Senior Year

21

"Okay so today we're learning a bit about history." Mr Hartford smiled.

"Why are we learning history in music class?" Naomi raised an eyebrow.

"Shh. We'll also be learning a bit about psychology."

"Why though?" Zac asked.

"Could you two stop with the questions? Let me tell you a fact. Emily Dickinson's dad never wanted her to be a poet because he didn't believe she could. Look at her now. She's one of the greats."

"That's a cool story but what does that have to do with music?" Naomi raised an eyebrow.

Mr Hartford just looked at her and continued with his lesson. "Here's another thing. People are often afraid of doing certain things because of childhood experiences."

"I don't get it." Zac sighed.

"Let me make a demonstration that will probably make little to no sense but trust me you'll get it at the end of the lesson."

"Okay." Zac nodded.

"Before we came here I told you to bring your pencil cases. Take out a pen or a pencil you really like and put the pencil case down."

The two did as they were told. That's when Mr Hartford snatched their pens away from them. They tried snatching them back but he kept them out of reach.

"Seriously? Give us the pens." Naomi commanded.

"You want them that bad?" He asked and they nodded. He threw the pens in the air.

While they were trying to catch their pens he went over and snatched the pencil cases.

"Great now he has the whole pencil case." Naomi said sarcastically.

"Exactly. You were so busy trying to get that one pen that you forgot you had an entire pencil case."

"What's your point here?" Zac asked.

"You tell me. That's today's assignment. You two have the rest of the period to figure out what I meant with everything I just told you."

"Okay so can we go back inside?" Zac asked.

"Nope. Fresh air helps you think."

"Fine." Naomi groaned as she sat down on the steps and started thinking.

After ten minutes Naomi looked at Mr Hartford suspiciously. "You want us to go to culinary and music school."

"Yes. Yes I do. The only problem with you two is that your parents are in your heads."

"My parents left. How are they in my head?" Naomi raised an eyebrow.

"You're scared Naomi. You're scared that your parents left you because you're not good enough. So now you constantly think you're not good enough for anything."

Naomi looked at the ground realizing that her teacher was right. Ever since her parents left her behind she had been doubting herself.

"As for you Zac. You're scared that if you go against your father he'll never love you."

Zac looked away from him knowing that he was right. His entire life his father always treated him like a second class citizen in his own home.

"Forget about them. If they can't see the fact that you two are awesome kids then that's their problem."

"Stop focusing on one pen that you forget you have an entire pencil case." Naomi chuckled as she finally realized what her crazy music teacher was getting at.

"Don't focus so much on losing one person that you forget you have other people who care about you." Zac chuckled as he also got the point.

"See, I told you you'll get it. Look it's okay to be sad if you lose someone you love and care about. That doesn't mean you should forget you have other people who care about you." Mr Hartford explained.

"So your point is I should go to culinary school and if my dad doesn't like it he can deal with it himself. I still have my mom, sister and friends." Zac sighed and Mr Hartford nodded.

"I shouldn't care that my parents left because I still have a family and they know I'm good enough. That's why I should go to a music school." Naomi whispered.

"See, I told you fresh air will help you think." Mr Hartford chuckled and they smiled at him.

"We can go back inside now. I still have to teach you about woodwind instruments."

They followed him up the steps back to their music class where he thought them about woodwind with the little time he had left.

Once the bell rang Zac and Naomi walked out the school building and waited for the others.

"Hey!" Chloe greeted as she walked down the steps with Zoe, Martha and Samar.

"Hey, is it me or do you get more beautiful everytime I see you?" Zac asked Chloe blushed a bit.

"Ugh, spare us." Martha rolled her eyes and Chloe gave her a half hearted glare.

"That's gonna be me and you soon." Samar smiled raping his arm around Martha who glared at him.

"Get off me." Martha commended as she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Okay, that hurt." Samar coughed out as the others laughed at him.

"That really hurt. I think I need a hospital." Samar continued.

"Oh I didn't hit you that hard. Come here." Martha rolled her eyes as she rubbed Samar in the same spot she hit him.

"There. Can we go now?" Martha impatiently asked as she walked away.

"Okay then. I guess we'll see you guys tomorrow." Chloe said as she and Naomi followed Martha.

"Bye." Zac smiled as he waved.

"Okay, let's go. We promised Phoebe we'll meet her at the record store." Zoe said as she walked towards Zac's car.

"Right, I totally forgot about that." Zac scrunched up his face as he internally scolded himself for forgetting.

"Let's go lover boy." Zoe told Samar who was still standing and the top of the steps rubbing his ribs in a daze.

"Seriously? He's still thinking about the ice queen?" Zac asked.

"Martha isn't an ice queen." Zoe frowned at Zac who gave her blank expression.

"Oh really? What is she then?"

"She just hates the fact that most guys see her as a challenge or an object instead of a human with a smart opinion." Zoe shrugged as she grabbed Samar by the arm and pulled him towards Zac's car.

"Fair enough." Zac shrugged as they all got in the car and drove off to the record store.