Girl meets world

Girl meets the new teacher

We were all sitting in English class waiting for our teacher to come "Where's Garaboski?" Maya asked "uh-oh" Lucas mumbled "did we do it?" Farkle asked "did we finally break him?" Riley asked "you broke him" Matthews said as he walked into the classroom the whole class cheered "quiet" Matthews told us "Mr Garaboski retired yesterday" another round of applause was heard from the class "quiet. The guy survived Vietnam and Mrs Garaboski and he can't get past you" Matthews said I smiled "now,he left a letter here that expressed his feelings "dear you little...." Ok I can't read this" Matthews said as he threw the letter away "He always used to talk about the good old days before 1985" Lucas stated "What in 1985?" Riley asked "That was the year the California board of education announced you couldn't hit a kid with a ruler" Farkle told us "Bored of education? I do believe I am" Maya commented "Well now,you're going to need a new English teacher" Matthews said "no we're good thanks" I told him "I don't know Sam you may wanna consider this one" Lucas told me pointing at the window I looked over to see a lady in a leather jacket "Ladies and gentlemen,please welcome Ms Harper Burgess" Matthews said as our new teacher walked into the room with a helmet "You got a bike to go with that outfit?" Lucas asked "1800 cc twin cam fat Bob fuel tank wide glide" Ms Burgess stated walking towards Lucas "what do you ride?" "He rode a sheep" Riley answered "62 pound quad hoof white fleece ,kind you count before you fall asleep baa baa" Maya told her "wanna race?" Ms Burgess asked leaning closer to Lucas "no" Lucas replied Ms Burgess walked back to the front of the classroom "Ms Burgess is here to teach you about great books and great ideas. Please give her the same respect you give me" Matthews said "oh,we can do better than that" I told him
Time skip...................
"Frank Miller "The Dark Knight Returns" Ms Burgess said as she passed out the books "this is Batman" Farkle told her "A future Batman" she corrected "what's the difference?" Lucas asked "This story is a continuation based on an original series of characters" Ms Burgess explained "do you guys know what that means?" "Yes" the whole class answered "aren't you supposed to be teaching us important books?" Riley asked "Mmm,this graphic novel was as important to its style of literature as any book you can think of" She answered "What's it about?" I asked "it's about a world that's become so tough that Batman fights Superman,you tell me why he does that" she replied "you're gonna start by teaching us a comic book,Ms Motorcycle?" Lucas asked "Yeah,and you're gonna start by not calling me Ms anything" She told him "you can call me Harper" "Harper?" Farkle asked raising his hand "yes?" Harper answered "I just wanted to see if it would work" Farkle admitted "Farkle" Harper stated "you know my name?" He asked "I know all your names Mr Matthews told me all about you" Harper told us I gulped "hopefully she doesn't know about my past" I thought "When is this due,please?" Riley asked "Hi Riley" Harper greeted "Hi" Riley waved "How do yl like having him here?" She asked referring to Matthews "It's terrible" Riley admitted "it's wonderful" she corrected "my father gave me my love of books" "He did?" Riley asked "He's why I became a teacher" Harper told her "It's why he named me Harper,you'll figure it out"  "Riley,Sam stop me right now" Maya told us "Why?" I asked "I can't like a teacher I'm Maya" Maya explained "it's a good day Maya school got better and now nothing bad is even going to happen again" Riley told her right as our principal walked in "why did you say that?" I asked "So I'm passing by your classroom on this,your first day ,and I can't help noticing that someone has a comic book...that everyone has a comic book" Principal Yancy said "they're graphic novels" Farkle told him "pipe down Farkle!" Principal Yancy told him "I think Harper's trying to teach us something important" I told our principal standing up "oh Harper is?" He asked looking at Harper "well she's not" he said "it isn't literature,it's comic books which are against school policy, Ms Burgess. And so is calling Ms Burgess by her first name!" He shouted turning to me he picked up a comic book and walked towards Harper "you will gather these up,and you will teach something important" he dropped the comic book to look at another book "Too Kill A Mockingbird?" Are you familiar with this?" He asked "I know this book" Harper answered "Then teach it Ms Burgess" principal Yancy told her as he left the room "so.." Harper drifted off and picked up "The Dark Knight Returns" "The Dark Knight Returns" read it tonight,and tomorrow we will learn something important" Harper said the whole class started cheering "ah stop it" Harper said walking towards Maya "you're not supposed to like a teacher you're Maya" "I know what are you doing to me?" Maya asked as she stood up and clapped as we all did
Time skip...........
