Settling in an American History Class
A/N: Guys, I just can't believe this! More than 1,000 views?!
OMGI'MSOHAPPYRIGHTNOW! :D
I made a really long chapter as a thank you gift for all of you followers, reviewers, and favorite-rs, (I know, that's not a word.)
The next morning, I sit up in my bed.
I groggily rub my eyes as I try to think of what I did last night.
Oh, yes. I remember now. I was researching the anime show, "Hetalia."
The results were surprising.
I was unfortunately forced to use America's bloody search engine, Google. I must say, though, it does provide a great service. Damn him.
The first link I found was on Wikipedia. It was labeled, "Hetalia: Axis Powers." I read the short summary that was under the link.
"Hetalia: Axis Powers (Axis Powers ヘタリア, Akushisu Pawāzu Hetaria) is a Japanese webcomic, later adapted as a manga and an anime series, by…"
I clicked on the link to read more, but an odd message stopped me from doing so.
"THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN CONCEALED FROM YOUR VIEWING FOR THE PROTECTION OF KIKU HONDA."
I tried to click the same link on different search engines, but they each gave the same message.
After 20 minutes of that rubbish, I decided to look on YouTube. Sadly, I was searching on another one of America's innovation.
I honestly don't know what I was coming to these days.
And once again, I was searching, "Hetalia."
The first video that I found was, "Hetalia Funny Moments 1."
I clicked on the video. Thankfully, it started to load.
I then clicked the play button.
I was gobsmacked at what I saw.
The video first started off with America's "plan" to stop global warming at a world meeting years ago.
First off, how did that user get this footage?!
The video went on to show Japan agreeing with America, and Switzerland threatening to beat him with his peace prize. (Though I don't know what any of that was about!)
But suddenly, the video cut to a clip of Germany shouting at everyone to shut up.
I then saw myself grabbing France's shirt. He and I were beating each other up.
I kept watching the video, even though most of the clips were about Germany, Italy, and Japan. What was very dodgy, though, was how Japan made this anime without any of us figuring this out.
Maybe he even showed this to Germany and Italy!
So much for being close allies.
I shake my head. It's time to get ready for the morning, not think about last night's quest.
That's when it hits me. I reluctantly turn to my dresser, where the yellow envelope still lay after yesterday.
I sigh. That daft cow always ruins everything!
I shouldn't be late for my new teaching assignment.
…
A half hour later, I am eating a typical English breakfast. It consists of bowl of cereal, a slice of toast, and orange juice. Normally I would be enjoying the traditional meal, with eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and numerous other ingredients, but my cupboard was nearly empty this morning.
I make a mental note to go grocery shopping after school hours.
After my meal, I look at the clock on my wall.
7:00
Good, I have just enough time to walk to the school before 1st period begins.
…
I sigh for the second time this morning while sitting at Ms. Bins' desk. I wonder how she coincidentally is absent. I have a feeling that America had something to do with it.
I arrived earlier than expected to the school. The students should be in the auditorium for another 15 minutes before the bell rings.
I scan the desk. It is nice and neat, the large, green lesson plan book between two stacks of papers.
"England, ahen!" An accented voice shouts.
I freeze in my chair. I slowly look up to see China standing at the door, holding his Hello Kitty toy.
"Oh, hello, China. I see that you've brought Hello Kitty along with you." I say calmly. Inside though, so many thoughts are flying through my head.
China narrows his eyes. "This is Shinatty-Chan." He points to the doll.
I sigh again. "Why are you here anyway?"
China grins widely. "I'm here to teach, aru!"
Now this is shambles! I never thought that China would seriously consider getting a job here.
"But, you're a nation! Why do you want to teach here?" I inquire.
China sighs as if I were bonkers. "I am here to learn about American culture, too!"
I shake my head. "What subject are you teaching, then?"
He pulls a piece of paper out from under his coat.
"Hm," he says, "It says on this paper that I'm going to teach Geometry, aru."
"Wow. Intriguing!" I exclaim. Mentally though, roll my eyes.
A sudden thought brings more worries.
"Is there anyone else we know in the school?" I ask nervously. If more countries start to appear, I'm in a lot of trouble.
"No, I don't think so, aru." China shakes his head. He looks at the clock near my desk.
"Oh no, I should leave now!" China exclaims. He runs out of the room.
I turn back to the desk.
I spy the lesson plan book.
As much as I don't want to, I know that eventually I would have to peek inside.
I find a small note on top of the lesson plan book.
What? To Mr. Kirkland, the district has asked me to step out of teaching for a week, so I did as I was told. I was also told that you are to teach the class for the next week and a half. The lesson, as you know, is on the American Revolution. Lastly, I hope that you are feeling better.
