Amore, chapter 1
<p>"Honey...we are moving to California." It plays over and over in my head. I am leaving my beloved Milan, Italy to go to that stupid place in the US. I was born there but know nothing of it. My parents moved to Italy when I was only 3 months. I put my forehead against the cool glass of the plane's window. I silently said goodbye to all of my friends...and Italy.<br /> "Cameron, Italy has nothing left to offer us," my mother had said. I turned on my CD player and jammed a random CD into it. It was Achtung Baby, by U2. Oh, how I loved that album! Until it broke because some idiot in California tried to see what it was.<br /> "Why am I on this plane?" I said. "I am fucking 20, why did I fuckin' agree to this fucking trip?" Then a stewardess who looked like a slut came by and asked us what we wanted. <br />"I want Italy," I said in Italian. She didn't understand me. I smiled. I heard a couple talking in fluent Italian.<br /> "You idiot! I can't believe you!" the girl said. "I had to you fucker," said the guy. I laughed to myself. I turned up my volume.<br /> "Cammy, you had mail this morning," my mom said. I took the unopened envelope. I ripped it open and read it.Dear Cameron Niamre,<br />We need a teacher for our school in Rodeo, and we have it that you have taught. We would like an interveiw with you. When you get a chance, please call us at (339)342-3482. If you do get this job, you will be teaching seniors Italian. <br />
Sincerely,<br />
Mrs. Rita Thorn<br />
Ok...whatever. I fell asleep shortly, and only awoke when we landed.</p>
THE NEXT WEEK
<p>I dressed normally for my interveiw, in the usual baggy pants and loose shirt.<br /> "Hello, Cameron. Are you willing to teach these students?" asked Mrs. Thorn. <br />"Sì, yes," I said. "You speak fluent Italian?" she asked.<br /> "Yes," I said. <br />"Can you say a sentence for me?" she asked. <br />"Sì," I said. "Mi mancherai, I will miss you." Suddenly a song burst into my head randomly. It was "Until The End Of The World" by U2. <br />"Cameron, you have the job," said Mrs. Thorn. <br />"Will you start tomorrow?" I nodded and left.</p>
THE NEXT DAY
<p>I walked into my class and stared at the pupils, daring them to talk. Wow, I am really getting into this strict thing, I thought.<br /> "Please open your books to page venti," I said. The class stared at me. <br />"Page twenty." They did that and looked at me. <br />"Please take the test and turn it in to me," I said. They did. It was a test on how much they knew about Italian. None of them had 100%. "Each of you, please tell me your first and last names and your age." I started on the girls, then the boys.<br />"Megan Bruitsin. I am 18."<br />"Lauren McDonald. 17."<br />"Eliza Newton. 18."<br />"Frida Kent. 16."<br />"Gina Woodwind, 19."<br />"Virginia Peck, 18."<br />"Veronica Luitei, 17."<br />"Adriana Li. I am 17."<br />And now the boys:<br />"Paul Dickinson, 19."<br />"Billie Joe Armstrong, 17."<br />"Brenden Luise. 16."<br />"Alexander Brennen, 18."<br />"Gregory van Cotter, 17."<br />"Mike Dirnt, 17."<br />"Frank Edwin Wright III. 16. Call me Tre Cool."<br />
I stared at them as they said their names. <br />"Open your book to page 3 and each of you pick a sentence and bring them to me. The best one gets an A+." The best was Billie Joe Armstrong's, which was "Come posso saperlo?" translated into "how should I know?" I decided on it after most of the people chose two word sentences.<br /> "Mr. Armstrong, up here please," I called. He walked up to me. I handed him his graded paper and said that his was the best. <br />"Now that you finished, open to 16. I will say a word and you raise your hand and tell me what it is in English." I wrote the students' names on the board.<br /> "Buono," I said. Billie Joe's hand shot up into the air.<br /> "Mr. Armstrong?" I asked. <br />"Good," he said loudly. I nodded and gave him a point.<br /> "Amore," I said. Again and again Billie Joe won points. Eventually he won the contest.<br /> "Mr. Armstrong, may I see you after class?" I asked. He nodded. After everyone had left I asked if he had ever taken Italian. <br />"No, but once my dad and I took a trip there and I got an Italian book," he said.<br /> "He died before he could finish it." I almost cried then. I gave him a note to give to his next teacher. After school I went to a coffee shop. I bought a coffee and a muffin and sat down to grade papers. <br />"And ha-I am the best in class!" I heard a boy's voice say. There was more talking mingled with it, but I could swear it was Billie Joe's. I looked up and saw him. He was at the door with two other guys from my class, Mike and Tre. I finally finished my papers and got up to leave. <br />"Oh, hi, Ms. Niamre, that was a real good lesson today," Billie Joe called.</p>
NEXT MONTH
