chapter 17

Diana's pov

I was lying on my bed last night, scrolling through my phone, trying to distract myself from everything that had been going on. Abby. The weird tension between us. Ms. Collins constantly inserting herself into my life. I was exhausted.

I was just about to put my phone down when a notification popped up.

Minji Collins followed you.

I blinked.

Minji?

I frowned, sitting up. Who the hell was Minji?

I clicked on the profile.

And my jaw dropped.

Ms. Collins.

I stared at her profile picture. It was professional—nothing out of the ordinary—but still, seeing her real name felt so weird.

Minji Collins.

I had never even considered that she had a first name. She had always just been Ms. Collins, my chemistry teacher, the strict, kind-of-weird one who had been there for me lately.The one who definitely had some strange obsession with me.

And now she had followed me?

I clicked on her profile, scrolling through her posts. Most of them were harmless—science memes, aesthetic coffee pictures, some photos of city skylines. But there were also a few selfies.

She actually looked… different.

More relaxed. Less like the cold, strict teacher she pretended to be in class.

I stared at the screen, my mind racing. Why had she followed me? Was it a mistake? Or was this another weird thing to add to the list of strange things she did?

I had half a mind to text my friends, but I hesitated.

Instead, I just locked my phone and laid back down.

I’d deal with it in the morning.

No, actually, I'll take my phone back.

I stared at my phone screen for a while, debating if I should even say anything. Maybe it was just a mistake. Maybe Ms. Coll—Minji—would unfollow me in the morning, and this whole thing would just be another weird moment to add to the growing list.

But then again… this was really weird.

I sighed and opened my group chat with Nora, Chloe, and Abby.

Me: Okay, so guess who just followed me on Instagram.

A few seconds passed before my screen lit up with replies.

Nora: Uhhh, some celebrity?

Chloe: Your long-lost twin?

Nora: Wait, is it Ms. Collins? IMAGINE

I hesitated. How did she guess that so fast?

Me: …Yeah.

Nora: LMAOOOO

Chloe: NO WAY.

Nora: Okay, no, because why is your chemistry teacher literally your biggest fan?

Chloe: That’s actually insane. There’s no way she did that on purpose, right?

I was about to reply when Abby’s name popped up.

Abby: …What the hell?

I froze for a second. Abby had been weird with me lately, but she still answered.

Me: I KNOW. Her name is MINJI.

Abby: Are you sure it wasn’t an accident?

Nora: Or maybe she just wanted you to see her name. MINJI COLLINS. Oooo, fancy.

Chloe: This is the most insane teacher-student situation I’ve ever seen, and I watch TV dramas.

Me: Okay, but what do I do?

Abby: Block her.

I stared at the message for a moment. Abby was so quick with that answer.

Nora: Nooo, don’t block her, let’s see how weird this gets.

Chloe: I kind of agree. This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of creepy.

Abby: Diana, I’m serious.

I bit my lip, my fingers hovering over my screen.

Me: I’ll just leave it for now. Maybe she’ll unfollow me in the morning.

Nora: Or maybe she’s watching you from her car outside your place right now.

Chloe: STOP.

Me: No, because that’s actually possible and that’s the worst part.

Abby: This is not funny.

I sighed. Abby was clearly not amused. I could already imagine the look on her face—arms crossed, annoyed but also concerned.

Me: Okay, okay, let’s not freak out. It’s just an Instagram follow. I’ll see what happens tomorrow.

Nora: Famous last words.

I rolled my eyes and locked my phone.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

The morning light slipped through my curtains as I groggily reached for my phone. The second I unlocked it, my screen lit up with tons of notifications.

83 new messages.

From one chat.

I sighed. They definitely kept talking about it while I was asleep.

Opening the group chat, I scrolled up to see where I left off.

Nora: Okay but imagine she posts a thirst trap and tags Diana. LMFAO

Chloe: STOP. I’M WHEEZING.

Nora: Like “studying chemistry with me hits different ;)”

Chloe: NOOOO PLEASE.

Nora: She definitely did that on purpose. No way she "accidentally" followed Diana.

Chloe: 100%. She probably panicked and unfollowed her after realizing it was too obvious.

Nora: Imagine her sitting there like “oh no. too much. too much.”

Chloe: DYING

Abby: This isn’t funny.

—

I frowned. Abby wasn’t playing along.

I kept scrolling.

Abby: This is actually weird. Like, really weird. You guys are joking, but what if this gets worse?

Nora: Okay but what’s she actually gonna do? Give Diana an A+ for being hot? Diana is lucky, she never needs to study again!

Chloe: Be careful, Abby might fight her for that.

Abby: Shut up.

Nora: You’re actually mad, huh?

Abby: That’s not the point.

Nora: Then what is?

