Taking Chances

Chapter 12

It was Monday and the coldest time of year – mid-July. The electric heater in the classroom ticked furiously as it warmed up. Ryan was looking forward to this lesson: British Literature, an elective for Year 11, which meant students were generally motivated to be there. Generally.

As he wrote up notes on the whiteboard, his thoughts drifted to Bec. He hadn't seen her for a few weeks, since that day in the Flat Rock Café. Ryan wondered if she was avoiding him.

Of course, it wasn't entirely Bec's fault. Ryan had been busy on the weekends with the youth centre. The petition was nearly done and he would need to face the local council to present his case for funding. He was pondering over his main points and ideas, when students filed into the room.

It was a class Ryan Anderson really enjoyed teaching and it was a great way to start a Monday. He loved pulling the words off the page and making the problems that the characters faced real to his students.

Sadly, not every student who chose the course saw the value in participating sensibly. Tyler Brooks and his two friends, Bayden and Foster, were not in the class to learn about Shakespeare or Chaucer.

Ryan taught at Brooksdale High School. It was a state school that enrolled students from Year Seven to Year Twelve. Ryan had worked there for six years and loved it. He was a Brooksdale boy, born and bred.

The stream of students slowed to a dribble, then stopped. Ryan closed the door and was secretly thankful that Tyler, Bayden, and Foster hadn't come in.

"Today we're looking at Romeo & Juliet Act 1 Scene 5, the party scene where the young lovers meet and have their first kiss."

Some giggles around the room floated forth and Ryan smiled. This was going to be fun. He continued, "We're going to decide if love at first sight exists or not. Raise your hand if you believe in love at first sight."

A little more than half the class raised their hands, boys and girls. Some grinned at each other and Ryan stored the information in his teacher-memory. In the world of hormone-charged teenagers, those love-struck smiles could turn to tears within a week. Ryan could find himself counselling some heart-broken Romeo and Juliet.

Ryan called on one of the students to explain their answer, "Sally, what makes you say you believe in love at first sight?"

"She's already found it!" A boy called out, but it was in good humour. The only result was a blushing Adam Lee, Sally's boyfriend.

Sally pursed her lips as she considered her answer. "I think sometimes you just know when you're in love. Especially teenagers. We don't have all the hang-ups and prejudices that our parents do, or our teachers."

That drew a laugh from the class and Ryan chuckled, too.

Another student, Keysha, chimed in, "Yeah, but Sally, you can't say that there is only one person in the whole world for you."

Arkell leaned forward in his chair and added, "Yeah. Like, as if that one person in the whole world would be in the same small town anyway."

Ryan allowed the conversation to continue, but was worried that Adam hadn't joined in. Perhaps the topic was too close to home.

Ryan liked seeing his students think and express their ideas. After all, that was what literature was about.

The classroom door burst open and a loud voice said, "That's so stupid!" Laughter followed and in walked Tyler, Bayden, and Foster as if they owned the whole school. They walked straight passed Ryan and were about to take their seats, still having their conversation, when Ryan stopped them.