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Sean
Iwalk through the door, and I’m met with a sea of eyes staring down at me. Even with my experience with public speaking, it’s quite unnerving.
I give my class a smile and a nod, hoping it’ll ease some of the attention. Unfortunately, it does very little.
I place my bag on my desk and pull out the notes I prepared as well as a flash drive containing a slideshow.
Given that I’ve never taught a day in my life I figure that it would be best if I arrive early and well-prepared. Me misjudging the forty-minute commute from my place to Stanford University threw a wrench into that plan.
Finally, I gather my things and look up to officially take in my students. They’re sitting in escalating seating as if I’m some performer they are the audience of. They wouldn’t be too far off I guess; this is me basically pretending to be a teacher.
I was supposed to have some help, but for some damned reason he wasn’t scheduled to come to the first day of school with me. Of all times in my life Logan popped up where he isn’t wanted, the one time I could actually use the guy is the one time he’s a no show.
I set my frustration aside as I scan the room. A few girls are talking amongst themselves, and from the way they keep looking over, it’s likely about me- which proves to be great for a morning ego boost.
All seems fairly normal until my eyes find her. Her skin is a natural tan, darkened in contrast to her white-blonde hair that flows down one shoulder like a gentle waterfall. Her posture is immaculate but thanks to her soft eyes and freckles, she’s melted the ice you’d expect from someone so attentive and proper.
My eyes start drifting down her body when my better mind catches me in the act. It’s day one, and she’s my student. She could even still be a teenager. Dreading the can of worms that’d open, I decide to move forward with class.
I clear my throat.
“Hello, I’m Sean Frazier. I’m going to be your teacher for this semester.”
Before I even finish speaking, a girl’s hand shoots up.
I try not to show my frustration, and just chuckle.
“Yes?”
“Professor, I…”
“Not a professor,” I cut her off. “I didn’t even go to college.”
It’s a fact that I’m actually very proud of. I didn’t have to deal with the loans and debt. I got to bask in the fruits of my young labor nearly instantly.
“Sorry,” she says with an admirably cute blush before continuing with her question. “My question was that isn’t this course supposed to have two teachers?”
A few of the other students chatter, probably remembering that detail now that she brought it up.
I force my professional smile.
“Yes, this course will have two teachers, but not every single class. Some days he’ll be here with me, or it could just be either of us alone.”
I continue with class and except for a few more questions it passes smoothly. That and increasingly difficult feat of not looking at the cute blonde in the front row.
The class steadily trickles out of the room, and I start putting my things in order to hammer out the next lesson plan when I realize there was a straggler waiting in front of my desk.
I raise my head expecting to find the girl who was responsible for most of the questions during class, but I’m instead greeted by soft baby blue eyes.
“Mr. Frazier, it’s really an honor to be in your class. Your coding, especially for someone so young, is inspiring.”
I just look at her for a heartbeat, trying to find a crack in the sincerity on her face. There isn’t one. A tiny warmth fills my chest, but I try to shake it off.
“Thank you, though it’s been a decade or so since then,” I say with a laugh.
Her eyes widen, and for a second, I’m lost in the electric enthusiasm inside them.
“Are you kidding? Dating apps are incredibly complex and from a product standpoint you have to balance so many things. Not only do you have to have the psychological background to identify a person’s personality and preference but then you need to match them with a compatible personality. And on top of that you need to balance that with the often-conflicting desire of the user to find people who very likely wouldn’t be a good match for them in the first place. Creating an algorithm to juggle all of that and more is insanity, and you did it.”
