Sometime In July (2024 edition)

Chapter Seven

Four days had passed, and Yssa sat back in her chair, watching her students shuffle through their bags, pulling out pencils and notebooks. She had assigned them a seatwork on verb tenses, asking them to craft sentences for each form. It was a typical, quiet, rain-soaked July morning, the kind of day where the world felt softened by the steady hum of raindrops outside the window. Yssa took a deep breath, soaking in the peace of the moment. Her students were focused, attentive—a teacher's small victory.

But her mind wasn't entirely in the classroom. Before class began, Elisha had handed her a note—small, folded, and yellowing at the edges like a page torn from an old atlas. Yssa hadn't opened it right away, unsure of what awaited inside. She had been thinking about Seth more than usual, and seeing Jeanne drop off Elisha instead of him had left her with a subtle, nagging disappointment. She missed him, more than she wanted to admit.

Now, with her students engrossed in their work, she carefully unfolded the paper. A faint map of Italy ran through it, as though the note had been torn from history. The message was simple, but it struck her heart:

To the most beautiful woman I know ---

I woke up this morning and the first person in my mind was you.

Life is an endless musical, I get to be the hero but no one as the heroine.

Will you make everything all right?

See you later at five,

Seth

Yssa couldn't help but smile, tucking the note into her purse. Her heart raced at the thought of seeing him later. It was Friday, "wash day" for the faculty, and she was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a black DKNY blouse that accentuated her figure just right. Still casual, but with a hint of something more. Just right for a rainy afternoon and maybe...a little reunion. But her smile faltered slightly—Glenn had mentioned he might pick her up today. The situation suddenly felt complicated.

She glanced around the room, making sure everyone was still on task. Elisha caught her eye, grinning as if she knew something. Yssa smiled back, motioning for her to focus on her work, but the playful smirk didn't leave the girl's face. The note stayed safely in Yssa's purse now; no way was she letting the kids stumble upon it.

* * *

Later, as the clock struck five, Yssa sat at her desk, trying to look busy, though her mind was elsewhere. Brandon stood nearby, eating a Big Mac and glancing at her between bites.

"You look like you're waiting for something... or someone," Brandon teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up, Brandon," she replied, rolling her eyes but unable to hide the nervous energy bubbling under her skin.

"I'm just saying," he said, grinning, "if Glenn shows up, I'll handle it. Promise."

"Are you making decisions for me now?"

"Nope," Brandon smirked, "but if you need me to, I will."

The conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Brandon opened it, and standing there was Seth. Seth in the afternoon. Natural, subtle, and always looking mysterious. Casual, yet striking as ever in the same Adidas jacket he wore last time, looking every bit like someone who could make a room stop just by entering. Yssa's heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, Seth," Brandon greeted, stepping aside to let him in. Yssa stood as Seth approached, their eyes meeting in an instant that seemed like an eternity.

"Hi, Yssa," he said, his voice soft but steady. "Did you get my note?"

"I did," she replied, smiling up at him. "Thank you."