And Then I Met My Teacher

My alarm went off and I rolled over, looking for the snooze button. I slowly opened my eyes, only to discover that I was still in this room I hated, in this city I hated, in this country I hated. About a month ago, my dad had been shot on our property, and so my mom decided that she "wasn't feeling safe in Belleville anymore" and that we had to move. When she said ''moving'', I thought she meant somewhere else in Jersey. Turns out she had done some thorough research and that Montreal happened to be one of the safest cities in North America. So that's what brought us here, in Canada, where the mid-October air is so cold it hurts your face.

Not only was it about -22ºF in the Winter, but the main language here was not even English. It was French. A language that not me, nor my mom, spoke. But the worst part was that the Canadian school system was completely different. Here, because I was 17, soon to be 18, high school was over. I had to go to another type of school called CEGEP, which came after high school and before university. Basically, it was like a transition school where students got to explore the field that they were interested in before committing to it in college. Long story short, I wouldn't get to go to prom, or to be a senior. I would just be that random new kid in an English CEGEP downtown Montreal.

School was scheduled to start this morning, but I wasn't planning on going. I sat in bed and turned on my Playstation. I just wanted to play video games and be left alone. I had no interest in going to this random school with a bunch of kids I didn't know. I missed my friends and I missed Belleville. My mom said I would make new friends, but I didn't want to make new friends.

I was really into my gaming session when I heard my bedroom door being swung open. I turned away from the screen, only to see my mom standing in the doorway, obviously angry.
''What are you doing?! Your first class starts in 20 minutes and you're not even dressed!'' She yelled.
''I am not going.''
''What do you mean you're not going?! This isn't optional, Frank! You're going!''
''No", I answered casually, as if I couldn't hear the anger in her tone.
''Frank Iero Jr. you are going to get out of that bed right now and get ready for school. Am I making myself clear?!''
''Make me.'' I said arrogantly.

She entered the room and started walking towards my Playstation. Shit. She unplugged it, grabbed it aggressively and made her way back to the door frame. She turned around and looked at me.
''Now, you're going to go to school before I decide to throw it away", She yelled.

I was boiling with anger. I had to move here because SHE wasn't feeling safe in Belleville anymore. I had to say goodbye to all my friends, miss out on my prom and senior year, move to a new country, and go to a new school. All of that only for her. I wasn't scared of Belleville! SHE was! And now, she was giving me shit because I wasn't motivated enough to go to school?

''Get out of my room'' I said calmly, trying to hold myself together.
''You are not going to tell me what to do in my own hou-''
''Get the fuck out of my room!'' I shouted. I saw her expression change. She seemed shocked. I had never talked to her that way before, but this was just too much.
''Fine. No Playstation, or any type of video games for two weeks. Now get ready, you're late'', She said coldly before slamming the door.

I opened one of my boxes, searching for clothes. I found an old band shirt and some skinny jeans. I got dressed quickly and I grabbed my empty bag. I shoved a pile of loose-leaf sheets and two pencils in it, and got out of my room. I didn't even know where to go. I saw my mom putting away the dishes in the new kitchen.
''Where is it?'' I asked coldly.
''Where is what?'' She answered on the same tone.
"Where is the school?" I asked impatiently.
"You take the subway and get off at Atwater."
''And where do I take the subway?''
''I don't know, Frank. Look it up. I'm not your maid,'' She snapped.

I left the apartment, making sure to slam the door loud enough for her to hear. I looked up the itinerary on my phone.
"Great, a solid 40 minutes of public transportation", I mumbled to myself.

It was the middle of September and it was about 39ºF outside. I had left too quickly and forgot to grab a jacket on my way out. I started walking a lot faster than usual, trying to avoid staying in the cold for too long. I was looking down because the strong wind was blowing all sorts of dust into my eyes. I could barely see where I was going. I was almost running when a guy carrying a ridiculously big cup of water bumped into me and spilled the whole thing on my pants. He apologized quickly and and kept walking. Great. Now, not only was I late for class, but I was also soaking wet. When I finally arrived and saw the school, my heart skipped a beat. It was an enormous building separated in four different wings. I looked at the map to see which one I had to go to.

Wing A: Pure and Applied Sciences
Wing B: Social Sciences
Wing C: Professional Techniques
Wing D: Arts

I was definitely going the D wing, but then again, there were different floors. This school was way too big. I looked at the map for the second time. The different floors were separated by programs.

WING D
1st floor: Studio Arts
2nd floor: Music
3rd floor: Languages
4th floor: Visual Arts
5th floor: Literature
6th floor: Cafeteria and Administration

I didn't even know what program I was in and I had no schedule since my mom had signed me up all by herself, without consulting me. I told her I wanted to go into the music program but, she said it was already full. She told me she had chosen something else and that I could switch programs next semester. I went to the 6th floor and looked for the administration desk, which I found pretty easily. The lady sitting behind the desk gave me a warm smile.
''Can I help you?'' She asked. She looked like she genuinely wanted to help.
''Yes, huh, I am actually new here and it's my first day. I'm not really sure where I am supposed to go.'' I said.

She laughed a little and asked for my name. She then typed it into the computer, looking for my file. She found my schedule right away and printed it out for me. I thanked her politely and took a look at the paper. CEGEP was definitely closer to college than to high school. You had various classes, all related to your program, and different breaks throughout the day. It wasn't a fixed schedule like I had gotten used to in High School. For example, on Fridays, my first class was only at 11:00 AM. But then on Tuesdays, my last class ended at 6:00 PM.

I looked at the clock. It was already 11:00 AM and I had missed my first class, but I was 30 minutes early for my next one. The course title: Renaissance to Contemporary & Modern Art. I scanned through the top of the page, looking for my program. When I finally found it, I instantly regretted telling my mom she could chose. Visual Arts. Seriously? I couldn't even draw a good flower. How was going to survive in Visual Arts? I looked at the lady behind the desk with a desperate look on my face.
''Is there any way I could change my program for something else?'' I asked.
''I'm really sorry, but it's too late for that. All our programs are already full. You can reapply next Fall”, She said, apologetic. I thanked her anyway and left the administration office completely dispirited.

I decided to go straight to my next class. It's not like I had anything better to do, I didn't know anyone. I made it to the classroom with my wet pants rubbing against my now irritated skin. I couldn't wait to sit down. The classroom was empty. I put my bag down, next to a random seat, and checked my phone. No texts. I heard a noise coming from the back closet

''Fucking shit'', someone grunted.
I turned around to see who the voice belonged to and I saw a tallish, black haired man walking out of the small closet with a projector in his hands. He must have been in his late twenties. The projector looked really heavy and hard to carry. He seemed to be all out of breath from the heavy lifting.

''Do you need help with that?'' I asked. He jumped and dropped the projector on the floor. It made a loud crashing sound and shattered into several pieces.
''Well, not anymore", He said, helplessly staring at the broken object on the ground.
''I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you", I said apologetically.
''It's alright, I just didn't hear you coming in.” He said, scratching the back of his neck, still staring at the projector. “Are you one of my students?'' He asked as he stopped looking at the floor and glanced at me. He had beautiful eyes. I couldn't quite tell if they were hazel or green. His skin was fair and flawless and his jet black hair was slightly falling into his face. He was particularly good looking.
''Yes. It's my first day actually. I just moved here.'' I said, a little insecure.
''Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Mr. Way.''

Notes

Okay so I know the first chapter is kind of boring but it's only a way to introduce the story :)

rate/suscribe/comment please! I want to hear what you think!

xx
T.