Hold Me In Your Everlasting Arms

Part 4: Salinger or Hemingway

I looked around the class room, and saw that the only friend i had in this period was Daniel.

I moved to sit next to him and we exchanged smiles.

We hung out a couple times this summer, but it was only at neighbourhood bbqs and such.

I reached in my bag for my two summer reading books, The Catcher and The Rye, and The Sun Also Rises. Both thoroughly annotated and sparknoted.

I raised my hand and asked to go to the bathroom when a voice i didnt recognize responded. "Yeah?"

I jerked up, as did everyone else, and made eye contact with a very young and handsome guy.

It took me no longer to realize that it had been the same "Senior" I had hooked up with at the party. Senior my ass, this guy had been in grad school!

I felt a compressing heat wash over me as realization scrubed his face raw.

Daniel nudged me after sometime and I saw that everyone was staring at me waiting for me to ask him, the room had gone completely silent.

"Uhhh, uhhh yeah um can i go to the bathroom?" I nearly vomited out.

He nodded casually, his face transforming from red to ghost white.

I felt welts of sweat form under my armpits and i snatched my phone from my pocket. Will Emily recognize him? Did i even recognize him?

I jumped into the bathroom stall and sat over the toilet texting Blake Emily and Ali in our group chat informing them of our new teacher. Just that he was new.

Emily respondex first, shoked that she hadnt been told previously by her mom.

I felt this become more real and tears collected in my throat.

After a time i heard the period bell rang and realized that i had been over the toilet sweating and nearly crying for 40 minutes.

I ran back to his class to grab my things so i wouldnt be late to Sats.

i nudged through the door frame and accidently hit him with my elbow.

"You said you were a freshman." His old sweet eyes now glared from him.

I winced but huffed out, "You said you were a senior, not in grad school!" i whisper yelled.

His next class began coming in and he gave me a note before turning on his heels and walking away.

*Skipping class* the familiar pink detention slip read

date served: September 9th

teacher: Mr. Koenig

I felt a mix of emotions, today? today?