gets louder.

Once everyone finishes smoking, I raise my Coke like a toast. "All right, let's head in. To another terrible class." They clink their bottles with mine, grinning.

With that, we make our way to the classroom. Half the students are already there, with a few more trickling in after us.

And then she walks in.

She has long, dark blonde hair that falls effortlessly over her shoulders, and her ice-blue eyes scan the room with a level of precision I didn't expect. She looks sharp, like she knows exactly what we're all thinking and is already three steps ahead. Her clothes are professional, but fitted just enough to hint at her curves. There's something about her that says she doesn't take shit from anyone, and I can't help but feel a little intrigued.

I sit in the second row, sandwiched between Carter and Kayla, Sara next to Kayla by the wall. Her gaze flicks across the rows, pausing ever so slightly when she reaches mine, but I don't flinch. I meet her eyes with the same cold calm she's projecting. Gorgeous or not, she's just another teacher. I don't get shy, and I sure as hell don't back down from eye contact.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Miss Reeve. I'll be your German teacher this year," she says, her voice smooth and authoritative.

There's a subtle tension in the room, a shift. Carter seems a bit on edge next to me. He leans over slightly, whispering, "She's something, huh?"

I smirk, taking a sip from my Coke bottle. "Definitely not your average teacher," I murmur back, still watching her as she moves to the whiteboard. Her movements are deliberate, as if she's in complete control of the space - and us.

Miss Reeve writes a few phrases in German, her handwriting neat and fluid. She turns to face us again, her gaze sweeping the class like she's assessing who's worth her time. "We'll start with something simple today. You'll be learning how to introduce yourselves in German. Pair up."

I exchange a glance with Carter. "You wanna partner up?" he asks.

"Obviously," I reply coolly, though my attention isn't fully on him. It's on her. There's something about the way she moves - confident, almost too comfortable for a high school classroom. Like she belongs somewhere else, doing something bigger.