<p>"Buon giorno, good morning," I said. "Here are your report cards. Everyone except one person flunked." I smiled. "That one person happens to be Billie Joe Armstrong." I heard moans and whispers. After class Billie Joe lagged behind.<br /> "I really like you Ms. Niamre," he said before running off. He wasn't at the next lesson, but at the last day of the year he asked if I wanted to take a walk with him. I said yes and I did. We talked and at the end he got down on his knee and asked if I would go out with him. I grinned and said yes. That summer was the best summer until tradgedy struck.<br /> "Cammy?" I heard my mom call. <br />"Yeh?" I said. "Your boyfriend was hurt in a car accident yesterday," she said. <br />"What?" I asked. "He's hurt badly, hun." I ran to the hospital and went in. <br />"Oh my god Billie are you okay?" I said giving him a kiss. He nodded. I kissed him one last time and said I needed to leave. I sobbed on the way home.</p>
Sincerely,<br />
Mrs. Rita Thorn<br />
Ok...whatever. I fell asleep shortly, and only awoke when we landed.</p>
THE NEXT WEEK
<p>I dressed normally for my interveiw, in the usual baggy pants and loose shirt.<br /> "Hello, Cameron. Are you willing to teach these students?" asked Mrs. Thorn. <br />"Sì, yes," I said. "You speak fluent Italian?" she asked.<br /> "Yes," I said. <br />"Can you say a sentence for me?" she asked. <br />"Sì," I said. "Mi mancherai, I will miss you." Suddenly a song burst into my head randomly. It was "Until The End Of The World" by U2. <br />"Cameron, you have the job," said Mrs. Thorn. <br />"Will you start tomorrow?" I nodded and left.</p>
THE NEXT DAY
<p>I walked into my class and stared at the pupils, daring them to talk. Wow, I am really getting into this strict thing, I thought.<br /> "Please open your books to page venti," I said. The class stared at me. <br />"Page twenty." They did that and looked at me. <br />"Please take the test and turn it in to me," I said. They did. It was a test on how much they knew about Italian. None of them had 100%. "Each of you, please tell me your first and last names and your age." I started on the girls, then the boys.<br />"Megan Bruitsin. I am 18."<br />"Lauren McDonald. 17."<br />"Eliza Newton. 18."<br />"Frida Kent. 16."<br />"Gina Woodwind, 19."<br />"Virginia Peck, 18."<br />"Veronica Luitei, 17."<br />"Adriana Li. I am 17."<br />And now the boys:<br />"Paul Dickinson, 19."<br />"Billie Joe Armstrong, 17."<br />"Brenden Luise. 16."<br />"Alexander Brennen, 18."<br />"Gregory van Cotter, 17."<br />"Mike Dirnt, 17."<br />"Frank Edwin Wright III. 16. Call me Tre Cool."<br />
I stared at them as they said their names. <br />"Open your book to page 3 and each of you pick a sentence and bring them to me. The best one gets an A+." The best was Billie Joe Armstrong's, which was "Come posso saperlo?" translated into "how should I know?" I decided on it after most of the people chose two word sentences.<br /> "Mr. Armstrong, up here please," I called. He walked up to me. I handed him his graded paper and said that his was the best. <br />"Now that you finished, open to 16. I will say a word and you raise your hand and tell me what it is in English." I wrote the students' names on the board.<br /> "Buono," I said. Billie Joe's hand shot up into the air.<br /> "Mr. Armstrong?" I asked. <br />"Good," he said loudly. I nodded and gave him a point.<br /> "Amore," I said. Again and again Billie Joe won points. Eventually he won the contest.<br /> "Mr. Armstrong, may I see you after class?" I asked. He nodded. After everyone had left I asked if he had ever taken Italian. <br />"No, but once my dad and I took a trip there and I got an Italian book," he said.<br /> "He died before he could finish it." I almost cried then. I gave him a note to give to his next teacher. After school I went to a coffee shop. I bought a coffee and a muffin and sat down to grade papers. <br />"And ha-I am the best in class!" I heard a boy's voice say. There was more talking mingled with it, but I could swear it was Billie Joe's. I looked up and saw him. He was at the door with two other guys from my class, Mike and Tre. I finally finished my papers and got up to leave. <br />"Oh, hi, Ms. Niamre, that was a real good lesson today," Billie Joe called.</p>
NEXT MONTH
<p>"Buon giorno, good morning," I said. "Here are your report cards. Everyone except one person flunked." I smiled. "That one person happens to be Billie Joe Armstrong." I heard moans and whispers. After class Billie Joe lagged behind.<br /> "I really like you Ms. Niamre," he said before running off. He wasn't at the next lesson, but at the last day of the year he asked if I wanted to take a walk with him. I said yes and I did. We talked and at the end he got down on his knee and asked if I would go out with him. I grinned and said yes. That summer was the best summer until tradgedy struck.<br /> "Cammy?" I heard my mom call. <br />"Yeh?" I said. "Your boyfriend was hurt in a car accident yesterday," she said. <br />"What?" I asked. "He's hurt badly, hun." I ran to the hospital and went in. <br />"Oh my god Billie are you okay?" I said giving him a kiss. He nodded. I kissed him one last time and said I needed to leave. I sobbed on the way home.</p>
