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"Welcome to PreCal," the teacher announced.
I shyly ducked my head down as he surveyed the class, squinting through his piss-yellow wire frames.
"I hope we can all come to enjoy one another's presence in the name of mathematics. This course is a simple prerequisite if you plan on attending college or a university. If not, it helps with higher brain functioning and problem solving skills. This class is not useless, and I am here as your teacher to prove that to you whilst also making it enjoyable."
This shit finna be boring as hell.
"Now, I want you guys to look over to your right, if no one's to your right, raise your hand, I'll come over to you. For those who do have someone to your right, that's your buddy for the year. Whenever you're not present or when you need help with something, you go to them first, then me. Wave at them and go ahead and introduce yourselves. Get their number or whatever you kiddos do nowadays," the teacher grinned.
Yeah, teacher fun was definitely different than kid fun.
I looked over to my right, and gave the girl a half assed wave. "I'm Linda," she introduced herself, "Do you want my IG or my number?" she asked.
I shrugged, "It don't make."
"What's your name?" she asked tentatively.
"Ora," I left it at that.
Everybody remembered Orabella. Maybe I had a chance at some sort of sanity with just saying my name was Ora.
"Here, type in your number," she handed me her phone. I typed my shit in, handing her the phone back. "First year here? You don't look too familiar," she studied me. I shrugged again, keeping my words brief, "Somewhat new."
"I'm gonna call role," the teacher announced.
I gave the girl a small smile as I got up and went up to the teacher's desk. The classroom was full of desks in rows, and old carpet beneath our feet. Big windows that overlooked the giant US flag waving at us from outside where the sun still beat down at. I stood in front of Mr. Reeves until he looked up.
He was a Black man, coarse black beard and a buff build like he had been someone athletic before he became a teacher- or possibly still was. His dark skin had small black moles on it and his eyes were the same color. He had his hair cut real low, only tiny prickles of hair across it. "Can I help you?"
"I'd like it if you just called my nickname out when you did role, please? It's Ora."
"Okay, I can do that," he instantly agreed.
Hopefully nobody would recognize my last name paired with it. I knew he had to say my full name, right? I asked him about that, and he said no, that he could just call out role using nicknames or first names, if that made me feel more comfortable.
I was asking all of this from him for a reason, wait and see.
"Thanks, sir," I nodded, going to sit back down.
"What do you think 'bout the teacher? You think he look like he gives a lot of work?" Linda asked me curiously, as soon as I sat back down.
I shrugged, "If he do, he seem like he'd be good at teachin' it."
"Math's easy for me, it's just the tests really," she shrugged too. I laughed a little, sitting back down, "I wish that was my only worry academically."
"'Bout to call role," the teacher said. "Amy?"
"Here," two Amy's said at the same time.
"Okay, let's see. Who wants to be Amy #1 and Amy #2?" he asked with what seemed to be his usual grin.
