Senior year rolled around slower than I cared for. After multiple college applications, essays, and AP exams, I had been offered a near-full ride to the big state university in the capital. I was so ready to be out of this crummy little town. With almost no opportunity for fun and even fewer chicks who found me interesting, I dreamed of being around the academic crowd of a university. Finally, I may get my time in the sun where football jocks, muscles, and low IQ get all the glory.
Although this town sucked, there were a few people that really did mean the world to me. My mom had been a single supporter since I was 4 after my dad found the warmth of another woman more satisfying. She worked two jobs for a long part of my childhood so that I could have everything I needed. Not 'wanted', mind you, but I couldn't complain.
I had two close friends, Ben and Eric, who kept me sane. I was the oldest, turning 18 months before them, and after I got my license a couple years ago we started to drive into the nearby city a few times a month to experience what life could be like when your town has more than 5,000 residents. Ben was planning to go to the same university I was (although not on a full ride) but Eric would be starting off his college career here and living with his parents. I was bummed we wouldn't be together as often but was happy that he'd be around when I come back for breaks and stuff.
Then lastly, the man I probably owe the most to for my future success, was my science teacher: Mr. Molter.
I had always been pretty good at science and math but Mr. Molter pushed me really hard this past year in my AP courses to ensure great results on those exams as well as my ACT. He had spent afternoons after school helping me through tough problems and practice courses, and even designed some of his own for me to work on at home.
I remember early on this year he even provided me with a custom mp3 that walked through the Periodic Table that I could listen to as I slept. It was weird at first but believing in Mr. Molter's desire to see me succeed, I had listened. And surprisingly, two weeks later, with almost no real 'work' on my end, I had memorized them. After asking for more, Mr. Molter had provided me a handful that helped me learn and/or memorize key equations, fundamental properties and laws of physics, and even just for fun I could recite pi to the 80th digit or so.
It felt weird to say this outloud, so I never did, but given my lack of an actual dad, Mr. Molter had kind of become a dad to me this year. He was almost as excited as I was when I got the scholarship letter in the mail.
But now, I was just coasting. There were only a few weeks left of high school and while we still had final exams coming up, it was just the basic high school tests that I honestly didn't have to study for at this point. The rest of the student body felt the same, either because they too had their college admissions figured out or they decided against college altogether and had lined up work shortly after graduation.
I was in physics class that day, daydreaming about how I would set up my dorm. Also fearing about what my roommate would be. We didn't get to choose them so the chances of me getting Ben as my roommate were basically impossible.
"Michael, what would you say?"
I looked up and focused on Mr. Molter as he spoke to me. I couldn't remember what we had been discussing in class though.
"Err, sorry Mr. Molter. What was the question again?"
He pursed his lips a bit in disappointment which killed me a bit. I wasn't ignoring him or his lecture on purpose, I just knew I had the material down pat so it was hard to stay focused.
"We were debating whether Godzilla could realistically exist. I thought that could be interesting discussion to demonstrate the class's understanding of the principles we've been studying. So, I'll ask again, what do you think?"
"Oh, right. Sorry."
This was another reason Mr. Molter was such a cool teacher. We were talking about freaking Godzilla in school. He found a way to try and relate to us which was pretty neat. I'm sure a handful of folks could give two shits about Godzilla but it was using science to understand the world, both fictional and non fictional.
"Well, I think Godzilla could exist within our laws of physics, but either one: not at the size he's portrayed in the movies or two: he'd have to be a water creature only."
"Hm, go on. Why would you say that?" He asked. The class looked at me. Some with boredom on their face because they didn't care. Some because they also knew why. Some were genuinely curious, and those folks probably weren't going to do so hot on the final.
"Mainly due to the non-linear scaling that comes with large bodies. As something gets larger its surface area squares itself but volume to fit that larger body increases to the third power. So if Godzilla was really as large as skyscrapers, his legs would have to be like, the size of Manhattan to support that weight."
"Interesting. And the water theory?"
"Well, buoyancy, yeah? Assuming Godzilla's make up is largely organic similar to a lizard we know of, it's material would be more buoyant in water, allowing for a larger mass ratio. Like how you can pick up a person underwater really easily."
"I like it. Good answer, Mike."
I smiled. When Mr. Molter called me 'Mike' I knew I was doing something right. It was his occasional slip up at being more than just my teacher, but also like a friend in a way.
Class went on and I paid attention to the rest of it. When it was over, I was leaving with my other classmates until Mr. Molter called me to his desk.
"Thinking of somewhere else today?" he asked me.
I shrugged and looked to the window. "University, I guess. I'm not sure how different it's going to be."
He smiled and laughed a small chuckle, "I remember those thoughts."
"You do?" In all this time I had never thought to ask him about his uni experience. One part because I just didn't think of it but also because he was older than me so I wasn't sure if it was different. I wasn't sure on his age exactly but I would have guessed late thirties or early forties? I mean, he stayed in shape it seemed which is at least a shape compared to my lack of one entirely. He also had a bit of gray starting to come in on the sides of his head but I guess some guys get that even in their twenties so now I'm not quite sure how old he even is.
"Oh yeah. I came from a small town too before I got my degree and I was really worried about what the 'bigger pond' would be like, if you will."
"Sure, yeah." I had to admit that was a bit scary. I was clearly one of the smartest guys at my high school but that wasn't saying much.
"But there was a lot of excitement too," he continued. Mr. Molter leaned back in his chair and pivoted to face me more directly. "The freedom of finally being on your own, truly, is something that's hard to appreciate now. But that first month was amazing."
"Oh, I hadn't thought about that." I had lived with my mom my whole life. "This will be my first time not living with my mom." That kind of scared me a bit though.
"It's great. Being able to do whatever you want, within reason, is one of the great perks of adulthood. I remember being able to just watch TV on my bed naked without the fear that my parents would barge in."
Oh gosh, I thought. Mr. Molter had never said anything like this to me before. While it wasn't like, bad, or anything the fact that he even said the word 'naked' to me felt wrong. Worse was my accidental moment of picturing that image.
"But," I asked, "didn't you have to have a roommate where you went to school?"
"Oh sure, but guys don't care about that type of stuff. My roommates Bill and Ted, Teddy we would call him back then, would sometimes join me in the buff. It was pretty freeing."
That sounded horrible to me. I was happy we lived in a time where guys didn't shower after gym class or anything like I hear they used to in the 70s. I had only been naked in front of two people, well as an adult at least.
