❝Life is a progress, and not a station.❞

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

[ H U N T E R     W I L L I A M S ]

My story began during my senior year in Lockwood High School, I had the life that you would practically dream of as an almost-eighteen-year-old, I had everything I could ever want and I was happy with it. However, I couldn't help but feel a little sad and petrified sometimes, perhaps I was anticipating the stress that's already beginning to tear me apart, or perhaps I have some kind of sixth sense that alerts me when something bad is going to happen.

Whatever it was, I wanted it to go away.

 Over a month into the school year, everything was in full swing, old cliques had reassembled and new ones had formed, the tryouts for the soccer team had already passed and our finals were already itching for attention. At least the thing I cherished the most wasn't changing just yet - my friend group. It consisted of seven lovely people and was as diverse as it could be, we had your resident nerds, jocks, cheerleaders and of course - me. It was like something out of a high school cliché.

Today was an unusually sunny Tuesday morning, was a nice break from all the rain lately. I was walking down the main school hall with all the lockers hugging the walls in an orderly fashion, the first period had just ended and it was time to prepare for the following - advanced English literature, conducted by none other than the biggest witch of the century - Mrs. Roseveld.

I don't think I've ever hated a teacher more than I hated that spiteful snake. She had been tormenting me ever since sophomore year, always critiquing me for the wrong things, indirectly calling me stupid when I was trying my best on the essays and in general making me feel unwelcome. 

The worst part about it was that I couldn't switch classes, because apparently, I didn't have a good enough of a reason to.

As I was reaching the end of the hallway, my half-blind arse finally saw the beautiful girl standing in the general area where my locker resided. That beautiful girl was, in fact, my girlfriend of two years - Bailey Woods, she suddenly looked up from her phone and met me with the most beautiful smile that I couldn't ever forget.

"Hey, you! How was biology?" Her voice matched her beaming smile.

"Hey, Bails. It was alright, dissecting frogs and all that fun stuff, as usual." I chuckled, before continuing. "How did your chemistry test go? Did you kill it?" I asked her enthusiastically, she's been dreading that damned test during the whole weekend.

"Yeah, it went alright, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, honestly. I guess all that studying really paid off this time." She beamed.

Suddenly, I felt something, or rather someone, smash into my back, nearly throwing me off balance, turning around - on the verge exploding out of anger, I was met with the culprit, who just happened to be one of my best friends - Evelyn Hale. Her brunette locks were disheveled resembling a mop, brown eyes still fiery after the heroic attempt at tackling me.

"Hey, loser!" She finally spoke, a little out of breath.

"Did you really just charge at me, you troglodyte?" I asked in a humorous tone and chuckled at her.

"You bet your ass I did. The outcome wasn't the same as when I had envisioned it in my head and I might have a mild concussion, but fear not, pest, I will make you drop to the floor next time." She remarked in a snarky tone, a simple smirk dancing on her face. Evelyn then turned to my girlfriend, who happened to also be her best friend. "Hey, Bailey! How are you?" She walked over to her and enveloped her into what seemed like a bone-crushing hug.

"Eve! I... can't... breathe!" Bailey remarked out of breath, simultaneously slapping Evelyn's back who just seemed to kind of... ignore it.

I decided to step in and break them apart. "Alright, that's enough, the bell's about to ring and I don't want to be late for Mrs. Roseveld's idiotic rambling. Let's go peasants." I ushered them in the general direction of the classroom, fixing up my backpack which comfortably resided on one shoulder.

"Right, right, let's go see your favourite old hag, shall we?" Evelyn smirked at me and I rolled my eyes, mentally bracing myself for the forty-five minutes of torment I was about experience.

When we finally reached and entered the classroom, which was labeled with only a metal ornament of the number 'three', how riveting. We could instantly tell something was off, the teacher was nowhere in sight and we weren't the only ones confused about it.

Mrs. Roseveld was never late to class, in fact, that stupid witch was always ready to reprimand you for being a mere thirty seconds late, so what made today so special?

Oh, I wish I hadn't asked that question.

Some fifteen minutes after we took our seats, patiently waiting for Mrs. Roseveld, we instead were greeted with a man, who seemed like he was in mid-twenties, walking into the classroom and standing where the teacher usually did. The man was wearing a dress shirt with a stylish red tie, black dress pants and was sporting a professional vibe to him, his brown hair was messily styled into a quiff, his stubble nearly groomed and his eyes piercing right through everybody's souls. 

The man cleared his throat and suddenly the chatter caused by my peers ceased. He nodded. "Good morning, class. You might be wondering what's going on." The man spoke in an authoritative voice and had complete over the class. "First of all, let me introduce myself - my name is Blake Carter and I will be your advanced English literature teacher for the rest of the year."

Another wave of chatter erupted in the classroom and If I wasn't confused before, I sure as heck was now and I had questions.

I raised my hand and was soon met by a swift nod from Mr. Carter. "What is the reason behind you taking Mrs. Roseveld's spot? Did the witch finally cave in and disappear?" I muttered the last question, but there was no doubt in my mind that everyone heard it. Some snickers echoed throughout the classroom and I smiled to myself.

"Hunter Williams, is it?" He asked and I swiftly nodded in response. "Well Hunter, your old teacher was forced to open up her position because of reasons unknown to me, but if you thought she was bad. You're not going to enjoy me."

The classroom fell dramatically silent, and I swore I could see a girl fanning herself out of the corner of my eye. So far, I was not really enjoying this new teacher, you know, something made me feel like I was going to miss the witch, as painful as that sounded.

"For the rest of the year, we're going to continue with the standard learning plan already prepared by your old teacher. I trust you all to treat me with respect and work hard to ace your finals. Please address me by either Sir or Mr. Carter, are we clear?" Mr. Carter's demanding voice boomed across the classroom and everyone, including me, hastily nodded in response.

Suddenly Bailey poked my side, distracting me from whatever Mr. Evil was talking about now. "This guy seems serious, doesn't he?" She whispered.

"Yeah, seems like an arsehole." I responded in a hushed tone.

"Seems like our year is going to be even more difficult." She added.

"Yeah, I guess so." I responded monotonously, where was this conversation even going?

"At least he's like seriously hot." She concluded.

"Yeah, he is." I absentmindedly answered and sighed.

My response caused both of us to directly turn to each other, Bailey raised her eyebrow at me accusingly, but I could see the beginning on a half-smile forming. "What?"

It took a moment to process what I had previously said, truthfully I didn't even know why I uttered something like that. I guess I was comfortable enough with my sexuality to say those kinds of words about another man. It's not like they were wrong, Mr. Carter was indeed very handsome. "What? I mean, he is handsome, I'm not going to deny that." I rolled my eyes.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Hunt?" She smirked at me jokingly and I rolled my eyes in response.

As quick as this interaction between my girlfriend and I was, it did not go unnoticed by Mr. Carter. "Hunter Williams, could you repeat what I just said?" He exclaimed in a cold tone, knowing damn well that I couldn't.

"No, sir. I'm sorry." At this point, he was glaring daggers at me and I did not like it.

"Do not try to distract other students in my class, this is a warning." I tried to speak up and reason with him that it, in fact, wasn't I who was causing a disturbance, but it all was in vain as he shut me down. "Now, as I was saying, you have a thousand-word essay due Thursday about what you had been previously learning, you must reference Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the topic of the essay is of your choice. Class dismissed."

As everyone packed up their belongings, Mr. Carter called to me. "Hunter, I would like to speak to you after the bell rings." I sighed and halted in my tracks, hastily nodding without looking at him.

How lovely.