Pencils scribbling, pens clicking, and pages turning are all starting to sound louder than they should. The white cinderblock walls seem more barren and plain than usual. Unable to focus on the worksheet and reading passage in front of him, Theo picks up his pencil and starts to draw, ignoring the printed words babbling on about World War II.
First an eye, then another eye, a nose, and a strange, mishapen mouth. He erases it and tries again. Another mistake, another eraser smudge, and then the page tears.
Only the boy sitting next to Theo notices, and a few seconds after he looks at him, he turns back to his work. He, too, looks utterly disinterested. Such is life for the students in Mr. Graham's American history class, it seems.
Theo raises his hand up high, waving it slightly in an attempt to get his teacher's attention, which was currenty focused on something on his laptop. Nobody ever knows what teachers do during class. When they aren't talking, at least. Eventually, Mr. Graham looks up at the boy.
"Yes, Mr. Benedict?"
"Can I go to the bathroom?" Theo asks. Of course, like any average teenager, he plans on checking his text messages while he's in there, but Mr. Graham doesn't know that. He's too old to understand a cell phone anyway.
"Take the pass."
Theo leaves the hall pass on the small desk in front of the door on purpose. It's a burden, and nobody ever checks anyone for them anyway. Hall monitors are a myth.
He opens the door into the drafty hallway and turns left towards the pool locker rooms. Sure, they're gross and they smell like piss and feet, but it's better than walking all the way down to the bathroom by Mrs. Mackenzie's.
His phone lights up with a message from a contact labeled "Emily Hathaway <3", a name that she herself had put in there when she had given the number to Theo. About a month ago, Emily had confessed her attraction to the boy and, without a better idea of what to do, he became her boyfriend. It wasn't really that Emily was his, just that Theo was hers. It was odd and confusing, mainly to Theo, but it wasn't any trouble and it gained him a nice seat during lunch, so he didn't complain. They didn't talk much outside of texting.
- - - - - -
Emily Hathaway <3: What u doin?
Emily Hathaway <3: Schneider's being boring again it's a good thing he doesn't give a shit about us LOL
Emily Hathaway <3: Why aren't u answering???
theo benedict: sorry. i was in mr. graham's class. didn't want my phone confiscated
Emily Hathaway <3: Ugh I hate that guy
Emily Hathaway <3: He's such an asshole
theo benedict: yeah i guess
- - - - - -
Nothing too special. Emily complains about the science teacher, complains about Theo not texting back fast enough, and then complains about Mr. Graham. It happens everyday without failure.
Theo walks back to class after thoroughly washing his hands, sits back at his desk, and begins drawing again.
YOU ARE READING
An Unlikely Understanding
Romance"I'm sorry." "It's okay, I promise." Theo said quietly. He grabbed Anyra's hand gently in an attempt to calm her down. It seems to work as she sighs deeply and slouches back over into a more relaxed position. "Promise?" Theo thinks for a minute. "A...
