Across the Hall (G.N.D. Sequel)

2

Evan's POV:

Lexi is the absolute last person I expected to see standing before me. New neighbor?! I can't even believe that enough time has passed for her to earn her degree!

"I- this is very unexpected." Lexi stutters, her eyes locked on mine.

"You two know each other?" Danny asks, obviously confused.

"We met at my old job-"

"I used to babysit her kids-"

Our sentences clash and Lexi takes a nervous breath, "what she said."

Danny's brows furrow a bit, but he asks no further questions about our history. "Perfect. I didn't even need to make an introduction then." He pauses and turns to Lexi, shaking her hand. "I hope that you have a great year, Ms. Brewer. And please, just let myself or Ms. Johnson know if there is anything we can do to help make your experience here any easier!"

Lexi nods shyly and Danny walks away, leaving me in the most awkward situation I have found myself in in years.

"It's been a long time." Lexi speaks first and folds her arms over her chest, closing herself off from me.

I nod my head and clear my throat, grabbing the nearest pen to turn and twist between my fingers. "Yeah, it definitely has. I um- wow. I wasn't expecting... this." I manage to get the words out.

Lexi gives me the tiniest grin and giggles. She hasn't changed a bit.

Before our awkward conversation is forced to continue, a student steps into my room and I clear my throat. "I guess I'll see you later?" I say with a shaky voice and sweating palms.

She nods her head and leaves at that, letting me breathe normally again. I sit down behind my desk, my head and heart racing at 100 miles an hour.

This cannot be real. This cannot be happening. Of all places, of all people... it had to be here and it had to be her. When I moved away, I chose a place that felt safe. I chose a place that I felt was far enough away from my past life for it to not follow me, and now my biggest, darkest, most protected secret is shacking up across the hall from me!? What kind of fucking luck is this?

She looks exactly how she did before, but also so much different. Her face is more mature, her hair is shorter, she's wearing more make-up than I've seen her wear before. Her voice and her laugh haven't changed in the slightest, they still make my stomach turn flips for some uncomfortable reason.

Seeing that girl before me again is resurfacing so many memories for me. The time I spent with her, and the pain I felt after that time came to a screeching halt. She is the reason I am here, in the mental state I am. She's a big reason why I am divorced, why my name is no longer Copeland, and why I walk into work each morning with that tiny bit of fear and paranoia. Do they know I fucked a student at my old school? That question has followed me for five years now, and having her in such close proximity to me now is not going to help with that paranoia.

* * *

Lexi's POV:

I'm not sure if it is the fact that I am visibly shaken from the encounter I had with Evan this morning, or if I am really just a shit teacher and not at all cut out for this job, but these teens have been running all over me all day.

Seeing her was not at all something I had prepared for. I was prepared for questions and looks about my sexuality, my age, my looks. I was prepared for almost everything except running into the woman who I fell head over heels for when I was in high school.

Seeing her face made my entire body tense up. It took every ounce of my being to force words out and speak to her.

She changed her last name? Had she remarried or was that her maiden name? I didn't get a look at her hand, so I couldn't tell if there was a ring or not. Did she hate me? Where are her kids? All of these questions and more have been flashing in my head since I walked away from her this morning.