Life with Maryam edited 2

Part 5 Miss Anne and Miss zain

It was almost the end of summer, which meant I wouldn't be able to hang out with Yoyo as much and our playdates would have to wait until next year. We had so much fun this summer, playing soccer, basketball, card games, and watching movies at each other's houses. But now that school was starting, Yoyo had to go back to his private school two weeks before me. I dreaded the thought of going back to my military-type school with the super unfair principal who only cares about appearances. I unfollowed the school's Instagram account sophomore year and never looked back - it turned out to be the best decision of my life. I tried to convince my mom to do the same, but she wasn't having it. Luckily, we had a school group chat to stay updated on things, so I wasn't too worried about being out of the loop. Two days before school started, I got a message saying we had to pick up our books, so I reluctantly went to school to grab them. And so I decided to stop by the English department since I knew my way around, carrying some textbooks I had just gotten. I was trying my best to hold it together because earlier that morning I found out that my favorite English teacher from tenth grade had transferred to another school. To say I was devastated is an understatement. My mind was thinking about all the mornings that Miss Anne and I had shared walking to school together. They may have not been that many or even that long, but they were fun. Miss Anne's car was a jeep and she would park it on the yard where my dad dropped me off every morning, and so we would see each other sometimes and walk to school at the same time. It was the most fun I had had in junior year. I cried as soon as I read the news while still in bed, but I knew I had to pull myself together, get up, and get ready for school to pick up my textbooks. On my way to the English department, I saw my junior year English teacher, who I tried to keep my conversations short with. She's a good teacher, but I just didn't click with her. I hugged her, and she even commented on not recognizing me without my school uniform. After saying goodbye, I walked into the teachers' room and caught everyone's attention. But the two teachers who I wanted to surprise were so engrossed in their phones that they didn't notice me sneaking up on them. When I finally greeted them, they were surprised, and we chatted for a bit. However, I couldn't help stealing glances at another teacher who would become a significant part of my life. As I left, our eyes met, and we shared a smile, unaware of each other's names or the unique relationship that would blossom between us. It all started with us being strangers, then a student and teacher, and eventually evolved into a mentor and family friend to me, a passionate 18-year-old girl with a love for English.