Dear Brother

5. English Literature Is 'Easy'

"Hello."

The voice came from behind him, and made his head explode momentarily before rushing overcame his ears and he was put back into quiet bliss. The door creaked shut, footsteps echoed, and within seconds a face swam in front of his own.

"Hello, are you alright?"

The face was male, with shortish brown hair and deep blue eyes and his nose was wide and long, but not hooked. He wore a tweet jacket over a crisp white shirt, and brown trousers were matched with brown brogues that seemed a little too big.

"I-I'm fine." Iyden said, breathing in deeply. God, he'd been caught panicking.

 "You're new, I guess?" the man asked. Iyden nodded. "Well, I'm Mr Errers."

"Iyden Hecks."

"Welcome to my English Literature class, Iyden. I'll tick your name off the register."

The man wandered over to his desk gracefully and ticked Iyden's name off his register with a smile. A sharp, piercing bell rang out through the whole school, signalling the end of break.

Errers watched the new student, and his stomach twisted slightly- at the sound of the bell, he had scrunched himself up into a tight, uncomfortable looking ball on the chair, and clasped his hands over his ears.

"Are you alright, Iyden?" Errers asked, rubbing his chin. What was wrong with the boy?

"F-fine!" Iyden stammered, his voice muffled by his clothing but it was still forceful.

Errers cleared his throat and leant on a nearby desk, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't a particularly muscular man, but he wasn't stick thin either. Average, he thought himself as... He was only an English teacher after all.

"Do you not like loud noises?" Errers asked, hoping he might get something out of this boy. Was he Autistic? Or unstable? Sensitive?

Everyone asked that; he wasn't autistic. Iyden shook his head, his dark hair falling into his eyes momentarily and tickling his chin. He hadn't realised he needed a haircut so much.

The door clicked open slowly, a head appearing round the side of it, with long, ginger pigtails and unfashionable, heavy glasses perched on her small, upturned nose.

"M-mister Errers?"

The teacher smile widely.

"Come on in, Elly, I was just talking to our new student, Iyden Hecks. Iyden, this is Elly Meyers, one of my best students."

Elly beamed, which made her freckles mould together, and she came into the class and took a seat next to Iyden, who could feel his muscles relaxing slowly. There was nothing threatening about this man, or this student, but the noise...

It had felt like his ears were bursting.

And splitting.

But he was okay now. He stretched whilst unfolding himself, focusing on his feet touching the wooden floor. He straightened his back out, and turned himself to face Errers, who was now sitting on top of his own desk at the fornt of the class.

Within minutes, other students were filing into the class, loud and chatting in a boisterous manner; and hitting each other with numerous pieces of paper or shoes. Iyden ignored them, trying to take in all that he could about the class room.

"Welcome class, to another year!" Errers said, and the room was filling with unenthusiastic cheers. He dismissed it with a swift wave of his hand, and carried on. "Today and for the rest of term, we're going to study creative writing."

Easy, thought Iyden.

**

The class were chatting to each other, whilst Errers filtered through the chairs, picking out good bits in the fifteen year olds writings...Iyden could feel his face burn red as the teacher approached his desk, and smiled at him. Why was he smiling?

 "How's it going, Iyden?" he asked politely, bending down so that they were on eye level. Iyden watched as the man's smile turned to a frown- not an angry one, more confused than anything else. Like the frown Haydrian used to make when Iyden sat on the floor instead of chairs. Errers had spotted the blank page. "Nothing coming to mind?"

"No, sir." Iyden replied, feeling the embarassment wreck his insides.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that...do you not like writing?"

I love it, Iyden thought. I wish I wrote MORE. I could get things out easier then...

 "I do..." Iyden began. "But, I can't think of anything."

The teacher looked vagually amused before smiling at him. How much could one man smile?

"Just take it home...don't think of it as homework though, yeah? Just see what comes out." Errers said. "Anyway, class will be over soon. Start to pack up."

And with that, Errers wandered over to another desk.