Ignorance Isn't Bliss (True Story)

Chapter 2: You Look Familiar

It wouldn't be a true story without the truth. And truth be told, nothing happened to me involving that stranger for the rest of that school year and the next. In fact, Alice and I had completely forgotten about him and that odd encounter on that rainy Tuesday afternoon. That was until he showed up back in my life--right on cue--during my last year of high school.

Senior year was the year everyone looked forward to. Where kids thought they'd found their identities, as well as thinking they'd figured out what they wanted to do in life. There was not as much stress academically, because everyone was applying to university and they'd gotten through their difficult classes. There was also not much stress socially, because everyone knew who their friends were, who they got along with and who they didn't get along with.

For me personally, I just wanted to get out of that h*ll hole as fast as I could. I hated my high school experience. Not only because a lot of the teachers sucked, the students were fake, pretentious, and would most definitely peak during their college years, but because from an early age I was ready to be an adult. And in the depths of high school only immaturity and h*rny boys were found. If I wanted to become an adult and get started on my preferred career, I would have to get through this h*ll on earth first.

So, I decided since I'd be going to community college anyway, I'd line up some interesting classes for my final year for minimal stress. I decided on an art class and a computers class that started earlier than usual, that way I'd be able to leave school earlier.

My final class of the day would be English: my favorite subject. Which also turned out to be my major in university (not initially.) There wasn't one English class that I didn't enjoy being in. Even if the teachers were terrible, I still enjoyed the class' content. But terrible teachers within the English/Literature world were a dime in a dozen; isn't it a well-known thing that those teachers in America are the chillest teachers out there? It sure wasn't the math teachers...

In our school, we were unable to switch teachers, even if you knew ahead of time that the teacher sucked. That was why I failed Algebra 2, three separate times. I even had the same teacher twice but that's besides the point.

I had no idea what kind of reputation my senior year English teacher had, but I would soon find out.

I'd find out on the first day of class. When our teacher showed up a little late. He handed out the syllabi, read the single sheet of paper out loud to the class, and immediately dismissed us. We were in class for no more than 10 minutes out of the usual hour and 50.

Naturally, most of the class vibed with this teacher. Outside the classroom doors, I heard my peers discuss how lucky we were to have the most laid back teacher in the school, and that we would essentially not have to try at all and we'd all get A's. Under any other circumstance I would've hated not having work in my favorite class, but because it was my last year in high school, I felt I was inclined to this break.

On our first real day of class, Mr. Sharma handed out a questionnaire. "All right guys, just fill these out and hang out for a little bit," he said as he lazily walked back to his desk and sat down.

I sat in the row closest to the teacher's desk, but towards the back of the class. The one person I knew was my friend Miranda, who sat right in front of me. Everyone else sat as far away from the teacher as possible, leaving Miranda and I by ourselves which we both enjoyed.

She handed me the short questionnaire Mr. Sharma had passed out to the top of the rows, and it had about eight questions to answer. They were of course personal, a way for the teacher to get to know us. Random questions like, what is your favorite piece of art and why? What are your plans after high school? Etc.