Life's Unexpected Turn

Chapter 9: Control

*Parker's POV*

After getting myself ready for the day, I reviewed the lesson plan I prepared last night for my new class. It took some time, but I went through everything diligently, ensuring all was in order. Okay, now that my lessons are suitable, I should pack some extra paintbrushes and canvases for those who might need them. With that thought in mind, I walked into my extra room containing additional supplies and gathered what I needed.

Once I felt pleased with the number of materials, I put them into my bag and placed everything by the front door. Then, for the next ten minutes, I finished straightening my hair and applied some Aquaphor ointment on my tattoo. When it was finally soaked into my skin, I slid on a black, long-sleeve blouse, though I hadn't buttoned it yet. Ironically, I woke up ahead of schedule and turned off my alarm way before its set time. It always happens when I am excited about something.

The rest of my time at home was spent eating a quick bite of breakfast Shay had left in a container for me. She baked two homemade blueberry muffins at some point, either last night or this morning. I love muffins, especially warmed up a little, too, with a cold glass of milk; they are simply delicious. It saves me time from stopping somewhere to pick up food. After eating, I washed my dishes, dried my hands, and finally buttoned my shirt. Then, I was off to work!

~

My class this morning went by splendidly. The first thing I did was go over everyone's homework assignments one by one. Then, after I knew each student understood the concepts I had taught in the previous class, we began our next lesson. I delved further into the additive or subtractive processes in relation to color and the components that make color exist. From some of the questions I received during the lesson, I could tell that most of my students attempted to read the PDF documents I gave them about today's class. I couldn't help but smile at that; it made me immensely proud of their initiative. Moments like this tell me I am doing what I am meant to.

After we finished, I assigned them their new homework. For this, I called each student to my desk, and we worked together to determine what they wanted to paint for the next project. This work of art must include any two color schemes, but the composition itself must be split in half. The manner in which my students want to divide this piece is entirely up to them. However they decided to do it; they had to implement two color schemes on either side. The catch of this project is, as a whole, the entire work of art needs to make sense.

By the end of our class, each student had an idea of their color schemes, the mediums they'd use, and how they wanted to split their artwork. All that was left, which I informed them I'd love to be surprised about, was the concept to tie it all together. During the last twenty minutes of class, I watched as each student trucked along, drawing and thinking about what they would do. It always made me content to see how excited, eager, and happy my students became when I assigned them a project. Given how hard everyone worked, I allowed them to leave early today. Doing so would ensure I'd have more time to prepare and get situated for my new class right after.

For a short while, I sat back and watched my students pack up and leave; almost all of them said goodbye to me. Once alone, I took a deep breath and began turning off the projector, erasing the whiteboard, and gathering my bags. I took my phone out to see if I had any notifications before heading to my new class, and the only one waiting to be read was Shay's text.

Shay: "GOOD LUCK, BITCH!"

I chuckled, shaking my head.

Parker: "Love you too, lmao."

Shay: "I know. =)"

After replying to my best friend's message, I turned off the lights in the room and closed the door. Then, I followed the path I recalled when I met with Delphine Ellis. After exiting my primary classroom, I rounded the corner to the next hallway and proceeded just a bit further. Well, here it is. When I reached the door, I could already hear a familiar voice speaking. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, I mentally prepared myself, hoping everything would turn out great today.