The pressure is hitting me. Pencils write across the paper with an awful scraping sound making my skin crawl. I can't leave. I can't give up my dream. I want to become a Chef. I want to become the best Chef I could ever be. I want...I want...to breathe. I push my red seal chef written exam away from me on the oak table. Push back on my chair, sliding back. Grab my bag and throw it over my shoulder. The bag contents weighing my shoulder down. All the studying. All the sleepless nights. All the almost gonna faint from exhaustion moments. They all lead up to this. I rise up to my feet. My professor stares me down. I avoid eye contact. Staring at the floor but force myself to look up. The familiar eyes of my classmates all on me. My body stiffens. I stand straight and take my first step away from my future. Then footsteps begin to distance me from what little life I could have had. My classmates stay quiet. Knowing that I'm leaving it all behind. I'm throwing away my future. The door shines like a beacon in front of me. Eyes throwing daggers at my back. The door knob shining like gold. The exam sitting on the desk cold. Make a decision. I crumple. My eyes water, a bow my head standing in front of the door. This is it. I'm gonna ruin my life. My perfect future. Warm, salty tears stream down my face. Landing on my white sweater. Staining it with transparent nothings. I sniffle. My classmates eyes still on me. I turn around and look at all of them. Then slide down the door, sobbing hysterically. I hold my hand out in front of my face flipping it to one side to the other. Looking at my cooking medals. Scars and burn marks on my skin. A long gash between my thumb and my pointing finger.

Tears roll down my face. My heart beats funny. I look up at all the eyes staring down at me from behind their desks. Those same eyes saw me smiling, happily. What happened? Where did my happiness go? When did my heart just decide to make me lose my first love? Dark brown eyes stare into mine. My professor kneels down on one knee grasping my shoulder trying to comfort me in my weakness. I shake my head. Small brown flecks of my hair fall into my eyes. I close my eyes and finally give up. Leaning into the professor's chest and sob. He rubs my back and makes little shhh noises. Only making me sob louder.

A squeak from behind the professor makes me quiet down a little. An army of footsteps comes towards me and the professor. I glance up and my classmates have left their exams looking down at me. Some with tears in their eyes. One nodding his head slowly, a tear trickling down his face. He walks up to me and the professor moves. They pick me up from the ground. Each one of them had held their hand out to me. Causing me to cry harder. The guy with the one tear holds me up and I'm squished by a huddle of my classmates. Then arms hug me. A head of blonde catches my eye in the corner of the room. He sits in his desk covering his face. Small wet drops land on his desk. My classmates comfort me.

"It's okay, Canton. We're all in this together." One girl, Linda says, weakly. Patting me on the back.

"It's okay, Canton. Only you could show how all of us are feeling right now." The guy with his arms wrapped around me whispers in my ear. I breathe in and out, trying to calm down. Then I lean my head back onto his shoulder. Dark green eyes stare down at me. I close my eyes and it all fades into darkness.

________________________________________

"What's your name?" Doc asks, pushing up her glasses.

"Canton Foster." I answer, sitting on the edge of the couch.

"How old are you, Canton?" Doc ask, writing my name on a paper.

"I'm 20 years old." Her pencil dances across the paper.

"Do you have a history of break downs or is this just the first time?" I watch her fix her black dress shirt.

"Yeah. The first time." I answer, honestly, rubbing my hands together. She writes it down on the paper.

"Canton, have you ever tried to hurt yourself?"

"No." I shake my head, trying to memorize the beige carpet stains.

"Your classmates say that you should be watched from now on. It takes a lot to break down, Canton. Especially in front of your peers. And to have them drop their exams to comfort you can make you feel guilty." Doc explains, I lock eyes with her. Her icy blue eyes cold and soulless. A chill goes up my spine. I break contact.

"Yeah, I guess I do feel pretty bad that they all had to reschedule their red seal exams but..." I trail off, starting to feel ashamed of myself. I ruined their dreams.

"But what, Canton?" Doc asks, inspecting her red as blood nails. "I firmly believe that your classmates are right. We have signed you up for stress therapy at a remote institute on a small island near Bosworth station. It should help you overcome your fear. It should help you become more confident with yourself, Canton."

"Oh, okay." I say, unsure. So am I crazy?

"Our time is up, honey. The door is there. Goodbye." Doc says, taking a sip of her lavender tea. I sigh and get up from the couch.

"Thank..."

"Save it for the therapist at the institute, Canton. Now please, off you go." The Doc ushers me to leave, flicking her hand at me.

________________________________________

All of my classmates have redone the exam. It was 2 weeks ago that I had a mental breakdown. I broke down during my exam. I wanted to be a Chef. I wanted to be the best Chef I could be. I wanted to be happy. Now I stand here looking at La-Bleu Boswell Culinary Academy and feel like I'm going to die. I came here 2 years ago. Now I'm leaving. Without my red seal. Vines go up the front gates of the Academy walls. The walls connect to the dorms. The dorms connect to the main buildings and that. The Academy could take up 4 football fields. One of the best Culinary schools in the country is sending me off to a mental institute. How nice. Only one of my classmates stand in front of me. The teary eyed guy with the dark green eyes stares at me, frowning deeply. His name is Zack. Zack looks at me, saddened as a taxi pulls up.

The taxi driver an older middle eastern man opens the truck and throws my one suitcase in. Then waits in the car. Zack smiles at me. The professor walks up to me and hugs me. I sigh. Zack pulls me in close for a hug and holds me tight. My eyes water looking over his shoulder at the Academy. My home.

"Feel better, Canton." Zack tells me. I nod.

"For sure." I say, with fake joy.

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Well this has been on here for a while. Archived away in my will write pile lol. Currently it is building up a little too much. D: So I must publish :D And if you happen to find Ivan anywhere in story it's because that's what I first wanted his name to be but I changed it to Canton. Think it works?

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