Chapter 1 An ordinary morning
"Elisa! Your breakfast!”
“I'm late, Mom!”
“Being late doesn't mean you stop eating!”
“I'll eat in the canteen!” Elisa called back, hopping around on one foot as she struggled to put on her shoe. Her lesson plans were tucked beneath one arm, two books were pressed against her chest, and her bag was hanging precariously from her shoulder.
She glanced at the clock.
“Oh, no. No, no, no!”
She snatched up the last book from the table and hurried towards the door.
“Elisa! At least take—”
“Love you, Mom! Bye!”
And just like that, she was gone.
Her mother sighed behind her. Another morning, and again same daughter who apparently believed breakfast was optional and punctuality was a myth.
Thankfully, her brother was waiting to drop her off. Elisa practically threw herself into the car, still rearranging the books in her lap.
“Late again?” Jaxson asked, starting the engine.
“Please don't start.”
“I haven't even said anything.”
“Your face has.”
He laughed, earning himself an annoyed glare from his sister.
“Just drive, please. Some of us have innocent students waiting for us.”
“Poor students,” he muttered, pulling away.
“Jaxson!”
His laughter followed them all the way to school.
By the time Elisa reached the school building, she had mentally revised her lesson plan twice, checked the time at least six times, and decided that she would absolutely wake up earlier tomorrow.
A promise she had made to herself approximately a hundred times before.
She hurried through the entrance, her shoes clicking against the polished floor of the lobby. Somewhere down the corridor, children were chattering excitedly. A classroom door opened, a teacher called out a warning, and the familiar morning chaos of school life surrounded her.
At least she had made it.
Almost.
“Elisa!”
She stopped.
A few feet away stood Lisa, her best friend and, according to Elisa, one of the greatest threats to a peaceful morning.
Lisa was short and chubby, with long hair that fell around her shoulders and bright, lively eyes that always seemed to be plotting something. With her doll-like face and adorable features, she looked like someone who belonged in a pretty little picture frame.
Unfortunately, no picture frame could contain her mischief.
Lisa had a remarkable talent for turning the most ordinary situation into a live comedy show. Give her five minutes of silence, and she would find a way to fill them with gossip, teasing, or some ridiculous observation that left everyone laughing.
And right now, she looked particularly pleased to have found her favourite target.
Her eyes travelled from Elisa's slightly dishevelled appearance to the books clutched against her chest.
A slow, wicked smile appeared on her face.
“Late again?”
Elisa gave her a warning look. “Lisa, can you please spare me the commentary this morning?”
“Spare you?” Lisa repeated, placing a hand over her heart. “Eli, darling, i can't when it's you.
“Shut up.”
Lisa burst into laughter.
“See? Such beautiful manners for a teacher.”
“Keep talking, and I'll use you as an example in my next lesson.”
“Of what? The consequences of being too beautiful?”
Elisa stared at her.
Lisa grinned.
“Fine, fine. Come on.” Elisa caught her by the arm and dragged her towards the staffroom before her friend could embarrass her any further.
The staffroom was already alive with the usual morning rush. Chairs scraped against the floor, pages rustled, and teachers moved between desks with lesson plans and registers in their hands. A few were discussing their first periods, while others were trying to finish their preparations before the bell rang.
Elisa dropped her books onto her desk and immediately opened her lesson plan.
Work first. Survive the morning. Eat something before lunch.
A perfectly reasonable plan.
Naturally, Lisa had other ideas.
She leaned towards Elisa, lowering her voice with the seriousness of someone about to reveal a national secret.
“Well, Eli, you know we have a new teacher here, right?”
Elisa kept her eyes on the page. “Yes. One of my students told me yesterday.”
Lisa pulled back, looking personally betrayed.
“Excuse me? Your student told you before I did?”
Elisa finally glanced at her, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
“Maybe you should spend less time talking and more time listening.”
“Unbelievable.” Lisa shook her head. “I leave you alone for one minute, and you become the most informed person in this building.”
“One minute? You've been talking since you saw me.”
“That's because I have important information to share.”
“Of course you do.”
Lisa leaned in again, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“And he's a guy.”
Elisa turned a page.
“Does it matter?”
Lisa's mouth fell open.
"It does —Eli! Of course it matters!”
“Why?”
“Because he's hot!”
Elisa stopped writing long enough to look at her friend.
Then she sighed.
“Oh, Lisa. You find every man hot.”
“Not every man.”
“Really?”
“Fine. Almost every man. But that's beside the point!” Lisa waved a hand impatiently. “I saw him talking to the principal this morning. Tall, handsome, and—”
“And you managed to assess all that during one conversation?”
“I have eyes, thank you very much.”
“An impressive achievement.”
Lisa narrowed her eyes at her.
“You know what eli ? One day, I'm going to introduce you to someone so handsome that you'll forget how to speak.”
“Then I'll finally enjoy some peace and quiet.”
“Eli!”
Laughing, Elisa gathered her books and stood up.
“Go find someone else to bother. I have a class to teach.”
“I'm telling you, this one is different!”
“I'm sure he is.”
“No, listen to me! He's—”
“Good morning.”
The voice came from the staffroom doorway.
Three simple words.
Polite. Calm. Familiar.
Elisa's fingers tightened around the books in her arms.
For a second, she didn't understand why her body had suddenly forgotten how to move. The conversations around her continued—the rustle of papers, the scrape of a chair, someone's quiet laughter—but all of it seemed to drift far away.
That voice.
No.
Her heart gave a painful, startled thud.
She stared at the open page of her lesson plan, but the words blurred before her eyes. She could hear the voice again in her memory, as clear as if no time had passed at all.
No. It can't be.
Ten years.
Ten long years, and she had never imagined hearing that voice here. Not in this building. Not on an ordinary morning when her only worry had been getting to class on time.
Her fingers trembled against the edges of her books.
Is he here?
The thought barely formed before she tried to crush it.
No. Absolutely not.
It was impossible.
It had to be her imagination. A cruel little trick played by a memory she had buried so carefully that she had almost convinced herself it no longer hurt.
She drew in a shaky breath.
Get a grip, Elisa.
It was just a voice.
Just three words.
So why did it feel as though the ground beneath her feet had disappeared?
She stood perfectly still, afraid that even the smallest movement might turn the impossible into reality.
No, no… it's just my imagination.
