Disclaimer: The main characters don't belong to me, but the rest does.
Dear Diary,
Mr. Destler is a strange, strange man.
Music theory class today was a nightmare.
When I walked into the classroom, I said hello to him, and even made an attempt at a friendly smile, but he kept his eyes trained on the wall next to me, and acted just as if I were invisible. He continued to blatantly ignore me during the rest of the class, even when I raised my hand. By the end of the class, I felt distinctly uncomfortable.
I was exiting the room when he stopped me with a cold glare. He said in this very low, very quiet voice:
"I expect to see you here after school."
I nodded, and ran out of the room.
Need I say that after this I wasn't feeling especially eager to go to my lesson?
After 9th, I walked to the classroom like a condemned woman to the gallows, humming Chopin's "Funeral March".
I very slowly walked in with my head down.
I stopped in front of Mr. Destler, and then just stood there and stared at my feet, bracing myself for the yelling that was sure to come.
When he finally spoke, his voice had a metallic edge:
"Who was that boy?"
I had expected to be scolded for standing him up, but not this.
"Raoul - he's just one of my friends..."
"'Just one of your friends'? Are you sure? When a girl misses a lesson just because some boyasked her to go get frozen yogurt - I mean, come on, frozen yogurt!- with him, it's because she sees him as more than 'just one of her friends'."
"I -... What does it matter to you? Even if I did like Raoul, it would be none of your business!"
"Oh, but it is my business! It is my business - as your teacher - to make sure that you, my student, remain on the right path, and are not distracted by such inconvenient things as boys! Now, tell me, do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Do you like that Raoul boy?"
"Why do you care?"
"Why do I care?"
"Yes."
"Well, I... Ms. DaaƩ, let us go back to what we were discussing before. From now on, you will not spend any time with that boy. I will not have him get in the way of your career."
"What career? And Raoul is most definitely not a distraction."
"But he did make you miss your lesson yesterday?"
"Well, yes, but that isn't -..."
"Good, I think we understand each other. Now, let us sing. We still have to make up for yesterday."
The rest of the class was tense, but then, as I was about to leave, he told me that he would bring a duet for us to sing tomorrow, which kind of cheered me up.
You know, I don't really have to ignore Raoul. I can still talk to him in the hallway, and hang out with him on the weekends (if he wants to) and all that, as long as Mr. Destler isn't there.
