Messed Up Vita

Chapter Eleven

I wait in my desk in the back, tapping my foot impatiently. I stare at the door, waiting for somebody in particular.

   I stop my tapping suddenly. What was I doing? There was no way I'm thinking of Mason in this way, right? I wasn't going to be nervous when he came into the room, and not excited. I will not be happy when he touches my arm, and I will definately not like him in this way. I swore off boys to Linda, and I kind of mentally have to keep my promise. It's a pride thing, I guess. If I get a boyfriend- I'm not saying I have a chance with Mason or anything- then I'm ruining my promise.

   Then the door opens, and Mason steps into the room. All six feet of him. I figured he was six feet, because I was only 5'3. Maybe 5'10 or something.

   He looks at me, smiles, and walks over, walking in such a way that suggests he rules the classroom. He sits his backpack down on an empty chair right beside me on the opposite side of the isle, and faces me with a half smile, the corner of his lip turning up. I nod to him.

   "Hey," I say. "Have a nice trip?"

   "What, gone sour in the five minutes I left?" he says. I realize I'm poker faced, and crack a small smile. "That's better."

   I hear a huff behind Mason, and I look over his shoulder. Katie sits down, five desks up, and glares at me with those hatered-filled green eyes. She turns around, whipping her blond hair over her shoulder, and sits down all queen-like. I could see why they dated, Mason and her.

    "What?" he says, looking behind him.

    I lean in. "Katie seems pissed you broke up with her."

   "I broke up with her?" Mason looks surprsied. "I did not break up with her. I was talking to her about a little distance once and a while, and she snapped and told me that I wasn't enough for her. I was worth less, or something like that."

   "She is pretty rich," I agree. Mason slaps my good arm lightly. "What! It's true. But you could do better, anyways. Snob is written over her forehead, if you haven't noticed in the past few months you've been dating."

   "Oh," Mason says, breathing out. "I've noticed. She just clinged to me, and I didn't want to hurt her feelings. You know?"

   "So it was a pity thing?" I say, eyebrows raising in surprsie.

   "Basically," Mason confirms.

   I smile, about to say something, when the teacher interrupts us. "Take your seats, students! We have a lot of work to do today, and you will have homework. Get out a piece of paper to write this on." I roll my eyes at Mason and turn back to my desk.

   "We will be reviewing a few words in Latin today," Mr. Fielder says. "You will memorize these for tomorrow, and you will be taking a quiz. Vita means 'life'. Vale means 'goodbye.' Audi! means 'listen up.' A common phrase I will be saying to you multiple times in the next few months, so learn it. Quis es tu? means 'who are you'. A simple one. And the final and hardest one, usus magister est optimus means 'expeirence is the best teacher.' Got it all down?" 

   The class groans, signaling we did. Mr. Fielder smiles. "Good. Latin is one of my favorite things about teaching English, and I'm happy your teacher had this planned out for you while I'm substituting."

   I think about the word vita. Life? Out of all those words he told us, that one sticks in my head more than the others. 

  A boy with thin round glasses speaks up. "But Latin is not a part of English. I know English is partically based off the language, but why are we learning the words?"