The classroom looked nothing like it usually did.
The desks were arranged in a wide semicircle, facing the front like we were about to attend a discussion panel instead of a normal lesson. A wooden podium stood near the board, and beside it stood Mrs. Matilda. Next to her was the unfamiliar man we had noticed earlier.
He looked to be in his early thirties, tall and neatly dressed in a charcoal suit. His glasses rested lightly on the bridge of his nose, and he held a small notebook in his hand.
The murmuring in the classroom slowly died down as Mrs. Matilda cleared her throat.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, ma," we responded.
She smiled.
"Today we have someone joining us for the next few weeks." She gestured toward the man beside her. "This is Mr. Adrian Matthews."
The man nodded politely.
"He is an English language instructor from the Westbridge Literary Institute, and he will be working with us temporarily as a substitute teacher for English."
The classroom buzzed with quiet curiosity.
Mrs. Matilda continued.
"He will also be assisting me with the English and Literature Club and helping prepare our students for the upcoming inter-school poetry competition."
At that, several heads turned.
I felt Amanda nudge my arm slightly.
"That's your thing," she whispered.
I ignored her.
Mrs. Matilda stepped aside.
"Mr. Matthews, the class is yours."
The man stepped forward calmly.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, sir," the class replied.
He smiled lightly.
"I know having a new teacher suddenly appear can feel strange," he said, "so let's start with something simple. We'll introduce ourselves."
He pointed to the first student.
"Your name and something you enjoy."
One by one, students began introducing themselves.
"My name is Jason… I like football."
"My name is Erica… I enjoy drawing."
"My name is Daniel… I like gaming."
The introductions moved around the room until Amanda stood.
"Amanda Brooks," she said with a playful smile. "I enjoy music… and annoying my friends."
Chris raised his hand next.
"Chris Turner. I enjoy basketball… and surviving Amanda."
The class laughed.
Then it was my turn.
I cleared my throat slightly.
"My name is Sharon Richards," I said. "I enjoy writing… poems and stories."
Mr. Cole's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Interesting," he said. "We may hear from you often then."
I suddenly became very interested in my notebook.
Once everyone had introduced themselves, he clapped his hands lightly.
"Good. Now let's begin."
He picked up a marker and wrote a word on the board.
PREPOSITIONS
"First, English language."
He turned to face the class.
"A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in a sentence."
He wrote examples beneath it.
• The book is 'on' the table.
• She walked 'into' the room.
• The cat slept 'under' the chair.
"Prepositions often describe place, direction, time, or relationship," he continued. "Common examples include in, on, at, under, between, beside, and through."
Students scribbled notes.
Mrs. Matilda then stepped forward.
"Now let's switch to literature."
She wrote another heading on the board.
FIGURES OF SPEECH
"These are literary devices writers use to create vivid and expressive language."
She wrote four terms beneath it.
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Hyperbole
• Personification
"Who can define a simile?" she asked.
A few students hesitated.
Chris raised his hand halfway but then slowly lowered it.
I sighed internally.
My hand lifted before I could stop myself.
Mrs. Matilda smiled.
"Yes, Sharon?"
"A simile is a comparison between two different things using words like 'as' or 'like'," I explained.
"Example?"
"Her smile was as bright as the sun."
"Excellent," she said.
Mr. Matthews wrote it on the board.
"And metaphor?" he asked.
I raised my hand again.
"A metaphor also compares two things," I said, "but without using 'like' or 'as'. For example: 'Time is a thief.'"
A few students murmured.
Mr. Matthews nodded thoughtfully.
"And hyperbole?"
"A deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis," I replied. "Like saying 'I've told you a million times.'"
Amanda whispered loudly behind me.
"You actually have told us a million grammar facts."
I ignored her again.
"And personification?" Mr. Matthews asked.
This time I was sweating, "That's when human qualities are given to non-human things," I said.
"For example?"
"The wind whispered through the trees."
The classroom was quiet for a second.
Then Mr. Matthews nodded slowly.
"Very good."
As the lesson continued, Mrs. Matilda leaned slightly toward him and whispered something. I didn't hear the words. But I noticed him glance briefly in my direction.
Mrs. Matilda murmured quietly,
"Watch out for that one."
Mr. Matthews adjusted his glasses.
"Why?"
"She has an outstanding talent."
His eyes studied me thoughtfully before he nodded once.
The lesson continued normally after that.
We discussed more examples and analysed short passages.
But I could feel something strange in the air. Like something had shifted.
Finally, the bell rang.
Students began packing their bags and rushing toward the door.
Amanda stretched dramatically.
"My brain hurts."
Chris laughed. "That's new."
Just as I was about to stand—
"Sharon."
I looked up.
Mrs. Matilda was standing near the desk.
Beside her stood Mr. Matthews.
"Could you stay behind for a moment?" she said.
My stomach tightened slightly.
Then she added,
"And Chris, Amanda… and Daniel as well."
The four of us exchanged confused glances.
The classroom slowly emptied until we were the only students left.
Mrs. Matilda closed the door gently.
Mr. Matthews folded his arms thoughtfully. Then he said something that made my heart skip.
"We've been observing your abilities."
A quiet tension filled the room.
Mrs. Matilda looked at us with a calm but serious expression.
"There's something important we want to discuss with you."
She paused.
And suddenly—I had the feeling that whatever they were about to say… was about to change everything.