Teacher's Pet [Elvis]

Chapter 3 - The Mother of the Teacher's Pet

Monday came around, and as I was walking down the hallway, passing kids greeted me. I slowed my walking on the way to my classroom when I saw Elvis at his locker, and another guy was with him, a friend of his. I had seen them walking around together. Also... I never saw Elvis walking around with a girl. Did he have a girlfriend? Certainly he was interested in one. All guys were. Maybe a girl from another school?

No, it wasn't my business. I shouldn't care if he had someone special or not. I just cared that he passes my class. Did he bring his guitar? I was really looking forward to hearing him play.

I came to my classroom and went on in. I spotted something that wasn't in the classroom on Friday—a brown guitar leaning against the piano. I looked in the back of the room and saw the class guitar leaned against the wall next to the stand-up bass. The school band didn't use this room, so this extra guitar was most likely a student's. Elvis's.

I grinned. He wasn't backing down from playing.

Kids started coming into the classroom, and the bell rang, and the rest of them came in, including Elvis. He instantly came up to me as he held his Music Theory textbook and notebook. "Good morning, Elvis," I greeted him.

"I really hope it is. I'm nervous outta my mind at the moment. I brought my guitar, but..."

One of my thin eyebrows went up. "Are you saying you want to opt out of playing? Elvis, it will boost your grade. I'm afraid there isn't another option, other than just not doing it. Since everyone in this class plays an instrument, it's a requirement that you all play a little something every so often."

The poor guy looked so nervous, and I could see it in his blue eyes. "I'm just not all that great."

"I already said that you won't be graded on your ability, just that you do it. No one's going to laugh at you."

"You don't know that."

Everyone was in their seats. Well, two seats were empty—Elvis's and Randy Hays, a boy who sat next to Elvis on his right. I would have to mark him absent. "You remember what I told you on Saturday?"

"You said a lot of things."

"When you get passed the apprehensiveness and fear..."

"Somethin' magical happens. Yeah, I remember. But I don't think anythin' magical will happen today. I've performed for people, but I just don't like doin' it. I recall doin' at the fair once when I was a kid, and I was so scared outta my mind. And I was singin' then."

"Just do your best. You'll be fine. And you're not the only one performing today. Sandra and Ardy are playing their instruments today."

"I've heard 'em play before, and they're good."

He was trying to get out of this in any way possible. "You're playing, Elvis. You brought your guitar. Now go take a seat."

He huffed through his nose and went and sat down, clearly not happy about all this. He muttered something, like he should've never chosen to take this class. That stung, but he was saying that out of fear. Well, as his teacher, I had to do a little pushing to get my students out of their comfort zone. Progress never came from being inside a comfort zone.

"Alright, good morning, everyone!" I called, and everyone quieted down. "Now, first off today, we'll have our performers play their piece, then we'll get into our lecture. Sandra, are you ready to go first?"

She took up her violin. "I sure am."

She came up as I sat down on the piano bench, and she set up a music sheet stand and put on the sheet music. She started playing, and the whole class was mesmerized, the same as when Ardy played on his clarinet. Most of the students in the class were in the school band that was taught by someone else.