The Treehouse

Ch. 1

"Colleen. Colleen. Wake up Colleen."

My eyes flickered open. I was face to face with Mr. Sanders, my history teacher, and he had a disaproving look in his eyes. He was the strictest teacher in the school and I had clearly made the wrong choice by falling asleep during his lesson. I just knew I was going to get in major trouble. 

"Now Colleen, I understand that the wonders of the Industrial Revolution clearly don't interest you, but could you at least pretend to be interested?"

"Yeah, like the rest of us!" Kian chuckled from behind me. He had been my best friend since second grade and he always had a way of distracting teachers when I did something punishable, like falling asleep in class or accidently using a sarcastic tone to one of my teachers. He had my back, and in return, I had been tutoring him in every class--discluding history, he tutored me in that department--for as long as I can remember.

"Very funny Mr. Beckley." Mr. Sanders glared at him. 

"You know I think maybe it's your fault. You just don't make the lessons come alive. I want to feel like I'm actually there. You'd think after being a teacher for 50-something years you could achieve that." 

The whole class broke out in "oooooooohs" and "burns" while Kian sat there with a grin on his face. Mr. Sanders stood with his mouth wide open until he decided what to say next.

"Principal's office. Now. I'm sure Mr. Harting would love to see you. How long has it been since your last visit to him? A couple hours now I'm sure." 

Kian chuckled, not phased at all by his punishment. He stood up from his seat and winked at me, and I responded by mouthing back a "thank you." Kian walked out the door by mumbling to himself, "Anything beats this history lesson." 

After he left Mr. Sander's rolled his eyes. "Now where were we?" He scratched his attempt at the beard, which really just looked like random patches of stubble that wasn't growing together correctly. "Oh, yes. Colleen, would you care to tell me one new innovation that came from the industrial revolution?"

I sat there in silence for a few seconds. He had clearly called on me because he knew I had no  idea what was going on. Just as I was about to be honest and say I had no idea, my savior came in and rescued me.

Riiiiiiiinnnnnng!!!!

Saved. By. The. Bell.

"You can tell me next class, Ms. Moreno. Your homework tonight is to read and take notes over Chapter 3! I'll see you guys tomorrow," and as students poured out the door he muttered to himself, "and the day after that....and the day after that....and the day after that..." He intended for nobody to hear it, but I did and I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I entered the hallways.