Daniella's POV

"Have a good day," I say as I park my car in front of the shop Anna works at.

Soph comes back this evening, which means this will probably be the last time I'll be bringing Anna to work. It sort of gives me some mixed feelings, I don't mind picking her up, it's nice to spend this short amount of time together — minus the stress of having to hurry her ass up every morning.

"You have a nice day, it's your first day actually teaching at this new school. How are you not excited?"

"I've had plenty of first days of school to be excited about a new one," I sigh, inclining towards her so she could kiss me goodbye. She places a single long kiss on my lips, followed by many quick ones.

"Are we having lunch together today?"

"I'd love to but one of my colleagues will be showing me how they do their cafeteria duty," I groan.

"How exciting," she jokes. kissing me again before picking her bag up. "Call me whenever you're free, I want to hear all about your first day."

"Uhum, go before you get me late."

"Fine, don't be too mean to your new students. Love you."

"Bye, love you," I answer before she closes the door with that big stupid grin of hers.

All of this still feels so surreal to me, we are really dating... My past self would never believe it, yet I have no doubt in my heart that I love her. I unconsciously look down at my hand, analyzing the ring she has given me on my birthday, I feel like I've done it a million times but I can't help the giddiness I feel every time I look at it.

A honk coming from behind me reminds me that I'm still very much parked in the middle of the street and that I should probably hurry up unless I want to show up late for my first official day... all over again. I ended up coming slightly late last year because I nearly ran over Anna's ass.

Correction: Anna nearly got her ass run over. I take absolutely no blame for what happened, or would have happened.

Thankfully, this year I came in time to open up the classroom before the students gathered in front of the door, and still had some time to go over all the names and pictures, I don't really bother with attendance, it's a waste of time and I can perfectly tell by the ugly pictures and equally ugly faces, who's in and who isn't.

I'll be teaching freshmen this year, not because I want to but because the teaching method of this school is to assign the same teacher to follow students from their freshmen year all the way to their senior year.

I get the idea behind it but I don't think I can deal with the same idiots for 4 years straight.

On the bright side, at least I won't have to constantly remind new students that I am not a cool teacher. But surprisingly everyone was fairly respectful — as you'd expect from a private school. There were no complaints when I handed out the usual short quiz that I prepare beforehand every year, just to know what they're good and bad at.

Thinking about it, I might as well be their coolest teacher, at least compared to the P.E. teacher, whose screams we can hear from outside, even with the windows closed.

Putting the kids to run around the school on the first day of school? That's just mean... we'll get along great.

All in all, this first day of school wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Except for the cafeteria duty, which was absolutely dreadful, especially because of how organized everything was. Watching sheep eat grass would be 10 times more exciting — I never thought I'd be complaining about how well-behaved these kids are.

"So? What do you think?" The woman from behind the entrance desk asks — I'm pretty sure her name is Mariem — as I walk towards the exit doors. By my observation, she's the overly nice chubby lady that looks like she wouldn't hurt a fly but nearly all students hate because she is secretly a snitching b—

"Better than I anticipated, but I'm still trying to get used to the classroom arrangements, it's a nightmare," I answer, stopping in front of her desk.

"You'll get used to it in no time sweetheart."

"I've been working here for 5 years and still haven't gotten used to it," I hear from behind me, the P.E. teacher from earlier.

"This is Parker, I'm sure you've run across each other already," Mariem butts in, I just hope that's really her name, I'm not asking.

"Not really, but I've heard the screams," I say jokingly but by Parker's expression, I don't think my joke has been taken lightly.

"To command respect."

"Oh? By screaming your lungs out?"

"Not everyone has a scary face," the implication is there, said in a hint of humor of course but that doesn't mean I can't play too.

"I understand, you're quite small for an adult, let alone a P.E. teacher," I bite back. "You really do need to go out of your way to command respect with that baby face of yours, might the students think you're one of them."

Mariem just stands there looking between the both of us with an amused expression. "You two are getting along great, that's wonderful."

"Well, I have to go," I say before Parker could say anything back.

"Have coffee with us."

"I have things to do," I answer impatiently. I know Anna said I didn't have to pick her up today because Soph would be back, but seeing her after work has become part of my routine.

I feel like a teen in love, it feels so stupid to be this happy to be around someone.

The shop was empty when I came inside, the bell on top of the door ringing as I open and close it. "Anna?"

"She's at the back, getting her things," Soph says, walking from the back. "Good to see you."

"Good to have you back."

"Here's your gift," she says with a stupid grin, throwing a tied grocery bag at me.

"Nice wrapping."

"Only the best for my bestie's soul mate."

"You didn't have to," I say attempting to open it up.

"It's from the dollar store."

Wonderful.

"A banana-shaped squishy?" I hold it up after fighting with the bag for a good few seconds, and I'm ashamed to admit it took me an unholy amount of time to understand what it was and the implication behind it.

"It can relieve your stress in two different ways," she smirks.

I'm speechless for a second too long. "Thank you?"

"It's a joke, don't put that inside you vajay—"

"I know."

"All done," Anna says, emerging from the back of the store but stopping in her tracks as soon as she sees the squishy on my hand.

I have the strange impulse to hide it behind my back as if she had caught me with something I shouldn't be holding, but I just calmly throw it back into the grocery bag. "Don't ask."

◦◦◦

My intention was to simply see Anna at work, tease her a bit, and then leave to let her have some time with her best friend... but somehow we all ended up at Soph's house.

"We thought of conducting this mission alone but you might actually be of great help," Soph says, pulling out an old map from one of the living room cabinets, and spreading it across the table making the dust particles dance in the air.

"What are you talking about, and what is that for?" I say looking at the both of them, covering my nose with the sleeve of my blouse. My rhinitis is no joke.

"Location, duh."

"Don't you have a maps app?"

"It's for the dramatic feel," Anna butts in. "Just go with it."

"This is dumb," I groan. "Is anyone going to explain what's all this about or is the suspense also part of the dramatic feel?"

"Precisely," Soph grins looking over at Anna.

"So... We think my dad is dating someone."

"Ok?"

"Look, we have nothing else to do this weekend—"

"So you two are going to go around town like creeps to spy on your dad, instead of literally just asking him?"

"Us three," Soph corrects.

"No."

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