We've Learned to Run from Anything Uncomfortable

Monday, May 16th

“Can yeh tell meh where room 108 is?” I heard a voice ask behind me.

I just continued walking. It was passing period and someone would help this idiot out. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be me. Why you would leave England to come to the United States was beyond me. And anyone stupid enough to do it wasn’t worth talking to.

“Oi! I’m talkin’ ta yeh!” He said, getting closer behind me.

I walked a bit faster and continued to keep my head straight forward. I was in no mood for talking today. I am almost positive when I get back home, I’ll be sent off once more. I got caught stealing Mary’s smokes again.

“Yeh know, yer rather quiet fer bein’ a tour guide, but thank yeh.” The same voice spoke directly in my ear as I watched the body that belonged to it fly past me and take a seat in my English class.

I looked outside the door and saw that my English class with Mrs. Rant was indeed in room 108.

I went in the classroom and took my seat. I looked towards the front of the room where our teacher stood. Mrs. Rant was always one of my favorite teachers. She’s an amazing English teacher and has helped me with my writing countless times.

But, she made us share. I hated sharing.

“Sam?” She asked, “Its your turn to read your poem.”

I put on the best smile I could muster for her and grabbed my paper as I stood up to read mine aloud.

We had to use our names, like and acronym and write out words that described us. My hands trembled furiously and I bit my lip, scraping my braces against tongue as I began to write my name on the board.

SAM

“S." I stated, "Serious." I looked up at my class mates, most of them bored with lost expressions on their face as I said, “A. Amenable. And M for miscue.”

I quickly took my seat and folded my paper in half.

“Whoo!” The English boy clapped, “Very nice. I like yeh writins’ there, Sammeh.”

“Oliver.” Mrs. Rant laughed slightly, “We cannot yell in class. Please, quiet down.”

“I’m sorreh Mrs. Rant. I didn’ mean ta be so rude.”

“Do you have a poem you’d like to share with the class?”

“Not realleh.” He said, leaning back in his chair.

“Well, get on up here and figure something out. Quick.” She grinned.

He jumped from his seat with a slight smirk on his face and grabbed the marker she was holding out. In barely legible handwriting he scrawled:

OLIVER

I watched as he stuck out his bottom lip in a slight pout, trying to figure out something to write. He scratched the back of his head slightly, throwing around his brown hair carelessly while shuffling his feet.

He opened his mouth to say, “Mrs. Rant. I’m jus’ wonderin’. I go by Olleh. So, do I hafta write out Oliveh? I don’ realleh go by tha’.”

“Well, everyone else had to use their full names, so yes, Oliver. Use Oliver.”

“O fer, open.” He grinned, “L fer loveleh. I fer inquisitive.” He stopped to look at me. I had my eyes fixated on his grin. I was staring at his lip rings, suddenly wondering why they were so close to the sides of his mouth. He smiled even bigger, making me think he knew what I was thinking, “V fer.. Mrs. I don’ know anneh words tha’ start with Veh.”

“Vagina.” Someone muttered and then laughed.

Mrs. Rant ignored the comment and supplied, “Veritable.”

“Okay.” Oliver said, smiling again, “V fer Verhritable. E fer empty, and R fer rad.”

I let a small grin spread across my face as he said his last word. He looked so comfortable in front of the entire class, and he wasn’t cocky about his words. The grins that kept crossing his face were hopeful. He was just glad he could find words that started with the letters of his name.

“Okay. Oliver. Why don’t you take a seat and write those down real quickly while I explain the instructions to everyone?”

He nodded and sat down at his seat. I watched as he pulled out a piece of paper and started writing down his words as quickly as he could remember them.

“Alright guys. Now that everyone has shared their words, we’re going to gather into partners and find out the meaning of the words. Why you used those words to describe yourself. So, find a partner and get to work!”

No sooner than Mrs. Rant had stopped talking, Oliver was sitting across from me with his binder and a pen ready.

“Hey Oliver.” I said, waving.

“Yeh don’ ‘ave ta wave, I’m righ’ ‘ere.” He smirked, “And yeh don’ ‘ave ta call meh Oliveh either. I go by Olleh.”

“Well, lets get this started then.”

“Alrigh’ You first.”

“Me first what?” I asked.

“Yeh tell meh why yeh chose yer words first.” He grinned, pointing at my paper.

“Oh. Alright. I chose serious, cause I'm serious about a lot of things. I chose amenable because I'm a responsible person, and miscue because I was a mistake."

“Yer not a mistake.”

I rolled my eyes softly as I said, "You don't even know."

“What do yeh mean, I don' even know?” He asked.

“I’m a foster kid.”

“Ah, I see. I"m sorreh Sam. You deserve betteh.” He paused, "Hey, can I ask yeh somethin'?"

"Sure.." I said, contemplating something horrible.

"'Ow come e'ryone else used their full names, but yeh?"

"Sam is my full name." I smiled.

"Is is realleh? Its not Samantheh?"

"Nope. Just Sam."

"Wierd."

“Are you going to read your’s?” I said, changing the subject.

He continued, “Yeh know, your papeh wasn't very open. Why don' you talk about yerself more? I'll bet half the kids in this class don' even know wha' yer words meant."

I cut him off quickly, “Listen. Just read your’s, okay?”

He looked up at me and caught my eye then turned away quickly, looking down at his paper he said, “Open, cause I don’t close mehself down like most people. L for loveleh ‘cause I am quite a loveleh dude. Inquisitive. Shit.” He muttered, “I chose that cause I couldn’ think a nothing else.”

“You’re inquisitive cause you ask too many questions Oliver.”

“Olleh.” He sighed, “What in the ’ell does vehritable mean?”

“True, or genuine.” I stated, “Mrs. Rant finds your personality genuine.”

The corners of his mouth tipped upwards as he said, “What a nice ladeh. Empteh, cause I feel real empteh bein’ ’ere without meh bro and what not.” He said, starting to look really sad.

I felt bad for him at the moment and I saw that he really did miss his brother. His whole face fell and his eyes took on the look of someone who was genuinely hurt.

The bell rang suddenly and Oliver finished, “Rad, cause I’m rad.”

I looked up at him and let a small smile out before walking past him into the hallway.

“Oi! Sam!” He said, running up behind me, “Would you like ta go get something ta drink tonigh’?”

“I don’t drink.”

“I meant like coffeh er something.”

“I can’t. My sister has a soccer game.” I said, grabbing my bag out of my locker and making my way to the buses.