Learned To Love You (Mateo Story)

4

Willow 🌸 "Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before." -Elizabeth Edwards

Me Trey and Alisha just got on the bus and now me and Alisha are in homeroom. Me and Alisha talk until the bell rings.

I get up and walk to science. Once we all sit down the teacher begins to talk.

Teacher: okay class! I wanna start you guys off early with a project.

We would be starting a project on the second day of school.

Teacher: so I will assign you guys each a partner. Take this as an opportunity to get to know each other

He starts calling out names but I'm just sitting here playing with my pencil.

Teacher: um, Willow Bowles and Mateo Bowles can I trust you guys as siblings to work together?

Willow: we're not related!

Teacher: really well okay you guys are partners

Willow: no. No AND NO!

Teacher: it's final

I sigh. I walk over to Mateo who is smiling.

Mateo: how do you hate me if you don't even know me

Willow: because I can

Mateo: well let's just put our feelings aside for this project

Willow: fine. How about we do a reverse osmosis water pump?

Mateo: what is that

I roll my eyes.

Willow: it's where you take salt water which is un drinkable, then you turn it into fresh water that you can drink

Mateo: can't we just make a volcano

Willow: this is not kindergarten Mateo!

Mateo: this isn't college either

Willow: but this is the grade getting you ready for college

Mateo: okay but I don't wanna do something I know nothing about

Willow: THATS HOW YOU LEARN!

Mateo: okay calm down

The teacher walks over.

Teacher: what's going on

Mateo: I wanna do a volcano

Willow: I wanna do a reverse osmosis pump

Teacher: that sounds interesting

Willow: listen I don't wanna work with him

Teacher: well unless you want a zero you have to

The bell rung.

Teacher: well this is the only day you guys could work on this in class so the rest you will have to do on your own time

We got our stuff together and went to reading. We were arguing a lot in there so the teacher said we have silent lunch. I don't even know why they still give us that it's childish.

After reading we went and got our lunch then went and sat in the reading teachers classroom.

Teacher: I have to go get my lunch so stay quiet while I'm gone

She got up and left. The silence is just weird. Why are we the only ones in here?

Mateo: why are we the only ones in here?

It's weird because he said that while I was thinking it.

Willow: um.. I don't know

Mateo: so you live around here?

Willow: um I live about 10 minutes away

Mateo: I live 20 minutes away

Willow: oh

Mateo: so.. do you have any siblings?

Willow: nope

Mateo: oh because I was thinking if you did have a brother he would probably look like me

I chuckled and he laughed.

Mateo: wait so it's just you and your mom living in your house?

Willow: just me and my dad. I never met my mom

Mateo: why?

Willow: she died

Mateo: I'm sorry

Willow: it's okay, never met her any way. But how about you, do you have any siblings well besides Ayo

Mateo: yeah I have a little brother and a little sister

Willow: must be nice

Mateo: yeah and I live with my mom

Willow: where's your dad

Mateo: he died

Willow: oh.. sorry

Mateo: it's okay I never met him any way

Willow: it's a small small world

Mateo: wow I didn't even expect you to talk to me

Willow: this doesn't mean I like you

Mateo: of course. Hey do you have a picture of your mo-

Teacher: so you guys think you can just talk?

We both shrugged at the same time.

Teacher: DETENTION FOR BOTH OF YOU TOMORROW!