Ellie

Tenth grade is the time when you're almost an adult, but the history test in your first period still feels like the end of the world. The morning began with a heavy sigh and a glance at your textbook. Realizing the dates of the Crusades were just too much to wrap your head around, you decided to go all in.

After a long ten-minute negotiation in the kitchen, reinforced by promises to wash all the dishes and improve my grades, Mom gave in.

"Okay," she breathed out, "one day off won't ruin you. But don't leave the house!"

As soon as the door slammed behind Mom, the apartment turned into a private paradise. Silence, hot tea, and the absence of the need to listen to lectures from Ellie—your young and ambitious history teacher. Ellie was only a few years older than the students, always stylishly dressed, and had a gaze that saw right through you.

By midday, the walls of the room were closing in. The comfort of home gave way to boredom, and a "brilliant" plan formed in your head: the Mall. You quickly threw on your favorite sweatshirt, grabbed your bag, and slipped out of the house, confident that by this time all the teachers would be safely locked within the school walls.

You hopped on the half-empty bus, looking forward to shopping and a delicious coffee. Your spirits were high—right up until the bus pulled up at the next stop.

The doors hissed open, and a girl walked in. She was wearing a light coat, holding a coffee cup in her hand, and was staring at her phone. Your heart skipped a beat.

"No, that can't be. She should be telling 10th B about the Industrial Revolution right now!" flashed through her mind.

You instinctively pressed yourself into the seat, hoping to become invisible. You began to carefully, almost millimeter by millimeter, study the stranger:

The same red hair, pulled back into a casual yet elegant bun.
The same familiar phone case with an abstract print.
The same strict, but at the same time soft profile.

There was no doubt. It was Ellie. Your history teacher. Suddenly, she looked up from the screen and began slowly turning her head in your direction.