chapter 14

Diana's pov

The next few weeks were... weird.

At first, I thought I was imagining it. Ms. Collins had been avoiding me so obviously for a while, but suddenly, that changed. Not in a big, noticeable way, but in small moments-just enough to throw me off.

She would catch my eye across the classroom, hold my gaze for a second too long before looking away. When she walked past me, she'd say my name in this soft, amused way, like she was in on some secret I wasn't. And every so often, she'd throw in a compliment-never anything too obvious, just little things like "You always catch on so fast, Diana" or "I can always count on you to get it right."

It made no sense. If she was avoiding me, why was she suddenly acting like... this?

Abby noticed, of course. She noticed everything.

"You see that, right?" she muttered one afternoon after chemistry, her arm slung around my waist as we walked out of the classroom together.

"See what?" I played dumb.

Abby gave me a look. "Ms. Collins."

"What about her?"

Abby narrowed her eyes, then leaned down, lowering her voice. "She's staring at you again."

I knew she was. I'd felt it. But I shrugged. "She's just being normal."

Abby scoffed. "Diana, she is not normal. She was ignoring you for weeks, and now she's, what-giving you puppy-dog eyes in class?"

I sighed, tugging Abby closer. "I don't know what her deal is. But I don't care. I have you, remember?"

That made Abby relax, at least a little. She kissed the top of my head and grinned. "Damn right you do."

But that wasn't the only weird thing happening.

The second thing? I kept hearing things about Abby and me. Whispers in the hallways, little offhand comments like, "They probably won't last" or "Diana used to be close with Ms. Collins, remember?"

At first, I brushed it off. High school rumors were nothing new. But then it kept happening. It wasn't just from random people, either-Nora and Chloe started mentioning it, too.

"Have you guys been arguing or something?" Chloe asked one day at lunch.

I frowned. "No. Why?"

Chloe hesitated, then shrugged. "I don't know. I just heard someone say you and Abby aren't gonna last. Which is stupid, obviously, but, like... why are people even talking about it?"

I had no answer.

And the third weird thing?

I started thinking about Ms. Collins way too much.

Not in a romantic way, obviously-I had Abby, and I was happy. But something about the way she was acting now, the way she kept teasing me in these subtle, effortless ways, was starting to get under my skin.

And it wasn't just in class. She'd pop up in the hallways sometimes, always just happening to be there when I was. And when our eyes met, she'd smirk, like she knew something I didn't.

It made no sense. It made me frustrated.

And worst of all? It made me curious.

It started subtly, like everything else with Ms. Collins lately. At first, it was just little remarks during class-things that could easily be brushed off as nothing.

One day, as she walked by my desk, she muttered, "Distractions can make chemistry so much harder, Diana. Hope you're keeping your focus."

I blinked up at her, confused. "I am."

She just smiled, tilting her head. "Good."

I told myself she wasn't talking about Abby. But then it kept happening.

Another time, when she was explaining something to the class, she glanced at me and said, "Some things seem like they'll last forever, but chemistry teaches us that reactions always change over time."

Nora elbowed me in the ribs, whispering, "Was that about Abby?"

I shook my head, but a weird feeling sat in my stomach.

And then, after class one day, she finally said it outright.

I was packing up my things when she stopped beside my desk, speaking low enough that only I could hear.

"You know," she mused, "high school relationships don't usually last."

I tensed. My heart started pounding, but I forced my face to stay neutral. "That's not true for everyone."

"Of course not," she said smoothly. "But... I just hope you're prepared. These things tend to fall apart when you least expect it."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "And why do you care?"

She sighed, tilting her head in that way that made it seem like she was looking through me. "Because I care about you, Diana. I know what it's like to get wrapped up in something and think it's forever."

I exhaled sharply, grabbing my bag. "You don't know anything about me and Abby."

Ms. Collins just smiled, stepping aside to let me pass. And as I walked out, she called after me-soft, almost too gentle.

"I'm always here for you if you need someone to talk to."

I didn't turn around. I didn't want to.

Because, for some reason, her words stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

Then more and more started happening.

At first, it didn't seem intentional.

Ms. Collins had always been involved in class, walking around, checking on students, but now... it was different. It started with small things-little moments that, on their own, wouldn't mean much.

