2. Further planning
Monday, 11:00 am
" Good morning Ma'am"
The swarm of students greeted Ilaria as they entered the art room and fill out the benches scattered around the room. Ilaria greeted them back with her heart-warming smile.
Today Ilaria wore a black off-the-shoulder blouse tucked in blue wide pants with simple black heels. Her hair was in a high ponytail with a few strands resting around her face.
Ilaria was liked by most of the teachers and students because of her personality and good looks.
"Good morning class. Would you guys like to guess what are we gonna draw today?" Ilaria asked her students looking around the room.
"Your beautiful self!" one of the students at the last table said as his friends and other classmates chuckled. Ilaria too smiled at this as she was used to her student's jokes.
"No Brian Williams, today you guys are gonna sketch or paint something or someone who is very dear to you. Something or someone you hold a special place in your heart." Ilaria explained to her pupils.
" So definitely you!" Brian again tried to flirt making the class bloom in laughter. Ilaria shook her head at this smiling.
"Ok enough joking around start your work. Brian, I'll be checking yours first. Alison keeps an eye on them, I have to talk to Mr.Johns about something. I'll be back in a few minutes."Ilaria pointed her finger at her as she saluted yet back.
All the students took out their appliances and got to work.
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Monday, 2:30 pm.
Ilaria walked back to her classroom after the lunch break to see her students murmuring to each other. Ilaria raised an eyebrow at them and walked further to her desk.
" Good afternoon ma'am." the crowd of students said looking a little down.
"Good afternoon lovelies, Did something happen?" Ilaria asked the student body.
The students looked at each other before one of the students at the front table asked, "Ma'am is it true that you are leaving the school?"
Ilaria scrunched her face in confusion and shook her head denying the rumor.
"No, I'm not. Who said that?" She asked her pupils. The same girl who asked the question at first answered, " Some boy said he heard you saying something about leaving in the principal's office." realization dawned on Ilaria's face as she realized what he heard.
"Oh that. I'm not leaving the school but I am taking a leave for a few days." Ilaria said to the class.
"Is everything okay Miss Preston?" Simon, at the middle table, asked.
"Yes everything is fine just me and my friends are going on a vacation." The students gave an 'oh' at her answer.
"Where are you planning to go, Miss Preston?"
another student asked her.
"oh, we're going to Thailand for a few days," Ilaria replied. The smiles on the students' faces widen as they collectively say, "THAILAND BABY"
Ilaria shook her head at them and continued.
"I'll be gone for the next week so please behave and don't pull any pranks on the substitute teachers." She warned her students.
"We'll try not to ma'am." Adam at the first table replied smiling mischievously as she shook her head at this as she as been doing since she started teaching.
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Monday, 5:00 pm.
"Dad I'm home!" Ilaria said entering their house, closing the door behind her, and hanging her key in the wall.
"In the kitchen Ria!" Peter replied from the kitchen. Ilaria walked further into the house and the kitchen to his father cutting some avocado for the salad wearing a 'The best dad in the world' apron.
Ilaria smiled seeing her dad's current state and walked up to her father to kiss him on the cheek and a back hug.
"How was your day sweetheart?" Peter asked his daughter.
"It was fun as usual. You know how kids in my class are." Ilaria said while popping a piece of carrot in her mouth.
"Oh! I know. Why don't you freshen up then we can eat and talk more about our day?" Peter asked as Ilaria nodded and walked up to her room.
Ilaria quickly freshened up and changed into a comfy pair of sweats and a black tank top. She looked at herself in the mirror one more time before jogging down the stairs to her father who was going through Netflix, with their food set on the coffee table in front of them.
They both got their food and started eating while watching another lovely episode of Friends.
"Did anything interesting happen, today dad?" Ilaria asked.
"well if you call giving two kids a filling then yes something interesting happened." Ilaria laughed a little at her father's response. Peter Preston was a dentist.
"Did you talk about your leave with your principal? Ilaria nodded her head.
" Yeah, I did. I asked for a week, next week. I'm so excited about the trip!" Ilaria exclaimed happily. Which her father was happy to see.
"I'm happy for you girls. You guys will finally be going out after so many years." Ilaria nodded her head thinking about how her friends surprised her the day before yesterday.
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4:00 pm, Saturday.
The girls slowly looked around the café to see a few tables giving them complaining looks as they sheepishly smiled and muttered an apology to them before celebrating silently.
"Wait, How is this happening?" Ilaria asked her friends.
"Well, we thought since we all have been working way too much and Your birthday is coming soon. Plus we haven't been able to spend more than 30 minutes together so I thought why not go on a trip. Just us three girls." Lori explained to Ilaria.
"And don't start worrying about the traveling expenses and other things we took care of it. This is our gift to you for your birthday." Janelle further explained seeing her friend's face.
"This is such an amazing thing guys but ill still feel bad if I didn't pay for anything, and I know it must gave cost a fortune," Ilaria explained her concern. To which her friends looked at each other.
"Well you don't have to feel bad you know we were 500$ short so we borrowed it from your account," Lori said smiling innocently at Ilaria who raised her eyebrow at her friend.
"I thought that was for the donation your hospital was collecting?" Ilaria questioned her friends.
"Well, we couldn't say the real reason could we now? it would have ruined the surprise." Janelle said rolling her eyes while smiling at her friend.
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Monday, 7:00 pm.
Ilaria once again sat in her art studio in front of the big window painting a beautiful sunset as some paint managed to stain her cheek and neck.
This was Ilaria Preston's routine. Wake up at night, paint, work, family, paint again, and repeat. But soon someone will come into her life and sabotage this little routine of hers.
☾︎ To Be Continued ☽︎