I'll Never Call You Maestro

I'll Never Call This Chapter 6

Antonio Fernández Carriedo was having a difficult time walking into his own classroom, how strange is that? This was his classroom for crying out loud, his! Well, the school Giulio Cesare owned the room, but he liked to think he was the boss whenever he was at work. Ironically, today he was not the boss. He didn't feel himself; the confident, laid-back and understanding Spaniard that he was on the inside. All that seemed to have been shoved aside and everything about him just felt anxious and dirty.

With his leather satchel slung over his shoulder stuffed with graded papers and various supplies, Antonio stood entirely still outside his classroom door. His emerald eyes were stuck on the wood, glued to it. He pinched the fabric of his khaki capris with a rock of uncertainty sinking in the pit of his stomach.

I've gotta go in there or I'm not gonna get paid! Maybe it won't be so awkward if I pretend it didn't happen. Hay Maria. Antonio bit the tip of his tongue, a nervous habit he picked up from his childhood. This was not a very happy Wednesday afternoon for the Spanish teacher. Anxiously, he glanced up at the clock nailed to the hall ceiling, it was a large, industrious clock that had a steam-punk appearance, there was one for each floor of the building, and the floor Antonio happened to work on was the third. He gulped as his irises trailed along the hands of the clock, a minute before the hour will commence. A minute before he must enter the room and face his fears.

A petulent Italian with a bitter tongue, olives for eyes and cherry cheeks. When Romano's body had fallen on top of his, it was tempting. He was tempting. The Spaniard had a gander at the diamond-studded titanium band wrapped around his finger, spinning the thing on his appendage; another nervous habit.

He breathed in through his nose, letting the air swarm out of his lungs and then twisted the knob. He stared straight forward and his walk was stiff and robotic. He looked like a moving plank, tight-lipped and diffident. His pupils were all seated and yammering highschool phenomenons that Antonio could only look back on fondly from his teenage years. Romano Vargas was presumably lost in the mix.

He passed the rows of desks, holding his breath each time a student was caught in his peripheral vision. His pulse flickered like a flame when Romano's seat manifested before him, but the chair was vacant. Antonio let a sigh of relief escape from his lips as he realized the boy was absent. This was the first time he was actually happy that Romano was skipping.

No longer needing to be nervous, Antonio perked up as his usual cheeriness returned the color in his cheeks. His naturally bright smile spread across his face and he swung his arms while he headed toward the front of the classroom. Clearing his throat, he spoke.

"Buenos tardes chikos y chikas! It's good to see you all so lively and ready to learn. I hope you are ready to learn some more español today?" He grinned and placed a hand on his hipside, feet apart. Romano wasn't here, so he could push him aside and let that be for another day. Right now, in the present moment he was confident again. The flowery aura reappeared around his head and face; Antonio was the boss.

Today's lesson would be practicing conversing with elderly people, and Antonio directed his students by pretending to be a gentleman much older than he actually was, and the students would have to be as polite as possible. It was quite an entertaining exercise for his pupils, especially the Hungarian girl, who was his star student. She already spoke so formally in her second language, Italian. It was no different with Spanish.

"¿Cuáles son sus parientes haciendo ahora?" Elizabeta asked Antonio what his relatives were currently doing. He opened his mouth to reply, "Mi parientes-"

" Tu mamá." The German exchange student cut in with a snide remark and Elizabeta scoffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave the cheeky albino a black look. He grinned at her smugly. Antonio looked between the two with a raised brow, but said nothing more.

The hour passed sooner than he had wanted it too, but when the giggles had died down and the herd rushed out of classroom to head for home, Antonio felt a sort of calm come over him that he hadn't felt in a while. Today was a good day. He thought to himself with a tiny grin. Now it was time for him to go home to his cramped apartment and try to shovel some things out of the walkway, maybe even get to those dishes that had been sitting in the sink for a week.

One by one, he packed his things in his carrier. Pencils, erasers, a flood of worksheets from his students, and last, but not least, his cellphone. He touched it and all at once it seemed to come to life. Antonio jumped out of his skin at the buzzing sensation, it wasn't that he was not used to getting calls, but that the phone rang just as he went to pick it up and slip it in his back pocket. He regained his composure and brought the device close to his ear, "Hello?"

"Tony! Hola, it's Anri! I missed you so much. Are you at work right now?" Antonio's bulbs lit up with surprise and delight as he instantly recognized the voice, he answered swiftly bringing the phone closer to him.

"N-no I was just getting done. How are you, Anri?"

"I'm wonderful! It's been so long since I've heard from you, my gezin are just dying to hear how you've been at your new job in Rome. My brother is particularly interested in the crime rate there, I think he's worried about you." Antonio winced and figured her older brother was only interested in finding his body dead in the streets if the rates were high.

"O-oh really? Isn't that nice of him." Antonio fibs. "So, have you been enjoying yourself in your hometown? Seeing the old haunts and eating nastolgic foods and such?"

Anri's smile played harmonically through her voice as she went on to describe the many different Belgian delicacies that her country was known for. Antonio remembered how she loved pastries and sweets ever since he met her in his freshman year. His mouth drooled at the mentioning of her homemade waffles.

"Tony, I love catching up with you and all, but I need to talk with you seriously now." Anri's voice lowered an octive and her words become subtler with less jubilance. Antonio said okay.

"I want to come. Come to Rome?" Her words made a question mark. The Spaniard glided the tip of his index finger over his hand jewelry. The ring was cool to the touch.

"Um... to Italy? But you just got back from España to visit your family, don't you think that's a bit hasty?" Anri's reply made it sound like he didn't want her to come visit at all. "No, no! I would love for you to come to Italy and stay with me. I'll look up flights for the next month or so and see if I can get a schedule running."

"Actually I already made plans. I'll be arriving in Rome in a week. Ohhh I'm so excited to see where you are living at! The houses there must be gorgeous! Oh, and the deserts!" Antonio chuckled holding back tears. He was living in a cluttered apartment and his job was becoming torturous. How was he going to make it look like his life was doing better than okay?

"Oh, looks like my brother says he needs to use the phone, it must be really urgent! I'll try to get back to you! Hee hee. See you in seven days!"

"I love you, Tony."

"I love you too."

The call drops.

A\N
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