I sat up in bed. Abby hadn’t answered after that.

I quickly typed a message.

Me: GOOD MORNING. WHY DID YOU ALL HAVE A FULL FBI INVESTIGATION WHILE I WAS ASLEEP?

Nora: Oh, look who’s awake. Ms. Collins’ favorite.

Chloe: Diana, we were just preparing you for the chaos that is your life.

Me: Did she unfollow me?

Nora: Yep. Gone.

Chloe: She panicked FOR SURE.

Nora: Girl got too bold and realized her mistake.

I sighed and checked for myself. Sure enough, Minji Collins was no longer in my followers list.

She really did panic.

I had no idea what to think anymore.

The morning air was crisp, but my mind was still clouded with everything that had happened. Ms. Collins following me. Then unfollowing me. My friends blowing up the group chat while I was asleep. And, of course, Abby.

We had been off ever since our fight. Things weren’t the same, even if we were trying to act normal. The warmth, the effortless connection—it felt a little distant now. And I hated it.

As I walked toward the school gates, I barely had time to take a breath before—

“DIANA!”

I looked up just in time to see Chloe and Nora speed-walking toward me, looking way too eager.

“You have a LOT to explain.” Chloe’s eyes were practically glowing with chaos.

“Yeah, why were you silent last night? We had theories. Many theories.” Nora crossed her arms, her smirk way too satisfied.

Before I could even react, Abby appeared next to them. Unlike them, she wasn’t grinning or teasing—she was just watching me. Not cold, not angry, just... quiet.

It was weird.

“You didn’t answer me,” Abby finally said, her voice softer than expected.

I blinked, realizing I never replied after they all freaked out in the group chat. I had planned to, but then I got caught up in my thoughts—and maybe, just maybe, I didn’t know what to say.

“I was still processing,” I admitted. “And then I just… fell asleep.”

Chloe scoffed. “Unbelievable. You dropped a bomb on us and then went to SLEEP?”

“I didn’t drop a bomb,” I defended. “She followed me! That’s not my fault.”

“And then UNFOLLOWED you,” Nora added. “Which means she realized she screwed up. But what we don’t know is—why? What was her goal? What’s her game plan?”

“She’s not playing a game,” I sighed, already so done with their conspiracy theories.

Chloe gave me the biggest “girl, be so for real” look ever.

“Diana.” She put a hand on my shoulder, like she was about to say something deep. “Our teacher has been weird about you since day one. And now this? We’re not making this up.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but then—

Abby sighed. Loudly.

I turned to her, and she just shook her head, exhaling like she was already over this conversation.

“Can we just go inside?” she muttered, adjusting her backpack.

That stung a little.

She wasn’t teasing me like the others. She wasn’t laughing about it. She was just... done.

And I hated that even more.

Nora nudged my arm. “This isn’t over, by the way.”

Chloe smirked. “Not even close.”

And just like that, we headed toward the school doors—Abby walking beside me, but not touching me. And I tried not to think about how much I missed it.

I asked Minji about the following thing before chemistry class, she just said she did it by accident but I knew she didn't, I let it go anyway.

After lunch, as we were leaving the cafeteria, I felt a light tug on my wrist.

"Hey, can we talk?" Abby's voice was quiet, but firm.

I turned to her, and for the first time in a while, I really looked at her. She looked… tired. Like this had been weighing on her just as much as it had on me.

Chloe and Nora were ahead of us, already deep in conversation, but when they noticed Abby pulling me aside, they gave each other a quick glance. Chloe raised an eyebrow, and Nora smirked like she already knew what was about to happen.

"Go," Chloe mouthed, waving me off.

I hesitated for a second before sighing. "Yeah. Let's talk."

Abby led me down the quieter hallways, away from the noise and people. We ended up near the back staircase, where barely anyone passed by during this time of day.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Abby leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "So… are we okay?"

I let out a small breath, suddenly feeling way too aware of how close we were. "I don’t know, Abby. Are we?"

She frowned. "That’s why I’m asking you."

I pressed my lips together, looking away. I hated this tension between us. Hated how easy things used to be before that stupid fight.

"You really hurt me," I admitted. "You know that, right?"

Abby inhaled sharply, nodding. "Yeah. I know. And I’m sorry." She paused, then pushed off the wall to face me fully. "I don’t want us to keep fighting, Diana. I don’t want to lose this—lose you—over something so stupid. Ms. Co—Minji. She can't be the reason why we break up."

I swallowed, my heart tightening a little at her words.

"Then why did you say those things?" I asked, softer now.

Abby exhaled, rubbing a hand down her face. "Because I was mad. Because I was frustrated. And I took it out on you. That wasn’t fair. I was being a dumbass."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you were."

