She hated math.
After finishing her lunch, Sofía checked the time and felt dread sink into her stomach. She had barely two minutes before the class she despised the most would begin. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she tossed the empty snack packets into a bin, stopped by the restroom to wash her hands, adjusted her clothes, and finally headed toward class.
She had delayed for a reason.
Lucía and Miguel were both in that class.
The moment she stepped inside, Miguel let out an obnoxious hoot but before Lucía could add her usual venom, the head of the school entered the room. Instantly, everyone rushed to their seats.
Caught off guard, Sofía slipped into the nearest empty chair right at the front rather than her usual spot at the back.
Great, she thought grimly.
"Good afternoon, class," the head announced. "I'm here to inform you about the sudden absence of Ms. Monica. She was involved in an accident last night."
A chorus of gasps rippled through the room. Guilt washed over Sofía in a heavy wave. She had wished selfishly not to see Ms. Monica today.
"Her ribs were fractured, and her left leg was broken," the head continued. "She's out of danger and currently hospitalized. It may take several months possibly more than a year before she can return to duty."
The students nodded solemnly.
"So," the head went on, "we have arranged for a substitute teacher to take her place. Let me introduce your new math teacher Mr. Fernando Ruiz."
The moment the name was spoken, a man walked into the classroom with slow, deliberate steps.
It felt as though the air had been punched from Sofía's lungs.
The man standing before them looked like anything but a teacher. He was tall easily six-two with broad, powerful shoulders. The taut outline of muscle showed clearly through his fitted shirt. His biceps were thick and defined, but it was the black ink trailing across his neck and hands that truly caught her attention.
Her gaze dropped unbidden to his Adam's apple, then traced the sharp line of his jaw, shadowed by a neatly trimmed black beard that gave him a rugged, dangerous edge. His lips were pressed into a thin, unreadable line. His nose was straight with a slight crook at the bridge, as though it had been broken once.
Then her breath hitched.
His eyes sharp, piercing green locked onto hers.
He was staring straight at her.
Sofía snapped her mouth shut and immediately dropped her gaze to her notebook, heart pounding.
This was the man from the Range Rover.
And unlike the other male teachers, he wasn't old. Not even close. He wasn't a boy either he was firmly, unmistakably a man.
"I'll leave the class to you, Mr. Ruiz," the head said before exiting.
The door closed.
"First and foremost," Mr. Ruiz said, his deep, rich voice carrying effortlessly through the room, "I don't like disturbances."
Sofía dared to glance around. Every student was staring at him just as openly as she had moments ago.
"Open your books," he ordered.
No one hesitated.
Mr. Ruiz strode to the whiteboard and began solving a problem. The sharp tap of the marker against the board echoed through the room, each strike hinting at either irritation or simply his nature.
"Eyes on the board," he snapped, his voice rising slightly.
The entire class flinched and obeyed instantly.
Tension hung thick in the air for the rest of the period. Sofía felt rigid, as if carved from wood. Sitting in the front row only made it worse. Every now and then, Mr. Ruiz's gaze would drift to her, and each time her nerves threatened to snap.
She had never missed her back seat more than she did today.
Lesson learned never sit in the first row.
The moment the bell rang, Sofía wasted no time. She hurried out of the classroom, heading straight to her next period but her mind stayed behind, tangled in green eyes and a commanding voice. She barely registered a thing during the entire class.
When the final bell rang, she bolted from the building.
While others went home to rest, Sofía had work to get to. She was relieved that Mateo and his friends didn't cross her path again after the morning incident.
As she passed the parking lot, her eyes drifted to the sleek black Range Rover, standing out like a dominant anaconda among small mice.
"One day," she whispered with a soft smile, "I'll buy you."
Twenty minutes later, she arrived at the small café where she worked. Jogging to the restroom, she quickly changed into her uniform and stashed her bag in the cabinet. When she stepped back out, Alfonso was waiting grinning from ear to ear.
"Guess what?" he asked, barely containing his excitement.
"What?" Sofía replied.
"I got selected for my school's soccer team!" Alfonso announced proudly.
Her face lit up instantly. She reached out and shook his hand, congratulating him warmly.
Alfonso grinned wider. "Your birthday's in a week, right? I'll treat you on your birthday."
Her smile softened into something genuine and bright. "I'd love that."
Instead of replying, Alfonso flicked her forehead with his finger.
"Ow!" Sofía groaned, rubbing the spot as he laughed and walked off to tend to the customers.
The audacity of that boy.
She headed into the kitchen, still rubbing her forehead, where Noelia stood preparing orders.
"You're late, Sofía," Noelia whispered so the owner wouldn't hear.
"I missed my first bus," Sofía replied apologetically.
Noelia nodded in understanding.
Noelia wasn't exactly a friend not yet. She'd only started working there a week ago. But aside from Alfonso, she was the only person who treated Sofía with quiet kindness.
And for now, that was enough.