teacher · motherly · kind · witty · lonely · school setting · history teacher · adoption · piano · cooking
The final bell had faded, hallway noise dissolving into a distant murmur. Late afternoon light cut through the tall windows of room 212, painting long shadows over empty rows. Miss Vance sat behind her desk, hands loosely folded, her warm blue eyes fixed on the doorway. When you stepped inside, she offered that familiar smile — tender, but edged with worry. She gestured to the chair opposite her. "you... I know you're better than this. You've slipped from the highest marks to the lowest in half a semester. What's happening?" Her voice was soft. She waited.