"She's so much older than me. She's everything I'm insecure about."—Olivia Rodrigo.

••

Daylight streams into the room with bold confidence and Kelly wakes up to a throbbing pain in her tummy. It is a result of eating too many cookies and that box of milk Derrick brought for her last night.

She sits up with a grimace, groping her stomach as it growls loudly in the room. Hopping off the bed, her small feet thud against the floor as she scrambles toward the bathroom, twisting her legs together.

As soon as she reaches for the handle, the door pulls open to reveal a shirtless Nikolai ruffling his hair with a towel.

Her eyes move from his face and down to his tanned chest. It is evident that he has just taken a shower since his body is still wet, and his black shorts hang low on his waists, revealing a peek of his 'v' line.

She gulps.

"Good morning." He says casually, dragging her gaze up to his face.

"Good..."

A loud growl echoes between them, and Nikolai cocks his head as she shuts her eyes in shame. Fuck.

"Sir, could you..." She quickly squeezes past him, shoving him out by his back and slamming the door.

He stares at the closed door as Kelly drags her shorts down on the inside and practically flies onto the toilet. A monstrous fart-noise resounds in the room, and Nik's eyes widen as he turns away, awkwardly escaping the detrimental scene.

"Oh shit, are you destined to ruin my life, you piece of shit?!" She curses as she reels out the toilet paper. "Why did you have to do this right here? In the presence of my teacher?! Why? Just why?"

Another fart-sound, louder than before, thunders throughout the bathroom. She is positive the earth just shook. Quickly, she reaches over to flip on the pipe, hoping the splattering water will drown it all out.

"God...first periods and now this..." She dramatically looks up to the polished ceiling. "You keep making these weird bodily functions, and I can't understand why you would do this to me; to us."

Her stomach rumbles angrily, and she closes her eyes as she wraps her arms around it, bending up in an awkward position. "Okay, you're not weird, calm down. I was speaking to God, not you. Mind your own business."

••

Lucky for her, a bottle of air refresher is sitting near the bathtub. She hastily spritzes some in the air, then cracks the window to air the room out. The bathroom is too enclosed, and she wouldn't want Mr. Todd fainting upon his entrance. Kevin has been a victim of that ten too many times.

She flushes the toilet, washes her hands, and sloppily fixes herself in the mirror to camouflage her prior battle with a tsunami of diarrhea.

Blowing out her cheeks, she leaves the stuffy bathroom, quickly closing it behind her before the scent escapes. Mr. Todd is out in the living room area sitting on the daybed while checking what appears to be his email.

She throws on her sweater to hide his shirt, pushes her sneakers on, then grabs her belongings from the bedroom before going out to meet him.

He looks up at her light footsteps, and concern takes over his face. "Is everything alright?"

She nods rapidly, her hair still stuck to her forehead. She was sweating like hell to release all that waste. "Y-yes, of course. What could be wrong?"

"Oh." He takes the device off his lap and stands up. "You sounded like you were having a little problem in there."

Shit!

"Nah." She fans him off playfully, and bright amusement shines in his eyes. "I was just peeing. Can I leave now?" She hurries past him while squeezing her eyes shut. Damn embarrassing.

Nik turns his head to follow her, a smile stretching across his plump lips.

As she grabs onto the handle, he comes up behind her.

"Wait, let me check if anyone's out there."

She steps aside, and he touches a buzzer on the wall, opening the door and scanning the hallway. He then shuts it back and pivots to her.

"It's clear."

He is still half-dressed, and Kelly tries her best not to stare at those firm boxes outlined in his stomach. Where is his shirt? Why does he keep walking around half-dressed? Is he doing that on purpose?

He coils his arms, a smile on his face as he stares at her.

She blinks her eyes, wondering why he isn't saying anything.

He lifts his eyebrows.

"Sir?"

"Well, see you when I see you, Kelly." He places his hands on his waists.

"Oh. Oh, yeah. Bye." She quickly springs toward the door, and he steps aside as she opens it.

