DARK CHEMISTRY
The next morning, Lizzie woke up with her phone still warm against her pillow — the call still connected.
Daniel had fallen asleep too.
His soft breathing filled the quiet room.
She stared at the screen for a long moment, her heart squeezing painfully, before she finally whispered, "Bye…" and cut the call.
---
School
Lizzie walked through the school gates with a hollow feeling in her chest.
Her eyes were swollen, her steps slow. She kept telling herself:
He's in Poland now.
He won't walk into the classroom anymore.
He won't lean close to whisper the answers.
He won't be waiting for her after school.
Her stomach twisted.
Moana ran up to her.
"Lizzie! Did you hear? New chemistry teacher today. She's supposedly super strict—like, no jokes strict."
Lizzie forced a nod, but her voice barely came out.
"O-Okay…"
Inside the classroom, everyone quietly took their seats. Lizzie sat at her desk, her fingers fidgeting with her pen—nervous, sad, and still a little shaky.
The door opened.
A woman in a crisp white blouse and sharp glasses walked in. Her hair was tied in a tight bun, her expression unreadable.
She scanned the class with a steely gaze.
"Good morning," she said, her tone clipped. "I am Ms. Helena Kowalska, your new chemistry teacher. I do not tolerate talking, cheating, or tardiness. Understood?"
The students nodded quickly.
She began calling attendance.
When she reached Lizzie's name, her eyes narrowed—not cruelly, but sharply.
"Elizabeth Kim?"
Lizzie jolted up.
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
Ms. Helena studied her for a second longer than necessary, as if she noticed the puffiness in Lizzie's eyes, the exhaustion in her face.
"Next time, speak clearer," she said simply, moving on.
But Lizzie's heart wasn't in the room.
Every chemical formula written on the board blurred.
Every explanation faded before it reached her ears.
Her mind kept drifting back to last night, his voice whispering through the phone…
'I'll stay with you until you sleep.'
Her throat tightened.
She hadn't realized she was staring blankly at her notebook—completely lost—until a sharp voice cut through her thoughts.
"Elizabeth Kim."
Lizzie snapped up, startled.
Ms. Helena stood in front of her desk.
"You are not paying attention."
"S-Sorry— I wasn't— I—"
"This is not acceptable," the teacher said quietly but firmly. "If you are distracted, you stay after class. Understood?"
Lizzie's heart sank.
Daniel was gone, and now her chemistry teacher was a strict Polish woman who didn't even smile.
"Y-Yes, ma'am…"
Lizzie whispered, feeling even smaller.
Little did she know…
Ms. Helena wasn't just strict.
And this transfer wasn't random.
Daniel had told someone very specific to watch over Lizzie while he was away.
The bell rang.
Everyone rushed out of the classroom like they'd been released from prison.
But Lizzie stayed frozen in her seat, her hands cold, her throat dry.
Ms. Helena snapped her notebook shut.
"Elizabeth. Stay."
Lizzie swallowed hard.
Her legs felt shaky as she slowly approached the teacher's desk.
Ms. Helena didn't speak at first.
She simply studied Lizzie with those sharp, unreadable eyes — the kind that made you feel seen even when you didn't want to be.
Finally, she gestured to the chair in front of her desk.
"Sit."
Lizzie obeyed quietly, her fingers knotting together on her lap.
"You were mentally absent the entire class," Helena said. "Even the students in the last row were more attentive."
"I—I'm sorry… I just—"
Helena raised a hand, stopping her.
"You were crying last night."
Lizzie froze.
Her heart stopped.
Her breaths caught in her throat.
"W–What?" she whispered, stunned.
Helena leaned back slightly, crossing her arms.
"Your eyes are swollen. Your face is pale. Your hands are trembling. These are signs of crying for a long period of time."
A pause.
"And a lack of sleep."
Lizzie lowered her eyes in embarrassment.
"I just… wasn't feeling well."
But Helena didn't buy that.
She exhaled slowly, then reached into her coat pocket.
To Lizzie's shock, she placed a tiny chocolate bar on the desk.
"Eat this. Your blood sugar is low."
Lizzie blinked.
This strict woman… was being gentle?
Helena continued, her voice quieter now — almost cautious.
"You are Daniel's… favorite student. Yes?"
Lizzie jerked her head up, eyes widening.
"H-How—?!"
Helena gave a small smirk.
"Daniel and I trained together in Warsaw. He requested I look after one particular girl here. I assume that is you."
Lizzie's chest tightened so hard it hurt.
"H-He… asked you…?" she whispered.
"To make sure you don't break in his absence."
Lizzie's eyes filled instantly.
She covered her mouth to stop the sob from escaping.
Helena sighed softly — not annoyed, but almost protective.
"Do not cry again," she said gently. "He will call tonight. If he hears your voice shaking, he'll worry."
Lizzie's breath stopped.
"…He's calling again?"
Helena nodded.
"He told me to remind you to eat. Sleep. Study. And…"
Her gaze softened just a little.
"…not to hate him for leaving."
Lizzie broke.
But she didn't sob loudly.
She cried silently, her tears falling onto the chocolate wrapper.
Ms. Helena stood, walked around the desk, and placed a firm, steady hand on Lizzie's back.
