the first time, as though he didn’t understand what I’d said, so I went on. “Beyond not getting your assignments in, you seem…stressed in class. Is everything okay at home…or at work? School?”
He stared at me blankly. “I’ve…um…had a lot going on.” It seemed he hadn’t wanted to divulge even that much, but clearly something was weighing on him, and I felt for him. He added, “We have a lot going on with my family. And I’ve been…um…I have some issues.”
“What kind of issues?”
“In my head.” His words were so soft, a whisper, as though he was afraid of saying them out loud. It triggered every protective impulse in me, and I could feel my fists tensing up.
“Are you all right?” I pressed, probing for more information.
“I’m doing better now. This past summer was a hard one. I didn’t mean to say that to concern you. I just…I have a lot of problems with depression and anxiety, and we’ve been going through different…medications.”
As difficult as whatever he was going through clearly was, I was relieved to hear him say that rather than something worse about his family situation.
“Tell me about it. I’ve had my own issues with that. Been on so many SSRIs, it’d make your head spin.”
He chuckled, and I could see how my remark helped him ease up in an instant. And I knew why. I knew how lonely that journey could feel.
“Really?” he asked, taking what seemed like the first real breath of air since he’d entered my classroom.
“Yeah. Had a lot of ups and downs. I know it can get a little foggy too. Hard to concentrate and get work done. So I get it.”
He smirked, the closest thing I’d seen to a smile on this guy’s face since the start of the year, which I considered a win.
“It’s been…rough, for sure,” he said. “We’re changing the prescriptions again to see if it can help me focus, but it’s been harder than normal. I never used to have problems with getting things done, but recently, feels almost impossible.”
“I understand that.” I thought on it for a moment. “Look, how about I give you until the end of this month to get the missed assignments in, without deducting your grade. If you need more time than that, just be open with me, all right? Maybe you can get a note from your psychiatrist and I’ll extend the deadline, or cut a few assignments to make it easier on you.”
“Oh, you don’t need to do that. I can get it all done. I’m not trying to get out of work.”
“That’s very honorable of you, but just know the option is there if you need it.”
He breathed once again in that way that allowed me to feel his visceral relief.
“Does that all seem fair, Simon?”
“Beyond fair. Thank you, Mr. Warner.”
“It’s high school, not prison. You can make some mistakes here and there. If you need to ever chat about anything, feel free to swing by, during office hours or not. Life’s tough sometimes, but you don’t have to do it all on your own, okay?”
Tears shifted around his eyes, and he sniffled.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, this was just very thoughtful. I was sure you were going to chew me out like my Trig teacher, but…”
“Would you like me to talk to them for you?”
“You’d do that?”
“Of course.”
“No, no. That’s not necessary.” He shook his head, as though it’d be too big an ask.
We chatted a bit more before I led him to the door.
“Just remember, I’m here if you need to chat about anything. Even life stuff.” I could tell it was too soon for that based on what little he’d been willing to open up about so far, but I had a feeling he’d be back now that he knew he had an ally.
I opened the door, and as he headed out, I noticed Kyle Forsythe standing a few feet down the hall. He wasn’t waiting close to the door, but by how he lingered, I wondered if he might have seen or heard some of what Simon and I had discussed. It was hard to tell based on his expression. In general, Kyle Forsythe was hard to get a read on.
“You wanted to talk,” he said.
“Oh yeah. Come on in.”
I invited him in, same as I had with Simon, taking a seat at the same desk and motioning toward the one beside me. “Please.”
He took it. Unlike Simon, he wasn’t looking around the room, but directly at me, as