𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 ➶ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐢

t h r e e

Dread hung over Toni over the next two weeks, instead of her daily shower in River Valley, she made her way to her friend's trailer every other morning. English classes seemed to pass slower than they had before, her brown eyes not once daring to meet the prying eyes that lingered on her as each minute slipped by. Usually focusing was never an issue, her mind never scattered, not after she lost control after she lost everything.

Toni exhaled as she thought of those hidden memories, Sweet Pea had been the one to force her out of her bad habits. The brunette had spent countless nights with her head deep in an old metal bucket, her friend holding her hair back as she shook in his arms. Alcohol was no joke, it snuck up on you like a lioness hunting its prey. One sip tempting you until eventually you're grasping an empty bottle, a queasy feeling setting in the pit of her stomach.

The idea of losing control again haunted her, she had a plan, a plan that would set a stable future. One woman, whom may or may not have suspicions of her living conditions, couldn't ruin that.

"Antoinette, what is your opinion on the subject?"

The sound of her name, soft and searching, broke Toni from her thoughts in a matter of seconds. Heat rushed to the brunette's cheeks as she realised she had no idea what they were talking about, all eyes were now on her. Attention being something she'd typically shy away from. The look of a deer in headlights seemed to urge the professor to repeat herself.

"When Shakespeare says 'Love looks not with eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.'" The redhead spoke, eyes not once flickering from the petite woman - unlike Toni who couldn't seem to keep her eyes respectfully on the woman before her. "What is your take from the famous quote?"

It was something Toni found herself thankful that she knew something about, in her first years of being without shelter, she'd spent a lot of time hidden away in a library for the night.

Shakespeare studies just happened to be conveniently placed beside the vent she slept in, a microscopic smile itched at the sides of her lips, confidence creeping in as it always had when she knew the answer to a subject.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream just happens to be my favourite play," Toni didn't miss the look of approval that danced across her professor's expression, the sight igniting a light within her somewhere deep down. "The quote is famous for the truth hidden within it, that beauty shouldn't come first when you've fallen in love with someone, he's conveying the fact that personality, mind, heart and soul should be all the factors to consider when you're falling in love."

A moment of silence clung to the room as Toni waited for a response, the students surrounding her were jotting down her words. Most likely wondering how she could read so much into a few words from a play created thousands of years ago, but she was merely repeating what she'd learned. If they bothered to study, she knew with no doubt that they'd probably have the same take from the quote. Mrs Blossom stood before the board with a knowing smile plastered to her face, giving the brunette a curt nod of respect before swiveling on her heels to walk back to her desk.

"It seems even though you clearly weren't paying attention, Miss Topaz. That you've managed to describe the meaning of such a quote so beautifully, well done."

The fear that had kept her from giving the painfully hot woman any attention over the past two weeks had faded, the slightly pink haired girl pleased with herself. An array of chatter began to fill the room once more as the ivory skinned woman began scribbling away on some mystery notepad. It wasn't as though they'd been left with no work, the mountain of literature she needed to catch up on sitting in the backpack pushing against her feet.

Brown eyes flickered towards the redhead sitting with seemingly perfect posture at her desk, her own brown eyes scanning over her students every now and then. It was hard to not stare as lucious ginger hair cascaded over the womans shoulders, hiding her soft features. The urge to push her hair out of her face rushed through Toni, as much as she'd found herself adoring those perfectly curled locks - she liked to admire the way her skin brightened beneath the rooms bright light more. The feeling of a slight prod on her arm pulled the brunettes attention to the toothy grin of a girl she'd never seen before.