One Thousand Paper Cranes

Chapter 1

"Now, if you aren't very observant it might interest you to know that I am your pre- calculus teacher and I will be for the rest of this semester. I don't expect to have any of you next semester because I don't expect for any of you to pass." Wow, what a welcome. Mr. Hender looked out at us, waiting for a response and when he didn't get one he went on.

"I'm going to start the class off right. I want all of you to stand up, please." I turned my head around, looking at everyone else and not really wanting to start the whole standing up, but no one else was doing it so I stood. I was the only one, but nobody laughed. Mr. Hender looked me up and down, his eyes calculating something.

"Son, what is your name?" It was an easy enough question but my tongue felt swollen when I tried to speak.

"Sam." It eventually came out after a couple seconds hesitation. Mr. Hender nodded.

"Aren't you the gay boy?" It sounded like an insult but Mr. Hender didn't look at all amused. I nodded my head. I'd only 'officially' came out last year at the end of the last semester, but word spread quick. I shifted my feet uncomfortably. Even though coming out was the best thing I could have done it still didn't feel amazing when people asked me. Yes, of course I'm gay, but you don't have to ask me that all the time.

I nodded my head in answer and he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as if a headache was coming on. This was most people's reactions; disappointment. It shouldn't matter to them though. They weren't the one's who wanted kiss boys all the time. They could get over it.
"I think we're done with the whole getting to know you thing." Mr.Hender walked back to where he stood previously, picking up a huge stack of papers that sat on the podium. I tried to get a better look at them, craning my head and sitting up straighter in my seat. But I couldn't see them.

"I'm going to give you your first assignment. It's more of a pre-assessment that you do at home though so I don't want any of you to worry about pounds of homework on your first day back." He passed out the packet and gave us the rest of the period to finish it. It was easy enough and I finished it well before the bell rang. I pulled out my sketchbook and began doodling the events that had happened earlier; Mr. Hender asking me if I was gay. Me answering him then setting his pants on fire. Oh wait that didn't happen.

When the bell rang I hopped out of my seat, turned in the pre assessment and left. Roman was standing a little farther off from the doors I had come through. His brown curls covered his forehead and he stared over at me with a stern expression on his face. He motioned for me to come over and I decided it would be unwise to try and get out of this. I walked over to him, my back pack clanking against my back.

"It's time for English." He grabbed my hand and started running towards the big gray building directly across from Mr. Hender's. Roman's leather jacket flapped up behind him and kept slapping my arm. I'd forgotten that I'd even had any classes with him. All of my periods were either pre AP or AP and usually Roman didn't get into those, but I suppose he'd struck a deal with fate.

"And we're here." He came to a stop in front of the entrance. I almost ran him over but I stopped myself.

"Have you heard anything about this teacher?" I asked, slightly out of breath. He turned to me, letting go of my hand.

"Nope." Roman answered. I didn't like to walk blindly into a classroom but it looked like that was what I would have to do. I sighed, smoothed back my hair. Roman led the way into the classroom. The lights were dim and it gave me a sense of tiredness.

"So, I was thinking," Roman started. Oh great, it was never good when Roman started thinking. "I'm going to come out. Like officially. I need to find myself a man and it just makes the whole thing ten times harder when I'm still stuck in the damn closet." It was about fucking time. Roman being in the closet wasn't good for him and it wasn't good for me. Whenever someone questioned why we were holding hands or constantly hugging I was the one who had to come up with an excuse. I was kind of running out of them. People were starting to question the fact that we were "definitely cousins."

"Good. This'll be interesting though." I know that when I came out I received a lot of backlash. I lost a lot of friends, but I guess there were never really my friends. The ones who stayed were. "When were you planning on telling everyone?"

"I was thinking right now."He ran ahead of me and I tried to catch up. We entered the warm, cocoa smelling classroom. It was already pretty full so Roman stood on one of the chairs that sat near the big projector.

"Hey, everyone. Listen please." They had already been paying attention when he got on the chair. " My name is Roman Frederick and I am gay. Someone name a gay person." No one did. Roman waited a little longer. "Come on someone do it."

"Tyler Oakley." Someone shouted from the back.

"I'm gayer." I didn't even know how that was possible, but everyone laughed.

"Alright. I think we should take our seats." A strong male voice spoke up from the door of the class. I turned, trying to see who it was. A man in a nice suit stood there. He might have been in his early thirties and his hair was slicked back. He wore glasses but I was almost certain they were fake. He smiled, but there was nothing kind about it. The guy gave me chills and not in a good way.

Behind him stood a boy, about my age, with a black sweater on. The few curls he had in his dark brown hair were unkempt. Usually I don't like to say this about people I don't know personally, but he was hot. His eyes met mine and he bit his lip almost seductively. I was almost certain my cheeks were a dark shade of red.

Roman jumped off the chair and almost landed on his face, but he recovered quickly. When he stood I patted him on the back and tried to give him a refreshing smile, but eyes could hardly stay off the new boy. And the same went for him. His eyes followed me as I sat roman in his seat and then took the one next to him. He didn't always look at my face though. Sometimes his eyes wandered. I'd never seen him before today and it almost made me wish I had.

"Hello, class. I'm Mr. Robb. I see that you all have become somewhat comfortable with each other." There was scattered laughter. The new kid walked up the steps, coming closer to me. He turned onto my row and sat. Right. Next. To me. I wouldn't say anything though. I was here to learn. But it wouldn't hurt anything if I looked right? 

"I don't really have anything for you today so I'll allow this time for you to get to know the people around you." I liked this teacher. He seemed easy and laid back. Nothing like any of the other teachers I'd met that day. I turned to talk to Roman but he seemed to be suddenly very interested in his desk. I'd have to ask him what was going on later.

A tap on my shoulder made me focus my attention away from my distraught friend.

"I'm Eliam." It was the new kid. He stared at me with honey colored eyes. A splash of freckles adorned his nose and a slight tilt was evident in his mouth. He was smirking.

"I'm Sam." I said, a little more confident than I'd expected it to be. He smiled, like an actual smile not the one you give to someone who you've caught staring which I was doing. I smiled back.

"Are you new here?" I asked and I instantly felt dumb for doing so. Of course he was new. He'd shown up with the teacher. Here at Doverhall, and I'm sure at other schools as well, the teachers of new students with help them find their way around on their first day. I guess Eliam had been assigned to Mr. Robb.

"Yeah, actually. I don't really know any of these people here so I was wondering if maybe I could eat lunch with you. You seem nice." Hell yes. He smiled again, this time there was something almost vulnerable about it. I could tell he didn't really like to ask things of people. I was the same way.

"Sure. Roman and I could always use new people at our table." Though Roman wasn't my only friend he was the only one that didn't sit with anyone else so at lunch it was usually just me and him. "That's Roman." I pointed to Roman and Eliam nodded.

"OK. Thanks." I didn't want that to be the end of our conversation, but I could tell Eliam didn't really have anything else to say. Maybe that would change at lunch.