To save a life

# e i g h t

#8) Sass a teacher

I was particularly excited for this one. Only the lord knows how long I've waited for a specific reason to give Mr. Felicis hell. Not only does he teach the subject I completely loath -which is Math by the way, but his gradings are completely biased and unfair.

The students that he prefers over the rest ace every single math paper there is even if they contain the wrong theorems or final answers. He would turn a blind eye for his favourites. Well, as for the rest of us, lets just say that if shooting teachers down were legal, he wouldn't have been here today. His teaching is complete trash and I think he knows it too.

He's extremely critical when it comes to the people that don't belong to his 'club'. Decreasing marks for no apparent reason, constantly lecturing about how we're going on the wrong path and should be more like he or she, extra homework are only quarter of the things he makes us go through. Tough. I know.

So when Mr. Felicis was bluntly insulting a boy for not being able to answer the question on the white board, I grinned like the chesire cat himself and cleared my throat noisily. All heads were turned towards me in confusion, including good old Mr. Felicis.

'Would you like a pass to go to the clinic to check on your throat Mrs. Carter?' He asked with a raised eyebrow and a cynic smile that I just can't wait to wipe off.

'No thank you. I was just checking if the old age was finally getting to you and if you could still hear me. You're doing okay though.'

I got exactly what I wished for. His smile immediately dissappeared and in its presence was a cold scowl. 'Excuse me?'

'So maybe you're not doing okay.' I murmured to what I thought was myself, but the students around me started sniggering in their seat. Mr. Felicis didn't hear me though but I could tell that my murmuring pissed him off beyond extent.

Looking around me, I noticed that I had the whole classes attention. Perfect. Aubree would've enjoyed this to the max.

'Pardon Mrs. Carter, do you have something to say?' His eyes are narrowed into thin slits, challenging me to continue. 

'Thought you'd never ask,'

I raised my eyebrows at him. 'Mr. Felicis,  why are you balantly giving Carson hell when it's not his fault?'

Said Carson registered me with wide eyes. He shook his head vigorously and mouthed "stop". I pretended not to see him.

He scoffed obnoxiously and rolled his eyes. 'Carson over here is too thick skulled to answer the simple question on the board. Pray tell, how is it not the fault of this failure?'

'Well you see Mr. Felicis,' I enunciated as I straightened my back, 'Carson could answer it. He's capable in answering all the other questions in all the other classes. With the exception of yours, that is.'

'Your point, Mrs. Carter?'

Damn. And he said that Carson was thick skulled.

'My point is, maybe Carson isn't as useless as you intend to make him feel. And maybe he isn't able to answer that question because you weren't able to teach it to him.'

Silence. Complete and utter silence.

'Are you questioning my teaching, Mrs. Carter?' I know that I'm treading on dangerous waters but I can't stop myself but I might as well finish what I started.

'No I'm not questioning your teaching, Sir. I'm flat out telling you that you failed to educate not only Carson, but the rest of us as well.'

Then suddenly, the boy behind me hooted as the girl next to me muttered 'burn'. Glancing at Carson, I notice that he had a hand over his mouth in a lame attempt to smother his laughter.

'By "the rest of us" you surely mean yourself and the other back benchers. My students who sit at the front know how to solve this question easily.' My eyes skimmed over the people at the front and they all fidgeted uneasily in their seats.

'No. By "the rest of us" I mean the entire class, Mr. Felicis. You failed to educate us. You think grading them even when they're answers are wrong is going to do them any good? For now, it may. But what about later? When you aren't there to keep them under your supervision? When this year ends and they're out there in the real world?'

Mr. Felicis is now red in the face and one had to be blind to not notice the bulging veins on his neck. He's clenching his jaw so hard, I'm not sure how his teeth isn't falling off yet. How come no ones ever tried this before?

'And as for the so called "back benchers"? We're going to survive out there because we know what struggle is. We may not be as smart as Veronica or as quick as Nathan, but we know hard work. And we know that true failure is not being unable to answer a stupid question we won't be needing in the future. So we won't let that get us down, for the only true failure is not knowing how to survive.'

The bell rang loudly indicating the end of another school day but no one inside the class moved a muscle. Mr. Felicis glared at me and it was truly a wonder at how I didn't combust into nothingness right there and then.

'As much I enjoyed your heroics Ruwena, I'm extremely sorry to say that you will be having detention.'

'I'll take what I can get from you Mr. Felicis.'

With that, he stormed out of the class muttering violently under his breath. There was no doubt that he'd complain about me to some higher deity or whatever but it didn't matter. The class erupted into cheers and I finally broke out into a triumphant grin. Nudges and claps on the back came one by one.

'That was insane Ruwena! Completely insane! What are you on? I would like some too!' Exclaimed Carson as I passed by his table, smiling at him.

'Who knew you had it in you!' Said some other kid and I couldn't help but think that maybe Aubree did.

Before I made my way to the detention room, I took out my phone and sent a quick message to Tate.

: Hey :) number eight on the bucket list is complete. Can you meet me tomorrow at the book store?

My phone vibrates before I get the chance to put it back into my pocket.

Tate: Do you even have to ask? ;)