Brown Slime Stories

Midterms

As the clock ticks away the seconds, a few girls at the back of the room talk in hushed tones about some celebrity who is pregnant and getting divorced. 

Two boys near the window are busy having a thumb war. They're laughing, but are also focused, brows furrowed, intent on their battle.

Then, the teacher arrives.

Mrs. White has short, dark hair and the most beautiful brown eyes. She has the sort of smile that would make flowers bloom. 

But today her smile is absent, replaced with a tight, thin line on her face.

The students begin to settle down.

It's the middle of the first semester of the new school year and there is an air of nervous anticipation in the classroom. Everyone has already noticed that their teacher is wearing all black today.

"Class, I have some unpleasant news to share with you," Mrs. White begins. "Today is midterm day, and that means you're all going to receive a copy of your grade report for the first semester..."

Her voice trails off and her eyes grow misty, like the distant sky just before the rain comes.

"I'm so sorry to say that the student with the lowest grade will be..."

Mrs. White pauses and looks at them all in turn.

"...given an incentive to improve your grades."

She looks around the room. Her eyes seem to bore into each student as if to emphasize her words.

"The administration believes the students will perform better under these circumstances. For what it's worth, I disagree. But, I'm a mere teacher, and they are the ones in charge. So... let's begin."

Everyone knows what the so-called 'incentive' is. 

It's the new punishment that the school has given to students who break the rules since the beginning of the year.

There's a heavy silence in the room as everyone looks at their grade report with a mix of hope and apprehension.

It isn't all bad news: The student with the highest grade receives an extra serving of dessert during lunch. 

And the second-highest grade earns a free pass to leave class five minutes early.

Mrs. White makes her way across the room, handing out the reward slips to the two diligent students whose faces light up as she congratulates them.

"Now, for the bad news," Mrs. White sighs as she seats herself behind her desk. "This student has the lowest grade in the entire class."

A collective gasp spreads around the room as she reveals the name.

"Ashley Smith."

The poor girl's heart skips a beat.

Ashley, with long tangled black hair and blue eyes, is sitting near the back of the class. She is wearing her favorite outfit, a dark green sweater with a pair of jeans. She has always liked green because it reminds her of the forest.

"Fuck," she whispers, her eyes darting from one person to the next.

"What did you just say?" Mrs. White demands.

"Nothing," she answers meekly.

"That's not what I heard, Ashley," Mrs. White says with a hint of regret in her voice. "I have no choice but to double the length of your punishment for that."

Ashley feels like she's shrinking as Mrs. White glares at her.

"What? That's not fair!"

"Fair or not, you'll have to take it like a grown-up," Mrs. White retorts. "Please look up, and smile for your classmates. Otherwise, it will last for three times as long."