𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓻𝔂❤︎

Chapter 13

Y/N had barely recovered from the mortifying lockdown drill when seventh period rolled around the next day. She wasn’t sure how she was going to look Mr. Le in the eye after the whole “you’re good at sitting” debacle. Every time she replayed it in her mind, her face flushed a deep crimson. But despite the embarrassment, part of her was looking forward to seeing him again—maybe he’d tease her about it, or maybe she’d find a way to redeem herself.

She took her usual seat, but something felt different in the room. The other students were murmuring excitedly, and there was a noticeable buzz in the air. Mr. Le stood at the front, arms crossed, waiting for the class to settle down.

“Alright, listen up,” he began, his voice as dry as ever. “It seems your beloved chemistry teacher next door is out today, so we’ll be combining classes. Meaning, yes, more of you in here, and no, that does not mean you get to goof off.” He paused, looking around the room. “I’m looking at you, Harvey.”

The class snickered as Harvey, who had been halfway through a dramatic yawn, smirked and gave Mr. Le a lazy salute.

Y/N's stomach did a little flip. More students? What if the room gets too crowded? What if Mr. Le doesn't even notice me today?

Just as the other class started filing in, Y/N froze. There, walking through the door, was a familiar face. No way.

It was her girlfriend, Emmy, who had been in a different chemistry class this whole time. Y/N hadn’t seen her much during school hours lately, since they were in separate classes and had different lunch periods. But now, by some twist of fate, their classes were merging. Her heart skipped a beat as Emmy spotted her, her face lighting up with a grin.

“Y/N!” Emmy called out, sliding into the seat beside her. “Guess we’re stuck together now, huh?”

Y/N could barely keep the smile off her face. “Yeah, looks like it.” She nudged Emmy playfully. “Better not embarrass me in front of Mr. Le.”

Emmy raised an eyebrow, her grin turning mischievous. “Oh? Should I be jealous of this mysterious Mr. Le?”

Y/N’s face went bright red. “No! It’s not like that,” she mumbled, though the blush on her cheeks said otherwise. Oh no. She’s going to make this weird, isn’t she?

As if on cue, Mr. Le started speaking again, going over the day’s lab instructions. Y/N tried to focus, but her mind was spinning. Having Emmy here was both exciting and nerve-wracking. How am I supposed to focus on chemistry when she’s right next to me?

As the class started getting to work on their lab, Emmy leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially. “So, tell me more about this Mr. Le guy. What’s the deal?”

Y/N shot her a glare, whispering back, “There’s no deal! He’s just... our teacher. He’s cool, that’s all.”

Emmy raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Uh-huh. You’re blushing like crazy, though. You sure you don’t have a little crush?”

Y/N’s eyes widened in horror. “No way! I—" She stopped, realizing how loud she had gotten. Her eyes flicked nervously toward Mr. Le, but he seemed too engrossed in helping another group to have heard. She sighed in relief. “It’s not like that, okay?”

Emmy chuckled, clearly enjoying Y/N’s discomfort. “Alright, alright, I believe you. But hey, at least I’m here now to keep an eye on things.”

They worked together for the rest of the lab, and Y/N felt an odd sense of balance now that Emmy was there. Sure, things were still awkward with Mr. Le, but at least she had someone by her side, someone who made her feel grounded even when her mind was spinning out of control.

At one point, Mr. Le came by to check their progress, his usual sarcastic tone in full force. “Everything looking alright over here? Or did you accidentally light something on fire?”

Y/N opened her mouth to respond, but Emmy beat her to it. “We’re good, Mr. Le. Though I can’t make any promises for Y/N’s ability to not start a small chemical disaster.”

Y/N stared at her, eyes wide. Why would you say that?!

Mr. Le, however, seemed amused. “Noted,” he said with a smirk, before moving on to the next group.

Y/N shot Emmy a look, her face burning with embarrassment. “What was that?!”

Emmy just grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. “Relax, it’s just some harmless teasing. You’ll thank me later.”

Y/N groaned, burying her face in her hands. Why did I think this would go smoothly?

But despite the cringe, there was something comforting about having Emmy there with her, teasing her, making her laugh. It helped distract from the constant buzzing in her brain whenever Mr. Le walked by. Maybe things weren’t perfect, and maybe the day was full of awkward moments, but at least she wasn’t alone in her feelings anymore.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Emmy leaned in close, her voice soft. “See? We survived. And I didn’t even embarrass you that much.”

Y/N smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. “Yeah, we did. Thanks.”

They gathered their things, and as they walked out of the classroom together, Y/N couldn’t help but feel a little lighter. Sure, her crush on Mr. Le was still there, lurking in the back of her mind, but with Emmy by her side, it didn’t feel quite so overwhelming anymore.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Y/N was okay with just being herself—cringey moments and all.