Sincerely Me

Chapter 1

To start the new school year, May’s English class were to be given an assignment that would count for half their grade. May wasn’t bad at English. She enjoyed reading and writing essays, although she didn’t excel at it. She found herself looking forward to this new project.

May kept her head down while waiting for the teacher to enter the classroom. Miss Tink was always late. May sat there, in her normal seat, listening to everyone's conversations. She didn't have many friends, none of which was in this class. She just sat there, by herself, watching the other students and listening to the way they spoke to each other. May was the kind of person that because she didn't speak up much, she listened and picked up things that other people usually missed. She had the ability to read people as if they were books upon a shelf in her own personal library.

Finally, the teacher walked in, her hands full of papers, "Good Morning Class. Sorry I'm late, I was setting up and getting ready for this semesters assignment."

As she called the roll, one by one, each student had to go to her desk and take a sheet of paper. They each had to come up with a name and they weren’t allowed to show or tell anyone what it was. 

"Ok, is everyone looking at their sheet of paper in front of them? If not, start to because they are the beginning of your assignment. Alright..." She began writing things on the whiteboard, “...so for this semester, I am asking you to write letters. On the sheet of paper, with your fake name, you will be writing to an anonymous classmate, hence the fake name. You won't tell them who you really are. You will have to write letters to each other all semester. I will know everyone's fake names so I can hand out the letters."

By now, most of the class was complaining. However, May was excited. She enjoyed writing, defiantly in letterform. May was going to be writing to a random person who she had no clue who was. No one would have any idea who each other were and the idea of talking to someone unknown fascinated May.

"Class! If you don't take part in this assignment, then you fail my class and need to repeat the year. Now, please, be quiet while I finish explaining the exercise.”

"Sorry miss...."

"Ok, now, where was I, oh yes...” She wrote 'Pen Pals' on the white board with lines pointing to instructions explaining what to do, "now, you won't get to choose who you write to, I will be and I am not going to let you write to someone you know. It will be a stranger to you and you need to find out about them. You need to take the time to get to know someone different. It is to get you out of this social groups you’ve built around yourselves. Teach you about how other people think and feel. The first letter will be you writing the basics about yourself. Favourite colour, movie, book, etc. You can't write about your appearance or name in any way. It must stay anonymous. And NO cheating. You can't ask around about it. You are not allowed to speak of it out side of this class. I hope that you all understand me..."

She was staring right over near Sam and his friends. They were the ones that seemed to pay the least amount of attention but May noticed that Sam was getting the best grades of the class.

"Do I need to remind you that if you fail this class, then you fail the year?"

Sam stood up and spoke, "No Miss Tink. We’ll listen, no need to remind us."

Everyone could tell that Sam was being sarcastic and his shared laughter with his friends didn't help the situation. May couldn't help but look at him. She still couldn't read him, not like she could with everyone else. Not Sam. He was still a mystery to her.

Miss Tink continued speaking, "Alright, start writing your first letter and at the end of the lesson I will give you a fake name of another student while you are leaving. No one is to look at anyone else’s, okay? And, you never know, by the end of this, you may have even made a new friend"

Everyone sighed, but still began writing. May had difficulties writing about herself. The letter to her 'secret pen pal' was going to be difficult. She didn't know what to say. She stared at the blank page for almost 20 minutes. Half way through the lesson, the only words she had written were Hello and My. She thought over her hobbies and what she liked but every detail about herself seemed too personal to share with a stranger. She didn’t feel comfortable leaving a piece of herself on this paper for someone to read and mock.

May began writing the best she could. It was only two or so sentences but it was something. She would stop and start again, re-wording or erasing what she had already written. She didn’t know why but she wanted it to come out the right way. She ended up sticking with;

To whom it may concern,

From UnNoticed

The bell rang, everyone went up to Miss Tink's desk and put there folded letters in front of her and a small note that contained everyone’s fake name.

One by one, she handed out the fake name letters as they left. May was last in line. Miss Tink handed her the letter and smiled. May walked out and headed to her locker where she read the name on the letter. It read, 'No-One'