*Other Adults*

Teachers

Coach Erwin – PE Teacher & Basketball Coach

Coach Erwin doesn’t need to yell to be heard. His presence does most of the talking — buzzcut, stone jaw, and that school-issued windbreaker he seems surgically attached to. His whistle swings from his neck like a badge of authority, though he rarely uses it unless someone’s slacking. He walks like every hallway is a court, and every student is one missed drill away from running laps.

He isn’t the kind of coach who gives pep talks or fist bumps. More like a raised eyebrow and a muttered “fix it.” The team both fears and respects him — mostly because he never asks for more than he gives. Blake can never quite tell if Erwin believes in him or is just trying to break him down to see what sticks. Either way, showing weakness isn’t an option.

Mr. Daniels – Physics Teacher

Mr. Daniels is the kind of teacher who explains nuclear fusion while knocking over a stack of textbooks and somehow blames gravity with a wink. Always a bit unkempt — tie crooked, hair half-combed, chalk on his hands — but underneath the chaos is a brain wired for equations and explosions. His classroom is a controlled mess: half whiteboard scrawl, half mad scientist den.

He’s got a weird charm that makes students like him, even when no one follows his tangents. One second he’s diagramming torque, the next he’s quoting Star Wars. No one ever feels dumb in his class, even if they’re totally lost. And if you stay after the bell, he’ll help — usually with a half-sigh and a quiet, “Let’s figure this out before you blow up your GPA.”

Ms. Keane – English & Literature Teacher

Ms. Keane walks into class like she’s challenging you to a duel — sharp eyes, bold lipstick, a stack of books that means business. She doesn’t waste time. If your essay’s weak, she’ll tell you — not cruelly, but like someone who expects better. She’s all fire and structure, the kind of teacher who can tear apart your thesis and build it back stronger before the bell rings.

Students don’t slack off in her class, not unless they want to be called out — publicly, and with precise punctuation. But for the ones who try? She goes to bat for them every time. Blake doesn’t love writing, but even he can’t ignore the way she talks about stories — like they matter more than grades.

Mr. Sharma – Math Teacher

Mr. Sharma is quiet — the kind of quiet that makes everyone else slow down. He speaks like he’s solving problems in his head mid-sentence, voice even and calm, cardigan sleeves always rolled to his elbows. He drinks black coffee from a chipped mug and stands at the front of the room like the whiteboard is a temple.

His classroom isn’t flashy — no posters, no corny jokes scribbled on the board — but it’s solid. Like him. He doesn’t get flustered, even when half the class bombs a quiz. He just sighs, adjusts his glasses, and walks through the formula again, step by step, until even the back row stops pretending they understand. No frills. Just math. And somehow, that’s enough.