I was eighteen and a Senior in high school when I met him. He was every girls fantasy, and the first person I'd ever met that made me feel that way. To this day, I don't know what it was about him that made my heart beat flutter and my breathing constrict. This is my story. Our story.
Like I said I was a senior in High School when I met Sam Perry. At my high school, they wanted you to pick a major your senior year, and you would take classes pertaining to that major all year long. It was to prepare us for college I know, but none of us really wanted to do that. We all thought it was pointless, but since we had to do it, or not graduate, we did it.
I picked science. I wanted to be a high school or college level chemistry teacher, and asked to take classes pertaining to chemistry. Well, at the beginning of the year I got one chemistry class and physical science.
I looked at my class schedule and groaned. "What's wrong, Em?"
"Physical science." My best friend, Kenna Harvey just looked at me. "I all ready took physical science."
"Can you get your classes switched?" She asked, as she began to absently look at her nails.
"I can try, but my guess is that the other classes are full, and its this or nothing."
I looked up at Kenna and wanted to shake my head. We were the exact opposite in personality and looks, but we were able to maintain a steady friendship since third grade. Kenna was the type voted prom queen. She was blonde, gorgeous, and never had a hair out of place. She always looked like she'd just stepped out of VOGUE or something.
I on the other hand, was a mess. My dark hair was always doing something I hated, so I was constantly wearing it in a messy bun at the back of my head, and always re-adjusting it through out the day. My clothes were not name brand or even very stylish. I liked my shirts a little baggy to hide my few extra pounds, and my pants were either jeans or cargo pants. Dresses and skirts? I didn't own any. Above all, I was unpopular, geeky and extremely nerdy.
School was my life.
Kenna and I walked down the breezeway between the buildings quickly, coming upon the Sciences and Arts building quickly. "Are you taking a science class this semester?" I asked as she continued into the building.
She sighed. "My parents think it would be best if I took biology. I hate science. I hope they don't make me touch any of those dead frogs." I laughed and shook my head.
"You have the option not to do it, you know."
"Good," she said quite forcefully. "I hate biology and I hate frogs!"
I laughed again as she smiled and turned down a hallway opposite from the one I was to take. I waved, and headed toward my class.
I entered the physical science room and looked at the clock as I took a seat at the front. I was counting the minutes until I could change my classes.
"Good morning class." Mrs. Armstrong entered the room, strangely with no books. "I know it says on your schedule's that I will be teaching this year's class. However, Mr. Kelly, er... quit without any notice, so I will be filling in as an administrator. So this year, with my guidance, the school as allowed a student teacher to teach the class for the year."She held an arm out to the door way, and everybody looked. Rounding the doorway and walking toward the front was a tall man with dark hair. I couldn't see his face as there were kids still standing around. When he reached the front, I saw him.
His hair was dark brown, almost black, and his eyes were crystal blue. The color of a real sapphire when freshly cut. He was at least six foot one. A tall guy for sure. He turned and smiled to the class as he put books onto the desk. He had a dimple in his left cheek when he smiled. He wore a black sweater over a white button up shirt, so that the lapels stuck out of the sweater. He had jeans and simple nikes on.
My heart began to flutter and my breathing stopped in my chest. He was the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen.
"This is Sam Perry. Mr. Perry is in his final year at Portland State. You will be getting your masters and a teaching degree, is that correct Mr. Perry?"
He looked over at her as he organized the desk. "Yup."
Mrs. Armstrong nodded. "You are to act as if Mr. Perry is already a teacher. Understood?" The entire class nodded. She gave a quick nod and sailed out the door.
Everyone's attention turned to him as he walked out from behind the desk. "Okay," he said and smiled. "You guys probably want to know some stuff about me, right?" The class must have nodded, but I was in a trance. "All right. Well, I am in my final post grad year at Portland state. I will be receiving a masters in science and I hope to have my teaching certificate too. I'm 26, my favorite color is blue and I my favorite foods are crab cakes and cheese cake." He paused. "Any questions?"
I knew then and there I was NOT switching classes.
The year flew by. And before I knew it, it was February and the turn of the semester. Thankfully, physical science was a year long class, so I didn't have to give up Mr. Perry. I'd gotten to know him better. He was really nice, and liked to crack jokes. He learned my name quickly, much more quickly than he learned anyone else's, much to my surprise.
I didn't tell anyone about my crush on the teacher. I tried to down play it even to myself. I didn't want anyone to know, and most especially, I wanted to forget, myself! I never had a chance at him, I knew that. First of all, I was a minor still in the eyes of the law, and a student. He wouldn't look at me if I'd burst into flame.
He was a good teacher though. He made the time fly by and we studied things I hadn't already when I took the class previously.
All too soon, it was time to start Senior Projects. Senior Projects is something my idiotic school came up with to make sure the seniors didn't get senior-itus. We had to do a project pertaining to what we wanted to be. We had to have visuals, a ten page paper, and an internship.
Since I can't really go out and get an internship at a school without a teaching degree or being a student teacher, I was in a bit of a rut. I knew what I was going to do for my project. I was going to explain the chemical composition and decomposition of water and carbon dioxide. However, instead of being able to just go out and buy visual aids, I had to make them.
I was in my counselor's office later that week waiting to talk to my counselor about my lack of an internship, when Mr. Perry came in. "Hey, Emma. What are you doing in here?"
I smiled. "Well, I don't have an internship. I have to talk to my counselor about it."
