When In Rome #ONC 2020 [COMPLETED]

7. Condemnant Quo Non Intellegunt - They condemn what they don't understand

Waking up the next morning, Zach felt like he had been running a marathon all night long. His throat was dry, and his breathing shallow. He couldn't concentrate on their morning prayer at the household shrine. Silently finding himself pleading with any gods to be able to stay at home. He didn't want to start his first job like this. He didn't want to become the laughingstock of the archaeological world. His anxiety was making his head spin. Slender fingers weaved through his own, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. Liv's tight smile was kind, hopefully, and full of trust. "It's going to be okay, Zach. I know you're brave."

He tried to give her a genuine smile, but deep down, he doubted that very much. Bravery was never a quality he possessed. His anxiety would overrule all thoughts of bravery with a tsunami of fear. 

Stepping outside, Zach was pleasantly surprised to find that Amar was already waiting to escort him to the university by car. At least the journey would be peaceful, giving Zach a little bit of time to mentally prepare for the inevitable mockery.

After thanking Amar for the lift, Zach turned around to face his new workplace. The building was in keeping with the ancient ecstatic of the city—marble columns supporting a rocky ledge, that evoked the feeling of a temple. But as soon as he stepped inside, that ancient facade fell away, and the building housed every modern facility one would expect from a university. Marble and stone made way for concrete floors, steel beams, and glass ceilings. Staring at the ground, Zach walked through the hall. Apart from a few curious glances, nobody seemed to care that he was wearing a toga. Most people didn't even seem to notice him. After walking for a little bit Zach had to check his reflection in one of the windows to make sure he was still there; had he suddenly turned invisible? No, still there, and still wearing a toga. He still looked like an idiot, not that anyone seemed to mind. He liked it that way. He didn't want to draw any attention, especially after the incident at the Trevi fountain. So he did his best to dissolve into his surroundings as he made his way to the auditorium.

It felt somewhat comforting to see how similar the auditorium looked to the ones that he sat in as a student. He spent some of the most fascinating and the most mind-numbing hours in that place, but now he would be the one standing in front of the class. From behind the lecture stand, a man with chocolate curls approached him. "Buongiorno! You must be Zachariah. I am professor Esposito, a pleasure to meet you." 

Zach shook the man's hand, "the pleasure is all mine, professor. I hope I'll be a good GTA."

"Of course you will," the man chuckled. He was almost a head shorter than Zach, and yet his bold stand and bright smile exuded confidence. Zach noted the strength in which the man patted his back with the familiarity of an older brother. A familiarity that he seemed to display to everyone as the students entered the auditorium. Zach stood back, silently observing it all when he heard the whispers.

"What the hell is that guy wearing?" Another giggled, "do you think the professor is pulling a prank on his GTA, he looks ridiculous."

The whispers were cut short by professor Esposito starting the lecture. "Welcome everyone, before we start I would like to introduce my new GTA, all the way from New York, Zachariah Perez." A small applause answered before the professor continued. "Today, we will continue with masculinity in ancient Rome. Because masculinity could only be exercised by men, and masculinity equaled to dominance and power, it was extremely important in a patriarchal society like Rome, to exude masculinity via dominance. Since the Romans thought themselves to be superior beings, the idea of being in servitude would have haunted them, and as a result, they strongly believed that being the penetrator was not a need but a must."

Zach could feel stares burning in the back of his head as giggles echoed throughout the room. The professor heard them as well. "I know you are all snickering now, but think of this concept of dominance in a broader way. When two men fight, and one of them is physically stronger than the other, the weaker one will most likely get bruised or even stabbed by the stronger man, who forces his dominance upon the weaker one." He turned to Zach, "come."

Zach stood up, hesitantly making his way to the podium as the professor continued. "We can even see traces of this mentality in the way they dressed. Note the cut of the sleeves on a male tunic and the diagonal way a toga was draped. They broaden the shoulders, the bold color resembling blood, the fold making the man stand imposingly straight, dominant." he continued passionately, drawing more attention to Zach's physique than he was comfortable with.

"Thanks, Zachariah." The professor patted him roughly on the back, making Zach stumble and fall face-first into the lap of a female student, sitting on the front row. With a screech, she slapped his face away as the entire auditorium became engulfed with laughter.

Zach was mortified, frozen to the spot. He felt traumatized. This couldn't be happening, not on the first day, and in front of everybody too. He stood, soaking in the cruel laughter. His head began to spin. He would never live this down; he had become a laughingstock.

Zach bolted from the room as the laughing echoed through his head. Why did he think this was going to be different? Why did he come here? Slamming through the first door he could find, Zach almost slipped on the bathroom tiles as his breathing came in irregular spurts of air, and his head felt ready to explode. Phone, he needed his phone.

"Hey, are you okay, man?" a young man exiting one of the bathroom stalls asked worriedly. Zach hardly heard him as he mumbled to himself, "Phone, where is my phone?"

"Here, take mine." the man offered, "do I need to get you a doctor or something?"

Zach snatched the phone, locking himself in one of the stalls as he dialed the only number that came to mind.

"Hello? Lloyd speaking here." a groggy voice answered.

"Lloyd. I. mocking. school." Was all Zach could manage in spurts of breath. Lloyd's voice cleared up immediately. "Zach? I'm here, man. Don't worry. Just stay with me. Is Olivia there?"

Tears blurred Zach's vision when he heard her name. He sniffled in shame, losing the last bit of control he had over his breathing. "Zach, listen to me," Lloyd's voice calmly directed him, "I need you to concentrate on your breathing. Like we practiced. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In. Out." Lloyd breathed with him for a few minutes, slowing Zach down until his vision cleared up again.

"Good job, Zach! I'm proud of you, man." Lloyd praised, his voice gently before he swallowed, "do you want to tell me what happened?"

"No. I was just being a wimp. I'll be fine." Zach stuttered, getting ready to open up the stall.

"Zach!" Lloyd called out through the phone. "You are not a wimp. What you are feeling is scary, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. You know that, right?"

For a moment, Zach rested his head against the door, biting his lip in an attempt to keep his tears from falling. "I know. Thanks, Lloyd."

"No problem, just call me when you need me." His friend responded before Zach ended the call. He knew Lloyd would probably worry now, but there was simply no one else he could count on during one of his panic attacks. A knock on the door brought him back to the present, and Zach composed himself as best he could before opening the door and handing the man his phone back with a small 'thank you.'

After that, Zach decided to wait for professor Esposito in his office. Surely Zach could do other work as his assistant as long as he didn't have set foot in that auditorium ever again.  

Total word count: 10.235 words