The Ap Calculus teacher

Winooski Vermont

"Bronx!" My mother's voice booms through the now-empty house. "I'm coming!" I scream back, my voice in a tone she's never heard before.

"Give her a break, she doesn't want this either." My brother wraps his arm around me as we stare at my empty bedroom. "We shouldn't have to." "Hey, we'll be fine?" "We'll? You're staying here!" I snap and Dad snaps his fingers. "Let's not do this right now, we gotta go Bronx." I grab my bag and hurry down the stairs.

I brush past my mom and throw my bag into the car and slid in next to it. They join me and my brother stands outside the house waving us off.

"Bronx?" I look up at my mom and she smiles, "This will be good, I promise. All your old friends are there it's gonna be good." "What if I don't want my old friends? Will it be good then?" She sighs and looks at my dad. "Hun it's a small town everyone will remember you, you'll fit in perfectly." "I haven't seen them since fifth grade. Everyone has changed immensely, so probably not gonna fit in in this small Vermont town I barely remember. Especially with the fact that we've lived in Cali for five years."

I slide my headphones in, turn the volume to the highest level, and lean against the cold window. My phone vibrates repeatedly in my lap from friends wishing me luck and telling me they'll miss me. Which is all bull shit. I give it a month before they stop reaching out. My mom brings her hand back rubbing my leg and I roll my eyes and then close them to sleep through this painfully long drive. We'll go as far as we can, find a hotel and do the same thing for two more days.

I was born in Winooski Vermont, my parents went college near there met, fell in love, had two kids, then eleven years later moved us across the county to Santa Clarita, where I loved. The housing, the schools, the style, the weather, everything fucking perfect. But they wanted to go back home, Dad got a job at his old firm taking head lawyer with a chance to become judge within the next few years. Mom would be working at the old hospital as a lead surgeon and they'd be happy being back with their friends. They think it'll be good for me because I've always been a "troubled" kid. Compared to the people I knew I was the best behaved, I went to school and did my work, just was never sober while there. They think this place will bring me back to the sweet innocent kid, but I plan to raise hell.

New House

Skip all the fights and silent cards played for those two days, we're at our new house. It's quite impressive actually, live on a lake and it's bigger than our old house. Confusing considering the fact they left one kid back home. We shipped things pretty early on to get the basic furniture in the house set up so we could move in right away. My parents plan to hire staff to set up the rest of the house so they can go to work immediately. It'll be my job to instruct them on shit since I'll be home alone most of the time.

I look around the house briefly before throwing my bag into the room they assigned me, which suits me well. "Bronx can you come grab this box for your room!" My dad yells and I head downstairs seeing one of my childhood best friends talking to my dad.

I rush into Cam's arms and he hugs me tight. "Didn't think you missed me that much." He says with a chuckle before letting go.

Cameron is the only person I kept in touch with after the move. We were neighbors back before I moved and even if I had stayed here we would've gone to different schools. His parents sent him off to a private school and I would've attended the local public one. I believe we would've stayed friends, we both get into illegal shit now, and caught up when he followed my insta and commented on a picture of me and my friends smoking on a rooftop. He's a football star and has no chance of getting kicked out of the school, so he's also open about what he does.

"Of course I did." "Good, what are we getting into tonight?" He asks looking around the house. I wink and grab the box then pull him upstairs with me.

"So you excited to be back?" He asks cutting open a box. "Fuck no," I say with a laugh and open my backpack pulling out a pen. "God, I've been dry for days." He groans and I hit it once before handing it to him. "Shits strong so be careful." He smiles and begins ripping it.

"So where you going?" "Winooski high," I chuckle and he rolls his eyes. "Awe that sucks, shits gone downhill." "When was it not downhill, in this shit-ass town." He smiles and tosses the pen back to me. "So what's the plan for the night? I know Tabby wants to see you." "The fuck? She can see me at school, I'm not making a special trip to the other side of town for her after being in a car for three days." "Woah," "No it's fucked, no one kept in contact with me and now that I'm back they wanna see me. They'll see me when I start school."

He shakes his head, "I'm glad you are not miss stuck up anymore." "God aren't we all? But I got DMT if you wanna spend the night and watch some shit and eat." "You got California DMT?" I nod my head and he sighs happily, "Of course I will stay the night."

He helps me unpack for a little over an hour before leaving and heading to weight lifting. I continue the process for a little longer before getting violently high and passing out.

"Wake your bitch ass up." The bed jolts and I open my eyes to see Cam. "God damn," I say rubbing my eyes and looking at my phone. "Yeah bitch it's 9:30, times later here." I groan and sit up chugging the water I had on my side table.

"I need time to wake up before we take this trip." "No for sure, whatchu wanna do while you wake up?" "Do you have anything tomorrow morning?" "It's Sunday so no." "Wanna trip tomorrow and go hiking?" "You are a genius." I smile and push him off the bed so the covers aren't taunted. "God my bad. Am I staying?" He ask confused after I pat the bed. "I mean do you wanna go home on a Saturday night?" He looks at me with a devilish smile, "We could always throw our keys in the bowl." "Oh fuck you. Pick something to watch."

I say looking through my notifications and turning to the other side so I can lay on his chest. "Aye, weirdo don't get too comfortable." "I'm providing you with drugs, shut up." He runs his hands through my hair as he looks through shows and movies.

I remember my mom coming up to check on us when we were watching criminal minds but now we're at the end of a movie that I don't ever remember being turned on. "Morning sleepy head." I roll my eyes and sit up out of his grasp. "What time is it?" "About one thirty"

I groan and stretch my arms above my head, "You hungry?" I ask and he nods, "What sounds good?" "You," He says looking me up and down. "Fuck off, I'm going to the gas station to get shit so what do you want?" "Can I come with?" "If you stop trying to get in my pants yeah." "Deal."

We walk back into the house and my mom looks at us strangely. "Why are you up?" I ask and she scratches her head. "Could ask you the same thing." She grabs her cup and walks back to her room. "Please open windows if you're smoking tonight." She yells as she shuts the door.

Cam and I look at each other and walk back to my room, emptying our bags onto the bed and opening our drinks. He goes to hand me the pen and I shake my head. "I'm way too fucked up." He chuckles and turns it off.