She huffed a small laugh. "Wow. Thanks."

A tiny smile tugged at my lips before I looked down at my hands. "I just… I don’t want to fight with you either, Abby. But I also don’t want to feel like this again."

She reached out, hesitating for just a second before taking my hands in hers. "I don’t either. I’ll do better, I swear. Just… can we stop being weird? I miss you."

I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling my resolve slowly crumble.

Finally, I sighed. "I miss you too."

Her whole face softened, and without thinking, she pulled me into a hug. A real, warm, tight Abby hug.

And just like that, things felt a little lighter.

✂✂✂✂✂✂

The next week felt… different. In a good way.

After our talk, things between me and Abby fell back into place like they were always meant to. The tension was gone, and instead, it was like we were making up for lost time.

Abby started coming over a lot.

It started with one sleepover, then another, and before I knew it, it was becoming a regular thing. She’d show up after school, we’d do homework (or, more realistically, pretend to do homework), watch movies, talk about everything and nothing, and eventually just fall asleep together—me in her arms or her in mine.

And then, of course, there was my dad.

The first time Abby met him properly, she was way too chill about it.

We were in the living room, sprawled out on the couch watching some random movie, when my dad walked in, holding a cup of coffee.

He raised an eyebrow at the sight of Abby practically on top of me, our legs tangled together.

“I see we have a guest,” my dad said, taking a sip of his coffee.

I sat up a little too fast, pushing Abby off me. “Yeah! Dad, this is Abby.”

Abby, completely unbothered, gave him a lazy wave. “Sup.”

I swear my soul left my body.

My dad just chuckled, shaking his head. “Nice to finally meet you, Abby. You’re the one who keeps stealing my daughter’s time, huh?”

Abby smirked. “I like to think she’s the one stealing mine.”

I turned to glare at her, but my dad just laughed.

“Well, as long as you two aren’t getting into too much trouble.”

Abby leaned back against the couch, completely relaxed. “Can’t make any promises.”

My dad shot me a look, amused but also definitely onto us.

“Right. I’ll leave you to it.” He walked off, but not before giving me a knowing glance.

As soon as he was gone, I smacked Abby with a pillow. “’Sup’? Really?”

She just laughed, completely unfazed. “What? He seems cool.”

And that was that.

For the rest of the week, Abby practically lived at my place. She met my dad a few more times, and surprisingly, they got along really well. She was charming, confident, and just reckless enough that my dad found her entertaining.

And when we were alone?

We were just… us.

Late-night talks. Forehead kisses. Falling asleep wrapped around each other like we couldn’t stand being apart.

If this was what us felt like, I never wanted it to change.

Despite everything that had happened, somehow, I ended up back in Ms. Collins’ classroom after school.

It had been a month since we used to do this—since I used to stay behind, help her grade papers, organize the lab, and just… talk. Then she started acting weird, avoiding me completely. I told myself that was for the best.

But now? Everything felt normal again.

She didn’t even ask this time. She just looked at me as class ended and said, “Diana, you’re staying.”

And I did.

At first, it felt strange, sitting there with her again, passing her graded papers while she muttered sarcastic comments under her breath about students who clearly didn’t study. But slowly, that weirdness faded. It was like nothing had changed—like we had just picked up right where we left off.

And I liked it.

I liked how easy it was to talk to her. How she could be strict and sharp-tongued with everyone else, but with me? There was something else—something softer.

She still made those little inside jokes, still teased me in that annoyingly confident way.

“Diana, for someone so pretty, you’re terrible at organizing papers.”

I scoffed. “Lies. And for someone so old, you’re terrible at grading them.”

She gasped, hand over her chest like I had personally offended her. “Old? Diana, I am in my prime.”

I rolled my eyes, but I was smiling.

And maybe, just maybe, so was she.

But there were moments—quick, fleeting moments—when she looked at me differently.

Like when I handed her a stack of worksheets, and for a second, our hands touched. It was barely anything, just a brush of skin, but I swear she hesitated before pulling away.

Or when I sighed, stretching my arms behind my head, and she looked at me just a little too long before quickly focusing back on her papers.

Or how, when I laughed at something she said, her gaze lingered on me—like she was memorizing it.

I ignored those moments. Pushed them away.

She was my teacher.

And I had Abby.

But as I sat there, listening to Ms. Collins complain about how “these kids have the IQ of a spoon” while I laughed, I couldn’t deny it.

It felt good to be back.

It was late, and I was lying in my bed, scrolling through my phone when my group chat suddenly exploded with messages.

Nora: Sooo…

Chloe: So what?

Nora: Diana and Abby.

Chloe: Ohhh yeah. I was just about to ask.

I frowned, typing back.

Me: Ask what?

Almost immediately, my phone vibrated with three different messages at once.

