One Thousand Paper Cranes

Chapter 1

I really needed to invest in a clone. It felt like I'd been running around all over God's green earth when all actuality I'd only been going from building to building over the campus. My legs ached but I kept trudging through pain. I was not going to be late for my pre calc class on the first day back.

There was a motto here at Doverhall: If you're late you might as well just quit. The classes were insanely tough and the teachers were strict. I'd been going here since I wash freshman and I still hadn't got used to the rules. No students were allowed out after six in the evening and before seven in the morning. If you wanted to go to the bathroom too bad, you couldn't until the class was over. Lunch was at twelve and dinner was at five. If you were late you better be able to eat fast because no food, unless given the okay, was allowed back in the dorms.

When you're working with all boys it can be a real struggle to make them follow these rules. I got at least ten detentions my first semester. But can you really blame me. I get hungry at night.

As I neared the smallest of the ten buildings set up on the lawn of the campus, I pulled my jacket closer to me and hugged my books to my chest. Greg, my roommate who was a year above, had warned me about this teacher. Mr. Hender, he had said, was quite possibly the closest thing to satan.

He'd once given Greg an F on an exam for not using a number two pencil. Like he could just tell. So, as I stepped inside and all the things Greg had warned me about came passing through my mind, I expected to see a tall, looming man in all black not a short, stout guy with a sweater on. He looked like your typical grandpa. Someone who was ready to sit you on his knee and tell you when he was your age. Okay, that sounded wrong.

Mr. Hender stood next to the mahogany podium in the middle of the lecture room. Chairs lined each tier and as they ascended down each tier got smaller. I took my seat towards the edge, not drawing too much attention. Students came milling in. Each boy wore the same look I did. No one was excited to start the year again. Hardly anyone here had come because they wanted to. I was only here because my mom had made me. It was punishment. Sending her obviously gay son to an all boys school. Real smart move. But even though I was attracted to some of the boys here I wasn't interested. I only had two years left here and then I was leaving. Going far, far away. It wouldn't be wise to start a relationship.

I pulled out a pencil from my bag and set it on my desk. Now all I had to do was wait. Since I'd become set on the idea of being early to everyone of my classes I had sacrificed time to myself and the few friends I had made here. Roman, the first person I had befriended had scolded me before the term started.

"I hardly ever get to see you as it is." He'd said. "Roman needs his cuddle bear in the morning." If you couldn't already make the conclusion I was Roman's 'cuddle bear.'
While Roman was also gay as can be I hadn't taken any interest towards him and it went the same way for him. I'd decided early on that I didn't have to be attracted to every gay guy I met. Anyway, it was only routine hugs every morning before every period.

"I'm sorry." I'd replied because while I was kind of sorry I just wanted the conversation to be over with.

Mr. Hender stared out at the now full lecture room, his beady eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. I looked around me, feeling as if maybe I had done something wrong already. I looked down at my pants, making sure I hadn't forgot them in the rush of getting dressed this morning. Good, they were still there. He continued his eye assault of everyone in the classroom until the bell finally rang and then he hobble, yes I did say hobble, over to the podium.

"Settle down, class. Please, settle down." He said, his voice barely heard from where I sat. No one spoke, everyone's eyes trained on him. He scanned the room one last time and sat down on the stool next to him.