I stand before the entrance to my English class, questioning my decision to take this course. As I cautiously push the door open, I'm greeted by the sight of Mike and Lollie seated at the back of the classroom. It suddenly dawns on me that they are the reason I ended up in this class. I make my way over to them. Lollie is engrossed in her phone, while Mike glances up from his textbook as I approach. I can't help but smile as I sling my backpack over my shoulder and walk towards him.
"Hey man, what boring material are you reading?" I tease, pushing the book against Mike's chest and peering at the cover. I can't believe my eyes when I see that he's actually reading Shakespeare. Mike, who never seems to study, is reading Shakespeare!
I playfully place my hand on his forehead and furrow my brow.
"Are you feeling okay?"
Mike swats my hand away and hastily closes the textbook, placing it between himself and Lollie before turning to me, propping his legs up on the desk.
"It's the Shakespeare test today," he says, his voice serious.
I struggle to maintain a serious expression as I look at Mike, feeling my face twitch with the effort not to burst into laughter. I grab my water bottle from the side pocket of my backpack. I take a sip whilst trying to compose myself, but the laughter escapes. Water sprays onto Mike's face, and I continue laughing uncontrollably as he shouts my name in exasperation.
Mike jumps up from his desk, and Lollie, who had been observing the exchange, chuckles at the scene.
"That's what you get for trying to be a nerd," she teases, swinging her legs off the desk and sitting down on the chair. Meanwhile, Mike continues to glare at me.
Just then, our English tutor enters the room. He's dressed in a brown suit, a white and maroon checkered shirt, and a maroon bow tie, with his glasses perched comfortably on the bridge of his nose. Reacting quickly, Mike and I grab our chairs, toss our backpacks under the desk, and sit down, turning our attention to the front of the room.
As our tutor opens his briefcase and starts distributing papers, I feel an uneasy wave wash over me. When he slams the papers down in front of me, I jump slightly, meeting his gaze as he leans in. The stale coffee on his breath makes me recoil.
"Make sure you pass this one, Eden," he whispers as he stands upright and continues placing papers onto other students' desks. I take a deep breath and slowly exhale. Mr. Ferguson is an absolute a-hole. I've never really disliked a teacher until I met this prick. I'm not the type of guy to say this, but I would love to punch him in the face right now.
He sits behind his desk, pushing his chair back, and eyes me with that smirk of his.
"Ok, class, you may start your quiz. Remember, no phones, talking, or cheating."
I start the quiz, knowing I'll probably fail. But who cares? I haven't even studied for this. I scan around the room, and everyone has their head down, focused on their papers. I glance at mine—blank. I reach into my backpack for a pen, grab one, and sit up. I'm just going to write whatever comes to mind that relates to Shakespeare.
The room is silent, so quiet that the ticking of the clock is the only sound I hear. I nervously bite down on the end of my pen, struggling against the mental block. My eyes drift to the clock above Mr. Ferguson's desk. Thirty minutes in. I shift my gaze back to Mr. Ferguson, and for some reason, his eyes feel like they're boring into me. I quickly avert my eyes back to the paper, pretending to write.
More time passes. I've forgotten to check the clock. Suddenly, the bell rings, signaling the end of class. Mike, Lollie, and I hastily gather our belongings and head out of the classroom. The chatter of students fills the hallways as we make our way to my locker. Lollie follows closely behind as I unzip my backpack and stow away my English books.
Lollie leans against the locker next to mine. "What lesson do you have next?"
"Sports. Two periods of it. Then it's back to English... not looking forward to it," I reply with a sigh.
Lollie chuckles. Suddenly, Mike joins us, wrapping his arms around her. With a playful smile, he teases, "You're so going to fail English, dude."
I slam my locker shut, offering a sarcastic smile. As I zip up my backpack and sling it over my shoulder, I retort, "I only picked English to stay with you guys. I could've just done five lessons of Sport education." I grin slightly.
The college day comes to an end as the final bell rings. I quickly make my way toward the entrance, maneuvering through the sea of students to meet Mike and Lollie by the gates. After sending a quick message to my dad, I spot them emerging from the main doors. I wave them over.
Mike bounds over with excitement. "Finally, done, finished... GONE!"
I smile. "Yes, finally! A new chapter awaits!"
Lollie playfully jumps on my back, then off again, and we all share a laugh. But then the thought hits me—Mum's birthday. The smile fades from my face.
"I'm going straight home tonight, guys," I say reluctantly. "I'll see you tomorrow at 9."
They watch me as I walk away. I get onto the bus and take a seat. The bus ride feels too long, I can't wait to get home.