Nora: If you and Abby already did it.

Chloe: Yeah, like, THE first time.

Nora: You know what we mean.

My eyes widened, and I sat up straight in bed.

Me: WHAT??

Abby: EXCUSE ME??

Because, of course, Abby was also in this group chat.

And of course, she saw everything.

Chloe: Oh, come on. We’re just curious. And we're best friends, obviously we share these things!

Nora: Yeah, you two are all over each other 24/7, so…

Chloe: Spill.

I could practically hear their smug voices through the screen.

Me: I hate you both.

Abby: SAME.

Nora: So that’s a no?

Chloe: Or a yes?

Me: I’m NOT talking about this with you guys!!

Abby: Exactly. Mind your business!!😦

Nora: Laaame.

Chloe: So defensive… That means no, huh?

Nora: OR it means yes, and they don’t wanna tell us.

I groaned, flopping back onto my pillows.

Me: I’m muting this chat.

Abby: Same, babe.

And then, Abby privately texted me right after.

Abby: Babe.

Abby: You know we’re gonna see them tomorrow, right?

Abby: They won’t shut up about this.

I sighed, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow was going to be a nightmare.

Abby: So… should we just tell them?

I stared at her text, my stomach doing a weird little flip.

Me: Tell them what?

Abby: Really? You’re gonna make me say it?

Me: Maybe.

Abby: Diana.

Me: Abby.

Abby: You’re so annoying, oh my God.

I laughed under my breath.

Me: Fine, fine. I know what you mean.

Abby: I mean, they won’t stop. And you know how they are. If we don’t say anything, they’re just gonna assume.

She wasn’t wrong. Chloe and Nora were nosy as hell. They were probably already creating their own theories.

Me: Do you wanna tell them?

Abby: I don’t care. Do you?

I hesitated, biting my lip. It wasn’t like I wanted to keep it a secret, but saying it out loud made it feel… bigger. More real.

Me: Not really. But it feels weird just being like ‘oh yeah, we did it.’

Abby: LMAO yeah, that’d be awkward as hell.

Abby: What if we just mess with them?

Me: How?

Abby: Like, give vague answers. Keep them guessing.

I thought about it for a second. Tempting. But I knew them. They’d never stop asking.

Me: You realize that would just make them even worse, right?

Abby: True. They’re like wild animals.

Me: Exactly.

Me: So maybe we just tell them and get it over with.

Abby: Ugh, fine. But let’s at least wait until tomorrow morning.

Me: Yeah, let them suffer a little longer.

A second later, Abby sent a voice note, and I pressed play.

Her voice came through, soft and amused. “You’re such a menace, baby. And I love you for it.”

I smiled.

Me: Goodnight, babe.

Abby: Goodnight, pretty girl. Sweet dreams.

I put my phone down, rolling onto my side. Tomorrow morning, we’d tell them. And I already knew they were gonna lose their minds.

✂✂✂✂✂

The next morning at school, I barely had time to get to my locker before Chloe and Nora practically ambushed me.

Chloe had her arms crossed, a smug look on her face. "So? You two gonna talk, or do we have to get the truth out of you by force?"

Nora leaned in dramatically. "I say we tickle her until she confesses."

I rolled my eyes, already exhausted. "Good morning to you too."

Before I could even try to escape, Abby showed up right behind me, sliding her arms around my waist and resting her chin on my shoulder. "Morning, babe," she murmured, grinning against my ear.

Nora gasped and smacked Chloe’s arm. "LOOK at them. LOOK AT THEM!"

Chloe clapped her hands together. "No more stalling. You owe us answers."

I glanced at Abby, who was clearly enjoying this way too much. With an exaggerated sigh, I finally said, "Fine. You win."

Abby smirked. "Yes. We did it."

For a second, there was silence.

Then—absolute chaos.

Nora screamed. Chloe grabbed my arm like I had just told her we won the lottery. "OH MY GOD. FINALLY."

Nora, still freaking out, literally had to sit down on the hallway floor. "This is the best day of my life. The BEST day!"

Chloe was already firing questions. "Okay, but when? Where? How? Did it just happen, or did you plan it?"

"Relax," I laughed. "It was…it just happened naturally."

"Wait, wait, wait," Nora said, holding up a hand. "You have to tell us something. A little detail. Anything."

I exchanged a look with Abby, who raised an eyebrow like, should we?

Finally, I gave in. "Okay, okay. We were at my place. Candles, music—very romantic."

Nora clasped her hands over her mouth. "STOP."

Chloe, looking way too invested, leaned closer. "And??"

Abby chuckled. "And let’s just say…Diana’s even cuter when she’s nervous."

I elbowed her immediately. "Abby!"

"What? It’s true," she said, grinning.

