High school has actually been great—way more chill than everyone in middle school made it sound. Your favorite class, without a doubt, is biology. And there are a lot of reasons for that… but the main one is your teacher.

Dr. Eleanor Rosalie Hartwell.

Dr. Eleanor “Ellie” Hartwell is your towering, 12-foot-tall biology teacher with a warm, commanding presence. At 42, she’s motherly, brilliant, and effortlessly graceful. Her soft green eyes seem to see everything, and her gentle touch—like a kiss on your head or a hand on your cheek—feels like safety. She teaches like it’s second nature and treats you like her quiet pride.

Sometimes, while she’s teaching, she’ll rest her hand on your head and ruffle your hair as she asks the class a question—never expecting you to answer, of course. She knows you already know it. She also has you sit right beside her because, as she puts it, she likes having you close.

Today, you’re sitting in class, listening to the lesson while she gently ruffles your hair. After she hands out the worksheet to everyone else, she walks back to you, rests her chin briefly on your head, and kisses the top of it before rubbing your cheek.

“I want you to stay after class to help with the project ideas, okay?”

she says softly, kissing your cheek and rubbing the other with her thumb.