September 5, 2020
West Seattle High School
"Are you kidding me? Rain on the first day of school? Really?" The half-empty classroom was full of the sounds of friends getting back together for the first time since summer. Students were still making their way in, goofing around in the halls while Abby plugged a hair iron into an outlet in the wall by her desk.
"What'd'ya expect?" Alex sat down next to her, setting down a black helmet on top of the desk and taking off her backpack. "That's Washington for ya." She smiled through the lolipop in her mouth. "Morning, Abby."
"Aaaah!" Abby gave a sound of excitement. "Good morning Alex!" She hugged her without warning. "I missed you!"
"Dude, you saw me yesterday. You made me watch while you did your hair, remember," Alex finished, frowning.
"I know, I'm just kind of excited. I heard there's supposed to be this new guy who just moved here over the summer, and he's supposed to be a real cutie." Her expression changed. "HEY, WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN? I didn't make you do anything! If it's such a chore hanging out with me, then why don't you go sit over there!"
"Alright, calm down," Alex laughed. "I'm just joking."
"What a pain," Abby sighed. "I spent all yesterday getting it this platinum blonde color, and all morning straightening it, just for it to rain. Now look at it!" She grunted with frustration, trying to beat her hair back into submission with the hot iron. She looked dully at the black full-face helmet on Alex's desk, then at Alex's ruffled black bob cut. Abby made a disturbed look. "You don't even care, do you?"
"Hey guys," a blonde pretty boy sat down next to them.
"Hey Cam," they said in unison. The boy had a bruise on his cheek, and some scratches on his face. Despite his somewhat feminine appearance, he had the look of a delinquent about him. It was only a moment before a swarm of the class' girls flocked around him.
"Hi Cameron!"
"Did you get in a fight?"
"What happened?"
"Wow, you're so strong."
Abby and Alex were deadpan, shivering with annoyance. "Don't they know," Alex started. "He's a total dork?" Abby finished.
"Why is he so popular?!" Abby shouted quietly.
"'Cause he's pretty?" Alex guessed.
"Yeah, well I'm pretty too and I don't get half the attention he does!" She protested.
"Ehh," Alex shrugged nervously. "I don't know."
"So," Cameron butted in, the crowd around him dispersing. "Any sign of the new guy yet? I think he's supposed to be in this class."
"Really?" Abby asked. "We haven't seen anyone that stands out." She turned her attention to the front of the room. "Ugh," she grunted, changing the subject. "I can't believe we have math first period."
"Speaking of," Alex said, looking at the 'Class of 2021' written in pink marker on the whiteboard. "Where the hell's the teacher, anyway?" The classroom was nearly full now, and there was still no sign of him. As if on queue, the door slammed open.
"WELCOME BACK, WILDCATS!"
Alex and Abby sat frozen, looks of horror on their faces. "WHAT?" They shouted in unison. "BUT YOU'RE A GYM TEACHER!" Not only that, he was Alex's dad.
"Haha! That's right!" He said "But I finally finished my degree, and now I can teach my true passion! Calculus!"
"I thought your true passion was basketball," Alex said, gritting her teeth.
"A man can't have two passions? I'm a passionate guy!"
"We don't wanna hear about it!"
Alex's protests were drown out by a chorus of excited students.
"Whoa!"
"Holy crap!"
"Mr. Lee's our teacher!"
"I didn't know Mr. Lee was Alex's dad!"
"Mr. Lee, wassup!"
"Yoooooo!"
"This year's gonna rock!"
"HE'S NOT EVEN THAT COOL!" Alex shouted in frustration. No one seemed to listen. Mr. Lee had been voted most popular teacher at West Seattle High eleven years in a row. The student body loved him, and the athletes practically worshipped him. Alex couldn't possibly understand how. He'd been the bane of her high school career, and she'd avoided him like the plague.
"Haha, alright," Mr. Lee laughed. "Settle down class. Now, let's get started on this syllabus. Mr. O'Connor, you wanna help me pass these around?"
"Sure thing, Mr. Lee," Cameron answered.
Alex sat tense at her desk. She could feel her eye twitching from embarassment. Just one more year, just one more year, just one more year...
Bookmarks