SUMMER 2006
It’s raining harder than ever. The thick fog is already starting to form. The clouds are banging into each other. The noise is deafening. Oh the sun may never some out again, definitely not until these ten brutal months are once again over.

THE BEGINNING
I walk into my very first day of math class. Gray hair and doughnut head. Harry potter frames. Thin fragile like figure. Dress pants and dress shirt with a skull suspender? He was seated on a chair hands folded on the table. Is this a joke? This must be a joke. I freaked out…he wasn’t what I expected. He wasn’t what I had expected at all.

THAT DAY
1st speech he gave: poor and hungry homeless children in Africa?
2nd speech he gave: stop being utterly selfish and help give those helpless children what they need in order to survive.
3rd speech he gave: respect and only respect.

SECOND AND THIRD DAY
Again and again, those same three speeches. Wasn’t this supposed to be a math class?

FOURTH DAY
The suffering African children again? This was getting old. Okay, he was definitely boring the hell out of me. I wasn’t even sure if he knew any math at all. By the looks of him, he probably won’t remember anything even if he knew. Oh alright, I admit it. That was pretty rude but could he make time pass by any slower? It was like watching a clock tick. I had already begun to feel the wrinkles forming on my face. This is going to a terrible year. A very terrible year in fact.
SECOND MONTH OF SCHOOL
Eh, okay. So I lied. Just a little bit though. He wasn’t that bad but still boring, very boring. I sat there almost every day for forty-seven minutes wondering about the cute boy sitting across from me. Brown shaggy hair, gray-blue eyes. Pale white skin and slender body. He was just so freaking hot. I nearly forgot to concentrate on my own work and not his lips. Until one day Mr. boring stopped dead right in front of my table. He looked me straight in the eye and said four words. Respect and only respect. Then he simply smiled and walked away. I certainly could not afford to get in any trouble. The very next day I asked for a seat change. He shrugged his shoulders, gestured his hand around the room and told me to sit where ever I pleased.

THIRD MONTH OF SCHOOL
“Oh my god! Did you see what outfit she was wearing today?”
“Ugh. Yes it was hideous!”
“I know. I literally threw up.”
From the corner of my eyes I saw his big brown shoes approaching my new table. The rest of my table members didn’t have the slightest idea he had seen us gossiping. I picked my pencil up. I could at least save myself.
“Oh I know right. She should dress a lot more like you girls!”
Astonished the rest of the girls looked up to find his face. I struggled to keep myself from chuckling.
“How are we doing ladies?”
“Good,” we chanted.

FOURTH MONTH OF SCHOOL
Eh, okay. So I lied, again. He really wasn’t half as bad as I though he was. He’s actually kind of funny.
“Ring, ring, ring.”
Someone’s phone went on. I wonder who it’s going to be this time. He looks around the room checking for suspicious faces as we were too.
“Oh! It’s my phone! Hold on just a minute class.”
We watched him reach into his pocket and take out his phone.
“Oh no, it’s my wife again. What is it this time? Oops, let’s pretend you didn’t hear that!”
He pressed his index finger against his lips as he answered his beloved wife. We all laughed and rolled our eyes. This is definitely not going to be a terrible year.

FIFTH MONTH OF SCHOOL
I couldn’t focus in English class because I was thinking about my next class. I was eager, very eager indeed. I wanted to see what kind of crazy outfit he wore today, I wanted to hear the funny little stories he had in mind. I especially wanted to learn the new methods for factoring equations. Did that make any sense at all? A girl eager to lean algebraic methods?

-TEN MINUTES LATER
I took a step in and realized he wasn’t there in his sear. I scanned the entire room. Nope, not in the room either. Oh, he’s probably just running a little late. I took my own seat impatiently.

-TWENTY MINUTES LATER
This is getting weird. No sign of him or no sign of a substitute. None of my classmates clearly grasped the situation until one found a little note on his table.
“No one may be watching but in the end you will know if you have done wrong. Make me proud kids.”
This is absolutely insane. Did he really trust a bunch of immature kids alone in a classroom for a whole period to behave and complete the assigned work? Worst of all were we that crazy and well mannered and actually do the assigned class work when no teacher was enforcing us to do so? I believe this is the day where I truly realized how much I really loved and cared for this inspiring lunatic mentor.

SIXTH MONTH OF SCHOOL
What?! February already? Nah, I frankly can not believe this. I closed my eyes for one second and everything flies by. Amazing. Isn’t it?

SEVENTH AND EIGHT MONTH OF SCHOOL
FUN, FUN, and more FUN! Can I say it any lauder? I want the whole world to know. I LOVE MATH and I LOVE HIM. Suddenly everything seemed so effortless.

NINTH MONTH OF SCHOOL
The time is approaching. I just want to hold on to this teacher and never let go.
“Take all the things I’ve taught you and use it in life. Never let yourself fall into that hole. Did you hear me? Never.”
Yes I most certainly did. I never will.

FINAL MONTH OF SCHOOL
The rain had stopped falling. The fog has all disappeared. The clouds make its way for the might sun. Oh let it shine, let it shine. The very best it can shine. I will continue to shine.