Lessons In Butterflies ｡ ｡ ｡ (StudentxTeacher Romance)

Chapter 25: They're... energetic.

Mr Caldwell's POV:

- The Next Morning - 

I stared down at the pair of glasses in my hand, their clear brown frames catching the light from the window. 

They were delicate, light, with small flecks of gold in the hinges—a little detail I'd never noticed until now. 

Last night, after she bolted out of that restaurant bathroom, they'd been left behind on the counter, and I couldn't exactly leave them there. I'd picked them up instinctively, not thinking about what it might mean to still have them in my hand the next morning.

I ran a thumb along the edge of one lens, oddly focused on how these glasses framed her. 

She'd been lost without them last night, a little flustered, her lips glossed and looking soft under the dim lights, her gaze so vulnerable when she looked up at me. 

The memory surged, unexpectedly vivid—the way she bit her lip when she'd looked at me, that flicker of emotion in her expression, just for a second.

But I needed to snap out of it. I had her glasses now, so I'd just... hand them back when I saw her. 

It was as simple as that.

At least, that's what I was telling myself as I slipped them back into the drawer. 

They barely fit in with the random paperwork, but they'd be safe there until I had a moment alone with her. I couldn't exactly explain why I'd been carrying them around. 

And of course, that was the moment Trey chose to walk in, cheerful and loud as usual.

"Morning, man! You look like you barely slept." He clapped me on the shoulder and tossed his backpack onto a desk. "What's up with you?"

I quickly closed the drawer. "Nothing much. Just a long night, I guess."

"Right..." He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Or maybe you just didn't want to stop thinking about... you know."

I frowned. "You know what?"

He chuckled, leaning against my desk. "Oh, come on. You're acting weird, and it's about time you had a crush. We all know it."

"Sure," I said dryly, hoping he'd drop it.

I was just being friendly. Right. 

I sighed and got up from my desk, grabbing the glasses and deciding to find Shella. 

__

I searched the halls for Shella but came up empty, so her locker became the obvious alternative. Trying to act casual, I took out a small notepad and scribbled a quick note:

Shella,
You forgot these last night. Hope they survived without you. Oh, and don't forget about the homework due tomorrow—page 87, problems 4 through 6.
—Mr. Caldwell

I paused, looking at the note like it was a top-secret mission instead of a simple reminder. Just as I slipped it into her locker with her glasses, I felt someone sidle up beside me.

Ezra. Of course.

"What's this?" He raised his brows, a sly grin inching across his face. "Teacher leaving notes in a student's locker?"

I cleared my throat, quickly adjusting the note and glasses inside and slamming the locker shut before he could peek. "Just... returning something a student forgot. Homework reminder."

Ezra folded his arms, leaning in with that smirk. "Homework reminder, huh? With a personal touch?"

I fought the urge to groan, plastering on a stern face instead.