Life According to Wyatt Smithers

The Academy

Breathe. Just breathe. I strolled past the iron gates that bordered the school. I thought I would be nervous, sweat dripping down my back. But I wasn't. I felt proud, I felt confident. Perhaps it was the clothes on me. They made my appearance that of a god.

Entering the building was like entering a place of confinement. Not only had our school shared the appearance of a prison but it also kept its students binded there for hours. Many saw this time differently. Some viewed it as torture, some believed it was an escape. I viewed school as a way to achieve so many things. Though not everyone knew school to be a place that could bear the most desirable fruit if one knew how to pluck it.

I examined the halls, searching for my lost companions as well as my secret loves. Yes, there were those who lingered here who made my day favorable just by gazing at them. A gift I did not possess. Suddenly, Helen Fleming came into view. She was a spirited girl who was not afraid to speak her mind, a trait I favored of her. As my speed quickened towards her I caught the eye of Leigh-Anne to my right. I continued to Helen and then hastened to Leigh-Anne.

I had missed them both, as I did everyone in our fellowship. However, Leigh-Anne and I shared a bond not easily broken. The North Hall became increasingly sinister. The walls were shadow and the lights flickering. But the company of my friends eased my thoughts. The cafeteria was nearly deserted, with the exception of a few bystanders and... Stanley Jones.

Stanley was a boy of golden hair, presumedly my age but I did not know for certain. He was quite confusing, at least in my mind. His jokes and words said one thing about him: he is a fool, perhaps charming and handsome but a fool nonetheless. However, I had caught a difference in his behavior when it came to what he took pride in. Him and I had once shared the construction class last semester. When he built things he was... different. He became serious, he became intellectual. It was unusual for I hadn't come across a person as complex as him.

Stanley drifted passed us, making a distracting comment about me. By then, our group had increased. Tiana and Jeremy were present. The benches in the cafeteria were still not set up. We then circled the campus in search of Fred and Derek who we didn't find until lunch. As the morning ended, I prepared for my first class of the day.