During dinner, Riley,Maya and I were eating so fast "woah,woah girls what's the rush?" Mrs Matthews asked "dinner is keeping us from our homework" Maya told her "the new English teacher wants us to read this" Riley said showing her the comic book "well,this looks like a comic book" Mrs Matthews said "Yes" Matthews said "didn't we have a teacher who taught us..." She asked "yes" Matthews replied "tell me more about this new English teacher" Mrs Matthews said "motorcycle" Riley said "leather jacket" Maya told her "sounds familiar weren't you on the committee to hire the new English teacher?" She asked Matthews "yes" Matthews answered "Principal Yancy doesn't like her very much" I said "she's a young idealist,I think she's gonna win him over" Mrs Matthews guessed "I'm just looking for a little action" Matthews said "not all history repeats Cory" she told him "why? What happened to you guys?" Riley asked "well we had a pretty cool teacher once" she said "Feeney" Riley stated "no we actually had one other teacher" Mrs Matthews said "did that teacher get along with the principal?" Maya asked "Feeney was the principal" Mrs Matthews informed "Feeney taught you every year and was also your principal?" Auggie asked "yes" Matthews answered "that would never happen today" he said "we'll see" Matthews told him "Our principal won't let her teach us this" Maya said pointing to the comic book "but she is anyway?" Mrs Matthews asked "it's a more complicated world now, heroes and villains aren't as easily recognized,maybe it takes different teaching methods to tell them apart. She thinks this will help and I like that she believes in something" Matthews explained "But Cory,the world isn't so different that the principal doesn't still make the final decision" Mrs Matthews told him "yeah,that's interesting isn't it?" Matthews asked ""Yancy has a lot of power he like...who's a guy with a lot of power girls?" Matthews asked us "Superman" Riley said "woah" I said "then Harper's like.." I started "Batman!" Maya exclaimed "woah" Riley said "What's the difference between the two?" Mrs Matthews asked "well one has super powers and one doesn't" Matthews said "well,how can that be a fair fight?" Mrs Matthews asked "I mean that's like a fight between you and me" "I know" Matthews said "y'know I don't want Harper.." Riley started "Batman" Maya and I joined in "to lose" Riley finished "Well maybe you should do your homework and find out what happens next" Matthews said Riley,Maya and I shared a look and Mrs Matthews laughed "yeah like they're gonna run..." Riley,Maya and I grabbed our books and ran upstairs to Riley's room
Time skip....
"Can good change?" Harper asked the next day in class "good is good" Riley answered "Can evil change?" She asked "it seems like just when we think we've seen the worst that there can be,somebody comes up with something" Lucas said "Why do you think that is?" Harper asked "because it's evil that fascinates us" I answered "but doesn't good have to win in the end?" Lucas asked "Does it?" Harper fired back the door opened and principal Yancy walked in "So I'm passing by your classroom on this,your 2nd day and I see no mockingbird,but I do see comic books" Yancy said "yes,we're studying the nature between good and evil" Harper explained Yancy did a fake gasp "I don't care" he said "class dismissed" "excuse me?" Harper asked "study hall,all of you except Farkle you...go sit in a garbage can" he told him Farkle looked offended "Don't talk to him like that!" I exclaimed defending my friend "Ok now Ford you got detention!" He yelled at me "leave now!" He exclaimed at us "go" Harper told us "Riley,Sam" Maya said as we got up "yes" Riley said and we walked out of the classroom everyone else followed Riley,Maya and I went to Matthews's classroom and pulled him to our English room we pushed him into the room before closing the door and leaning along the window with the others to watch "you know what history has in common with great books?" Matthews asked "it turns out there are heroes and villains all through them and the villains will always cause trouble but there's always gonna be heroes to fight back" "you ruined my entire lesson" Harper joked "She was hired to teach literature,but she's not she rides a motorcycle and she teaches comic books how is that a teacher?" Yancy asked "that can be a great teacher,a passionate teacher who doesn't believe that kids just come and go and if you let her go then.." Matthews drifted off "you have to be prepared to let me go as well" my eyes widened at what he just said "let you go?" Yancy asked "well I wasn't prepared for that all..just gimme a second..ok I'm good you're  fired too" Yancy said
Time skip............
