Elliot
Matteo and santigo departed to thier respective classes. As I stand in front of the classroom door a wave of trepidation washed over me, leaving my face pale and my anxiety spiking.
Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto me, scrutinizing my terrified expression. I felt like a specimen under a microscope.
Calm down, Eli, you've got this.
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air, and focused on the man standing at the front of the room.
He appeared to be in his early thirties, dressed in a pale blue shirt that complemented his warm complexion, paired with black dress trousers and sleek, pointed shoes that seemed to gleam in the fluorescent lighting. His presence exuded an air of authority, yet his gentle features put me at ease.
I forced a slight smile onto my face, hoping to conceal my nerves. He cleared his throat, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he gestured for me to enter. I stepped towards him feeling the weight of the class's gaze settle upon me once more.
"Hello there, I'm Mr. Petterson," he said, his voice warm and inviting. "What's your name?"
Seriously? Did he clearly not hear Santiago say my name like, 5 seconds ago? Do I need to repeat it myself?
I hesitated, my mind racing with the fear of stuttering. Okay, deep breath, don't stutter, you've got this! I reminded myself. "H-ello, I'm E-Elliot," I stammered, feeling a flush rise to my cheeks.
come on, Eli, get it together! What's wrong with you?
Mr. Petterson studied me for a moment, his brown eyes softening with understanding. Then, he smiled, a genuine, warm smile that put me at ease.
"Welcome, Elliot. Please take the seat between Silas and Ashley."
I mumbled a small 'thank you' to Mr. Petterson before turning to face the class. Two hands shot up, belonging to a boy and a girl who looked to be around my age. The boy, presumably Silas, had a messy mop of brown hair, pale skin, and dark green eyes that sparkled with curiosity. He offered me a small smile, which I returned, feeling a sense of gratitude.
The girl, Ashley, had long, luscious brown hair, tanned skin, and brown eyes that seemed to hold a perpetual smile. She beamed at me, her enthusiasm infectious. I felt a sense of relief wash over me as I made my way towards the empty seat between them, grateful for their welcoming.
"Hiiii, handsome... ahem, Sorry, I meant to say, greetings, extremely attractive and charming individual. Excuse my impoliteness. I'm Ashley, and that's Silas," she said, pointing to the boy beside me, who greeted me with a friendly "hi" and a small wave.
I smiled back at him. "I'm Elliot," I replied, trying to sound confident.
I settled into the seat, trying to make myself as small as possible, but Ashley's exuberance made that impossible. She turned to me with a look of excitement and something i couldnt exactly pinpoint, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"The Vannuccis are your brothers? They have a little brother? Since when?" she asked, her voice loud enough to draw attention from the rest of the class.
Everyone's staring at me..oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck. Stop, just stop.
Breathe, damn it, breathe
Anxiety, you're a ruthless bitch, aren't you?
What if they don't like me? What if they see right through me and reject me? What if they think I'm weird, or awkward, or just plain not good enough?
What if they bully me? What if they find some sadistic pleasure in making my life a living hell??
STOP, Eli, STOP! Stop panicking, stop catastrophizing, stop letting anxiety win..... Breathe in... and out. In... and out.
Slowly, deeply, deliberately.
Feel the air fill your lungs, feel your chest rise and fall, feel your heart rate slow.
you're capable. You are worthy. People are just curious, that's all. They don't know the amazing, talented, brilliant person you are yet. And even if they don't like you, even if they bully you, even if they try to break you... you will rise above. You will survive. You will thrive.
Breathe in... and out. In... and out. Let go of the fear, let go of the anxiety, let go of the doubt.
I felt my face heat up with embarrassment as I tried to answer, "Y-yes, they're my brothers. I just started living with them a few weeks ago."
Ashley's eyes sparkled with interest as she leaned in closer, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone
Ashley's gaze didn't waver, her eyes still fixed on me with an intensity that made me squirm in my seat. "So, how did they find you? Do you like living with them?," she said, her voice full of excitement.
Silas's gaze swept across my face, detecting the faintest tremors of panic and nervousness.
My eyes, once bright and carefree, now darted anxiously around the room, betraying my inner turmoil. The whispers, like a swarm of pesky insects, buzzed around us, threatening to consume me whole.
Without missing a beat, Silas leaned in, his voice a gentle, "Hey, guess what?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye. "My grandmother got me the most amazing birthday gift, a guinea pig!"
"R..really?" I replied, curiosity piqued. "What's it's name?"
"Meet Cinnamon" Silas exclaimed, pulling out his phone to show me adorable photos. "Isn't she adorable?"
"Cinnamon? You named your guinea pig Cinnamon?"
Silas grinned, unfazed. "What? It's a great name!"
The whispers, once a deafening cacophony, faded into the background.
"Out of all the names in the world, you picked Cinnamon," I said. "I mean, what's next? Naming a hamster Bacon or a goldfish Sushi?"
Silas chuckled. "Hey, those are great names. But Cinnamon suits her. She's sweet and spicy."
"Spicy? Really? She's a guinea pig, Silas. The most exciting thing she does is poop."
Ashley sitting besides him laughed. "Well, she's got attitude. And Cinnamon captures that."
"I mean, what's wrong with normal names like Maxine or Beatrice?"
Silas shrugged. "Those names are boring. Cinnamon is unique."
Ashley jumped in, teasing. "Yeah, unique like your fashion sense, neon pink socks and all."
Silas rolled his eyes. "Hey, my fashion sense is iconic."
"Cinnamon it is. But if you start naming your future pets after spices, I'm staging an intervention."
Silas grinned mischievously. "Too late, Elliot. I've already got a list, Paprika the parrot and Ginger the cat,
For a fleeting moment, the pressures of social scrutiny melted away, and I was free to simply be. Greatful for the escape, for Silas's quick thinking.
"Want to join us for lunch? We've got a crew." Ashley asked
