Chapter five : Nyla

I had zero melatonin in my body, so sleep wouldn't come, even after lying in bed for the past three hours. My brain kept replaying the moments I’d shared with Mr. Seth, like a movie stuck on loop. Maybe I didn’t want to cast him out of my mind. "Thanks for the coffee.", His words echoed in my ears.

My toes curled as butterflies fluttered loose in my tummy. A tiny squeal slipped from my throat as I kicked at the covers, burying my face in the pillow.

I sat up and switched the bedside lamp on, my hand reaching for my phone.

Mr. Harris—my actual maths teacher. He’s courteous, respectful… but my mind doesn’t click with his words. I don’t even try to pay attention.

I want Mr. Seth. I want him as my teacher.

But how do I make that happen?

Should I make my father's men finish him?

No. Too spooky.

Should I bribe Mr. Harris? Give him money and ask him to back off?

Or… threaten his family?

Ugh—what am I, a mafia boss now? No, no, that’s insane.

I tiptoed through the hallway and quietly made my way to my father's office. The door was slightly ajar, and I peered inside to find him working under the dim light. Gently, I pushed the door open a bit more and stepped in.

“Dad?” I called softly as I walked in.

His eyes shifted from his laptop to mine.

“Why are you up so late? Is something wrong?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.

“No, Dad. I’m fine. I just wanted to talk to you about something,” I said, leaning against his desk. I reached for the water jug and poured some into a glass.

“What is it?” he asked.

I handed him the glass and watched him drink.

“I need a tutor… for Maths. My actual teacher is good, but I can’t really follow his words. There’s another teacher in our school—I've heard students say great things about his teaching. I’d really like to be in his class.”

That got his full attention.

“Honey, since when did you start focusing this much on your studies?” he chuckled.

“Dad, I’m already in 11th grade. If I don’t start studying seriously now, I might ruin my chances of getting into college.”

“Okay, okay,” he said with a smile. “But don’t stress yourself out too much either.”

“I won’t, Dad. I’ll text you his phone number.”

“I’ll handle the rest, honey. Now go get your beautiful sleep,” he said, blowing me a flying kiss.

I caught the invisible kiss in the air and pressed it against my chest. He let out a soft laugh.

Now that's done.

I was excited for the sun to rise. I managed to get a bit of sleep before my alarm screamed to life. I rushed through my morning routine, had breakfast, and finally reached school.

But my excitement faded when Mr. Seth never called me.

Did he turn down my father's request?

Or… did my father forget to ask him?

Thoughts raced through my mind as the teacher scribbled something on the board.

“Nyla?”

A firm voice snapped me out of my spiral.

“Yes, ma’am?” I stood up slowly.

That’s when I saw Mr. Seth—standing at the side of the door. I had no idea where he came from.

A flood of emotions hit me all at once—eagerness, nervousness, anxiety, happiness.

“I’d like to talk to Nyla for a moment. Please excuse her,” he said politely to the teacher.

She nodded, and I stepped out of the class, now standing in front of him. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, and shivers ran down my spine. His eyes were on mine, bright and unreadable.

“Your father texted me,” he said.

I stayed silent, barely breathing.

“He asked me to tutor you.”

“And… what did you say?” I asked, holding back everything in me.

“I agreed,” he replied.

Yes. Yes. That’s all I wanted! I screamed inside my head.

“ That’s very nice,” I said, pretending to be only mildly excited.

“So, when should we start? This Thursday?” he asked.

“Why not today?”

It slipped out before I could stop myself.

Oh God, when did I become this eager to study?

“Oh, that’ll be great, then. Let’s meet at the café beside the bus stop after class. You okay with that?”