"Oh, Kelly?"

She turns to him. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?" He checks. "In terms of, those men who were chasing you yesterday."

She nods with a small smile. "Yes, sir. They didn't hurt me; I managed to escape before they could."

She is genuinely alright. Just proud she defended herself against a possible assault.

He nods his head, pleased. "Alright."

"Bye, sir." She waves at him before slipping out of the room.

Nikolai smiles before moving back to the couch.

••

Still feeling lethargic after six hours of sleep, Kelly bangs on the door to her villa room, and it opens to a smiling Gabriella.

She cocks her head proudly, her strawberry ponytail swaying in the direction. "Good morning. Were you knocking last night? We didn't hear."

Kelly rolls her eyes and shoves her to the side, strutting into the room that smells like hair spray while stretching her arms. She drops onto her bed with a tired groan.

"So, where did you sleep?" Tianna asks in enjoyment, crossing her arms against her glittery crop top. She glances over at Gabriella, who giggles and shakes her head.

Refusing to converse with the stuck-ups, Kelly fans them off dismissively and grabs one of the pillows, pressing it over her face.

Instantaneously, last night begins to replay in her thoughts. A bittersweet mental tape that feels almost nostalgic.

The way she sat on her teacher's groin while they played around and that weird moment they shared before his phone rang have impacted her soul a lot more than she would like it to. He didn't bring it up this morning, so more than likely he wants her to forget about it. She wouldn't want him to lose his job because of her, so she doesn't mind that silent agreement.

Well, at least she is trying not to mind it.

••

"So, did you sleep well?" Derrick asks her while they line up to board the school bus.

It is time for them to return home. Although the rain fell heavily last night, the day is bright and vibrant with a sky of white, puffy clouds. Promising a beautiful day.

"Yeah, I guess." She shrugs her shoulders, squinting her eyes from the glare of the sun.

"How's your ankle?" He looks down at it.

"It's alright. Mr. To-I mean, I used some ointment on it after showering last night." She bites her lip uncomfortably, itching her forehead.

"Alright. You'll be brand new soon." He snakes his arm around her neck and plants a kiss on her temple.

She smiles stiffly, just before her eyes spot someone from over his shoulder.

Nikolai is exiting the front building. Black button-downs, black trousers, and black Chelsea boots. He looks good in anything, everything and nothing. Last night he felt like the perfect masseuse, and today, he looks like the perfect model.

"Stop drooling..." She whispers to herself.

"You guys can begin to board the bus now." Mr. Oliver informs the students, and Kelly is forced to look away as the batch of seniors moves up in line.

As Nikolai approaches the parking lot, he discovers Ms. Smith conversing with Ms. Peterson. At his presence, the women abruptly finish up the conversation as the P.D teacher channels a weird look in his direction. His brows scrunch as she turns away and walks ahead while Ms. Peterson goes to meet him halfway.

"Good morning. Can I speak with you, Mr. Todd?"

"Sure." He narrows his eyes as he fixes the cufflink of his shirt.

Releasing a low sigh, she begins to speak. "I heard something just now."

"Okay?" He squints his eyes, already sensing what this could be about.

"I was informed that one of your female students, Kelly Young, spent the night at your room last night?"

Nikolai exhales instantly, and his gaze travels up to the bus where Ms. Smith is now looking out at him from the window.

"Is it true, sir?"

He inwardly shakes his head before looking back to the lady. "Yes. One of my students slept in my room."

Her face hardens. "Mr. Todd—"

"She forgot her pass inside her room, and she was locked out. She was injured. I am sure you're aware that she got lost in the woods yesterday. Therefore, I took her back to my room because her roommates wouldn't open the door."

"You could have called me, Nikolai."

"Yeah, but it was late. Didn't want to disturb you."

"You wouldn't have disturbed me, sir." She drags on, and Nikolai unfastens the top button of his dress shirt, grimacing. God, what a way to start the morning.

