Roles Reversed

17

"I like your shirt," Leah said the next morning.

We were getting ready for our Intro to Design class.

"Thanks! You look cute too," I complimented.

She smiled and tossed me my bag. "Ready?"

"Ready." I took a breath and walked out the door. She looped her arm through mine as we walked.

"Do you want to get coffee first? We've got about twenty minutes," she said.

"Sounds good to me." We walked to the campus cafe. Little Star, it was called. It was really cute.

As we waited in line, Leah turned to me. "Do you like it in here?" she asked.

"Yes, it's very chic," I said, taking in my surroundings.

"A few years ago, all the students with interior design majors got to remodel it. Rumor has it that this year we get to redo the main lobby of the Admissions Office," she said giddily.

Watching someone talk about their passion was always a fascination for me. It was mesmerizing.

"Really? That would be so amazing," I said and she nodded.

"What can I get for you two beauties?" the guy behind the counter asked.

"Sasha, this is Corbin. Corbin, this is my roommate, Sasha," she said.

"Nice to meet you. Can I get you a coffee?" he asked with a smile.

"You as well. I'll have a black coffee with whipped cream please," I said. He nodded his head at my unusual request. Leah ordered a mocha frappé.

"Whipped cream?" she asked curiously.

I laughed. "Yeah, whipped cream. When I was six, my dads coffee and my hot chocolate were in matching mugs. I went to put whipped cream on my cocoa and it ended up on his coffee without me knowing and I drank every drop," I reminisced with a grin.

"That's the best story I've ever heard," she laughed as we walked into our classroom.

We took seats at long work tables. There was about ten or twelve others, both make and female.

"Good morning class, I am Mr. Carter. I am twenty-seven years old, and my husband and I live here in New York. I have taught here for three years, and this is not my natural hair color," he informed us. We all laughed. He had a light lavender tuft of hair on his head.

"I would like for you all to introduce yourselves and tell me one thing I should know about you," he said. His eyes scanned the room.

"You," he said, pointing at an African American boy three seats down from me. There was no one to my left and Leah to my right.

"Me?" he asked. He had a beautifully deep voice.

"Yes. You. You may start," Mr. Carter said.

"Oh, right. My name is Raphael, and you should know that my girlfriend and I just got engaged last week," he said proudly.

"Say your age too," Mr. Carter instructed.

"I'm twenty-one, sir," Raphael said.

"Thank you. Who's next?" A small girl one table over raised her hand.

"My name is Kathryn, and I have a pet frog named Jimmy."

We had gone around to almost everyone except for Leah and I when the door burst open.

"Sorry I'm late," Garret panted as he plopped into the seat next to me.

"Please do not let it happen again Garret," Mr. Carter said with a sigh.

"How's he know your name?" I whispered.

"That's my brother," he answered.

"Oh. But your last names?" I wondered.

"He took Nathan's last name," he explained to me.

Mr. Carter clapped his hands. "Next!"

Leah cleared her throat. "My name is Leah Jackson, and my mother is Diana Jackson," she said a little smugly.

I didn't know why this was such a big deal, but apparently it was because Mr. Carter's tan face went pale.

"Very well," he said. "Next."

"My name is Sasha Jacobs, and I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee," I replied.

He nodded. He raised his eyebrows at Garret expectantly. "I'm Garret, and this is the second class I've been late too this morning," he said with a smirk.

Mr. Carter smiled at Garret. "A man after my own heart," he said dramatically.

Garret rolled his eyes.

"Alright class! Today, we will begin with just some ground rules and then you will be dismissed. Understood?"

We nodded.

"Great. First rule, no one judges anyone else. For any reason. We are all designers, therefore we all have different visions, resulting in different opinions. Okay?" he said.

"Okay," the class answered.

"Second of all, please try and be on time," he glared at Garret, "I understand that things happen to prevent punctuality, but people please, try and be on time," he stressed.

"Third and final rule, you must be yourself at all times. It marries into the first rule in a way, doesn't it? I want this to be a safe and free environment. Got it?" he asked.

We all nodded at him.

"Fabulous! We will start some projections for the year on Wednesday. See you all then, class dismissed."

It only took 45 minutes so it was only 9:45. My next class wasn't until 12:00.

"This should be fun," a familiar voice grumbled behind me.

I laughed at his misery. "Garrrreeeettttt," I said, looping my arm through his, "Don't be a Debbie downer, please?" I begged. We were friends and all, but I didn't do well with pessimists.

"I know, I know. But c'mon, having your brother for a professor? That's not fun. At all," he chuckled.

"Oh, it's the first day! He might be your favorite teacher by the end of this year," I said optimistically.

"Yeah, maybe."

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