NMS

First impressions

First day. Whoop de doo. I think I've been in school too long at this point to be excited anymore. Ah- who am I kidding? I'm a total fucking nerd. I love buying new pens and new notebooks. I love organizing my planner. But taking Pre-Calc for the fourth time? Not exactly something I'm enthusiastic about.

Just for the record, I never failed a math class. My units didn't transfer. If my schools failed to recognize my achievements in math, that's on them not me. Not that I really care—I don't mind getting an easy A.

First day. First class. I find the room number and grab a seat in the front row. Yeah, I'm that kid. But don't blame me for valuing my education.

As I flip through my planner trying to mentally prepare for the day, I realize several minutes have gone by. Soft music plays in my ears. I glance up at the door every time it opens now. I'm not one to claim to be all that punctual, but it's the first day man. Where is he?

More minutes go by. Class should have already started. Student after student trickles in. Each one of them with a semi-frantic look on their face, hands grasping onto their backpack, as they search for an empty seat among a filling lecture hall.

Five minutes past class start time. A guy walks in. Same look on his face. But when he steps forward, he steps up to the podium instead of to a chair.

"This is Math 152 right?"

The class settles; affirmative murmurs and nods respond.

"Oh good, I'm not lost," he says with a smile.

As he unpacks his things, my classmates all turn to each other with bewildered looks on their faces. I too am quite surprised.

"I thought he was a student," I heard a girl mumble.

I smile to myself. I love hearing the confusion in their first-year voices. Their newly "adult" minds have yet to grasp the complexities of the fact that older doesn't necessarily mean wiser, and age doesn't dictate authority.

I get my pen out to take notes as he begins to lecture.

"I'm Professor Jason Sullivan. Welcome to class."

Welcome indeed, Jason. What have you to offer me?