"How was everyone's day today?" Mrs Matthews as we were eating dinner "it was a good day and then my friends treated me nicely and then my teacher measured me and I'm growing and then Jenny Lewis loves me" Auggie told us "wait a minute this already happened" Mrs Matthews pointed out "yeah,I'm out of stuff" he said "he's right nothing new happened at all" Matthews said trying to cover up the fact that he got fired "Dad got fired today" Riley stated "well,there's that" Matthews laughed nervously "y'know how you thought there might  be trouble between Yancy and the new teacher?" "The young idealist who was gonna win him over?" Mrs Matthews asked ""she didn't..so much" Matthews said "and you defended her?" She asked "I did" he agreed "so Yancy fired you?" She asked "pretty much" he said "I defended Farkle in class today and Yancy gave me a detention" I told her "he can't do that" Mrs Matthews said I nodded "and Yancy can't fire you" she said looking at Matthews "according to statue 3028,teacher dismissals have to come from the state" Mrs Matthews said "try telling him that" I mumbled "Mom do you know everything?" Riley asked "yeah" she answered "so Mr Matthews is safe?" Maya asked "oh Maya you care?" Matthews asked "no I just haven't spoken yet" Maya said "I've met principal Yancy,he can be pretty stubborn" Mrs Matthews said "yeah,he's gonna pursue this" Matthews added "what will he do next?" Riley asked "well,he has to take it to his boss. He has to take it to the superintendent of schools" Mrs Matthews said smiling "Doesn't that make you guys nervous?" Riley asked "um,they don't seem nervous" Maya said "I think they know something that they don't what Yancy to know" I pointed out
Time skip.........
"We have some special guests in our classroom please behave as you normally would" Harper said I turned around and saw Riley talking to principal Yancy and some man then she went back to her seat which was in front of me "you got them calling you by your first name?" The man asked "yes,I wanted them to put together the mockingbird thing to see how much I care about what I'm teaching" Harper explained "Alright,does anyone understand the significance of Harper's name in regards to the author of "To Kill A Mockingbird"? The man asked as he walked to the front of the class "Harper's first name is Charles Twain!" Maya called out "you're doing a bang up job with her Matthews" the man commented "Look,she was told by the principal not to teach us something,but she did anyway that's gonna mean something" I said "Psst,will you stop helping us?" Matthews asked I rolled my eyes "yeah it means something,now,may I see what you've learned?" The man asked "Farkle goes first,Farkle always goes first!" Farkle exclaimed standing up "Stuart Minkus' kid?" The man asked "yeah" Matthews said "super genius?" "Outer space" Matthews answered "Real human boy?" "We're not sure yet" Matthews told him "sit down" the man told Farkle who sat down "I'll make the presentation" Lucas said standing up "you like this teacher?" The man asked "I like both of both these teachers" Lucas answered "are you familiar with the material?" The man asked referring to the comic book "Me? No, I never saw this before I never saw this thing before in before in my life. Yeah,I read it. I read it,actually a lot" Lucas said before sitting down "thanks for telling the truth" the man said "yeah,I can't help myself" Lucas sighed "Now,I prefer someone who is unfamiliar with the material. Someone who is notoriously unteachable" the man said stopping in front of Maya's desk "how ya doing?" Maya asked the man motioned for Maya to get up once she did Riley and I followed "not you two" Matthews told us "I only looked at the pictures" Maya said "I read the words" Riley stated "I looked at the pictures and read the words" I said "it's a trio" Matthews told the guy "I hope you learned something girls" Harper told us "I learn something all the time" Riley said "I come here because my apartment leaks" Maya told her "yeah,what she said" I agreed "Come here" Harper said motioning for Maya to come over she did and Riley and I followed "I know you and Sam just say this stuff,I know you're a lot smarter than you what us to know" she said "shh" Maya said putting a finger to her mouth "we got this" Riley told them putting her arms around Maya and I "I hope so. Our future is in your hands" Matthews told us
Time skip...........
"In Frank Miller's, "The Dark Knight Returns" the key word is dark. He doesn't write heroes or villains that you are used to. You have to really think about what's right and what's wrong" Riley explained "The pictures make you work too" Maya started "You have to look up,down,across and sideways,but I believe he's trying to get us to look at what our own world has become. Up,down,across and sideways" "Heroes that should be friends with a common goal,fight each other instead" I said Farkle stood up "One hero was trying to inspire his old friend to take a look at the world,and realized that it's changed. So he needed to change too" he said before sitting back down then Lucas stood up "But he wouldn't,so he fought against him. Which was hard to look at,because the world is dark enough and heroes are supposed to bring light" he added before sitting back down "Everyone in this room knows that someone with real power doesn't need to hit a kid with a ruler to get the kid to want to learn" I  said "Because this is a new world,and we don't do that here. Frank Miller turned a comic book into..what's the word?" Maya asked "you know the word" Harper told her "Literature. And Harper here,is named after someone who gave us a great story" Maya said "Which her father taught her to appreciate" Riley said as she walked towards her father "And it means everything to her that her father taught her" she said "Harper's taught us so much already" I told him "You did that in 2 days?" The man asked "They're smarter than they want us to know" Harper replied "She did that in 2 days,shape up Matthews" the man told Matthews "yes sir" Matthews said "Jon,comic books are against school policy" principal Yancy spoke up "Yeah,and you can hit a kid with a ruler in 19 states!" Jon exclaimed principal Yancy left the room
Time skip.......
