When Ms. Williams saw the papers on her desk, she groaned. Grading around one hundred papers was never easy, but she knew procrastinating wouldn't help anything. Twirling a piece of her short brown hair she brought out a red pen from one of her drawers. It was then that she wondered how she came to be where she was. An English teacher at the same high school stuck in the same town she always grew up in. A knock on the door gave her a reason to keep putting off the papers off.
When the door opened she found herself looking at one of her most interesting students. Her blond hair was almost down to her waist and was almost always twisted into a clothes had the look of a sixties activist mixed with the gypsies dream. That day she wore a poet's shirt of a cream color. Her skirt was down to her ankles and had too many patterns to count. Truth be told she reminded Sarah Williams of her youth.
"Ms.? I have an idea for my story. I'm basing it off of a real story is that okay?" The students name was Aishe. It was Arabic for something that Sarah couldn't seem to remember what.
"Yeah as long you don't tell it word for word."The creative writing teacher tapped her chin with the pen.
"That's good. I was wondering if you could help me with something else though." She tugged her bangs out of her eyes and pulled her books closer to her.
"Sure." The former thespian was a bit uneasy, what could this girl want from her?
"Cool. Okay so if you don't have any help. Could you come to the library to help me out with my story?"
"What?" The teacher was usually never surprised, but this request made her took her aback.
"Well, my story starts in a library and I've having trouble placing it."
"Sure, I suppose. I need to get something for the play this afternoon anyway." The woman was still befuddled.
"Thanks! Golly, the play is premiering soon isn't it?"
"Yes it is. I have a feeling it is going to be very good this year." The teacher smiled and there was almost a twinkle in her eyes.
The bell rang and it was then that the girl noticed the time. She waved a rushed goodbye and hurried of to her next class.
"Can you move a little bit closer to the audience and say it like you mean it?" She shook her hand in the air to emphasize her point. The English teacher/drama club supervisor was sitting in the red upholstery chairs of the auditorium.
Up on the stage there was a red haired girl dressed in blue and white dress. There was young man right next to her in a monster suit with blue pants and red cape. They were facing each other and the young man seemed angry. The person in the monster costume sidled over a bit over near the one person audience and cleared their throat.
"You will join me for dinner!" The boy clenched his teeth his fists, one could almost taste the anger in his eyes. The girl was a bit taken aback but she was determined and glared holes in the cloak of the young man.
The drama teacher checked her wristwatch and decided it was time to wrap everything up.
"Okay let's wrap this up. Remember six days from now we're on. Have a good weekends rest and I expect to see you on Monday."
Everyone went backstage hurrying off to their own life. The ones that lingered; those were the ones that always preferred fantasy to reality. Those were the ones that gave Sarah Williams a taste of nostalgia; from how she used to be before that day that changed her.
Ms. W stayed behind and watched her memories dance across the stage. Like phantoms of her old days, playing out scenes of years long past. After sitting there long enough, she propped herself up from the chair.
These all she had left was teaching and family. Not one of her students had ever failed her class and for due reason. If she couldn't keep dreaming like she used to, she'd at least want other people to keep on dreaming.
She headed off to the library, sadder and more solemn.