Forbidden Desires

EPISODE 18

*Zayana's POV*

After a restful sleep, I woke up in the morning and, seeing Stacy's text, hurried to get ready for school. When I arrived, I found Stacy waiting anxiously outside the classroom. She rushed towards me the moment she saw me enter the school building, but before we could even start a proper conversation, Joey, the class's self-proclaimed attention-seeker,  and her clique—marched over, announcing with exaggerated eye rolls. "The professor wants to see you," she sneered, before strutting back inside with her posse.

My talk with Stacy got interrupted... With a sigh, I made my way to the professor's office, lightly knocking as I peeked in.
"Professor, may I come in?"

"Yes, Zayana, come in," he replied, waving me in.

"Sir, did you call for me?"

The professor nodded, he gestured for me to sit with a serious expression on his face. "Zayana, you know that the chemistry teacher’s wife is in another city and she was expecting… so Mr. Elijah has taken leave to be with her."

"Yes, sir, I’m aware," I replied politely.

"And as you may know, exams are approaching, and many students still have unresolved doubts. I’d like you to help them by providing extra guidance after class. I believe no one could explain things better than you."

"Sir, I would, but I’m not sure I can stay after class."

"Zayana," he said with a note of persuasion, "your classmates specifically asked me to seek your help, saying you could explain things in a way that makes sense. Just try to give it half an hour—it’ll also be good practice for you."

“Alright, but I’ll have to inform my family first, Sir. It's not easy to arrange that on short notice."

“Just use the school’s landline to call them,” he suggested. “Besides, this arrangement will only be for a few days until we find a temporary teacher.”

"Alright, sir," I agreed.

After informing my mom, who gave her approval for half an hour only, I hurried back to Stacy, who was waiting for me in the canteen, eager to share what she had to say.

Stacy hesitated for a moment. "Zayana," her voice slightly cautious, "The picture you sent me yesterday... that was Atticus, wasn’t it?”

I felt my heart flutter at the mention of his name. "Yes, it was him. Why?"

“Are you sure he truly loves you, Zayana? Or are you mistaking attachment for love?”

“Stacy, what riddles are you speaking? You know i care deeply for him... I really like him.”

"But do you know anything about his background? Who he really is? What his lifestyle is like?"

“I know a little, but he’s a good person, Stacy…”

She shook her head. “You’re wrong. He’s not who you think he is.”

“What? How can you say that?”

"My older sister attends the same university, where she has a group of four or five girls in her circle, including herself."

“So?”

“In that group, there are two girls, Maria and Liz…Maria has, well, spent nights with Atticus… in his arms. You know what I mean. They've been intimate. And Liz is involved with Atticu's best friend in the same way.”

My voice faltered. “But how did your sister know I liked him?”

"When you sent me his picture, she was lying next to me. The moment she saw it, she asked, ‘Is that Atticus?’ I told her yes."

"And then?" I pressed, dreading her response.

“She told me Atticus only seeks girls for… that kind of relationship. Once he gets what he wants, he moves on. She told me to warn you and cut off ties with him.”

Her words made my veins tighten, each syllable a harsh slap to my innocence and trust. Was this nothing more than a game of filth to him? My mind spun with the weight of her revelation, and suddenly, tears stung my eyes, while the ground beneath me felt like it was slipping away.

As I sat there in the canteen, struggling to hold myself together, I could feel people's eyes on me. Not wanting to break down in front of everyone, I got up and dashed to the restroom, splashing water on my face  to compose myself before heading back to the classroom. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind wouldn’t settle, and the lecture became nothing more than a blur of words. Halfway through, I slipped out, finding refuge in the basketball court outside, allowing my tears to flow in quiet solitude.

Then my phone rang.

I looked down at the screen to see… Atticus.

My heart pounded painfully as I stared at his name.

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POOR ZAYANA😔
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TOODLES ❤️