Chapter Text
I can't sleep. My room is pitch black, excluding the little corner of the nightstand that holds my alarm clock. The time shines out to me in bright neon green numbers, reminding me of my insomnia. 4:13 am. Two hours before the sun will illuminate these hidden walls, and three hours before I have to head to my new job.
I just moved here from Paris almost four months ago, chased out by the constant reminder of wanting more for my life. You see, I was a TA at the college I attended there. Sorbonne Paris North University. Had a nice ring to it, and a nice spot sitting high on my resume. I passed my classes with high honors, graduating four years ago with a Bachelors degree in Immunology. That allowed me to get my foot in the door, not just at the college but all around Paris. I constantly got emails in my inbox, begging me to come intern at laboratories around the city. "Mrs. Cormier, we would love to have you! Please consider us, you won't want to miss this opportunity!", they all said with different words switched in and out. All were very interesting, but I knew my heart always wanted to go into teaching. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew that I wanted to share my knowledge with others. Seeing people connect through intelligence spoke to me, and I knew that's what I wanted. So I turned down all the offers of interning at local labs, and became an assistant to a professor at SPNU. This was the perfect idea, well at least it seemed that way.
Constant schedule changes, delay of times to work out one-on-one tutoring services with students, and lack of encouragement from other staff pushed me away. You know, you can only take so much before a part of you wants to run. And I did. After an extreme blowout between the professor I shadowed and myself, I decided to take some time off. Every day following was filled with research of my own, looking at schools all across the world to move to. Shoot, I had the qualifications I needed. And traveling? It had always been a dream to go elsewhere. After all, Paris had been my home for 26 years. I was ready.
That's when I found a listing for Auburn Hills High School.
"Located in Southern California, we are eagerly searching for an enthusiastic science professional looking to teach our high school seniors! Apply now on our website by sending in your resume, along with other documents proving you're fit for this position."
California. The same place I had seen in so many American movies, giving the impression of utopia here on Earth. I remember seeing the Hollywood sign on the cover of a magazine once, next to the words, "The Best Place to Be!". Yeah right, I remember thinking, the best place to be until it isn't. But then I snapped out of my negative mindset. I'm not even happy here. Why not move somewhere that could give me new opportunities?
So I did just that. I sent in my resume, waited painstaking days on end for any sign of life. Until I got an email back. It told me that the job was still available, and according to my credentials I would be a great fit. Plus, it would be teaching Biology and that was right up my alley. So the next day, I packed all my clothes into the only suitcase I owned. It was the same one I had gotten all those years back, when I dreamed of traveling as a little girl does. It sat in the closet of my apartment collecting dust, but now was being stuffed to the brim with all of my clothes and shoes. I went on a scavenger hunt to find red-eye flights from Paris to America. That was definitely a task, but I was able to split it into two six hour flights. I left on a whim. No warning. No two-weeks notice to the college. No attachments to Paris. Both my parents passed when I was a teenager, and I never had any siblings to keep me company anyways. I got on those flights and never looked back, just forward at my future.
The last four months have been a whirlwind. Learning American customs, getting acquainted with all things Americans do, all the things they say. It was like learning a new language, which I guess I was already good at. English is my second language after all, but my mother instilled it in me to be fluent in both French and English. She always told me, "You never know when you're going to need it. And you will need it." When I had arrived here in June, school had just let out for the summer. I did my interviews all in person, in the empty schoolrooms that I would soon work in. I met with the head principal, Mrs. Sadler, along with a host of other wonderful teachers. There were a few that I distinctly remember. There was Dr. Leekie, the head of the science department of all the grades. He was very tall and lanky, and wore a white lab coat like so many of my old professors back in Paris. Then there was Mr. Dawkins and Mrs. Hendrix, who worked in the theater department as the acting coaches. They were in the break room when I had my last interview, and I remember meeting them briefly before they headed back out to the auditorium. All the people I met said the same thing. "Please, call me (insert name)". It was an American thing for sure, because back in Paris I always referred to everyone as their last names. I guess here first names are more formal.
I remember leaving that final interview feeling confident, and excited for this new chapter I was about to begin. But now it's September, and it's the first day of school. Of course, I did attend the open house. Mrs. Sadler, or Siobhan as she asked me to call her, stated that it was important for me to get used to the busy hallways and packed classrooms. But now, my stomach turned and did somersaults as I laid awake in my bed. Not one hour of sleep I had gotten, and I felt like it was pointless to keep trying. I sighed, sitting up in the pitch black darkness and rubbing my forehead with my palm. I yawned, stretching my limbs above my head and holding them there for a second. They relaxed, falling back into my lap with a whoosh as I stared at the glowing clock. 4:47. I was definitely awake now.
I decided just to start my day. I made my way to the light switch, flipping it on and squinting hard as the brightness overwhelmed me for a moment. I pulled back my bedroom door, allowing myself to make my way towards the bathroom. Man, I had to pee. And pee I did. I caught my reflection heading out of the bathroom. The bags under my eyes were slightly dark, only accentuating my bloodshot and tired eyes even more. Nothing coffee won't fix. I made myself a cup, and drank it down like it was water. Then I made myself two more. After finishing the third, I realized how much I needed that. I felt suddenly energized, and ready to take on the day. I got myself dressed, and curled my hair. My Apple Watch read 6:24. The sun crept in the window above the couch, and painted the living room of the apartment with golden waves. I grabbed my file bag and headed for the door.