Not As Planned

Chapter One

"Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach." Mr. Star exclaims as he enters his sixth period class. The few of us students who actually wanted to take philosophy this year sit anxiously in the front of the room while the rest of the students who are only here because they need the credit are twiddling their thumbs and doodling on their notebooks. Luckily Noah is sitting next to me, even though he wasn't really interested in this class.

      Mr. Star is wearing a three-piece suit, his brown hair cut short and sleeked back. In a way, he's kind of handsome. Especially for a high school teacher. His brown eyes scan the room as he asks, "Does anyone know who said that?"

      Before I can raise my hand some kid in the back of the room exclaims, "I sure as hell don't know but I think he meant 'those that know, do. Those that can't, teach."

      A few students snicker at this, but I bite my lip, holding back a retort that would only be too easy to turn around and snap back at him. Mr. Star smirks, "Then you would make an excellent teacher, wouldn't you Devon?"

      Bingo. The whole class busts up laughing and Mr. Star waits for them to die down. As they do, I raise my hand, "Aristotle, sir."

      The whole class is silent. I quickly scan the first row of students who wanted to be there with me, but all of them just stare at me like I'm a freak. Didn't they at least read some of the book required for this class? How could they not? The cover is a picture of the universe inside a universe inside a universe.

      That idea is still blowing my mind at this moment.

      "Thank you, Miss Holland. It looks like somebody is staying on top of her reading." He walk over to the whiteboard and writes: Aristotle. "Now if everyone could turn to page fifty-seven. Today we're learning about Aristotle. From the page, can anyone tell me something about him?"

     The room is silent as everyone scans the page that was supposed to be read last night. I'm the only one staring straight ahead and not at the book, trying to resist the urge to raise my hand and spill everything I learned about the Greek philosopher.

      Aristotle had a way of questioning everything about the universe. He was observant and patient- two things I wish that I could be.

      If I take a moment to really think and ponder my life up until this point, I'd say I've lived it well. Life has always thrown obstacles in my way and sometimes I feel like those mountains are impossible to move. Yet I know that I'm not alone in this world; I'm not the only one who this could have happened to. 

      Yes, I am talking about the whole pregnancy thing. The thought of it causes my head to throb like a thousand fan girls at a One Direction concert. Anyway, that's a mountain I can't move today. Besides, the only person who needs to know at this point is Noah, and he does.

      We still haven't discussed much about it. To be honest he never said much when I told him. He just held my body close to his as I convulsed with tears, telling me everything was going to be okay.

      Before the class started, though, I had asked him if we could discuss it. He had told me yes, without much thought, his blue gray eyes not giving any emotion away.

      I glance over at him as Mr. Star goes off about the many amazing facts of Aristotle. He returns the stare with a shy smile before turning back to face the front of the room, tapping his pencil against the desk nervously.

      Everyday I worry that I made his life more stressful by telling him; I have no idea what I'm going to do about being pregnant let alone what Noah could do even if he wanted to. We're both in high school and clearly too young to even take care of ourselves.