Poor kid

My Favorite Teacher

14 years old

It's been a year since I moved in with my grandma. I haven't played baseball because they didn't let me with how my grades are. I thought life would be great without my dad, but it's like he's still here. Haunting my dreams, depriving me of my motivation, and taking away my sanity. Also loud noises make me jump. And I tense up super bad when people touch me. All because of him.

I'm in class right now and the teacher, Mr.Roth, is giving directions for a science experiment we're doing tomorrow. I'm not even trying to pay attention. I usually don't and everyone in the grade knows me as the class clown/the kid that's always sleeping/the badass.

I fell asleep easily. Even with everything I've been through I can still sleep whenever and wherever. It's something I've always been able to do. I don't know how long I was asleep, but I felt a tap on my shoulder and I sat up super quick with a startled look on my face. The class laughed.

"Mr. Surman! Since you didn't hear my question the first time, I will repeat it." He said, "How do you calculate speed?"

"I don't know. I obviously haven't been listening," I replied with sass. The class oohed.

"C'mon Will, this one's easy." He gave me a sympathetic look. None of my classmates knew what happened to me the first 13 years of my life, but the teachers did. My grandma thought it would be good for them to 'know what I was going through before they judged me', but I don't really care what they think of me.

"I don't know."

"Just try for once, please."

"Oh my god! Would you fucking stop I don't know and I don't care. This shit won't help me anyway."

He sighed. "Just go to the office, Will. I'll be there during passing time. I want to have a word."

I rolled my eyes and got up from my seat. I've been to the principals office so many times it doesn't even faze me or anyone else for that matter. If I was normal I would have been expelled by now, but I'm not normal. It would take a lot for them to give up on the damaged kid.

I opened the door and walked in. "Hey Susan," I said then nodded to the other secretary and said, "Mary." I call them by their first names because...why not? And they just shake their heads and sigh every time.

"What is it this time, Will?" Mary asked.

"To be honest I don't even know, but
Mr. Roth will be here in passing time."

"Alright have a seat."

I sat down in the one of the chairs against the wall. The office is pretty bland. There's one decoration and it's a metal diamond type thing on the wall. There's also some plants. The office is right next to the opening of the school and there's four doors just to get in. When you walk in there is an L shaped desk and hallways leading to the important people's personal offices.

One of the four doors opened and I looked up. It was Mr. Roth. Of all the teachers I've had, I think Mr. Roth is my favorite. He's funny and doesn't get mad. He knows that getting mad doesn't do anything to change a kid. He just makes a joke or talks to a kid if they are acting up. And it works, mostly. Not for me, but I'm not normal so it doesn't count.

He walked over to Susan and told her to call my grandma in. I was confused. This always went the same way. They would send me to the office, talk to me for a while, then send me back to class. But this time he wanted my grandma?

"Wait, wait, wait," I said getting up and walking to them, "Why do you need my grandma to come in?"

"I have to talk to you and her about something."

"Umm-,"

"You'll see why soon. We're gonna go to Principal Jenkins office once your grandma comes. Sit back down."

I sat back down and willed the minutes to go by slower. I don't want to have this meeting.

Sooner than I'd like, I see my grandma come into the room.

"Oh William Jay, what have you done this time?" She didn't sound mad. She never gets mad. Her tone was sympathetic like a lot of people who talk to me. There was worry in there too, but not for me. For what I've done. She's scared of what they're going to tell her I did. She doesn't know how to discipline me because nothing works. I've been beat my whole life, and there's nothing worse than that, really. So I keep doing what I want to do and she keeps trying. That's what I like about her. No matter how bad I make her life, she sticks with me.

I look down, avoiding eye contact. Principal Jenkins brings me, my grandma, and Mr. Roth to his office. Here we go, I thought sarcastically.