good luck, babe! ? joshler

a lil bit of a filler, BUT there is some very important context/info provided in this chapter soooo still sorta important. after this things get exciting, I promise :)

"Hi everyone. Welcome to our first student government meeting of the school year!"

Tyler's eyes caught the clock on the back wall of Mr. Way's classroom, smiling to himself proudly as the red hand drifted just past 5 o'clock. Starting the meeting on time down to the exact second? Now that was punctual.

Once those words left Tyler's mouth, the various conversations around the room ceased. Tyler took a moment to scan the room. While most of the students sitting before him were familiar in some capacity, he was pleased to see more fresh faces among the group than he originally expected. Sure, he'd already met all the new members during the interview process, but it was gratifying to finally see the entire student government gathered together for the first time.

"Today's meeting will probably run shorter than usual, since there's not too much to cover, but expect these to normally last until 6:30 or 7:00."

A few heads nodded in response to that, so Tyler took that as his cue to continue speaking. "Okay, so, as corny as it is, we're gonna go around and introduce ourselves so our new members can get to know everyone a bit better. Let's say name, grade, and what you're looking forward to the most this year— just in general; doesn't necessarily have to be student gov-related.

"I'll go first: I'm Tyler, a senior and the student body president. The thing that I'm looking forward to the most is, well, being the student body president. Student gov's in charge of most of our school's big events, and, personally, I've always found it really rewarding to help make those happen. I hope the rest of you do too," he finished with an encouraging smile. He glanced over at Jenna, who seemingly understood that it was her turn.

"I'm Jenna, also a senior and student body vice president. The thing I'm looking forward to the most this year is..."

Without even realizing it, Tyler began to tune her out as he collected his thoughts. He exhaled quietly, and Mr. Way, who was sitting at his desk, raised an eyebrow at Tyler, as if silently asking "is everything alright?"

Tyler's smile felt a bit more forced that time as he offered a simple nod in return. Mr. Way followed up with a supportive smile of his own, matching Tyler's encouraging one from just moments earlier.

After Jenna's introduction came Sabrina's, and then Dallon's (who was their treasurer). Tyler shifted his attention back to the meeting once the regular members' introductions were about to begin. It was evident that no one else knew who should go next, which prompted Tyler to clarify. "We can start at this group," he pointed to the cluster of desks off to his left.

Immediately, all four students sitting in that exact spot looked nervous, and Tyler had to hold back a laugh— not because he was making fun of them, but because they were very obviously freshmen. Nostalgia filled his body in the same way that memories of meeting Sabrina in student government their freshman year filled his mind.

Roughly 10 minutes later, introductions came to an end (with one senior saying the thing they were most looking forward to was graduating), and Tyler resumed making his way through the agenda that Sabrina had typed up the day before:

I. Call to Order

Done.

II. Introductions and Attendance

Done.

III. Old Business
a. Welcome Back Assembly

Any semblance of composure instantly vanished from Tyler's face, his mouth pressing into a straight line.