Unforseen Lovers {TeacherXPupil} {Lesbian}

Chapter 16- surpise

Emily's POV

The walk home from Danni's apartment was filled with dread and panic. I spent time analysising every possible situation, that I may find myself walking in to. The oblivion was the most torturous part of the entire thing.

Thankfully, Danni's apartment was fairly far away, giving me the time I needed to think. The walk was all of 40 minutes and by the time I finally made it to my front door, I could hardly breathe.

I decided to sit on the wall just outside my porch for a while, to gather myself and mentally prepare for whatever was about to come. I was lost in thought when my neighbour emerged from her house to put her bins out.

"Hello Emily, how are you doing? You look awfully pale. Are you locked out or something? How is school?" She paused, almost to catch her breath after relentlessly fitting each question into the conversation.

Miss Crews always has the best intentions at heart, but I don't think I've ever known anyone to be nosier. Every conversation I have ever had with her has been warped and riddled with 101 questions and today, I was not really in the mood to answer them all.

"Hello, I hope you're well Miss Crews. I just remembered I put my key in my other pocket." I pulled it out of the spot where I knew it was all along to add emphasis. "I'd better head inside or my mum will be worrying, it was nice talking to you".

As I turned to leave she continued to call hundreds of questions to me, but the skill of acting oblivious was key around Miss Crews.

I locked my front door behind me and took especially long in untying my shoe laces and hanging my coat on the stand. The house was uncomfortably quiet, the usual sound of the television blaring out was absent and I couldn't even hear my dad clanging about in the kitchen- something I didn't not realise I had gotten so accustomed to.

By the time I turned away from the coat hanger, my parents had soundlessly moved to the end of the hallway. Their facial expression was unreadable and I had no clue what to say.

My Dad finally filled the painful silence when he said, "You alright Em? You look ill". It was in the moment that I properly looked at and acknowledged my parents, before I merely looked through them as though they were not there. My father had his hands folded behind his back, almost like he was failing in the attempt to look smart and formal. My mother was beside him, her face completely unrevealing and she was still in her work uniform, with her hair held back in a messy bun. I still wondered how she managed to bring so much grace to such a simple look, even in that moment.

I tried to speak and realised that my throat was painfully hoarse. I coughed gently and said "Um yes, I was just at the gym." I realised how stupid that lie was as soon as it left my lips.

"In jeans?" My mum threw at me, almost instantly.

"Yes. Well no. I have my gym shorts in my bag. My vest too. I just changed whilst I was there. I'm sorry, I lost track of how late it got." I tried my best to muster something along the lines of a smile after this. "Anyway, you wanted me to come home, is everything okay?"

At this, she almost snapped and forgot all about the gym as if she had gotten sidetracked. "Oh yes, well we understand that things have been hard for you recently, and that you may have gotten a little bit um... lonely?"

My stomach dropped as soon as the words left her mouth. Any doubt that she knew about Danni had completely dissolved and I tried to think of anything I could say to somehow get myself, and Danni, out of this situation.

This is when my dad also chimed in "So we wanted to try and be as understanding as possible".

This was painful and awkward and I wanted nothing more than to bolt out of the door, which was just behind me.

I remained silent and terrified of saying the wrong thing as they continued.

"Okay we have dragged this out enough, just tell her Ned." At this, my dad started to fumble his hands, which were so awkwardly placed behind his back. It seemed he was bringing them into view, which was a relief because it was unexplainably cringe to see him so serious, it didn't suit him.

But when he brought his hands forward, they were not empty.

In his huge and gentle hands, was a tiny puppy. He was holding it carefully and the creature fit perfectly into his clasp, nibbling his fingertips.

In that moment, every single anxiety I had felt diffused into the air around me and was replaced my warmth and compassion.

"His name is Reggie, and he's a miniature schnauzer."

I paused, taking in everything that was happening. Reggie already had huge eyebrows and a beard, making his face seem adorably disproportional. His paws seemed uncharacteristically large for his body, as he awkwardly fumbled around in my fathers hands. He put him down on the ground carefully, and the puppy clumsily ran towards me, slipping in all directions on the laminate flooring. I lifted the puppy up, so that he was level with my face and stared into his curious eyes.

I had finally found the words to use, and as I tried to speak them Reggie was frantically leaning towards me and trying to lick my face, as if it were some sworn mission. "Is he ours? To keep?"

"Of course he is. We took him on his first walk earlier, we were going to wait up for you but we didn't want you to rush back." My mum said shyly.

I could not even begin to explain my excitement in that moment, my parents were right about the loneliness, but it was not because of Brad that I felt lonely. My parents are amazing people but being an only child is hard at times, especially when both parents have fairly demanding jobs. I realised in my absence from school how much unoccupied time I actually have. There is hardly a bigger commitment than a dog, and maybe that's exactly what I needed at the moment.

I could hardly reply when Felix and Isla came out of the living room with grins bigger than their faces.

"We helped them choose him! I told them you'd love him. You do love him right?" Isla practically yelled at me before grabbing the puppy from my hands and holding him to her chest.

We all stood, cooing over Reggie for what felt like an hour. We then moved into the living room and the cooing continued.

Later that evening when Felix and Isla had finally left, I laid in my bed staring at the ceiling and reflecting on the day I'd had, with Reggie's light grunts and snores occasionally perforating the silence.

I thought about what might have happened if I did not meet Danni in Starbucks, and what might have happened if the pizza delivery guy had not showed up, and what might have happened if my parents truly did find out about me and Danni. Whatever I had gotten myself into, I was feeling better than I had in months. And in that instant, I was suddenly overwhelmed with guilt at the way I had left Danni, she deserved answers now that I had them.

I pulled out my phone to find that I already had a text from Danni, meaning she had found my note. This much I was thankful for, because I did not have Danni's number before.

I grinned as I read her message saying "So does this mean you don't hate me ;)?"

Instead of typing a reply, I decided to press the phone icon beside her name. The sound of dial tones mingled with Reggie's laboured snores, and after a few seconds, I was met with Danni's voice on the other end of the phone.

"I could never hate you." Was my reply, before I filled her in on all of the details and why I was so haste in my departure. Talking to Danni was so easy and comfortable, and before long and hour of conversation and laughter had passed.

"You don't have English tomorrow, right? Are you still coming for additional learning after school?" She seemed almost desperate.

"For sure, I can't wait"

I could almost see her grin on the other end of the phone before she replied "Goodnight Emily." And with that, the call ended.

The sound of my name on her tongue gave me goosebumps and I fought against a smile until I fell asleep.