Like how she'd always call on me specifically, even when I wasn't raising my hand. And when she did, she'd make sure to keep me engaged in conversation just long enough that Abby couldn't whisper something to me or grab my hand under the desk like she always did.

Then there were the seating "adjustments."

One day, she walked in, holding a stack of papers, and casually announced, "I've decided to rearrange the seating chart."

I felt Abby tense next to me. "Seriously?" she muttered under her breath.

Ms. Collins smiled, her eyes flicking toward us for just a second too long. "Yes, seriously."

When she started reading out names, I already knew what was coming.

"Nora, you'll be here. Chloe, move to this side. Diana... you'll be over here."

She pointed to a seat in the front row-far away from Abby.

I turned in my chair, giving her a look. "Really?"

Ms. Collins just gave me that same infuriatingly soft smile. "I think it'll help you focus more."

Abby was scowling. "She was focused."

Ms. Collins ignored her. "Come on, Diana."

I moved. What else could I do? And when I sat down, I felt her eyes on me for just a second before she went back to calling names.

The hallways were no better.

Whenever Abby and I walked together-her arm around my waist, my fingers laced with hers-somehow, some way, Ms. Collins would always just happen to be there.

Sometimes, she'd call me over for a "quick question" about class, even though we both knew I was doing fine. Other times, she'd just walk past, giving me this little smirk, like she was daring me to acknowledge what she was doing.

Abby noticed. Of course she noticed.

One afternoon, after yet another "random" moment where Ms. Collins pulled me aside just as Abby was about to kiss me goodbye, Abby groaned, crossing her arms. "She's so obvious."

I sighed. "She's just-"

"She's just messing with us," Abby cut in. "And you know it."

I didn't say anything, because I did know it. I just didn't know why.

One afternoon, Abby and I were in the hallway near my locker. Her arm was around my waist, and she was murmuring something about skipping last period and going to get food instead. I was laughing, leaning into her warmth-until I caught sight of Ms. Collins watching us from down the hall.

At first, she just stared. Then, she started walking toward us, eyes watching us with a warning look.

"Diana," she said smoothly, stopping right in front of us. "Abby."

Abby tensed beside me, already annoyed. "What?"

Ms. Collins folded her arms. "You two know that public displays of affection are against school policy, right?"

I frowned. "What?"

"No kissing, no holding hands in the hallway," she continued, like she was reading from some nonexistent rulebook. "It's disruptive."

Abby scoffed. "Literally everyone does it."

Ms. Collins raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't make it appropriate."

I glanced around. Just down the hall, a guy had his girlfriend pinned against the lockers, kissing her like they were in some rom-com. Another couple was holding hands, walking toward class without a care in the world.

I turned back to Ms. Collins, crossing my arms. "You don't say anything to them."

Her lips curved into the smallest, most infuriating smile. "I don't see them."

Abby's grip on my waist tightened. "Bullshit."

Ms. Collins tilted her head, like she was enjoying this. "You could take this as a learning experience. Sometimes it's better to keep things... private." Her eyes flickered between us, lingering on me for just a second too long.

Abby took a step closer, like she was ready to argue, but I grabbed her wrist. "Forget it," I muttered.

Ms. Collins' smile widened. "Smart choice."

And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving us standing there-staring.

Abby exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "She's messing with us."

"Yeah." I swallowed, watching Ms. Collins disappear around the corner. "I know."

But she kissed me.

When she finally pulled back, a little smirk tugged at her lips. "What was that rule again?" she murmured, voice teasing. "No kissing?"

I exhaled, still a little dazed. "Something like that."

"Mm." She grinned, eyes glinting. "Oops."

Our friends came to us pretty quickly.

Nora groaned. "You two love pushing it, huh?"

Chloe snorted. "It's kind of entertaining."

I glanced around. A few students were watching, whispering. A group of guys were smirking like they'd just gotten free front-row tickets to something they really shouldn't be watching. But I ignored them. I ignored everyone.

Because Abby was still looking at me like she wasn't done yet.

And sure enough, a sand later, she kissed me again.

If Ms. Collins thought she could stop Abby from kissing me, she was dead wrong.

That same day, as soon as we sat down at our usual table in the cafeteria, Abby pulled me into her lap like she owned me. Not that I minded. Her arms wrapped around my waist, holding me in place, and before I could even say anything, she tilted my chin up and kissed me-hard.