"I would have woken up and gotten her a new pass or something. Nikolai, I know you're far above me in rank, but this could cause misunderstandings, and I trust that you know the consequences of something like this. I won't say anything to the higher heads, but you can't let this happen again, alright? What if it were someone else instead of Ms. Smith who saw? This could tamper with your career." Then she presses her lips together. "Please don't let it happen again. I like you too much to watch you lose your job."

She walks away from him, and he shuts his eyes with a frustrated sigh.

Kelly's eyebrows furrow as she watches the scene from the window of her seat. She cannot tell what they were talking about, but she knows it wasn't anything pleasant, judging by Ms. Peterson's hand movements and the somewhat annoyed expression on her tutor's face.

She anxiously fidgets in her seat as Nikolai climbs up into the school bus. She wants him to look at her, but he decides not to as he bluntly walks past Ms. Smith and the empty seat next to her, crashing beside Mr. Oliver.

The man sends him a smile before they start to engage in a conversation. Although he is smiling composedly and seems relaxed, Kelly knows that something happened out there, and she really hopes it wasn't because of her.

••

••

"How pathetic, am I?" Derrick pines, adjusting the tie around his neck. "Like, I spent an entire weekend around the girl and still haven't asked her out. I am usually not such a chicken."

"Mm. I know." Kelly absentmindedly mumbles as she stares down into the notebook laid out on her desk.

"And the worst part is, I have had countless opportunities, yet, here I am, still single as ever."

"You don't have to be single if you don't want to be..." she half-heartedly inputs, hoping he'll stop talking so that she can focus on her history notes.

Lately, she has been giving more attention to her studies. What Ms. Smith said Sunday has been weighing on her mind, and she wants to do better to prove the obnoxious woman wrong. She can be a brilliant student. She just needs to put her mind to it.

"And then I can't believe she had an empty spot next to her on the bus, yet I didn't sit beside her. Well, it was Tiana's seat, but she hadn't even arrived yet, and I could have taken the opportunity to—what are you doing?" He leans over to peer into her notebook.

"Are you studying?" He makes a face, one of disbelief and confusion.

"Yes, yes, I am studying. Is that so weird, Derrick?" She frowns a bit, leaning back in the chair and taking the book with her.

"Nope, not at all. It's just rare."

She shoots him a sarcastic smile. "You should try it too. It is not so bad, you know?"

"Who's on cleaning duty?" An annoyed, well-known voice impels her to lift her head as Mr. Todd strolls into the classroom, grimacing at the trashcan full to the brim. "Please remove that damn disgusting waste bin at the doorway."

He puts his books on the desk while a guy from the back jogs to the front of the room and lifts the garbage bin, scrunching his nose as he steps outside with it.

Nikolai loosens his black necktie, and Kelly cannot stop herself from reliving that moment in his villa room. The look he gave her while she sat innocently on his lap was so stomach-fluttering that she can still feel the butterflies roaming around in her abdomen.

Then his eyes snap up to hers, and she quickly looks down. Her brain stops working as she drops the book on the desk, then scrambles to pick it back up, her pupils scanning the row of words that now look jumbled.

"Woah, you're turning the book the wrong way." Derrick points out as he slips it from her hand and flips it the correct way.

Kelly smiles nervously. Shit.

"Today, I will be returning the test papers from last week." Mr. Todd notifies, and she immediately sinks into her chair. She did awfully on hers; she can already tell.

"Half of you did alright, and the rest...gave me a headache. The highest score goes to Gabriella. 95%."

A few cheers fill the classroom as she graciously gets up from her seat to collect her paper. Smiling and bowing as if she got crowned Miss World.

"Rest of you got below that." Nikolai walks to the front of Kelly's row, and the first paper he lifts off, he places flat against her desk.

She stares down at her grade as he moves on to the next student.

"Jesus Christ." Derrick grimaces.

"Where is he?" Mr. Todd swings his head around, lifting an eyebrow at Derrick. "Why are you calling his name in vain?"

He purses his lips. "Sorry, sir."

When he turns back around, Derrick presses his hand against her shoulder. "That...that is atrocious. But it's okay. We'll do better on the next test."