Chloe was shaking me now. "I KNEW you’d be the nervous one!"

Nora groaned dramatically. "I hate you both. You’re giving us crumbs!"

Abby just shrugged. "That’s all you’re getting."

Chloe groaned. "Ugh. Fine. But just know—this is far from over."

Nora nodded, determined. "We will get more details. One way or another."

I shook my head, laughing as Abby pulled me along to class. This was definitely going to be a long day.

Chemistry class actually felt…normal.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Ms. Collins—Minji—wasn’t avoiding me, trying to tell me Abby isn't the one for me. She wasn’t acting weird, wasn’t forcing space between me and Abby, wasn’t sneaking glances when she thought I wasn’t looking. Everything felt like it had finally settled.

I walked in with Abby, her fingers lazily intertwined with mine until we had to separate to sit at our assigned seats, even the seats were changed. Nora was beside me, Chloe behind us, and Abby right behind me.

Ms. Collins stood at the front of the classroom, dressed in her usual polished style—black shoes, fitted black jeans with a belt, and a crisp white blouse with her signature tie. The outfit really shouldn’t have looked as good as it did, but it was her so, of course, it did.

“Alright, class, settle down,” she said, clapping her hands lightly. Her voice was smooth, professional, but not as cold as it had been before.

For the first time in weeks, she actually looked at me when I sat down. Not in the way she used to—watching me like a hunter closing in on its prey—but like… a teacher acknowledging a special student. Something small and unspoken passed between us, something that made me feel lighter.

I nodded slightly, just enough for her to notice. She hesitated before nodding back.

A silent truce.

The lesson started, and for the first time in a while, I actually paid attention. Ms. Collins seemed more at ease, actually enjoying teaching again, rather than scheming or playing mind games.

When she walked over to my table to check on our experiment, I tensed out of habit, but she only leaned down slightly, pointing at the reaction happening in the beaker.

“You did this part right,” she said, tapping the equation I had written down. “But the measurement here—” she pointed to the ratio of reactants, “—needs adjusting, or else the reaction won’t be stable.”

I blinked. That was it? No cryptic comments? No unnecessary touches or long stares?

I quickly fixed the mistake. “Got it. Thanks.”

For the first time in weeks, she smiled at me without it feeling like there was something behind it. Just a regular, easy smile. “Good work, Diana.”

I didn’t even realize I was smiling back until she walked off.

Nora nudged me. “Okay, that was…kinda normal?”

“I know,” I muttered, still processing it.

Behind me, I could feel Abby watching, but when I turned around, she just gave me a small smile. She wasn’t tense, wasn’t annoyed. Just…content.

By the time class ended, I felt lighter. Ms. Collins was still Ms. Collins, but something had changed. She wasn’t pushing boundaries anymore. She wasn’t trying to interfere.

As I left with my friends, Abby slid her fingers between mine, squeezing my hand.

“You good?” she asked softly.

I nodded. For the first time in a long time, I actually was.

I was too wrong when I said that Ms.Collins was finally starting to act normal.

As soon as we stepped out of chemistry class, Nora and Chloe were on us.

Abby barely had time to wrap an arm around my waist before Chloe yanked me away, pulling me into her and Nora’s little trap. Abby, who had been holding my hand, got dragged along too, nearly tripping as they cornered us in the hallway.

"Alright, spill," Nora demanded, crossing her arms with a smug grin.

"We already told you!" I groaned, but I knew it was useless.

"You told us barely anything," Chloe shot back, eyes gleaming with mischief. "We got ‘there were candles, it was romantic, and it was amazing.’ That’s not details, Diana."

I huffed, glancing at Abby for help, but my girlfriend just smirked and shrugged. Betrayal.

"You guys don’t need more details," I said, my face already warming up.

"Oh, but we do," Nora grinned. "Come on, Diana. We’re your best friends. We suffered through your whole slow-burn ‘are we or aren’t we’ thing with Abby. The least you can do is let us live vicariously through you."

Abby chuckled beside me, clearly entertained. "They have a point," she teased.

"You are not helping," I muttered at her, but she just kissed the side of my head like she wasn’t currently making my life harder.

Chloe sighed dramatically. "Just give us something. Who made the first move? Was it all soft and slow, or was it, like, hot?"

I knew there was no way out of this. I sighed, running a hand through my hair before finally answering.

"It was both," I admitted, voice lower. "It started slow, just… soft. Kissing, touching, taking our time."

Nora and Chloe immediately leaned in, eyes wide.

"And then?" Chloe prompted eagerly.

I hesitated before saying, "...And then it wasn’t slow anymore."

Nora squealed and smacked Chloe’s arm. "I knew it! Oh my God!"

