Devil

Chapter 2

The bell had rung to go to our next class, but I was the only one that stayed back since my next class was service for Mr. Schad. I just helped him out here and there by grading papers along with running to go get copies. My counselor had thought it would be too much for me to handle 5 academic classes since the “devastating” loss of my father, but I wasn’t complaining, it meant less work for me.

I brought my books and bag to the front of the classroom, making my way through the crowded desks and chairs. I sat down in his desk to the side as he wrote down shit on the board for the arrival of the next class, and I began correcting the pile of classwork placed nicely on the old beat up desk.

It was a very tedious job, correcting papers, and I’m really harsh too. Most of the students honestly deserved F’s and if I could, I would give it to them. Mr. Schad thinks differently though, he says he’d rather pass them with D’s and never see the student again than give them a Fail and have to teach them for another year. He’s a person that believes people never change.

It’s an arguable point. I believe people can’t change, like I don’t believe someone can do a full 180 turn and change a habit that they’ve done for their whole life. I don’t believe an alcoholic can stop drinking, I don’t believe a heavy smoker can quit, and I don’t believe an atheist can find God during their times in need. But, I do believe people can find themselves and realize the things that they need to do better. So I believe an alcoholic can challenge himself to a beer a day rather than 6, and I do believe a smoker can keep himself from getting lung cancer, and I believe an atheist can find strength to hold onto instead of running to something that they don’t believe in.

If these stupid kids just tried harder – not even that. If they just tried,I’m sure they’d like the material and do their homework and actually get a good grade in the class, but no, these dip shits just think it’s so cool not to do work.

I continued to read the papers and one of them said:

Who did Hitler blame for Germany’s loss in WWI?

African Americans.

Seriously? They’re all fucking idiots.

I took the thin red felt tip marker and marked a huge X on the number. I shook my head and tried to keep myself from writing “dumbass” on the worksheet.

Mr. Schad laughed towards my direction. I’m guessing my expression was a funny one because I didn’t make a joke.

“Don’t treat ‘em so badly, Justin. They won’t learn that way.”

“Then how willthey learn? They’re all so fucking stupid.”

It pissed me off how he gave them so many chances, they didn’t deserve them.

He took the dry board eraser and erased the previous class’ homework to write down the homework for the next class.

“If a child is whining for a toy and you never give in, the child will continue to whine, so you will have to satisfy the child with something else, just so you don’t have to hear them cry. And I personally don’t want to hear the same cries for a whole other year. Does that make any sense?”

“I guess, but– ” I got interrupted by loud laughter and the freshmen piling into the classroom right when the tardy bell had rung. I hate how freshmen thought they were all that just because they were in high school now. Like, no calm the fuck down, you’re still little kids and you’re still especially fucking short.

I mean I’m actually really serious, they all came up to my shoulder.

Sometimes I wonder why every little thing irritates me, but then again, I’m me.