When We Were Young

1.

Liam POV

     I woke up today with a strange feeling laced in my stomach. It's the kind where you know something is going to happen today, but you're not sure whether it is good or bad, maybe even both. It's the feeling that puts you on edge all day and the next until something happens. I've only ever had this feeling once, it was in high school, and that was the worst thing to happen to me.

     Maybe this is just a stomach bug, it is the beginning of a new semester and kids bring all kinds of diseases and viruses back to school from their vacation. I should know that working as a school teacher does put me at risk for a cold or the flu. What if it is a bad feeling like I had? My mom is going to call and tell me that my grandma died or that she has cancer and six months to live, who knows?

     Or I can just get ready for school and not be late, because that would set a bad example to all my students. They all know me though, it's my second semester with them and they should know how I work by now. I could just ignore this feeling and hope that it goes away.

     I got out of bed, ignoring the lump laid next to me, and slowly went around my house getting ready for the school day. By the time I made my coffee and ate my breakfast the lump from my bed was up and moving.

     Sometimes I regret getting a dog to keep me company, other times I'm glad it's just me and him. People were right when they said a dog is a man's best friend. People just don't supply a friendship like an animal can. Animals are always there for you even when you don't want them there.

     Henderson, my husky, was pondering around the kitchen, waiting for me to pour his food into his bowl. As a puppy, he eats way too much, but helps that I take him to the park every day to work some of that food and energy out of him. At only three months, I've wished I didn't have a dog more that I wished I wasn't a teacher. Hen is beginning obedience classes and I have finally managed to potty train him. I've lost five pairs of shoes and a perfectly nice couch to him already.

     After I fed Hen, I left to go get changed into my work clothes, a nice, crisp collared shirt and a pair of khakis. Sometimes I mixed it up with a sweater or a blazer, but I mainly stick to a coat to throw over it. It is something plain but it still looks professional for work.

     I poured my coffee into a travel mug and grabbed my satchel from the table before heading out the door. A new day is full of many awaiting opportunities. To be early only leaves many more possibilities. Who knows, maybe I'll be hit by a bus on my way to work.

     The worst part about being a teacher is that I teach high school kids. They are rude and inconsiderate and don't have any manners. I'll be surprised to see how most of these kids turn out when they are older. From right now, most are going to be shut down so quickly from someone who has more power and won't recover from it. They won't understand that they have to see through their own downfalls to get to success and that failure is a huge part of success. They are blind by what they don't know, but there is a world of possibilities out in front of them.

"Mr. Payne, may I have a word with you for a minute?" I turned and say Mr. Thomas, the head principal, quickly walking towards me. I slowed my stride for him to catch up.

"Of course sir. What can I do for you today?"

"Liam, we have talked about this, you do not have to be this formal with me. You have proved yourself worthy of your position here and it is pointless now," I nodded at his statement. "Anyways, we have a new teacher coming into our little family. I was hoping you could show him the ropes since he is from across the pond, as well."

"Wait, he's British?" I asked, a little astonished at the fact another British person was going to work at the same American school as I am. How small are the chances of that?

"Yes, his recommendations, one is the same as yours, mainly had good things to say about him. With your common recommender, I figured you must know a little about him or him with you."

"What's his name, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's Louis Austin, I don't remember where he is from, I've had so much going on this past week with these students and teachers leaving and coming in. My office is a mess. Please make sure to be in my office on Wednesday morning around seven twenty sharp. I want him to be shown the school and get familiar with the teachers around him and with what to do. He's a young man, he will catch on fast. Bye, Liam."

     With that, Principal Thomas was down the hall and back to his office. I finished the walk to my classroom and opened the door. There's still ten minutes before the bell rings, hopefully I can continue to grade some of the papers I never got to last night. It's always obvious when kids don't study for a written essay. It's a history class and I give them the prompts the day before. They should be able to write at least a little about what I talked about from class. Most of my students are good about listening and taking notes and knowing what my tests are like. Some still haven't caught on or choose not to, they won't pass my class if they don't try.

     I don't make them takes notes, it's recommended though; I'm trying to get them ready for college. College is not easy to get through, the courses are much harder and it's intense. Teachers give fewer tests and there are more notes on each test. They can only be prepared so much for college; I wish them all the best.