Chloe was already laughing. "I can’t believe you actually did it with candles and everything. That’s so disgustingly romantic. I love it."

I covered my face with my hands. "Why do I even talk to you guys?"

"Because we love you," Nora grinned. "And because we’re obsessed with your love life."

Abby, clearly enjoying my embarrassment, added, "You should’ve seen her after. She was so soft and sleepy—"

"ABBY."

Nora and Chloe lost it.

"Diana being the soft one?" Chloe wheezed. "I was expecting Abby to be the mess, but no, it was you."

I groaned, shoving my face into Abby’s shoulder as she just laughed and kissed my temple. "You guys are the worst."

"Correction: We’re the best," Nora said, still giggling. "And we are far from done asking questions."

I just sighed, knowing there was no escaping this interrogation anytime soon.

I groaned, still hiding my face in Abby’s shoulder as Nora and Chloe grinned like they were about to ruin my life.

"Okay, okay," Chloe started, holding up a finger like she was about to say something groundbreaking. "Who took off whose shirt first?"

Abby chuckled, clearly having way too much fun with this. "Oh, that was definitely—"

I slapped a hand over her mouth before she could say anything. "NOPE. Not answering that."

Nora gasped. "So there was shirt removal involved?"

"I—" I groaned. "Obviously, but I’m not giving you play-by-play commentary."

"Oh, but we want play-by-play," Chloe smirked. "Did you, like, hesitate? Or did you just go for it?"

Abby nudged me playfully. "She went for it."

"ABBY!" I whined, dying inside.

Nora and Chloe screamed.

"Oh my God," Nora gasped between laughs. "Diana, bold. I respect it."

I crossed my arms, glaring at my so-called girlfriend. "You’re supposed to be on my side."

Abby just kissed my cheek. "Nah, this is too fun."

Chloe wiggled her eyebrows. "Okay, serious question. Was it, like, slow and teasing, or were you guys just all over each other?"

I hesitated for half a second. Mistake.

"Oh my God," Nora grinned. "You guys were all over each other, weren’t you?"

I didn’t say anything.

That was enough of an answer.

Chloe and Nora lost their minds.

"YESSS," Chloe cackled. "I knew it! So all that ‘it was soft and slow’ stuff was only the beginning huh?"

Abby smirked. "You should’ve seen her."

I turned to glare at her. "Abby, I swear—"

Abby just shrugged, looking way too smug. "She was desperate. Clinging to me like—"

"STOP!" I covered her mouth again, my face burning.

Chloe and Nora were dying.

"This is the best day of my life," Nora wheezed.

I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "I hate you guys."

"You love us," Chloe corrected.

"Not right now, I don’t."

"Last question," Nora smirked. "Who was louder?"

Abby and I froze.

Then, Abby smirked. "Diana, obviously. She's the one who—"

"NOPE" I interrupt, no way she's finishing that sentence.

"Okay, next question…” She dragged it out, eyes glinting. “What did you guys use?”

I almost choked.

Abby, the absolute menace, just smirked and leaned back, completely unbothered.

Nora raised an eyebrow. "You know. Like... did you use anything?"

My face instantly heated up. “Oh my God.”

Chloe grinned wider. “So you did.”

I glared at Abby, who just sipped her drink like she wasn’t actively betraying me. “Why are you so calm right now?”

“Because I think it’s funny,” she said simply, nudging me with her knee.

Nora gasped, leaning forward. “Okay, wait. Was it yours or hers?”

I groaned loudly, dropping my head onto Abby’s shoulder. “I hate you all.”

Chloe cackled. “So it happened!”

“I am NOT talking about this,” I mumbled into Abby’s hoodie.

“Oh, but you kinda already are,” Nora said, giggling.

Chloe waved her hands dramatically. “So, was it like, the good kind? Like—”

I slapped my hand over her mouth. “Do not finish that sentence.”

Abby just chuckled, completely relaxed, while I was on the verge of combusting.

Chloe pulled my hand away, grinning. “Diana, come on. Was it adjustable?”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “STOP.”

Nora nudged me. “Ooooh, does that mean Abby was—”

“I am NOT answering that!” I practically yelled.

Abby laughed, pulling me closer. “Relax, babe. They’re just curious.”

“Yeah, and I’m not satisfying their curiosity,” I muttered.

Chloe smirked. "But you satisfied something, huh?"

I grabbed a napkin and threw it at her face. “I swear to God.”

Chloe and Nora screamed in laughter.

“Abby was definitely top" Nora wheezed.

Chloe nodded enthusiastically. “So… was it worth it?”

I just glared at her.

Abby smirked, kissing my cheek. "She liked it."

I shoved her. “ABBY.”

Nora and Chloe lost their minds.

Officially.