"Riles,Sam?" Maya asked us as we sat in Riley's bay window "yeah?" I answered "What do you want to be when you grow up?" She asked "Maybe a waitress,or a paleontologist" I told her "I don't know yet" Riley answered "is that ok?" "Yeah" Maya said "Are one of us supposed to ask you now?" I asked "That would certainly keep this going so.." Maya drifted off "M?" I asked using my nickname for her "yes!" She replied "Do you have any idea what you want to be when you grow up?" I asked "No" she answered "But being a teacher may be cooler than I thought" she added "Y'know what else is cool?" Riley asked "Uncle Jon used to take care of Shawn when he was younger" Riley told us "Ya don't say" Maya smiled "And my dad said that they were really good for each other" she said I smiled Auggie came running into the room "ok Riley, I finished the Archie comic you gave me" Auggie told his sister "I wanted to start him on the road to good books " Riley told us "What'd you learn from in Augs?" I asked "well.....this dark haired girl and this blonde girl both like the same boy and they all stay best friends. Could that really happen?" He asked "nah" Maya and Riley said in unison "Ok" I said
Time skip............
"Good morning" Matthews greeted as he walked into class with Jon "Before we begin today,a decision has to be reached now,I know you're all going to remain quiet and calm" "We love her!" Maya,Riley and I yelled standing up Jon motioned us to sit back down,which we did "Thank you. We appreciate when students are fond of a teacher. I mean,it factors into a decision,but it can't be the first priority" Jon said "oh no" Maya mumbled "That has to be preparation that a teacher puts into a lesson plan,and what students take from it Cory,what are you teaching today?" Jon asked "I don't know I'm probably making something up" Matthews replied "Alright,now Ms Burgess went against school policy. The principal decided what he saw fit. Right and wrong can be difficult to identify sometimes. That's what you just learned in English class. But this is history. And what does history teach us? You" Jon said pointing at Matthews "When it's a struggle between right and wrong, that's when the real hero fights hardest" Matthews said "So...for the greater good of this school,it has been decided that someone had to go. So I would like to introduce you to your new English teacher" Jon informed us "No" Maya said "Why is it worth learning anything if we can't change the world for the better?" Riley asked "What's the point of anything if we don't have some sort of control over it?" I asked "How are we supposed to be heroes if we can't do anything about anything?" Maya asked "Hi" Harper said walking into the room everyone started cheering "Wow" Riley said "Sometimes you really can beat Superman" Maya said "Very good Maya,you get an "A"" Harper told her "This new teachers out to ruin Sam's and I's reputations" Maya told Riley and me I laughed
Time skip.............
"He's one of your teachers mommy?" Auggie asked referring to Jon as we are dessert "Yeah, Mr Turner helped me learn everything I know" Mrs Matthews answered "she knows everything" Auggie told Jon "I know" Jon answered "was my daddy a good student?" Auggie asked "he was a wonderful student" he answered "why would you lie to my kid?" Mrs Matthews asked "He tried his best" Jon said "Why would you lie to my kid?" Mrs Matthews asked again "He was so bad, he became a teacher so he could go back to school again" Jon told Auggie "so.....word has it you took care of Shawn Hunter?" I asked "His dad was a little off and on no kid should have that "yeah did you care about him though?" Maya asked "You weren't his real father" "no I wasn't" Jon agreed "But was it possible for you to-" Jon cut me off "Yes , Maya,Sam I loved him like a son. I still do" he told us "that's good" Maya said "Dad" Riley said "yeah?" Matthews answered "thank you for being a good teacher" she said "Yeah,thanks" Maya and I said "Boy,there's nothing better than hearing that from your students" Matthews said as he smiled "Mr Turner thank you for being a good teacher" Mrs Matthews thanked Jon "Yeah thanks" Matthews added "You gave me an "A" minus once" Mrs Matthews told Jon "Topanga" Matthews said to her "Topanga" "I want you to change it" she told him "ok" Jon said