Dragged to my knees

Chapter 3

"You guys are supposed to give your essays to me so I can pass them on to Mr. Kennedy and you better hand them in quick because I got in trouble the last time for not getting them to him 'early enough'." Announces Jada, my classmate, in her usual dramatic way, making air quotes with her fingers.

It always gets our attention though and sure enough everyone starts handing in their essays. Mr. Kennedy's a really cool teacher but if you get on his bad side, big trouble. Now imagine being the reason for getting someone like Jada on his bad side; double trouble. She'd blend your guts with hot sauce and then feed them to her cat.

As soon as she returns from submitting our essays, the assembly bell goes. I managed to make it in early enough today which is horrible because I hate assemblies. In my school, they're all formal like and depressing; especially since Mrs. West began conducting them.

"All stand" she commands in her thick accent and we dutifully obey. I always wanted an accent like that but once I speak, you can immediately tell I'm not a local.

We sing the National Anthem and then she makes us sing the school's anthem as well before saying the pledge. Our Principal, Dr. Eli comes by to make a few announcements concerning noise making in the hallways during class switch overs and such, none of which I pay keen attention to. When it's finally over and I'm heading to my locker, I think of how much I would like to miss the next assembly which is scheduled for Friday.

"Did you hear we'll be getting two new classmates next week?" asks Mary coming up behind me as I head to first period Biology.

"Where do you get all this info from?" I ask, genuinely curious.

'News is lying all around you Ricky. You just have to listen to know." She chuckles.

"Thanks for the advice Mary," I tease as we head into the lab.

"Morning Mrs. Miller" we say in unison as we walk past her to take our seats.

Our biology teacher is a short, stout, dark-haired lady of about 32. She has brown eyes that always look serious or tired and plump lips always wearing bright red lipstick. Like Jada, she's quite the dramatic type and often loves to make it look like her students are giving her a tough time. I'm not saying we don't give her a hard time. Some days it's like we really have it in for our teachers but Mrs. Miller is way too sensitive and emotional to handle the pressure.

There was this time when the goldfish in the fish tank died and she cried throughout the first half of our double period class. She even called us heartless for not participating in her sorrows.

And this other time when Taylor, one of the girls in my class, said her biology note was her ugliest so far because she always used it. Mrs. Miller was standing close to her at the time and misheard. "Mrs. Miller is the ugliest." Paranoid, I know but that's what she heard.

She was all like "Just because you think it in your head doesn't mean you should say it out too."

Then she began to cry and wouldn't listen toTaylor's explanations, as usual, and told us to get out our pens for a surprise test.

That's something else I forgot to mention about her. Whenever Mrs. Miller gets upset, she gives us a test. Totally childish and unfair, I know.

Today seemed no different as she barely mumbled a reply to our greetings. In her loose blue blouse with silver studded buttons, black high waist skirt and pumps she looks quite good. That is, until you raised your gaze up to eye level. She has a drawn expression on her face and her eyes look extra dull.