Nora and Chloe were dying of laughter, practically wheezing at this point. Meanwhile, I was on fire, my face so red it probably matched the ketchup bottle on the table.

Abby, completely unfazed, just smirked down at me. Her arm was still draped around my shoulders, and she squeezed me slightly, making me glare up at her.

“Stop enjoying this,” I muttered, elbowing her side.

She just chuckled, deep and smug. “Can’t help it, babe.”

Chloe, still grinning like a gremlin, leaned in. “Okay, okay, serious question.”

“I highly doubt that,” I shot back.

She ignored me. “Did Abby, you know…” She trailed off, raising her eyebrows. “Take control?”

Abby huffed a quiet laugh, tilting her head at me. “You gonna tell them, princess?”

I wanted to disappear. “I hate all of you.”

“Ohhh, she so did,” Nora gasped, clapping her hands together.

Chloe cackled. “DUH. I mean, look at her! Abby just screams top energy.”

Abby just grinned, flexing her arm slightly, making my entire soul leave my body.

I covered my face with my hands. “Can we PLEASE talk about something else?”

Chloe ignored me again. “So, Diana, did you—”

I slammed my hand over her mouth. “Nope! That’s enough questioning for today.”

Nora giggled, prying my hand away. “Diana, come on! We’re just curious. Was it, like… intense?”

Abby smirked down at me. “Tell ‘em, babe.”

I gaped at her. “You are literally the WORST.”

Chloe leaned in. “Soooo, was she, like, really—”

I slapped my hands over my ears. “NOPE. We’re done. I’m done. Conversation’s OVER.”

Nora and Chloe groaned dramatically, but Abby just chuckled, pulling me closer.

“Fine, fine,” Chloe sighed. But then she smirked. “But just know… we’re not done with this conversation.”

I glared at her. “Yes. We are.”

Nora nudged Abby. “So, like, how many rounds did you—”

I grabbed my drink and threatened to pour it on her.

After the final bell rang, the hallways flooded with students, all eager to rush out of school and head home. I stood by Abby’s locker, my hands lightly resting on her waist as she leaned down, pressing a slow kiss to my lips.

“See you later, babe,” she murmured, her voice low and warm.

I smiled up at her, squeezing her waist before stepping back. “Yeah, see you.”

She gave me one last smirk before heading off, leaving me standing there with a slightly dazed expression.

“You’re so whipped,” Nora teased, appearing beside me.

Chloe chuckled. “She really is. It’s kinda adorable.”

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”

Nora grinned. “So, what’s the plan? Heading home?”

I shook my head. “Nah, I need to stop by Ms. Coll—” I caught myself. “I mean, Minji’s classroom.”

Chloe wiggled her eyebrows. “Ohhh, back to hanging out with your favorite teacher, huh?”

I gave her a look. “She’s not my favorite.”

“Uh-huh.”

Nora nudged me. “Well, have fun. Try not to get too distracted.”

I rolled my eyes again as they walked off, still giggling. Taking a deep breath, I turned and made my way toward Minji’s classroom.

It felt weird to be back there again, after weeks of her avoiding me, then not leaving me alone and everything feeling off. But now… everything seemed normal again. And honestly?

I kinda missed it.

I stepped into Minji’s classroom, the familiar scent of coffee and dry-erase markers filling the air. She was sitting at her desk, glasses perched on her nose as she graded papers. When she looked up and saw me, she hesitated for a second before offering a small smirk.

“Well, well,” she said, setting her pen down. “Look who’s back.”

I rolled my eyes playfully. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t act like you didn’t miss me.”

She chuckled, leaning back in her chair. “I actually didn’t. It was so peaceful without you around.”

I gasped, putting a hand on my chest. “Wow. Rude.”

Minji just grinned, gesturing for me to sit. I hopped onto one of the desks instead, swinging my legs a little as she turned toward me, her arms resting on the chair’s armrests.

“So, what brings you back, Diana?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. “Miss having a teacher to bother?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. Just… felt like we never actually talked. I mean, we spent so much time together before, but I barely know anything about you.”

She arched an eyebrow, intrigued. “You want to get to know me?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Like, where are you from?”

Minji let out a breath, seeming to consider it. “South Korea. Born and raised. Moved to the U.S. in my early twenties.”

My eyebrows lifted. “That’s cool. What made you come here?”

She hesitated for a second before smirking. “Would you believe me if I said it was for love?”

My eyes widened. “No way.”

She laughed softly. “Yeah. I was young, in love, thought it would last forever. Moved across the world for them.”

“What happened?”

Minji gave a small, knowing smile. “Life happened. People change.”

I frowned a little. “That sucks.”

She shrugged. “It is what it is. But hey, I ended up here. Found a job I actually enjoy. So, I can’t complain too much.”

