The house had never been so silent in Elaine's entire life. She had grown accustomed to such situations, but this particular one felt distinct. The silence was overwhelming, as if the world had been muted. However, the silence that enveloped her was not what she had anticipated. She longed for a hint of sound, perhaps the sound of Alex's startled cry or the sound of him excitedly barging into her room to share his latest success.
And now she realizes that she only had a month away before going to UCLA.
All this, for love? She thought to herself. I feel ridiculous.
She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and scrolled through her contacts. When Amelia's name appeared, she found herself pondering whether or not to reach out to her. It feels like an eternity since their paths crossed, leaving her uncertain about whether she returned from her mysterious journey to Hong Kong. Perhaps she remained there indefinitely, seeking solace from the burden of guilt that weighs heavily on her conscience.
Elaine anxiously bites her lip as she types the words into the screen. I'm sorry, we could fix this. I'm the problem here. But after a minute or two of staring at the message, she decided to erase it and set her phone down on the mattress.
What a mess. If I just did the right thing, and held onto my temptation, maybe I'd still be with her now.
However, Elaine remained incensed with Amelia for lying so openly in front of her; following the Carl gags, Elaine assumed she could trust her once more. As she delved deeper into Amelia's character, her anger dissipated in an instant.
As she was about to drift off to sleep, her mother entered the room, holding a glass of orange juice. She wasn't particularly fond of that flavor, considering Amelia is aware that her favorite is apple juice, but she did appreciate the effort.
"You haven't been downstairs all day," Monica said as she sat herself on the foot of the bed as Elaine drank the orange juice that was handed to her. "I don't know what's going on with you, darling. You have to talk to me."
What does her mother not know about what's going on? Now Elaine thought it was silly to feel this way because she knew this hadn't changed Monica at all.
But she chooses not to be angry towards her mother.
"I just don't feel good right now, mom."
She nodded sympathetically. "I understand. But if you're not going to tell me how you really feel, how else can I help you?"
"I'm not asking for any help," Elaine stated with a slight of a harsh tone—which she didn't mean to. "I'm sorry. I just don't know how to communicate anymore."
Monica fell into a momentary silence as she unraveled the true thoughts swirling in Elaine's mind—Amelia Yeong. Her gaze shifted from her daughter to the wall, her voice barely audible as she murmured, "Is it about Amelia?"
Because she was at a loss for words in response to that, Elaine noticed that her face become pale. Without a doubt, Amelia has been the one. If her mother were not so repressive, it is possible that she would be with her at this very moment.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she dismissed.
Monica scoffed lightly. "Of course, you do. You have been acting like this for a month, and honestly, I can't blame you. I took Amelia away from you. And this anger you have is towards me, not her. Elaine, you have to understand I'm only doing this for your own protection—"
"But I'm old enough to make my own decisions!" she interrupts her with a louder voice. "I-I know you have some... weird history with her, but you have to understand how I feel. I'm so sick and tired of all of you trying to control my life, when is the time I get to control mine? I-If I want to fall in love with Amelia, I will. And yes, maybe it's wrong because you once dated her, but that's over now. Right?"
"I don't love Amelia anymore, if that's what you're thinking."
"Exactly," Elaine cupped her face with her hands as she groaned. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things. But you need to hear me out, Mom. I need you to listen to me."
Monica gently rested her hand on her knee and let out a heartfelt sigh. She experienced her pain—she had a deep understanding of that feeling. She has made mistakes, yet she despises witnessing her daughter surrender to a realm that is not her own. Elaine was once a happy child, undeterred by even the tiniest of troubles. But ever since Amelia and she ended their relationship, things have changed.
And she knew that was her fault.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, removing Elaine's hands from her face. Emotions welled up within her, yet she managed to suppress the tears. "I'm just trying to make you understand that having this kind of love can develop more in the future. You'll find someone else; I'm sure of that. Amelia shouldn't be the center of your universe."
"I don't care if she's my world or not," Elaine reasoned. "It's just you controlling what I do, and you expect so much from me that I feel so drained from it. You have to give me a break, please."
"Do you really love her?"
Elaine's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you—"
"Do you really love Amelia that much?"
Was that even a question? Of course, she loved Amelia. Elaine nodded and spoke quietly, "I love her, mom. And I even hate to admit that."
Monica withdrew her hand from Elaine's cheek as she rose to her feet, her expression devoid of anger or disappointment. Surprisingly, Elaine appeared more inviting than usual. Her mother leaned in, gently kissing her hair and whispering, "She deserves your love, sweetheart. It's true, even though I know you don't trust me. Amelia has experienced many difficulties in her life, and I believe the two of you are suitable for each other."
"Are you saying this just because you feel guilty?"
"I feel guilty, I admit that," she said. "But I care about your happiness. And if you're happy with Amelia, then so be it. You're right; I cannot control you. And I will do my best to support you, no matter what. But please, be wise when you love her. She's a lot older than you, and I've seen the way she acts when she was younger. But I'm sure she's different now."
"I hope she is."
Monica headed towards the doorway, casting a glance over her shoulder. "And if you two end up together, please refrain from bringing her into this house. I understand your love for her, but I don't ever want to see Amelia in my life again. Please do that for me."
Elaine nodded, her gaze fixed on the window. Now, she can finally embrace her love for Amelia without any worries about her mother finding out. However, for some unknown reason, she still feels unsatisfied and can't quite comprehend why. Once Monica exits the room, Elaine can't resist the temptation and swiftly retrieves her phone, eagerly typing out a brief message to Amelia.
Elaine: meet me at the park, please. it's urgent.
/
AN: will be uploading the next chapter soon. and trust me, it gets better :) thank you so much for the wonderful comments, i appreciate them so much!
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Hot For Teacher (gxg)
Romance(teacher x student, wlw) Elaine was an academic achiever, and she is surprised she still has time to party now and then. However, everything comes crashing down when she meets her history teacher, Ms. Yeong, who-as one might expect-changes her life...
