The eighth period of the day finally came; it felt like it took eight years for us to get here. Band class was really cool; our teacher had us sit in our places where our sections are. Being out in the back of the classroom sucks, but at least I can see Sophie play throughout the entire class time. I sit next to some guy named Aaron. He’s this really tall kid that apparently kills on the drums. I’ll definitely see if that’s true someday.
I entered a basement-like classroom next to the back exit of the school. I was initially confused; was this where the vocal room was located? I can’t lie; I was nervous going to vocal. Yeah, I was a Dual major, but something felt weird for me being in the vocal program. In a sense, I felt the need to prove myself even more.
When I entered the classroom, there were a good amount of people already in class. They all seem to be in my grade; in a sense, they all look as confused and nervous as I am. I look at the vocal teacher, trying to not stare at him too hard as I walk towards the seats. Mollie enters a couple of minutes later, waving her hand as she walks toward my direction. She also looks at the teacher quickly, then turns her head back toward me.
“So,” Mollie bagn to say. I roll my eyes and sighed, knowing where this conversation was heading.
“Mol, I know,” I stated. Mollie starts to laugh harder than I expected her to laugh.
“Did you know this was going to happen when you auditioned for the vocal program?” Mollie asked.
“Of course I did!” I answered a little louder than I thought. I looked back up at the teacher, who stands in front of the piano in the middle of the room. More students– both new faces and old– come into the vocal room. My eyes widen to see Laurie Warren walk into the vocal room.
“Is that–“
Mollie turns around and makes a gagging noise. We watched her walk to a seat in the vocal room, in which there were a couple of girls already surrounding her. How the fuck do you even get popular on the first day of a new school?
“I hate her so much,” Mollie stated.
“I know, Mol,” I responded back, trying to end the conversation. The teacher quiets dow the class and I could feel the sweat drip down my face. Please don’t introduce yourself, just pleeeaseee just–
“Hello, newcomers! Welcome to your first day at Waverly High,” the teacher began. He walks toward the chalkboard and picks up a piece of chalk. I feel myself sink further down my seat. Mollie looks down at me and shakes her head. The teacher writes in big letters his name: “Mr. Kamalani”.
“I’m your vocal teacher, Mr. Kamalani,” he introduced himself. I squeezed my eyes shut; I didn’t want to see anyone look at me.
…
“So, excited for your first day, bud?” my dad asked at the dinner table. Jennifer was feeding my baby twin sisters while my younger brother, Micah, sat at the table playing with his food. My father scolded him quickly before waiting for me to answer.
“I guess,” I answered, not excited. I dropped my fork on my plate and looked up at my dad. “You’re not gonna do those stupid introductions in class?”
“What do you mean?” my dad asked.
“Like can you just teach the class without them ever knowing who you are or something?” I pleaded. My dad started to laugh as he wiped Micah’s messy face.
“Bud, my students need to know who I am,” my dad answered. “I will be their vocal teacher for the next four years.” I placed my hands on my face and sighed loudly.
“My high school experience is already going to be horrible,” I stated. My dad sighed loudly.
“You’ll be fine, bud,” he reassured. “If it makes you feel any better, I will not give you any special treatment. You’ll be another one of my students.”
…
“Milo, he’s looking over here,” Mollie whispered in my ear. I opened up one eye and saw him quickly glance at me before moving towards the opposite side of the vocal room. I let out the breath I was holding in for what felt like hours.
“So, I will be your vocal teacher for the course of your high school career,” my dad spoke to the class. “We will learn music in different languages, we will sing different genres of music, perform in different venues, and make you guys prepared for your futures beyond the four walls of this classroom.” One thing my dad is passionate about is his music. He was a student in this very school back then, probably sitting in this very classroom too. He was known for having some of his students go to the top colleges for music in the country. My dad cared about his students, and from the sound of it; it seems like his students liked him. It just sucks I have to be related to my goddamn vocal teacher.
“Since these are your peers and choirmates for the next four years, let’s introduce each other,” he said. My eyes widen. No, no, no, no; please! I could feel my face get hot.
“You need a bag to puke or something?” Mollie asked. I didn’t answer her. I just wanted to hide in a cave for the rest of my high school life.
After the first couple of students introduced themselves, my dad looks at Mollie, nodding in her direction to give her the floor to introduce herself.
“Hi. I’m Mollie,” she said. “I think I’m a soprano? Uhm… yeah,” she awkwardly sat down. Laurie chuckled across the room, which made Mollie look over there and stand back up. “I don’t know what’s so funny, but that’s my intro.”
“Class, please be respectful to each other’s introductions. All the drama and bad tension any of you have with each other stays out of this classroom. We are a team,” my dad sternly said. I don’t know if that was fair for him to do. He knows Laurie and Mollie would kill each other if they were left alone in a room with each other. Once he finished, he looks in my direction and nods to proceed with my introduction. This is when my high school life ends; right now on the very first fucking day.
I stand up from my seat slowly and look around the classroom. It makes me a moment to actually say something. Fuck, just get this over with.
“Hi, uhm… I’m Milo,” I started to say. “I’m a band and vocal dual major… tenor, I–“
“–am also related to Mr. Kamalani!” someone shouted from across the room. The class starts to laugh as I quickly scanned the room to see who said what they said. It wasn’t Laurie. It was a guy towards the back of the room.
It was Aaron from my band class.
Letters From Liz. 