The haunting Love: That is Unrequited

Origins of Alice's Math

A brief history I was okay at math's in my junior years of high school- until I got this teacher who was terrible at teaching. She was one of those teachers who would talk and write the equations on the beard, explain it once, and then expect us to KNOW how to do it. Her teaching was terrible, and I never understood. I would ask questions and she would become annoyed her eyebrows would furrow and her lips would tighten into a small O. She hated me and in turn I grew to hate her. I thought after such a horrid year with her teaching I would be free, until I got her 2 years in a row. She had a different last name since she'd gotten married, and I didn't realize until she opened the door for that first math lesson. I looked at her "Well hello again!" I said it with such a strained and surprised smile trying my best not to show my disappointment. She looked at me and returned the smile; more of a grimace and she responded
"You are the only student who I have again this year."
Just my luck. Out of the entire cohort and teaching staff we got stuck together for another year.

Fast forward through failing pretty much each exam her class was eventually dissolved into other classes. Who tells their students 'Most of you won't pass'. As she predicted; thanks to her terrible teaching and lack of compassion, the class had a 30% pass rate with only one person receiving above a B. With my class being dissolved I was put in a class with a teacher who was fantastic at his job. He helped to bring my grade up to a low pass- I was close to having to repeat the year because of how bad my math score was. I would spend hours after school at tutoring with him, he helped me and worked with me until I was comfortable. He was leaving to teach at a different school at the end of the year and I was so distraught not knowing how I would survive senior year without his encouragement. To this day I still see him sometimes at shopping centers walking around with his beautiful wife and adorable daughter.

But this story is not about a teacher who hated me, and I hated her. It isn't even about my cool, Crab Shirt Friday teacher who gave me a needed boost. It's about a person-who was my teacher, who was my friend, and who was my first love.