"Breathe. You are not alone."
And for the first time since Daniel left, Lizzie felt something warm in her chest—
A thin thread of hope.
Lizzie walked out of school with her bag hanging loosely from one shoulder, steps slow and tired.
The sky was cloudy — that soft grey that matched exactly how she felt inside.
Moana ran up behind her.
"Lizzie! You okay? You look… kinda drained."
Lizzie forced a small smile.
"I'm fine. Just tired."
But Moana saw the truth. She didn't push, though.
She just squeezed Lizzie's arm gently.
"Get some rest today, okay?"
Lizzie nodded and walked home alone.
---
At Home
The front door closed with a soft click behind her.
Silence.
No voices.
No warmth.
Just the sound of her breathing.
She dropped her bag on the floor and walked straight to her room.
The moment she fell onto her bed, everything hit her again—
Daniel's voice from the last call.
His shaky breathing.
His whispered pleas:
"Don't cry… princess, please don't…"
Her eyes burned.
She buried her face into her pillow, hugging it tightly — wishing it was him.
Wishing she could smell his cologne again.
Wishing he didn't leave.
Just wishing.
Minutes passed. Maybe hours.
She didn't know.
Eventually, she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, her hand resting over her heart.
It hurt.
Physically hurt.
But then… a small thought flickered.
"He asked her to watch over me…
He asked someone to take care of me."
Her fingers curled slightly, a soft breath escaping her lips.
He didn't forget her.
He didn't cut her off.
He didn't disappear.
He was just far — not gone.
Her phone buzzed.
Lizzie immediately sat up.
Her heart jumped.
But it wasn't him.
It was Ms. Helena:
"Eat something. Daniel will be angry if you skip dinner."
Lizzie blinked at the screen, a small, tiny laugh escaping her lips.
She typed back:
"Okay… thank you."
Then she set her phone down beside her pillow.
The house was still silent… but it didn't feel as empty now.
She stood up slowly and walked to the kitchen, her legs still wobbly but her mind a little steadier.
She made herself a simple bowl of rice and kimchi — something warm, something comforting.
As she ate, she whispered softly to no one:
"Daniel… I'm trying. I promise I'm trying."
She finished her meal, washed her bowl, and went back to her room.
She curled up under her blanket, hugging it to her chest.
Her last thought before sleep tugged her under was simple…
"He said he'll call tonight."
And for the first time since he left—
Lizzie fell asleep with the smallest smile.
Lizzie's phone lit up beside her pillow.
Her heart stopped.
For a second she genuinely couldn't breathe.
The caller ID said:
Daniel Cegielski 💬 (Poland)
Her hands shook as she picked it up.
She swallowed hard, wiped her face quickly, and answered.
"D-Daniel…?"
There was silence for a moment on the other end — the soft sound of wind, maybe an open window, then his breath came through the speaker, warm and familiar.
"…Lizzie."
Her chest tightened instantly.
His voice was low, tired, and full of something that sounded like longing.
"I thought you'd be asleep," he whispered.
Lizzie hugged the blanket closer.
"I… I tried. But I kept waking up."
A soft exhale came through — almost like a sad smile.
"I couldn't sleep either."
Lizzie's voice wavered.
"You… you're supposed to be resting. You have classes tomorrow…"
He cut her off gently.
"I don't care. I can't sleep if I don't hear you."
Lizzie's breath hitched.
She didn't speak — she couldn't. Her throat tightened painfully.
Daniel heard the silence.
"…Lizzie? Are you crying again?"
"No— I just…" her voice cracked, exposing everything.
Daniel's breath wobbled.
Then his voice dropped into something fragile, broken:
"Don't lie. I know your breathing. You're crying."
Lizzie covered her mouth with her hand, tears spilling again.
"I'm— I'm sorry… I don't know how to stop…"
He inhaled shakily.
"That makes two of us."
Her eyes widened.
Then she heard it —
A small, muffled sound.
A shaky inhale.
A quiet, broken exhale.
He was crying.
"D-Daniel…?"
He tried to speak but his voice cracked.
"It hurts," he whispered. "Hearing you cry from thousands of miles away… it—"
A small choke.
"It's killing me."
Lizzie pressed the phone closer to her ear, tears falling faster.
"I miss you…"
"I miss you too," he whispered, voice trembling, "more than you know."
Silence followed — the soft kind, the kind where two hearts ache together.
Then Daniel spoke again, softer than a whisper:
"Don't cut the call."
Lizzie blinked away more tears.
"O-Okay…"
"Put the phone next to your pillow," he murmured. "I want to hear you breathe… I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."
Lizzie's heart could barely take it.
She laid the phone beside her head, curling into the blanket.
Daniel whispered,
"That's it… good girl."
Her breath caught.
His voice dropped to a tender murmur:
"Just breathe… let me stay with you… I'm right here."
Within minutes, Lizzie's breathing steadied.
Daniel listened, wiping the last of his own tears.
And in the quiet, miles apart but still together, he whispered so softly she almost didn't hear it:
"Don't leave me, Lizzie…"
The line stayed open.
Neither hung up.
They fell asleep together across countries —
breathing in sync.