34

The professor's lips were moving and she looked like she was saying something but Tahti couldn't hear a word as she was off to another world.

Earlier, she had been on her way to the rooftop, under the excuse of resting for a while, when in reality, it was to avoid listening to gossips about her and Demir, when she had run into him at the staircase.

They'd simply locked eyes with each other, his eyes being cold and unwelcoming, a look she's never seen in his eyes before.

Tahti sighed her frustration, wondering if she was like that because he felt hurt by her words? A part of her told her it was impossible, almost immediately. He was Demir after all.

"Tahti Lee, are you listening to me?" The professor asked and she finally jerked out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

The professor shook her head, with a disapproving sigh. "This is bad. Will you even be able to finish this in time?"

"I'm sorry, professor."

The professor's eyes moved to April, another student who was slacking off as she kept hitting the base of a heel against her palm, while staring long and hard at Derek, who was obliviously working on his spaceman piece.

Following her eyes with a frown, she walked towards her.

"I was wondering..." April flinched and turned to the professor who was behind her. "...why you were in the studio for a change. Did you get rejected?"

"Of course not, professor." April replied, with a scoff, before raising her voice so Derek could hear her. "I'm the one who rejects guys. I never get rejected."

"Is that so?" The professor asked, with an arched brow.

"Yes."

"When will I get to see your work? You're hardly ever in the studio."

"I promise to show you mine next time, professor." April said, with a mock bow and the professor shook her head before she turned to look at Sol, who was engrossed in her piece and Tahti guessed she would compliment her as usual for being the only serious one in the department.

"Sol." She called, but Sol was unable to hear her, because she had her working headphone over her ears again.

"Sol Rodriguez?" The professor called again and Jennie chuckled as the professor walked towards her to yank off her headphone.

"You're losing focus these days too. Did you decide to give up everything since you're not leaving the country?" She asked and the smile on Jennie's face disappeared as she raised her head.

"I'm sorry." Sol said and glanced at Jennie, who had an upset look on her face.

"Everything's a mess." Professor Davis was saying to the class, as she turned away from Sol. "What has gotten into you all? You should be putting everything into your work right now...I told you guys to get inspiration for your various art pieces, not to cause a mess and be reckless."

The studio was quiet, with everyone lost in their own thoughts and Professor Davis sighed again.

"'She's at it again.' That's what you're thinking, right? Im just barking like a dog, aren't I?"

"No, professor." Tahti replied.

"We're sorry, professor."

The professor grated them with a few pieces of advice before leaving and the students who were glad to see the back of her, sighed in relief.

Jennie picked up her bag and stormed into the hallway, not less than a minute after the prof had left and Sol was going after her when Herley stopped her by the entrance of the class.

"Here." He said, smiling as he handed her a can of cola to her.

"Thanks." She replied and returned her eyes to Jennie, who was stacking her locker with textbooks.

"Don't take what Prof Davis said personally. I loved your piece."

"Thanks."

"By the way,...did you really decide not to leave as an exchange student?" He asked and she turned to look at him. So, he had heard it as well.

"Yeah." She replied, after a minute of hesitation and Jennie slammed her locker shut before heading out of the school.

"Why? Did something happen?"

"Nothing much." She replied as she stared at Jennie's receding back. "I didn't just want to leave."

Tahti slumped into her sofa with a groan, once she'd gotten back from school that evening. Her day had been far from pleasant, she sighed and her eye caught a twirling movement by her window frame.

Her mind uncontrollably shifted back to the time he'd gifted her the sun catcher and how well things had been between them until then.

It was all a mistake, she reminded herself. So there was no need to think of it, anymore.

Her stomach grumbled and she dropped her head to run a hand over her stomach. "Crap. I haven't had lunch all day." She muttered, before rising to her feet.

Having run out of groceries, she mad e to head out to buy dinner when she noticed the small gift bag hooked to her door knob, outside.

Someone left something for her? Who could it have been? She wondered before she unhooked the bag and took it in.

She soon figured out who it was, when she took out a jewelry box from it. The bracelet Demir had gifted her on her birthday had snapped loose, when she'd landed on the floor after that man had pushed her when fighting with Demir, so she guessed he had felt sorry and wanted to replace it.

She walked over to sit on the sofa she'd been lying on, to snap the case open to look down at a pair of earrings, accompanied with a necklace and a smile crossed her lips as she ran a fingertip over the crescent moon with star design.

The smile on her face disappeared when she recalled they had ended things and she picked up her phone to dial him. If she was going to act tough with the status of their new relationship, then she had to along with it all the way.

"The number you've dialed isn't in the directory. Please check the number and try again..."

The number wasn't in her directory? How was that possible when she hadn't deleted hi number?

She dropped her phone and turned to look at the bed, reminiscing on the times her bed and been warm and cozy, thanks to him and comparing them to know that her bed felt empty and abandoned.

Even though she didn't want to admit it, it was crystal clear.

She missed him.