"Okay," Alia said, clapping her hands once. "Enough emotional damage for one morning. We're late."
That snapped me back.
We rushed down the hall, nearly slipping as we reached the anatomy room just as the projector buzzed to life. The lecturer hadn't turned around yet.
That was close.
A few students were still closing the blinds. Others were slouched in their seats, snapping gums, slipping their phones into their bags.
We took our seats near the middle.
I stared down at my hands immediately. My fingers wouldn't stop moving….picking at my nails, rubbing my thumb against my palm.
Seb's fingertips flashed in my mind again.
Was it really him?
And if it was… why go through all that effort just to humiliate me?
Was the quiet kindness just a cover? A way to look innocent?
"Hey," Alia whispered, leaning closer. "You're spacing."
"I'm fine," I whispered back, though my chest felt tight.
Mr Sean cleared his throat at the front of the room.
"Alright, everyone. Let's settle." He clicked the remote. "We're continuing embryology…specifically the steps of fertilization."
Collective groans filled the room.
He smiled patiently. "Yes, thrilling, I know. Now, who can remind us what happens after ejaculation?"
A few heads ducked.
Then his eyes landed on me.
"Evelyn," he said calmly. "Would you like to try?"
My heart jumped.
Before I could decide whether to use my voice or not, a voice from the back cut in.
"She doesn't talk," a guy said lazily. "Ginger girl's mute."
A couple people snickered.
My jaw tightened.
"Don't let them get to you," Alia whispered beside me.
Mr Sean's expression hardened instantly. "That's enough. Everyone here will show basic respect, or you'll leave my class."
The room quieted.
Mr Sean nodded once toward me, then turned back to the slide. "Now. Fertilization begins when sperm enter the female reproductive tract after ejaculation…."
He pointed the laser at the diagram.
I was trying to focus on the slide…sperm, enzymes, fallopian tubes, when a loud, obnoxious voice cut through the room.
"ughhhh," a voice groaned. "We don't need the notes. So boring. Let's just practice ejaculation in real life. I can be the specimen."
The class froze for a second, then laughter erupted.
"Davidson," Mr Sean slammed his palm against the desk so hard the projector flickered.
"That is inappropriate. And that is the last thing you will say in my classroom today."
Davidson still had the nerve to still smirk. "What? Biology is messy. Gotta be honest, people!"
That was Big D. The class troublemaker.
Everyone called him that. I still wasn't sure what the D stood for….Davidson or just his obnoxious personality, but either way, he clearly enjoyed pushing boundaries.
I could feel my cheeks heat up. Did he just tell the teacher we should practice ejaculation in real life instead of writing notes?
"Davidson! Detention for two weeks!"
Davidson shrugged, standing slowly with a cocky grin. "Chill, it's just a joke, Mr. S. Just… sharing science with the class."
"Out."
The door slammed behind him.
The class went silent afterwards.
Mr Sean exhaled slowly, adjusting his glasses. "If anyone else feels the urge to turn basic human development into a comedy routine, you can join him."
No one spoke after that.
My foot, which I hadn't realized was frozen under the desk, finally relaxed.
Alia leaned over, whispering, "Big D finally pushed it too far."
The class moved on.
But my thought didn't.
Seb's green-stained fingers flashed through my mind again.
And suddenly I wasn't sure who in that house I could trust anymore.