Lessons In Butterflies ｡ ｡ ｡ (StudentxTeacher Romance)

Chapter 18: Shut up.

Mr. Caldwell's POV (1st Person):

After school, I decided to hit the gym, a much-needed escape from the chaos of the day. By the time I was done, I was drenched in sweat, my muscles burning in that satisfying way that told me I'd pushed myself hard enough. 

I threw on a dark grey hoodie over my tank top, slipped into my black joggers, and laced up my sneakers. Not exactly dressed to impress, but it was a quick trip next door to the pharmacy.

I needed to grab some ibuprofen—my shoulder had been giving me trouble all week. Plus, a new bottle of shampoo since the last one ran out this morning.

Pushing open the door to the pharmacy, I ran a hand through my damp hair, still cooling down from the workout. 

The place was mostly empty, except for the quiet hum of air conditioning and the distant sound of someone stocking shelves.

I strolled down the aisles, scanning the shelves for the familiar green bottle of pain relievers. As I turned a corner, I could hear voices—not loud, but familiar. 

I frowned slightly, not really clicking where I'd heard them before. Probably just some students from the school. This pharmacy was close to campus; it wasn't unusual to run into people here.

I kept my head down, scanning the shelves. "Where the hell is it..." I muttered under my breath, leaning down to check the lower rows. 

My eyes skimmed over the shampoos. Tea tree? No, too strong. Something unscented.

I grabbed a bottle, and as I straightened up, I heard a burst of giggling from a few aisles over. That's when it hit me.

Wait. I know those voices.

I glanced around the corner cautiously, and sure enough, there they were. Dani and Juliet. And... Shella.

What the hell are they doing here?

I stepped back quickly, hoping to avoid any awkward encounters. 

Not that it'd be the first time I ran into students outside of school, but this wasn't exactly the ideal setup. The last thing I needed was them seeing me like this—sweaty, dressed like I just crawled out of bed. 

Plus, the whole incident with Shella still felt too fresh.

But, of course, fate had other plans.

"Mr. Caldwell?"

I winced inwardly, hearing Shella's voice. Of course, she saw me. Fantastic.

I turned around slowly, trying to look as casual as possible. "Shella, Dani, Juliet... What a surprise."

Shella's eyes widened for a second before she quickly masked it, her expression neutral. 

"Hi, sir. Didn't expect to see you here."

"Nope, neither did I." I gave a tight smile, raising the shampoo bottle slightly. "Just... grabbing a few things."

Juliet looked like she was trying to suppress a laugh, while Dani nudged her with her elbow. They were definitely up to something.

Shella, on the other hand, seemed... uncomfortable. Like she didn't want to be standing there any more than I did.

"Well, don't let us keep you," she muttered quickly, glancing at her friends. "We were just leaving."

I nodded, eager to get this over with. "Yeah, I'll let you get on with it."

But as they started to walk away, I heard Juliet snicker. "You think he came here for shampoo?"