𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 [a rini au]

NINE

          Ricky was fortunate to have his first class of the day in an academic building right next to his dormitory. Davidson Hall was a structure just as ancient as the others, but Ricky felt it was fitting for the home of the English department. Walking through its intricate halls, soaking in the brick walls and support beams, Ricky felt like he was inside a Shakespeare play. His favorite lines from Hamlet swam through his mind as he checked each classroom's label. Room 321 was at the end of the main hallway, the first door before the giant glass windows that looked out on Stoneham.

          The boy clung to his backpack straps, nerves overtaking him as he mustered up the courage to enter the classroom. There were only a few wooden desks, all arranged in four, perfectly straight rows. Towards the front of the room yet angled off the to side was another larger desk, a middle-aged brunette woman with wisps of gray hair digging through one of its drawers. Ricky opted for a spot towards the middle of the classroom, most of the students already there taking up the back seats. To get settled in, he rummaged through his backpack and pulled out his black composition notebook, a pen, and his laptop. Ricky spread the items across his desk, fiddling with them until they were placed in positions that satisfied him.

          He flung his pen between his fingers as kids continued to filter into the classroom. Almost everyone entered in a pair, making Ricky want to crawl into a shell and never resurface. He was absentmindedly watching the teacher scribble AP Literature & Composition on the blackboard until someone plopped into the seat right in front of him. He leaned back in his seat a bit, surprised with his sudden obstruction of view.

          As if this new person's presence interrupted the teacher, the woman spun around and beamed. "Nina!" she cheered, placing her piece of chalk down and sliding over to the desk in front of Ricky's. The boy kept his head down as he eavesdropped, but he knew immediately by the name who the mystery student was.

          "Good morning, Ms. Sampson," the girl greeted, Ricky hearing the smile on her lips. "How was your summer?"

          "It was great, very relaxing," the teacher, Ms. Sampson, replied, leaning on the desk next to Nina's. "I'm happy I have you again this year! You know I love your thoughts."

          Nina chuckled with a blush Ricky could feel. "Thank you," she gushed, her backpack falling just in front of Ricky's desk. "I love your classes, so I'm excited to be here."

          "Happy to hear that. We should get started."

          Ricky hesitantly lifted his eyes once the clicking of Ms. Sampson's heels against the floor alerted him that the coast was clear. "Good morning, everyone," she announced with a clasp of her hands. All the white noise muted at the sound of her voice. She wore an authentic grin as she opened her arms to the class. "Welcome to AP Lit. I'm Ms. Sampson, and I'm really looking forward to this school year with all of you.

          "Of course, we'll be spending a lot of time preparing for the AP Exam in May, but the most important thing I want to convey to you all is that literature is a safe space. Here, we can share our ideas and feelings about writing without any judgement. I hope that we will learn from each other more than from the material itself."

          Ricky felt a comforting warmth from Ms. Sampson's introduction. Reading and writing were outlets for him. He was relieved that his teacher actually felt the same and wasn't horribly terrifying. "Now," she continued, walking towards the furthest row of desks, "since we'll be spending the whole year together, I would like for us to get to know one another. Just share your name, your hometown, and your favorite book. Grayson, you can start."

          Ricky's previously calm heart began pounding against his chest. As students introduced themselves, he could barely pay attention his mind was racing so fast. It was when the spotlight landed on Nina that he tried his best to focus on something other than his frazzled psyche. "Hi, guys," she opened, bright white teeth flashing. "I'm Nina, I'm from just outside of Highland, and my favorite book would have to be The Fault in Our Stars."

         The boy almost combusted when Nina turned her head to look at him. He knew that she was only indicating that it was his turn to go, but her deep chocolate eyes were enough to send him spiraling. He swore she could've worn a wig, because her dark locks were split into an undisrupted middle part just as they were yesterday. She looked full of life, and it made Ricky wish he had even an ounce of her captivating energy.

         Nina's thin eyebrows rose subtly, telling Ricky that he had been spacing out for too long. He cleared his throat quickly before looking around the room. "I'm Ricky, and I, uh, just transferred here from Utah," he was sporting an awkward, frog-faced smile by now. "It's not really a book but, uh, I love Hamlet. Anything by Shakespeare really. It's weird, I guess, but he's really insightful."

         If it were possible for Ms. Sampson's smile to get any more genuine, Ricky's answer facilitated just that. "That's great, Ricky," she remarked, Ricky's eyes falling. "Oh, and welcome to East Highland."

          When he looked up again to give Ms. Sampson a polite nod, he caught a glimpse of Nina's face. He could've sworn he saw her berry pink lips twitch upwards before she swung back around.