- Caroline
knowledge is
POWER
power is
STRENGTH
I missed these halls, the way the white hurt your eyes during a long day, and the comfort you felt leaning against it, just laughing your heart out. High School was both the best and worst time of my life. I wasn't pretty or popular, I only really had a few friends, but everybody tolerated me.
Looking back at it, I see how petty and miniscule my problems were, and how stupid I was for thinking it was the end of the world. I laugh at it now, and I realize that maybe High School really is the best few years of your life, because straight after that, you're thrust into this world of responsibility and adulthood, with no prior training.
But here I am, back again in the same halls I'd memorized oh so long ago, but this time for different purposes.
As I knock on my first classroom, I can't help but wonder about the kids behind the door, if they're like me as well. I don't have much time to contemplate on the subject, because the teacher -- Mrs. Jackson, I heard -- opened up the door.
She was a plump woman, who smiled like sunshine and smelled of strawberries. Her hair was short white, wispy and mystical.
"Come in, come in!" She pulled he in by the forearm, as if the classroom was her Gingerbread home and she wanted to fatten me up to eat.
"Alrighty class!" She clapped her hands together, as if she were talking to 2nd graders and not 17 year olds. "This is Miss Caroline, and she'll be taking a few of you for some testing isn't that right, Caroline?" The teacher turned to me with a big smile, and I returned it nervously.
"Uh, yeah. Yes, I am." I turned to face the class. "I'll be taking a few of you in groups and a few individually, and no, you are not being graded on this test." My grin grew bigger when I saw a handful of students let out a breath of relief.
"I'll be starting after lunch today, so you'll be missing class for testing." After answering a few questions, I continued on with the other classrooms. Everything was going as planned.
After lunch hour, I returned to one of the classrooms and asked for my first 'student'.
"Adam Quinn?" I read from the list on my clipboard, clicking the clip open and closed.
A tall, cookie-cutter handsome teen rose from his chair and closed up his binder. Nodding at his teacher, who smiled back at him, he stood in front of me with a huge grin. Teacher's pet, this should be easy.
I smiled back at him and started down the hallways, passing green lockers and clacking my heels against the tiled floors.
"So, Adam, do you know what we're doing today?" I asked him, ready to pretend to take notes on him.
He took notice on this and straightened out his posture, stiffening his upper body and fiddling with his fingers.
"Uh-err... Testing, right?" Adam looked nervous and stared at my unmoving pen. "Right?"
I laughed. "It's alright, Adam. Loosen up. And yes, kind of, it's mostly just evaluation to see if you need more or less help with school, all that jazz." I've been rehearsing what I'm going to say to these kids all day, hopefully none of them see through it.
"Oh, okay." He breathed out a sigh of relief as we entered my small office at the back of the school.
"Please, take a seat." I planted myself down behind the desk and waited for him to sit in one of the 3 uncomfortable maroon chairs in my office. "So, how do you feel you're doing in school?" I started off with the simple questions, and he answered the typical answers. 'I'm okay, it's pretty boring, I know all this stuff already.'
"Adam, do you ever feel weird or uncomfortable in school? You can be honest with me." For more emphasis on the trust thing, I set down my clipboard and pen, to look at him fidgeting in his seat.
"Well, I guess.... Mostly it's just the people, I suppose... Some of 'em make me, uncomfortable." That means it's working. "They haven't done anything to me or anybody it's just... makes me feel weird and... cold. Does that make sense?" He stared up at me, big eyed and waiting for something, as if he was waiting for a blow to the gut.
"Yes, yes it does. Thanks, Adam. You can go now." The boy stood up and nodded, leaving promptly after with a solemn face, leaving me with Him.
Great job, Caroline... You've done well. He cackled in my head, and I couldn't help but smile.