I barely had time to react before she deepened it, her lips moving against mine with that same stubborn intensity that made Abby Abby. I could hear our friends groaning around us, Nora muttering something like, "Again? Seriously?" but I didn't care. And neither did Abby.

She kissed me like we weren't in the middle of the cafeteria. Like Ms. Collins hadn't just tried to ban us from even holding hands in the hallways. Like she wanted to make a point.

And oh, she did.

Abby asked me to be her girlfriend a while ago, I said yes, obviously.

The next few days were... strange. Not because of Abby-she was the same as always, stubborn and affectionate, pulling me into kisses whenever she felt like it, no matter who was watching. But Ms. Collins? She was starting to act too obvious.

It wasn't just the way she kept watching me in class. It was the way she lingered.

Whenever she walked around the classroom, checking on students, she would always stop by my desk. Always find some excuse to lean down, her voice dropping just a little too low as she explained something I didn't even ask for.

"You understand this, right, Diana?" she'd say, her fingers tapping lightly against my desk.

And I did understand. I didn't need help. But she kept coming over anyway.

Nora noticed it first. She nudged me one day as Ms. Collins walked off after another unnecessary explanation. "She's acting weird."

"Yeah," Chloe muttered from behind me. "It's almost funny."

Abby wasn't amused. I could feel her glare burning into Ms. Collins' back. "She's being creepy."

And she was.

She wasn't even subtle outside of class, either. I'd be walking through the halls with Abby and the others, laughing about something stupid, and suddenly I'd feel it-that unmistakable sensation of someone watching.

Sure enough, I'd glance up, and there she'd be. Standing just a little too still at the end of the hallway, eyes locked only on me. The second our gazes met, she'd turn away, pretending she hadn't been staring at all.

It wasn't just once. It was all the time.

One afternoon, when Abby and I were sitting outside near the school entrance, I noticed her again. She was across the lot, standing near her car, but she wasn't leaving. She was just standing there, her arms crossed, watching me.

Watching us.

Abby noticed too. She shifted beside me, her arm tightening around my waist. "She's insane," she muttered.

I swallowed. "She's being weird."

"She's being obsessed." Abby's jaw clenched. "And I don't like it."

I didn't like it either. And I didn't understand why she was suddenly acting like this. But as the days passed, it only got worse.

And I had no idea what to do about it.

I didn't know what was happening.

At first, everything with Abby was perfect. She was the same affectionate, confident, annoyingly persistent girlfriend she always was, and I loved that about her. She held my hand in the hallways, kissed me in the cafeteria, and didn't care about the people watching.

But slowly... things started to feel off.

It wasn't Abby-she hadn't changed. But everything around us had.

Ms. Collins, for one, had been separating us in class every chance she got. It started subtly, switching our lab partners so we wouldn't be working together, calling on one of us right when we were whispering to each other. At first, it was annoying, but I thought maybe she was just being stricter.

Then came the rules.

She made a big deal about how students weren't allowed to kiss or hold hands in school, but the problem was-everyone else was. Nobody else got called out, just us. It felt targeted, like she was watching us more than anyone else.

Abby didn't care, of course. She still kissed me whenever she wanted, smirking when Ms. Collins glared. But even she was starting to get irritated. "She's got something against us," she muttered once, arms crossed as we walked to our next class.

"She's just strict," I said, but even as I said it, I wasn't sure I believed it.

Then, weirdly, rumors started.

I'd hear whispers as I walked through the halls-people wondering if Abby and I had been arguing, if we were "cooling off." It made no sense. We weren't fighting. But people thought we were.

And Ms. Collins...

She kept talking to me.

Soft, casual, like she was just looking out for me. She'd stop me after class, little comments slipping into conversation.

"Relationships at your age can be tricky," she'd say, with that careful, knowing smile. "People change. Feelings change."

I'd brush it off. Laugh. But the words lingered.

And then, worse-

She started making me question things.

"You and Abby are cute together," she told me one day, after I'd stayed behind to ask a question. "But high school relationships don't always last, you know?"

She said it so gently, like she was just being honest. Like she was trying to help.

And that's when I started realizing-

Maybe she's right.