Chapter 2 - A Familiar Face

"No Jake, I'm telling you, I'm sure that I saw Ady yesterday. There can't be another dog that looks like that. I just don't know what she is doing here."

Ady is Scarlett's dog. The black puppy that we found along with the white one, my Scar. And, yes, we named them after each other.

Lucy, always the one to ruin the mood spoke.

"Well, maybe you didn't see it well. You know, it wasn't with its owner. It could be just another street dog that just resembles her's. That is most likely."

Well, yeah, that kind of makes sense, but, I like the version in which she came to see me better.

Yup, I'll stick to that.

"Woah, here comes the new teacher!"

Elliot, the loud guy announced. Like seriously, every class has at least a couple of stereotypes. He is the loud one, Lucy is the genius one, Jake is the one who is constantly in love, I'm the popular one, and so on.

I heard the clicking of the heels, and the first picture that my mind created were red stilettos. I don't know why though.

Classroom doors opened, and, darn.

Red stilettos.

My gaze went across sexy slender legs, tight black knee-length pencil skirt, even tighter white blouse, and...

Oooohhhh, oyyy me maaatteee!!!

I didn't expect her to look exactly like what I imagined Scarlett would look like when she was in her early twenties.

The whole class fell silent immediately, and everything about her screamed authority. Well, yeah, that's the difference. Scarlett was always kind and loving, even on the first glance.

She stood in front of the whiteboard and tapped her finger to catch everyone's attention. As if everyone wasn't starring at her already.

After a couple of seconds, she began introducing herself.

"My name is Miss Smith, and I'm your new science teacher."

Well, no shit honey.

"Your old teacher, Mrs Jackson had to retire early due to an unfortunate illness. So, I'm here to stay, so we might as well get along with each other, right? I'm twenty-three years old, and you guys are the first class that I'm teaching. So, if there aren't any questions, I can check on every one of you."

A guy in the back held his hand up.

"Yes... Sorry, I don't really know your name."

He chuckled and proceeded to ask his question.

"It's William. And, are you really twenty-three? I would have thought that you are a student here."

Miss Smith smiled, and she looked flattered.

"Well, thank you, William, and, yes, I am twenty-three. Any more questions?"

Oh, look, a fuckboy wants to ask something.

"Yes?"

The fuckboy smirked as if he thought that he was smart.

"Miss Smith, would you ever date a student?"

She rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

"No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't do anything that would endanger my job."

I just don't know what answer did he expect. Like, seriously...

But, he just didn't give up.

"Come on, not even me? We could take a walk together sometime. Nothing more."

It was now her turn to smirk, and I literally sensed the words on her tongue.

"You are right. I see no problem in taking a nice, romantic walk together... To the principal's office."

I freaking knew it! Burn, baby, burn!

The whole class laughed their asses off, and the boy shut up.

Miss Smith sighed and shook her head.

"Any more questions. Not stupid ones, of course..."

Lucy wants to ask something. Weird. She usually avoids any contact with the teachers.

"Yes, darling?"

Hahaha, I guess that she uses endearments for girls.

"Forgive me for asking, Miss Smith, but could you tell us your first name?"

Ok, Lucy is acting weird. She looked at me while asking the question, and she mouthed something on S to me, but I couldn't make out what.

"Of course. My name is Scarlett. But, you guys will still be calling me Miss Smith."

Oh...

Lucy stared hard at me, and Miss Smi- No, Scarlett kept on talking something, but I couldn't pay attention.

Too many questions were swirling in my head. Why is she here, did she come looking for me, why now, and many more.

I don't think that she recognizes me. Her gaze just travels over me, just like with other students.

Oh my God.

What if she forgot me? What if she doesn't love me anymore? Oh God, oh God, oh God!

"Add, your name is on soon!"

Lucy snapped me out of my thoughts again, and, indeed, she was making a roll.

"Lola Irvin?"

"Here!"

She suddenly stopped at what I guess was my name.

Her head snapped up and she looked through the class once more before she met my eyes.

At that moment, I saw a lot of things in them. Surprise, confusion, insecurity, uneasiness, but there was no love or happiness. That look broke my heart in tiny pieces.

She gulped and her voice came out shaky as my name left her lips.

"Addriane Johnson?"

She held my gaze the entire time.

"Here."

All throughout the class, she seemed distant and unapproachable. She ignored me anyway possible. Even when I raised my hand.

The bell finally rang and I told my friends that I'd stay behind a bit. They wished me good luck and left me alone with Scarlett.

She tried to escape, but I stood at the door. I'm not letting her go without an explanation.

"Scar..."

Her eyes finally met mine, and there was so much conflict in those two blue orbs.

I'm close enough to inspect her. Ohh, she definitely isn't twelve years old anymore. Her face is so much more mature, sharper. She has many more curves along her body, and she isn't afraid to show them. Even her eyes changed. They were always warm and kind. Eyes of the woman in front of me were distant and cold. They weren't my Scarlett's eyes.

"Addriane, is there something I can help you with?"

Come on, I really hate it when someone tries to play stupid. She is acting as if she doesn't know me.

"Scarlett, please, don't play that game with me... I'm begging you."

For a moment her eyes softened a bit, but it disappeared as quickly. Her voice was stone cold.

"Miss Johnson, I asked all of you today not to use my first name. It is rude and disrespectful to your teacher. Now, if you could please move out of the doorway."

I shook my head. My eyes were already full of tears. I won't let them spill. I won't let her see that she is breaking my heart.

"No, Miss Smith, I'm not moving from here until you stop pretending that you don't know me. For Christ's sake! What happened in these years? I didn't change at all, but what happened to you?"

Anger flashed through her eyes, and she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Addriane, you and I are both adults, so why act like little kids? Move out of the doorway, so I don't have to call someone else to move you."

Oh my god. Now she is even threatening me. What is her problem?

She runs her hand through her hair, and something shiny caught my attention.

A ring. On her ring finger. Oh... Oh...

After a struggle, I finally managed to speak.

"You... You are engaged?"

This time, some warmth and sympathy appeared in her eyes but didn't stay for long.

"Yes, yes, I am."

My heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. I couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and I allowed them to freely run down my cheeks.

Scarlett opened her mouth to say something, but I stopped her before she did.

"No, it's ok, Scar. Really. I just... I didn't take you for a type to break your promises so easily."

I turned around and left. I couldn't bear to look at her. I'd die. My heart already feels dead. I feel dead.

All these years. All these years, I have been dreaming, working to return there. I was really so naive to think that she'd actually wait for me. I'd wait for her a million times over.

But she didn't. She forgot about me as if it was the easiest thing in the world. I'm wondering if I ever did mean anything to her at all.

Charlotte was waiting for me in the car, and this time, I got in the backseat.

"Addy, what's wrong?"

I hid my face behind my hair so that she couldn't see my tears.

"Nothing. Let's go home."