[PierceTheVeil] No Such Thing

Dos - Andy

Andy Amato’s Point of View

“Listen, you know that I’m always willing to help when it comes to improving a grade. There’s nothing I can do for you, Katie. I gave you a rubric and guidelines and you didn’t follow them. You’re lucky you got the grade that you did.” Biting down on my lower lip, I attempt to keep my head forward, not look at her, because I hate disappointing people, but I can’t help it. “It’s just one grade. It’s the second marking period. You have quite some time to bring your grade up. And if you haven’t noticed, I give a lot of work, which means a lot of opportunity to boost your grade.”

I hate confrontation, I hate disappointing someone, but when things like this happen, when someone doesn’t follow the directions and then wants something good out of it, I don’t know what else to say. There’s nothing I can do for her, or anyone else because this is ridiculous. These kids are so self-entitled. And I know that Katie isn't like that, Katie is a great student and a great person; it’s just that this is the one thing that I don’t have any sympathy to give. Truthfully, I don’t know what she wants me to do for her besides let her know that there are more opportunities to boost her grade, because I'm not changing her grade.

I gave her a higher grade than she should have gotten to begin with and if she wants me to look at it again she’ll end up with a lower grade than she has for it now. All I want to do is go home and eat Ben and Jerry’s and curl up on the couch with a blanket and watch all the Hallmark movies that I can watch in a single night. Today, it’s a hard day, I hate today, it’s a stupid reminder, not even day, just the day, the number of the day on the damn calendar, and I just, I want my old life back, I want to be happy again and I want to love life like I used to. He ruined it, and I just, I'm ready to move on; I just have nothing to move on to.

She’s walking towards a car, parked a few spaces away from mine, so I have no problem walking the short difference with her, letting her continue to tell me what she wants. The old style Cadillac, it honestly shocks me to see a guy there, a young guy, who has to be younger than thirty, but definitely in his late twenties, standing there, with his tattooed hands in the pockets of his jeans. The shaved side of his head is covered by a backwards snapback, black, and I can see that he didn’t shave his whole head, just that one side, and it’s attractive. It actually reminds me of him. But that doesn’t matter. He’s tall, slightly taller than I am in these heels; it’s a nice height for a guy. His eyes, they're brown, a gorgeous brown, and soft, warm, inviting. There’s a piercing above his upper lip and one hoop encircling his lower lip, and it’s oddly sexy.

“Katie, how did you do on that essay? You said you were getting it back today.” So he clearly knows Katie, but it can’t be because he’s with her, romantically, because he’s way too old for her and that would be repulsive.

Forcing a smile, Katie tugs on the straps of her backpack, swallowing hard. “Um, Uncle Mike, this is Miss. Amato, my English teacher.” Uncle Mike. Looking up at him, I smile kindly, watching as he extends his hand, his arm covered in tattoos. Shaking his hand, I quickly retract my hand from his, not liking the stupid feeling I got from his touch. That doesn’t happen. It’s all in my head, messing with me, reminding me how alone I am.

“Andy,” I say, thinking that it’s the right thing; I don’t want to be called by my last name by someone who isn't my student. Facing Katie, I comb my fingers through my hair, not wanting to say anything about the grade she got on the essay in front of him, not wanting to be the one to tell him that she got a seventy five on it. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow, Katie.” It’s probably my fault, I should be more social, I keep telling myself that I'm comfortable with solitude, but it would be nice to have a friend.

When I was younger, my older sister was always so outgoing that no matter how social I was it was never really enough to step out of her shadow. At one point, I just gave up. It was always her, until I was with him, and now that he’s gone, I'm back to my shy self. Mike tilts his head to the side, knitting his eyebrows together as he glances at Katie with a confused expression until one of recognition washes over his face. “Wait, Katie, this is the Miss. Amato? You're her favorite teacher, Andy.”

Katie’s cheeks turn a bright red as I let a small, nervous laugh escape my lips. “Thank you, Katie.” I would say that she’s my favorite student, but it’s not as easy as saying someone is your favorite teacher. Adults having favorites, it’s unheard of.

“She also said that you're new around here.” Mike calls out as I spin around to walk to my car, and I suck in as much air as I can, biting down on my lower lip as I turn around to face him and nod my head. “Give me your number and I’ll make sure you know everything you have to know about living here.”

He’s Mike, from that band, Tal hung out with him once, but I wasn’t there, I just got a picture as a way of him checking in and telling me that he was okay. I want to be done with guys like that, who live that lifestyle, but who am I to judge so early, and I really shouldn’t be turning away a friend.

It sucks knowing that there’s a chance of Mike being like him, but it sucks even more being lonely.

“Thanks, Mike. Give me your phone and I’ll put my number in.”