You and I

Ezra

It's been three weeks of teaching a junior english class at Rosewood high. My life has been such a blur lately, it's like my life consists of grading papers, eating falafel and being involved with a former student of my own. It's stupid. I know I shouldn't be with her, it's wrong, but it doesn't feel wrong when it's just me and her. She's tried convincing me that what we had was right, that age doesn't matter when it's just the two of us. I want to be with her, but I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to her.

I walk into class, a cold Friday morning. I sit down in my desk not five minutes when Aria appears at my classroom door. I look up, and she walks in slowly. "Hey." She says sweetly.

"Hey," I say without looking up from my work. She pulls a chair to the other side of my desk, so we are sitting directly across from each other. She does this, usually. And then she pulls out her english binder, or any binder really. She works on her homework, sitting quietly and working contently. She knows I like her company, even if we don't speak.

"Aren't you going to miss first period?" I ask.

"No, I told you. My classes don't start until 10:00."

"Oh, sorry. I must have forgot." I immediately felt stupid for asking, we've been doing this for three weeks and I still haven't managed to wrap my finger around the fact she starts school at ten.

She reaches for my hand, and holds it contently. I feel my stomach lift, with what a teenage girl would call "butterflies." I like her a lot more than I let on.

I look up at her, and she's staring at me. Her tiny build is so adorable to me, with her little shoulders and hands. I love how her lips are tiny, heart shaped and light pink today. I love how her little nose scrunches up every time she smells something unusual. I love how her big, beautiful hazel eyes always stare into my blue ones, like she doesn't regret anything.

"Do you have plans tonight?" She asks me, I lower my eyes back to my work.

"No, just grading papers."

"Well you can grade papers tomorrow, I want to cook us dinner." I can feel her grin, so I immediately I return the smile.

"I would love for you to cook me dinner," I look up at her again. I pick up her hand and kiss it.

* * *

Aria

I arrive at Ezra's around 7:00 PM. I pick up the key under his door and let myself in. Our routine has been easily memorized by me. I'm really good at remembering things.

Ezra is laying on the couch. He sits up at the sight of me, and smiles. "Aria," he says happily as he greets me with a kiss. I kiss back, but release quickly.

"Everything all right?" He sounds concerned.

"Yeah, it's just-" I sit down on the couch, and he sits closely beside me, "I don't know I just feel like you're two different people."

He looks confused. "I don't follow.."

"I mean it's like you act like my boyfriend when it's just the two of us in your apartment, but when we are at school.. You just treat me like another one of your students." I can tell he's getting angry, because he doesn't say anything. He just stands up and starts pacing.

"Dammit Aria, you don't get it! What we have, is illegal. Against the law. If people found out we were seeing each other, I would be exiled to prison and you would become the school slut."

"So that's how you see me? Some slutty student?" Now I can feel myself boiling with anger.
I stand up, now too.

Ezra looks at me, with apologetic eyes he walks towards me. "No, no I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry." He rubs his hands up and down my arms.

I stiffen. He reads my body language and backs away at the slightest.

"Then why are you frustrated? Why is it that one wrong question can set you off, are you really that paranoid? Ezra, I have done everything in my power to keep what we have a secret, I just don't get you!" I throw at him.

"I'm frustrated because I love you, okay!? You make my head spin, and I lose track of time every moment you're with me, in this apartment. I love you like I have never loved anyone. And that's why I'm frustrated!" He says. He doesn't look at me, he just stares at the floor.

"You love me?"

Now he looks up. "Yes. Yes, I love you, and I am in love with you," he walks to me and places his hand on my face, and the other on my waist, "and it drives me crazy."

He pulls me in, closer to him. We touch our foreheads together, and I move my arms to his neck. "Oh Ezra, I love you too." I hug him tightly. And it's true, I do.