It was a fine day, the students were in their history class. The students were prudent but bored, writing down notes that were going to be blindly tossed aside after the current quarter ends.
The teacher politely tells them to stop asking because she has an assignment to give out to the students.
Ms. Gustav: Students! Please stop writing. I have an assignment ready for you.
The students groaned at her sudden request to halt them writing down notes but reluctantly followed for better grades.
Ms. Gustav: Ok, this assignment is a group assignment.
The students now suddenly has a rush of energy and sat upward to hear more while their heads are turning to every student to see who is gonna be their groupmate.
Ms. Gustav: Ok, you will do an assignment on the History of the Internet and you will be grouped into 17 people.
She saw the faces of her students are filled with amusement and grabbed their reminders notebook to write down what they need for the assignment.
Ms. Gustav: Ok, so this is how you will be grouped.
She pulls out a massive spin-the-wheel with all 42 students in the wheel.
Ms. Gustav: Now, when I spin the wheel and wherever the arrow landed, that student gets to be in these 3 groups colored red,blue and yellow.
The amusement that carried them now dissolved into distrust and separation as everyone looked into each other to see who will be randomly chosen as their groupmate.
Ms. Gustav sees this and sighed for a while before announcing her next sentences.
Ms. Gustav: Anyways, the deadline for this assignment is around August 24.
The students quickly wrote the date down and Ms. Gustav saw that many students have made bets on whoever is gonna be on their group.
Ms. Gustav: Also, to spice things up. Whoever gets picked first by the wheel is the group leader for the assignment.
After she said that sentence, every student looked more distrustful than before, now fearing that whoever will be picked first is gonna be their leader.
Ms. Gustav: Ok, shall we start?
Students: Yes, Ms. Gustav.
Ms. Gustav: Ok, here comes the first spin and whoever gets picked first in Group 1 is the peader of that group.
She spun the wheel and it landed on Edward. Everyone clapped as he stood up and acted like he was a star in the class when he was actually not.
Ms. Gustav: Ok, here's come the second.
She spun the wheel again and it landed on Patricia, unbeknowst to Ms. Gustav, it was Edward's crush and when she stood up and went to the front of the class, everyone shouted "Edward loves Patricia!" at the two and Edward lets the words through while Patricia goes on a fit about how he is not her crush.
Patricia: He. Is. Not. My. Crush, you stupid imbeciles!
Ms. Gustav: Patricia! Language!
Patricia: Sorry.
Ms. Gustav sighed and then spun the wheel for the third time, knowing there are 14 more to go.
The wheel landed on Daniella, which made the boys think that he rigged the wheel so his groups get all the girls in the class.
Ian: Wow, Edward! You getting the ladies for yourself?!
Ms. Gustav: What the hell, Ian?! Quiet!
YOU ARE READING
The Group Wheel, a Classroom Story
Short StoryAn assignment was announced, but the tensions are already there.
