Consider it a Welcome

Chapter 2: Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

"Jesus" he yelped, jumping round at the noise. "Sorry mate didn't mean to startle you, just wanted to say hello. I've been keeping and eye on your class for an hour so wanted to put a face to a name. I'm bad for time keeping but skipping your first ever lesson is impressive even for this school" a man chuckled behind him, propped up against the wooden door frame to a tiny office connecting two rooms. The man had fluffy curly hair flopped to the side in an unruly mess, there were proper ringlets to it unlike Dan's cropped style that generally was just wavy. His jaw was defined, devoid of facial hair and his bright eyes twinkled with some element of mischief that accompanied his lop sided smirk perfectly. He dressed in a knitted jumper, too bold for Dan's taste but it seemed to hit this guys personality quite well, as dan took him in he watched the man as he wiped his delicate paint covered hands on his jeans, contributing to the apparent artists palette already sat on them.

"Names Mr Ligouri, but you can call me Pj. I guess we're classroom buddies. This tiny office here is just as much yours as mine but you'll have to fight for space" he laughed gesturing to the thin and narrow office. Dan peered forwards slightly to drink in the room, the walls were plastered with posters of video games and tv shows, there were about a million nerdy themed lights and trinkets adoring a paper covered desk and fairylights taped to the ceiling. "Damn" Dan chuckled taking in the sight as Pj stood and admired his work like a proud parent. "Impressive right? I've been building it up for two years. It's like a little home from home apart from all the text books" he gestured to the stacks upon stacks of literature texts hidden behind the door. "That's your side, feel free to decorate, it's not like anyone comes in here anyway. Here's your key by the way" he said, pulling a tiny Metal object from his jean object and pressing it into Dan's open palm. "Thanks" he managed to utter, staring over the chipped desk and computer painfully plain compared to Pj's side of the room. "I'll see you around-" he paused for Dan to fill in his name. "Dan. Dan Howell" he replied. "See you around Mr Howell. If you need me I'll be in the art department" Pj smiled, waving before heading back towards his classroom. "Sorry, the Art department don't you teach English?" Dan shook his head in confusion. "Yeah but...you know. Budget cuts" he shrugged before waving goodbye. "What is it with this school and dual teaching?" Dan sighed before slamming his leather bag down on the desk. He had a lot of work to do.

By the time break time rolled around Dan was ready to go home. After his initial flop of a first lesson he'd attempted to be more enthusiastic with the year 10s, much to no matched reaction. "Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet" had not been what they wanted to see on the whiteboard on the first day of term, sealing their fate into three months of language no one understood and over analysing what Dan still considered a play about two overly horny teenagers amongst some brilliantly crafted lines and delivery whilst throwing in some fatalistic ideas and gay subtext for good measure. Or perhaps that was just Dan. He'd been met with a lot of "sir why" and "sir I can't do this" to which he had tried to fix before giving up fighting with them and putting on a funny internet video to try and lighten the mood. If that was what he got from the year 10s he really dreaded the year 12s and year 8s the afternoon would bring.

Still he tried to remain externally optimistic, not something he was well versed in but to transfer his feelings of life in general to the students was not his desired goal so he instead he busied himself with writing his name on the board and writing some inspirational quotes just to keep his mind from wandering and risking ending up lying face up at the ceiling in tears. With a last flourish he finished his impressively beautiful writing of a Winnie the Pooh quote, satisfied by his work he turned to the rest of the room. For a classroom it was quite small, he had a tiny desk at the front with a broken chair, stuffing spilling out the sides. In the white windowsills grew god knows what and he hadn't worked out how to close the windows of the room without climbing onto the cabinets that ran down that side of the room. The previous teacher hadn't left him very much, all the displays were stripped down and the desk was empty save for a bottle opener and a few whiteboard pens which he had adopted as his own. It would take a lot to get this looking like a class room but dan didn't mind a project, it would keep him entertained at midnight tonight. As for the office he had a few ideas, he'd pondered over what Pj said about a 'home from home' and was beginning to piece together the kind of monochrome aesthetic he'd go for, kind of geometric but classy.

"Seriously what am I going to do with this room" he huffed aloud checking over his next timetabled lesson. "Blood brothers? Oh that should be fun. Maybe I could print some pictures out and make some shitty scenery...or something" he shrugged turning to the computer and beginning to send scenery building photos to the printer in the office in order to set up some sort of shoddy staging to get the kids to act out the play. They were year 8s after all English might still be fun to them, plus who doesn't love drama. It's not even like they'd have to participate they could just watch the gobby kids foolishly stumble over the lines with painfully poor characterisation. "It will do" Dan concluded, thinking over places he could get bin lids and props from just to make the first scenes of the play more real. He was so engrossed in the idea of it all in fact that he didn't hear the polite knock on the door, or the door swing open or the polite coughing. It was only when he felt wind brush past his neck as someone stopped behind him and bent down to shout "knock knock knock" in his ear that he practically fell out his wheely chair.