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"What? Oh, no. No, no, no. We are not playing family," I stammered, glancing quickly at Mr. Caldwell, who was staring wide-eyed at Theo and Leo.
Leo, never one to miss an opportunity, immediately started bouncing. "Yeah! You can be our dad! And Shella can be our mum!"
I could feel my face heating up, and I shot Mr. Caldwell a panicked look, hoping he'd jump in with some kind of teacherly shutdown, but he just stared at the twins, looking almost as horrified as I felt.
"Theo, Leo," I started firmly, "I think maybe you should ask someone else to be-"
"But we want you!" Theo whined, putting on his best puppy-dog eyes. Leo followed suit, each of them pulling out every ounce of childlike desperation. "Pleeease? Just for pretend!"
I glanced at Mr. Caldwell, silently begging for backup.
"Uh, guys, there's a lot of people here who could be... your pretend parents. How about... Ms. Findle from the front desk?"
"No!" Leo insisted, shaking his head. "It has to be you two!"
"Boys, sometimes... "
Leo tugged at my sleeve, pouting, "But... you and Mr. Caldwell look like a real mum and dad. Right, Mr. Caldwell?"
Mr. Caldwell turned to me, his face growing redder by the second. "I... um..." he started, his voice almost cracking.
He looked back down at Theo and Leo, obviously scrambling for a way out. "Maybe we could... I don't know, play a game where we're superheroes instead?"
"Oh, so you don't like Shella?" Theo suddenly asked, tilting his head with a look of pure curiosity that only children could get away with.
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Shella is a smart, sarcastic, and somewhat self-conscious girl just trying to navigate the demands o her complicated family life.
While she excels in most classes, Mr. Caldwell's subject is her biggest struggle.
He's strict, intimidating, and doesn't cut anyone slack.
Mr. Caldwell pushes her in ways no one else dares, noticing things others overlook-like the insecurities she tries to hide.
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𝐂𝐎𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄: I never expected this. Never asked for this.
𝗝𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗘 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗔𝗜𝗗 is 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗂𝖿𝗎𝗅 𝗀𝗂𝗋𝗅 𝗂𝗇 𝗌𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗈𝗅. 𝗐𝖾𝗅𝗅, 𝖺𝗍 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗍 to most of the male population at her school. 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝖾𝗅𝗅 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐𝗇 around school, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗌𝗇𝗍 𝖺𝗌 𝗂𝗇𝗏𝖾𝗌𝗍ed with drama like most high schoolers are; which is a rarity in such a small town. Due to her father's success, Juliette is given anything and everything-- even if she didn't ask for it.
𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗟𝗔𝗪𝗦𝗢𝗡 is a ghost. He wears the same 3 hoodies to school, and almost never makes eye contact with anyone, let alone holds a conversation with someone other than his best friend for more than 2 minutes. With his disheveled looks and brooding personality, he remains a mystery to nearly the whole town.
𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 Juliette fails her last history class and needs the credit to graduate, her only option is to get a school-appointed tutor; Christian Lawson.
expected finish date: early/mid 2026 (bare with me but i will try :)
i plan to edit after initial post!