Community Service
A roomful of teenagers sitting at their desks watched in silence as a man in his mid-twenties rushed out the door. A few minutes later a middle aged woman barged into the room and stood at the front of the class with her hands on her hips. She surveyed the rabble sitting in front of her, trying to intimidate them before she spoke.
"This is the third person this week to come to me in tears from this class. I would like an explanation." She looked pointedly at the young man swinging on the back legs of his chair and leaning against the wall of the room. He opened his eyes and looked at the woman with indifference, his hands never moving from behind his head.
"It's not my fault they came running to you." He commented lazily, peering through half-closed eyes. He looked up at the ceiling and gave a smug smile before continuing. "Oh, wait," he paused for effect, pretending to think. "It was my fault, yeah." A few other students chuckled at the boy's statement, but stopped abruptly as the woman let out a noise of exasperation and slammed her hands on the desk in front of her.
"Dammit, Matthew, we've had this conversation before. You can't keep making the casual teachers cry!" She exclaimed. Seeing no reaction from the offender, she sighed tiredly. "Well you know the routine. Privileges revoked, detention and an apology. But I want you to know that I would have hoped that a person with your responsibilities would know better." It was that comment that made Matthew, to the rest of the class' surprise, sit up properly. He placed his elbows on the desk and leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on one of his hands; The smile never leaving his face. Everyone in the room waited, expectant, to see what he said.
"See, I like to think of it more as a service." He motioned at the class with his free hand before continuing. "We are the smartest students in the school; The ones who actually enjoy learning. If those teachers can't deal with us, then how are they going to go when they have to teach kids that would much rather be anywhere other than school?" He rested an arm on the back of his chair and leant back into his seat while leaving an arm resting on the desk. "I was doing them a favour. Y'know, a reality check. I bet they'll be better teachers because of it." The rest of the class stared at Matthew in awe, while the woman frowned slightly.
"Oh I'm sure it's purely concern for your fellow students' education that is the motive behind your actions. However the punishment still stands, and I will see you outside my office at lunch."
"One can not comprehend the anticipation I am feeling right now." he replied swiftly as the woman left the room. "It cannot be explained by mere words; Would you like me to try an interpretive dance to aid your understanding?" He called to her back, which she ignored. Soon afterwards loud bell rang and the students made their way into the corridor. Matthew leaned over and tapped the shoulder of the girl sitting at the desk next to him. She raised her head off the table and looked at him sleepily, pulling earphones out of her ears and absently making sure her two plaits hadn't come undone.
"Starting early today are we, Matty?" She asked before stretching languidly and cracking her joints. "I would have thought you'd at least wait 'til science so you could correct the teacher again." She yawned as they made their way to the door. Matt laughed as the two of them forced their way through the crowds of younger students.
"It was too easy." He replied as a boy squashed himself against a wall to make room for them. "He was wearing a tie with ducks on it, for Christ's sake!" The two teenagers pushed a group of people out of their way as they got closer to their next class.
"I'm guessing you want me to write the apology for you again?" The girl commented as they barged through a conversation between two young girls. Matthew laughed and threw his arm around his friend's shoulders.
"I knew I could count on you, A. Besides," he replied, stopping at a door, "it's not as if you actually do anything in class anyway." The girl copied her friend's expression from earlier, lifting her chin and partially closing her eyes, coupled with a matching smug smile.
"That's because I don't need to do anything in class." She muttered as she opened the door, just in time to see the teacher reaching for the lock. He frowned at the pair, barking that the they were lucky he was in a generous mood or they would have been sent to the Principal's office for being late.
"Sorry, Sir!" They chimed in unison as they made their way to their seats, laughing to themselves.
"This is the third person this week to come to me in tears from this class. I would like an explanation." She looked pointedly at the young man swinging on the back legs of his chair and leaning against the wall of the room. He opened his eyes and looked at the woman with indifference, his hands never moving from behind his head.
"It's not my fault they came running to you." He commented lazily, peering through half-closed eyes. He looked up at the ceiling and gave a smug smile before continuing. "Oh, wait," he paused for effect, pretending to think. "It was my fault, yeah." A few other students chuckled at the boy's statement, but stopped abruptly as the woman let out a noise of exasperation and slammed her hands on the desk in front of her.
"Dammit, Matthew, we've had this conversation before. You can't keep making the casual teachers cry!" She exclaimed. Seeing no reaction from the offender, she sighed tiredly. "Well you know the routine. Privileges revoked, detention and an apology. But I want you to know that I would have hoped that a person with your responsibilities would know better." It was that comment that made Matthew, to the rest of the class' surprise, sit up properly. He placed his elbows on the desk and leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on one of his hands; The smile never leaving his face. Everyone in the room waited, expectant, to see what he said.
"See, I like to think of it more as a service." He motioned at the class with his free hand before continuing. "We are the smartest students in the school; The ones who actually enjoy learning. If those teachers can't deal with us, then how are they going to go when they have to teach kids that would much rather be anywhere other than school?" He rested an arm on the back of his chair and leant back into his seat while leaving an arm resting on the desk. "I was doing them a favour. Y'know, a reality check. I bet they'll be better teachers because of it." The rest of the class stared at Matthew in awe, while the woman frowned slightly.
"Oh I'm sure it's purely concern for your fellow students' education that is the motive behind your actions. However the punishment still stands, and I will see you outside my office at lunch."
"One can not comprehend the anticipation I am feeling right now." he replied swiftly as the woman left the room. "It cannot be explained by mere words; Would you like me to try an interpretive dance to aid your understanding?" He called to her back, which she ignored. Soon afterwards loud bell rang and the students made their way into the corridor. Matthew leaned over and tapped the shoulder of the girl sitting at the desk next to him. She raised her head off the table and looked at him sleepily, pulling earphones out of her ears and absently making sure her two plaits hadn't come undone.
"Starting early today are we, Matty?" She asked before stretching languidly and cracking her joints. "I would have thought you'd at least wait 'til science so you could correct the teacher again." She yawned as they made their way to the door. Matt laughed as the two of them forced their way through the crowds of younger students.
"It was too easy." He replied as a boy squashed himself against a wall to make room for them. "He was wearing a tie with ducks on it, for Christ's sake!" The two teenagers pushed a group of people out of their way as they got closer to their next class.
"I'm guessing you want me to write the apology for you again?" The girl commented as they barged through a conversation between two young girls. Matthew laughed and threw his arm around his friend's shoulders.
"I knew I could count on you, A. Besides," he replied, stopping at a door, "it's not as if you actually do anything in class anyway." The girl copied her friend's expression from earlier, lifting her chin and partially closing her eyes, coupled with a matching smug smile.
"That's because I don't need to do anything in class." She muttered as she opened the door, just in time to see the teacher reaching for the lock. He frowned at the pair, barking that the they were lucky he was in a generous mood or they would have been sent to the Principal's office for being late.
"Sorry, Sir!" They chimed in unison as they made their way to their seats, laughing to themselves.