She was sitting in her usual spot in English class when Mr. Williams walked in looking pale and tired.

"Good morning, class," he said, coughing into his hand. "I'm afraid I'm not feeling well today, so we have a substitute teacher."

The door opened, and a young man walked in. He couldn't have been much older than nineteen, with kind eyes and a charming smile. He wrote his name on the board in neat handwriting.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm Mr. Aaron Blackwell. I graduated from this same school a little over a year ago."

Whispers were moving left, right and center around Lena, almost everyone around her seemed to recognize Aaron. She overheard them saying he was able to acquire jobs as a substitute teacher because his aunt owned the school and she also recommended him to other schools.

Lena felt something flutter in her chest. There was something different about him, maybe it was the way he carried himself, or the way he looked at each student like they mattered.

"I know substitute days can be boring," Aaron continued, "but let's make this interesting. Instead of just reading from your textbook, why don't you tell me what you are passionate about? What makes you excited to wake up in the morning?"

Almost everybody in the room hand was up. Aaron listened to each answer with sincere interest, nodding his head and asking follow-up questions. When it was Lena's turn, she didn't say a word.

"Lena?" he said, and the way he said her name made her heart skip not like the boys who drew it out or said it too loud to get attention. He said it like it was something precious.

"I... I want to be a doctor," she said quietly.

"That's wonderful. What kind of medicine interests you most?"

No one had ever asked her that before. "Pediatrics. I want to help children."

Aaron smiled, and it reached his eyes. "That's a beautiful goal. The world needs more people who want to heal others."

After class, as students left, Aaron called out, "Lena, could you stay for a moment?"

Her heart pounded as she approached his desk. Was she in trouble?

"I wanted to tell you," he said, gathering his papers, "that your essay on healthcare was exceptional. You have real insight for someone your age."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Keep working toward that dream. Don't let anyone tell you it's too hard or that you're too young to know what you want."

That afternoon, as Lena walked to her locker, she nearly bumped into Jaden Mitchell. He was three years her senior in school, tall and confident, with the kind of face and body that made girls giggle in the hallways.

"Hey, pretty girl," he said, leaning against the lockers. "I've been wanting to talk to you."

Lena felt her face heat up. Jaden was handsome - very handsome. The kind of boy who looked like he belonged in magazines.

"Hi," she managed to say.

"So I was thinking," he said, his voice smooth, "maybe we could hang out sometime. I could show you around town, take you somewhere nice."

Before she could answer, she saw Aaron walking down the hallway. He glanced their way, and for just a moment, their eyes met. Something passed between them, a look she couldn't quite understand.

"I... I have to go," she told Jaden, hurrying away.

But as she walked home that day, Lena couldn't stop thinking about both of them. Aaron, who saw her mind before her face. And Jaden, who made her feel beautiful and nervous all at once.

She was in deep trouble, and she knew it.