April fools

Spider

Friday, April 1st, 2011

{Year 7}

- 2:45pm -

My eyelids droop as I stifle a yawn with my history textbook. Giving myself a mental shake I try to refocus on Mr Browns torturous monotonous voice drone on about life in the trenches. His pudgy body peeks out from behind the podium, tiny black eyes fixed on the textbook before him as he recites it word for word. My attention drifts from the words drawling from his lips to the slow crawl of the minute hand around the clock behind Mr Browns balding head. Exactly forty minutes until class is over and the weekend starts.

I peer over my textbook at my friend Emma sitting beside me. Her curly orange hair is twisted back with sparkly butterfly clips and a hot pink pencil dangles from her pouty lips. Tonight, I am spending the night at her house for the first time and having a Harry Potter marathon. My mind drifts to the packet of Mint Slices in my bag that I bought from the shops especially for tonight. Maybe I could sneak a biscuit now, my mouth begins to drool at the thought of the chocolate melting on my tongue.

"Miss Jones?" Mr Brown is frowning at me over the top of the podium.

His eyebrows bunch in the middle like two caterpillars rubbing noses and his beady black eyes squint at me under the fluorescent lights. Much to my embarrassment the classroom fills with my classmate's sniggers as all eyes turn on me. I shift in my seat, my mouth becoming drier than the pavement baking in the sun outside.

"Huh?" I choke out, and the sniggering intensifies.

"I asked you a question," He squints down at me from behind the podium, "I will repeat it now. When did World War One begin?"

With my ears heating and the skin of my neck prickling, I begin to scan the textbook in front of me for the answer. But, in my frazzled state, I cannot make out any of the words on the textbook in front of me. A minute passes with me not saying anything, Mr Brown lets out an exaggerated sigh. My ears heat and I can feel the flush rising from my neck up to my cheeks. I can feel my classmate's eyes burning holes into the back of my head, making me break out in a cold sweat.

"When did World War One begin and end. Mr Jeon?" He asks, looking expectantly over my shoulder.

Of course he is going to target the new kid. Jungkook Jeon transferred as an international student from South Korea at the beginning of the year. With his shy nature and with limited English, he has had a little trouble fitting in. But in four months his English has greatly improved and he has slowly begun to come out of his shell. I peer over my shoulder to see Jungkook in the seat directly behind. He looks like a deer caught in headlights.

"1914 and 1918, sir." His voice is a little shaky, hinting at his discomfort at being called on.

Mr Brown nods, smiling tightly before returning to his monotonous lecture. His words become an indistinct mumble as my eyes focus in on the slow slide of his glasses down his sweat dotted nose. With his squashed nose and small squinty eyes, he looks like my neighbour Doris' pug Brutus. I dog sit him occasionally when Doris goes on cruises with her girlfriends.