Kelly sighs before noisily crumpling the paper and stuffing it into her bag, holding back her tears. "Fuck school."

"Kelly." Mr. Todd sighs from behind her. "Step outside."

"Okay." She stands up without question and grabs her bag, walking out of the classroom.

She leans her back against the wall of the hallway, staring at her shoes with a scowl. Despite the promise she made about never eating sweets again, she dips a hand into her school blouse and finds the pack of gums her mom gave her this morning. She takes one out and slips it into her mouth.

The smell of shampoo and aftershave seeps through her nose, and she leans off the wall as she turns her body in the direction. Mr. Todd presses his side against the wall, slipping a hand into his pocket.

"Curse words aren't allowed in my class; you know that."

"I am sorry."

"Okay." He calmly answers, nodding at her. "Remove the gum."

She takes it from her mouth and tucks it into the wrapper, deciding to keep her limpid eyes on her fingers. She feels like a failure.

"We'll go through the paper on Saturday. And what you don't understand, we will make sure you do."

She nods silently.

"The nodding again. I don't like it, Kelly."

"Yes, sir." She sighs as she lifts her head, staring at him tiredly.

His eyes soften, and he jerks his head toward the door. "Go back to your seat."

She walks past him and enters the room, and he leans off the wall and follows her.

••

"Yikes, relax." Derrick pulls her closer to his side, the smell of old spice deodorant surrounding her as he presses his lips to her head. "I got 40. It's really close, so you're not alone."

"You don't understand, Derrick." She removes his hand, and he quickly pulls her close to him again as the hall fills up with kids. "I need to do better. I have to do better, okay? I can't repeat the twelfth grade another time."

"You won't repeat the twelfth grade, trust me."

"That grade was so fucking embarrassing." She grips the straps of her bag, and her shoulder bumps into someone, causing a batch of papers to scatter to the ground.

"Oh, sorry." A male voice speaks as she quickly crouches down to help the person pick them up.

"It's my fault." She mutters as the guy chuckles lightheartedly.

"No, princess. It's alright."

She stands up as he does too, collecting the sheets from her hands, the heavy skull ring on his forefinger grazing hers. His fingernails are painted black, and she tilts her head, intrigued.

She finally meets his gaze with an apologetic smile. He has dark, nape-length hair and stretchy lips that make him appear a little creepy when he smiles, but his milk-white teeth make up for it. His eyes are a dark grey, resembling ashes.

"Thanks. Do you perhaps know where the office is?" He asks as she's about to turn away.

"Right down the—"

"Oh my Gosh!" Derrick smacks a palm over his mouth, causing the two people to turn their heads toward him. Kelly looks confused while the guy is smiling with a knowing expression.

"...anyway, right down the hall." Kelly points out, and he smiles toothily.

"Thank you."

"Yeah." She lazily walks away with Derrick, who is still holding his mouth with wide eyes.

She frowns at his behavior. "What is your problem, dude?"

"It's Jagger."

"Who?" Kelly scrunches her face up.

"The guy in the group...the new upcoming group that came here the other day. Um, The Killer, he's the leader."

"The Killer?"

"Excuse me!"

Kelly looks behind her to see the same guy hurrying up to them. The chains on his pants cluck against the black leather as his hair bobs around his angular face.

"Which homeroom are you in?" He pushes some of the strands back, revealing an eyebrow ring.

"Homeroom?" Kelly lifts a brow.

"Room 85HU. That's our homeroom address." Derrick answers with a grin, propping his elbow on her shoulder. He's clearly trying to make a friend out of this guy.

"Oh, nice. I'll keep that in mind. Well, see you again." He says with a small wink, and Kelly blinks her eyes as he smiles and walks away.

"Shit." Derrick smiles at her, excitement written all over his face. "I think he likes you."

Kelly shoves his hand away. "How can you draw that conclusion in the space of a minute? The dude barely said anything."

"Yeah, but the eyes don't lie." He grins.