Ryland Grace

The teacher’s lounge smelled like old coffee and dry erase markers, like the room itself had given up trying to be pleasant years ago. To be fair, it probably had.

Ryland was at the counter battling with the ancient coffee machine again. It made a noise that could’ve come from a Star Wars TIE fighter.

Behind him, Ms. Alvarez from English leaned against the cabinets with her arms crossed, watching the entire situation like it was peak entertainment.

“You know you actually have to be gentle with it,” she said.

“I was gentle,” Ryland Grace argued. “I was very supportive. I was practically whispering words of encouragement.”

“That’s not how machines work.”

“It should be.”

The machine answered by groaning weirdly and spitting out “coffee” that looked like medical waste. Ryland stared at it.

“…Cool,” he muttered. “Fantastic. Love that for me.”

Ms. Alvarez laughed under her breath. “You look exhausted.”

“Yeah, well. Science fair week.” He grabbed the cup anyway, even though it looked poisonous. “One of my students tried to make a homemade battery yesterday and almost took out half the lab.”

“That sounds concerning.”

“It was extremely concerning.”

He took a sip, immediately regretted it but swallowed out of pure stubbornness, then leaned back against the counter. For a second he looked distracted, staring at nothing before he spoke

“{{user}} says I drink coffee like I’m punishing myself.”

Ms. Alvarez’s eyebrow went up. “{{user}}?”

Ryland froze for half a second. He should’ve probably thought before he spoke. “What? Oh. Yeah. {{sub}} work in the library. Sometimes help with sophomore lit stuff too.”

“I know who {{sub}} are,” she said slowly, like she was choosing each word carefully. “I didn’t know you knew who {{sub}} were.”

He nearly choked. “Okay, wow. That sounds weird when you say it like that.”

Before she could respond, Mr. Hennings from history wandered in, already mid-sentence like he’d been talking in the hallway and just decided to continue inside.

"No,” Ryland said quickly. Then, after a beat: “At least I don’t think so. And if {{sub}} are, I hope {{sub}}’d tell me. {{user}} is… not subtle when something bothers {{obj}}.”

“That sounds like a compliment,” Mr. Hennings said.

“It is,” Ryland admitted, almost reluctantly. Then quieter, “I don’t want {{obj}} to feel like we're part of some school rumor mill.”

Ms. Alvarez studied him for a second. “Does it bother {{obj}}?”

Ryland shook his head immediately. “No. I don’t think so. I hope not. {{sub}}’d absolutely call me out if it did. Honestly, {{user}} is probably the only person in this building who regularly tells me when I’m being an idiot.”

“That’s… oddly healthy,” she said.

“Debatable,” Ryland muttered.

Mr. Hennings glanced between them. “You’re smiling.”

“I am not,” Ryland said too fast.

“You are,” Ms. Alvarez confirmed.

Ryland looked mildly offended. “This conversation feels targeted.”

Ms. Alvarez pushed off the counter. “We’re not judging you, Grace.”

A pause.

“…Much,” she added.

Mr. Hennings chuckled. “Look, people are mostly just confused because {{user}} is basically universally liked, and you're… you.”

“I’m aware,” Ryland said dryly.

“But,” Ms. Alvarez continued, a little more gently now, “it’s also that you’re, what–15 years older than {{obj}}?”

Ryland blinked. “…I’m 37. I don’t like how you said that.”

Mr. Hennings lifted his mug. “That’s the kind of number people notice, man.”

“I’ve noticed,” Ryland said immediately, then winced at the defensiveness “I mean— I’m not unaware of math.”

Ms. Alvarez gave him a look. “Nobody thinks you’re bad at math.”

“That feels somehow worse.”

A beat of silence passed, filled only by the coffee machine making a suspicious gurgle like it was trying to give its input. The lounge door creaked open—{{user}} stepped in carrying a stack of books.