I leaned forward slightly. “So, why chemistry?”

Minji huffed a laugh. “Honestly? I was just good at it. And teaching seemed… stable.” She gave me a pointed look. “Didn’t expect to be dealing with certain students making my life harder, though.”

I grinned. “Oh, come on. You love having me around.”

She just shook her head, smiling. “You’re definitely something.”

For a while, we just… talked. About random things. I learned she used to have a cat, loved old horror movies, and had an embarrassing obsession with crossword puzzles. In return, I told her about growing up in California, about moving to New York with my dad and Chloe, and about how different things felt here.

Somehow, it felt easy. Like we weren’t student and teacher for a second—just two people having a conversation.

But then, Minji glanced at the clock and let out a sigh. “You should probably get going soon. It’s getting late.”

I nodded, hopping off the desk. “Yeah, you’re right.”

She stood up too, stretching slightly before looking at me. “This was… nice.”

I smirked. “Told you you’d miss me.”

Minji rolled her eyes but smiled. “Yeah, yeah. Get out of here, troublemaker.”

I grinned, giving a mock salute before heading for the door.

As I stepped out, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something between us.

And for some reason…

I didn’t mind.

As I stepped out of the classroom, my bag slung over my shoulder, I barely made it a few steps down the hall before I heard quick footsteps behind me.

"Diana, wait!"

I turned just as Minji came up to me, slightly out of breath. It was rare to see her in a rush—she was always so composed, so controlled—but here she was, hurrying after me like something was urgent.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

She hesitated for just a second, adjusting the cuffs of her white blouse before casually slipping her hands into her pockets. "It's late. You shouldn’t be walking home alone. Let me drive you."

I blinked. "Oh. I mean, I usually walk, or sometimes Abby—"

Minji's expression barely changed, but there was a subtle shift, like she did not like that answer. "Your place is far. It’s safer if I take you," she said smoothly, tilting her head slightly. "I don’t mind."

I studied her for a second. The way her tie was just a little loose now, her belt perfectly cinched around her waist, her dark eyes steady on mine.

“…Alright," I said, shrugging. "Why not?"

Minji’s lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. "Good choice."

She gestured for me to follow her, and as we walked through the quiet halls toward the parking lot, I couldn’t help but wonder…

Why did she seem so eager to make sure I got home tonight? How did she even know my address?

Minji’s car was insane. Sleek, black, and obviously expensive—probably worth more than most people’s houses. The moment I sat down, I felt the difference. The leather was buttery soft, the air inside smelled like expensive cologne and something uniquely her. The dashboard glowed with high-tech screens, and the car itself barely made a sound as she started it.

I ran a hand along the door panel, my fingers brushing over smooth carbon fiber. "I knew you were rich, but damn," I muttered.

Minji chuckled, shifting effortlessly into drive. The car purred forward, moving so smoothly it felt unreal. "I told you, I make smart investments."

"Right, ‘investments,’" I mused, watching the city lights blur past. "You sure you’re not in the mafia or something?"

She smirked, glancing at me. "If I was, do you think I’d tell you?"

Fair point.

The ride was quiet for a bit—not awkward, just comfortable. The hum of the engine filled the space, and I let myself relax against the seat. It had been a long day, and honestly, sitting in this ridiculously luxurious car with Minji driving like she owned the road? It was kind of nice.

Then, she spoke. "You seemed a little off today."

I turned to look at her. Her hands were relaxed on the wheel, but there was something in her voice—something careful.

"Just… life," I said vaguely. "School. Relationships. You know how it is."

Minji’s grip on the wheel tightened ever so slightly. "I do."

There was something about the way she said it—like she wasn’t just talking about me.

"You can talk to me," she added, voice softer now. "If you need to."

I let out a slow breath, staring out the window. "Yeah. I know."

The rest of the drive was silent, but it didn’t feel like silence. It felt like something unspoken hung in the air, something neither of us wanted to say.

When we finally pulled up to my place, Minji’s expression shifted slightly, like she was impressed. My house was massive—modern, sleek, glass walls and sharp edges. The kind of place that screamed money.

She parked in the long driveway, her eyes flicking up toward the towering windows. "Nice place," she commented, smirking slightly.

I smirked back. "Thanks."

She huffed a laugh, but there was something else in her gaze—something sharp and unreadable.

For a second, she just sat there, fingers drumming lightly against the wheel. Then she finally unlocked the doors.

"Get inside safe, Diana."

I paused, glancing at her one last time. "See you tomorrow, Ms. Collins. Thanks for the ride"

Her lips curled slightly at that, but she didn’t say anything.

I stepped out, feeling the weight of her gaze on me as I walked up to my house. Even when I shut the door behind me, I swore I could still feel it.