Fractured Echoes

A Morning Like No Other

The bell clanged down the hallway, bouncing off the old walls of the hostel and pulling me out of a restless sleep. Mornings were always loud here, with the usual rush of feet and voices, but today was different. The ache in my chest from the night before hadn't faded, and I doubted it would anytime soon.

Vi's voice from the evening before echoed in my mind, I love you, she'd said, so casually it almost felt like a joke. I'd waited so long to hear those words from her, but they didn't land the way I'd expected. She'd said them with a slight smile, but then walked away, her back turned, leaving me alone. Alone with those three words that felt like they should mean everything, but somehow left me feeling emptier than ever.

I forced myself out of bed and made my way to the dining hall, but my heart wasn't in it. The usual clatter of trays and morning banter surrounded me, but it felt muted, like I was on the outside of it all. Maybe that's why, when Ms. Lee called for everyone's attention, I was one of the few who actually looked up.

"Girls, we have a new teacher joining us today," she announced, her voice brisk as always. "Her name is Ms. Everly Collins, but you may call her Ma'am Everly. Let's all do our best to make her feel welcome."

At the sound of a new name, curiosity flickered across the room. Heads turned, whispers buzzed, and then she entered. The second I saw her, my heart did a strange little flip. Ma'am Everly. She had dark, sleek hair that framed her face in a way that made her seem somehow effortless and sophisticated all at once. She carried herself with this quiet, easy confidence, and even the most rambunctious girls in the room settled down, watching her with wide eyes.

"Good morning, everyone," she greeted us, her voice soft but clear, filling the room with a warmth that seemed to spread like sunlight. She took in each face with a calm, open expression, her gaze lingering for just a second longer on me. I felt my breath hitch, my cheeks warming as I quickly looked down at my plate. She seemed to have this quiet power that drew everyone's attention and held it without even trying.

She didn't linger. She gave a quick smile to the room, nodded to Ms. Lee, and disappeared through the door, probably heading to settle into her quarters. But I couldn't shake the feeling she'd left behind, this quiet, inexplicable pull that made me feel like I needed to know her. She didn't look at me in the way that other teachers looked at us, as if we were just some group to manage or keep in line. There was a kindness there, and curiosity too. I needed to know what lay behind those calm eyes.

I spent the rest of breakfast trying to get my heartbeat back to normal, sneaking glances at the door where she'd disappeared. It was insane, really. She was new, she didn't know any of us, and here I was already wishing she'd stayed just a few minutes longer. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

Without fully thinking it through, I pushed my tray aside and made my way to Ms. Lee, who was seated at the head of the hall. "Ms. Lee," I started, forcing my voice to sound weak, "I'm not feeling very well. Do you mind if I rest for a bit?"

She studied me with a frown, and for a split second, I thought she'd call me out on it. But she just sighed. "Alright, Iris. Go rest up. I'll let you know if you miss anything important."

I nodded, my heart thudding with a mix of nerves and excitement. I left the hall as casually as I could, though I felt like my pulse was written across my face. I climbed the stairs, and the second floor was empty and silent, everyone else still busy with breakfast. I approached Ma'am Everly's door, my mind a storm of questions and possibilities, each one making my heart pound harder.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I knocked. There was a pause, a small eternity that stretched out in that silent hallway. Then the door creaked open, and there she was. Ma'am Everly. Up close, I could see the hints of freckles across her nose, the way her eyes crinkled slightly at the edges when she looked at me, a touch of amusement flickering across her face.

"Good morning, Iris," she greeted, saying my name as if it was something precious, like she'd known it forever.

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. "Good morning, Ma'am Everly."

She stepped back, gesturing for me to come in, and my heart jumped. Her room was warm and inviting, with little touches of personality in every corner. A neatly folded scarf lay draped over a chair, a book with a folded corner rested on her nightstand, but what caught my eye immediately was the large flag draped across her bed. A lesbian pride flag. Bold, bright, and unmistakable.

My mind spun. I tried not to stare, but it was like it took up the whole room, this piece of her that she wore so openly, so unapologetically. She must have noticed me looking, because when I glanced back at her, she was watching me with a slight smile.

"So," she began, a touch of humor in her voice. "How can I help you today?"

The way she looked at me, with those knowing, open eyes, made my breath catch. It felt like she could see everything I was thinking, everything I'd felt and tried to bury, as if all my secrets were laid out in front of her. My cheeks heated up, and I scrambled to say something, anything that didn't sound completely ridiculous.

"Oh, um, nothing really," I stammered, mentally kicking myself. "Just thought I'd wish you good luck with... with us. All the goofy, funny people around here."

What the hell did I just say? I wanted to shrink into the floor. Here I was, trying to make some kind of impression, and that was all I could come up with?

But she laughed, and it was a warm, rich sound that washed over me, settling my nerves just a bit. "Thank you, Iris," she replied, her eyes still holding that hint of laughter. "And if you're serious about that... would you mind giving me a tour later? Show me all these 'goofy, funny people'?"

I nodded so fast I probably looked ridiculous, but I didn't care. "Yes, absolutely. I'd love that."

"Perfect." She looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite read, something between curiosity and amusement. "I'll look forward to it."

I managed to get out of the room without tripping over myself, but as soon as I was in the hallway, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. My mind raced, replaying every detail of that conversation. She'd asked me for a tour. She was interested. She wanted to know more about me.