Mother

Chapter 26

Ayla's POV*

"Alright, everyone, let's wrap it up for today" I said as the last bell rang, signaling the end of class, students packed up their things and began filtering out. It was only the second day I'd had Ivan and Julio in my art class, but already something about them stood out.

They were quiet, too quiet, and while most of the other students had been engaged in the activity, these two had barely touched their materials.

Julio hadn't even pretended to be interested. He'd been glued to his phone the entire time, completely checked out. Ivan, on the other hand, sat staring at the blank canvas in front of him, lost in thought but never lifting a brush.

"Julio, Ivan," I called, watching as the room emptied. "Could you both stay behind for a minute?"

Julio paused mid-step, sending his brother a look of pure annoyance. He seemed irritated. It has only been two days but  I'd already noticed how different their energy was, Julio had this air of indifference, like nothing mattered, while Ivan carried a quiet, heavy sort of tension.

Once the room was empty, I folded my arms, trying to find the right way to approach this. I hadn't known them long enough to get a clear sense of their situation, but my instincts told me there was more going on here than two brothers who didn't feel like painting.Julio sighed loudly, dragging his feet as he made his way back to where his brother stood.

"Is everything alright," I began, keeping my tone as easy as possible, " I noticed that neither of you seemed particularly focused. today."

Julio answered first. "Yeah, we are fine," he muttered dismissively, leaning back against one of the desks, his hands tucked into his pockets. The same indifferent tone he used yesterday when I tried talking to him. But that didn't convince me. I turned my gaze to Ivan, waiting for him to respond.

Ivan just shrugged, looking unsure on what to say. "I get it," I said after a moment of silence. "There's a lot going on, school can be overwhelming, and sometimes we just have days where it's hard to focus." I said looking at Julio.

"Julio, I've noticed you haven't been doing much work in class lately. I'm not here to lecture you, but if something's on your mind, you can talk to me. Both of you can." I said reassuring them.

Julio rolled his eyes. "Nah, I think I'm good," he said, his tone flat, pulling out his phone as if this conversation was a waste of his time. Ivan, sitting quietly beside him, shifted in his seat. He looked like he wanted to say something, but the words never came. Instead, he just nodded again, avoiding my gaze.

What Ms. Davis had said yesterday was still stuck in my head " stay away from the Rossi brothers if you want to keep your job" but even so I couldn't watch them go on like this, I was their homeroom teacher and it was my job to make sure my students were alright, all of them.

I sighed but didn't press further. "Okay, I just wanted to check in. You both have potential, don't waste it, alright?"

Julio pushed off the desk and headed for the door without a second glance. Ivan lingered for a moment, as if he was thinking about what I had just said.

So I gently added, "Just remember, if you ever need to talk to someone... about anything, I'm here. I know it might not seem like much, but sometimes talking helps. You don't have to do everything alone." He gave me the faintest of nods.

But there was something in his eyes, a weight I couldn't quite place, something deeper than just not feeling like participating. By that time, Julio was already halfway down the hall.I sighed softly, sensing the wall between us. just before following his brother Ivan, gave me one last glance, something in his expression lingering, like he was considering my offer. Then, without a word, he turned and disappeared into the hallway after his brother.

As Ivan left, I watched him walk up to his brother, two boys who seemed to be carrying much more weight than their backpacks. I wasn't sure what it was yet, but I had a feeling I'd be finding out soon enough.

As I clicked  the door shut behind Ivan and Julio, I found myself staring at the empty canvas left behind on the table. It was still untouched, the brushes clean and neatly arranged. There was something about those two, a gravity to their silence that tugged at my thoughts, even as I began tidying up the room.

I didn't know their story yet, but it felt like they were balancing on a fragile edge, and I couldn't shake the feeling that reaching them might be more important than just another lesson plan.I took a deep breath, trying to shift my focus.

The morning classes had flown by, and now I had a short break before the next batch of students came in.

I usually used this time to catch up on paperwork or prep materials, but today, the room felt too quiet, too still.

It was only the second day of the new school year, but already the weight of the coming weeks pressed in, new faces, new challenges, and, undoubtedly, more situations like Julio and Ivan's that I'd have to navigate.