The Teacher's Assistant (Teacher/Student)

Chapter 1

           I woke up anxious. I was going into my senior year of college and yet, the new school year anxiety would always creep up into my mind. Every year, the ever present anxiety would fade away earlier in the school year as I grew more comfortable. If I was right, I would be rid of it by the second week of classes. My summer vacation had come and gone, hidden within my part time job to save some cash for school or the Greenhouse my mentor owned She grew and sold flowers and produce local to our area. Everything she grew was pesticide and GMO free. When she had offered me the internship it was like a peek into my future. Owning my own greenhouse has been my life goal for as long as I can remember.

          I quickly took a shower before trying to figure out what to wear I decided on my dark wash jeans with a t-shirt I got from the local animal rehabilitation and a light flannel over top. It was, to my surprise, still moderately warm outside. It was usually chilly enough to wear a jacket by now. I searched through my side table for the keys to my car and wallet. Once I found them I quickly checked the time. If I didn't leave soon I would be late for my first class, Intro to Environmental Studies. Before going into the kitchen to say goodbye to my car, I checked myself over in the mirror, brushing a few loose curls behind my ears. I rushed through the apartment and slipped on my vans, before giving my cat a quick kiss goodbye and leaving.

          The drive to school was only about fifteen minutes long and was something that I had memorized easily. Due to this, I was always able to let my mind wander as I drove through the city.The state school I attended was alright, nothing too fancy but I was receiving a good education. I had grown to love the school, even with it's many flaws. It was sad to think that I was finally settling in and I would be leaving soon.

          High school had been a shitty time for me. My parents had moved us from one small town to the next, right in the middle of high school. The hierarchy that exists in high school had already been determined, leaving me the "outcast". College, thankfully, was a different experience. I had a small group of friends who managed to break me out of my "shell". I joined a few clubs and would sometimes go to games and would even attend a party here and there. My love life, and what little of a social life I have, is practically non-existent as I had to focus my time on schoolwork to keep my scholarships.

          I worked in the greenhouse after classes with my mentor, Lillian Bowman, who was like a second mother to me now. I had attended her Biology 101 class my sophomore year as a general requirement. This class is what helped me to realize that Communications was not where I belonged. My major is now Sustainable Agriculture, with a focus on climate change. I stayed after class one day to get help with an assignment and that's when she asked me to stop by the green house. During class, she had noticed my interest on the plants we had been studying. She fueled my passion for environment and everything within it and I helped her in the greenhouse, it was a win-win. After that year, she offered me an internship with her in the greenhouse and working on the plants around the school. The more I grew to know her, the more I realized Lillian was just an older version of myself.

          I pulled into the parking lot closest to the academic quad and tried to find a spot as close to the school as I could. I checked myself over once more in the visor's mirror before getting out. Once I gathered my things from my back seat, I took a deep breath. Today was going to be easy.

          After stopping to grab something small to eat from the Tim's on campus, I sat down in one of the study areas in the building. While munching on my donut, I sent a text to the group I was in, asking if anyone wanted to grab lunch around noon. We tried to sync up our schedules as much as possible in order to be able to find some time to see each other. Gemma, one of my close friends, was actually in my first class.