~Carissa Bins
Oh yes, I forgot that I supposedly have a cold. That was the reason for my coughing and my absence yesterday.
I gulp loudly before opening the lesson plan book.
Inside of the book are neatly written and organized notes. My hands start to tremble as I flip to the dreaded section.
Suddenly, the school bell rings, signaling the time to head to class. I gasp in surprise. Thankfully no one is around to hear it.
I hear shouts and murmurs, the usual before-class chatter. I sit back down on my chair. I then run my hands through my hair.
Ms. Bins' students start to walk in, each of them eyeing me as they take their seats.
I find Ana and Jacqueline sitting in their seats, in the back of the room. Luckily, those two are seated near the teacher's desk. Now I can keep an eye on them.
The bell rings once more, and the class chatter quiets down.
I get up from my seat, and straighten my tie.
I stare a bit at each student as I walk towards the whiteboard.
"Hello, students. As you know, my name is Mr. Kirkland. Your regular teacher, Ms. Bins, will be absent for the rest of the week, due to circumstances…unknown." I tell the class.
A student raises his hand.
"Yes, good sir?" I call on the boy.
"Um, are we going to do substitute work?" The boy says.
"What do you mean by 'substitute work'?" I ask.
The boy laughs while another shouts out, "It means we don't do anything, just-"
These kids are lazy and unwilling to work!
"I shouldn't have to remind you lot to raise your hands before speaking." I interrupt the boy.
Yes, interrupting is considered rude, but reminding others of their manners is more important.
The boy rolls his eyes.
I stare him down for a second before going back to my desk.
The class starts to talk again.
Now where is that list of names? That unkind sir deserves something for his unruly etiquette.
I find the attendance list underneath the lesson plan book.
I clear my throat before reading out the names.
"Alois, Elizabeth."
Egad, French name. Yuck.
A dirty blond raises her hand slowly.
"Here."
…
"Colon, Jacqueline."
"Present."
I look up from the paper. Jacqueline is sitting at her desk, looking at me with a confident smirk.
Enough of that! Back to the attendance.
"Cliff, Kenneth."
"Here.
…
"Rivera, Ana."
I look up once again when I don't hear an answer.
Ana is staring at me.
"I called your name, didn't I?" I say.
Ana's face turns red.
"I…I already said here." She whispers.
"Oh."
She reminds me of someone. I don't remember who, but someone…
…
After calling everyone's names, I walk up to the whiteboard, lesson book in my hand.
I gulp again before turning to the class.
"Now class," I begin to say. "Where did you leave off yesterday?"
The class remains silent. Kenneth raises his hand lazily.
I call on him.
"Understanding Early American Problems." He states simply.
How did he know that? He doesn't seem to be the kind of person to remember…
"Ms. Bins said that yesterday." Kenneth answers my mental question.
I look at him for a few more moments, and then turn back into the board.
My eyes have never adjusted to the view of whiteboards. Most of the schools in my country use them, I know. But what was wrong with good old chalkboards? I mean, they were more eco-friendly, and were more pleasing to the eye. White on green, a pleasant combination.
I shake the thought off.
My hand trembles as I pick up the marker to write with.
"Everyone copy this down, please." I told the class sternly.
In Massachusetts
And so, I began to write.
Samuel Adams of Boston stood firmly against Britain. His cousin, John Adams helped him in his ideas by carefully checking evidence.
Anger started to bubble inside of me. I've had the lovely pleasure of meeting Mr. Samuel Adams. But that was before the revolts started. And how do you think I felt when he started writing letters to me, saying that I should tell my "lobsterbacks" to go back home to our "fobberish greedy monarch." Mr. Adams knew that I held a high position in my country, but if he knew that I was Britain, I'm sure things would have been more different.
I began to write again, the anger boiling now.
Adams was an unlikely leader, because he was a failure in business and a poor public speaker.
Oh, yes. Dear Adams didn't know what I knew about him.
I looked down at the notes, and kept going.
Mercy Otis Warren also aided the colonial cause. She tried to, at least. By writing plays that made fools out of British officials, this just shows how immature the American colonists were at the time.
Such feeble attempts.
Abigail Adams also helped Warren in this action, and both called for greater rights for women in the colonies.
I don't find anything too bad about this so called, "fact."
"Mr. Kirkland?" Someone asks
I had almost forgotten that I was teaching a class!
I turnback to the children.
"Yes?"
The girl, Akita Li, spoke. "Is the sentence on Samuel Adams a bit biased?"
I scowled at her. "How so?" I said to her before turning back to the board.
This class better end soon, or else I might be overturning a chair soon.
…
A few minutes later, we were on one of my biggest feuds with America before the Revolution.
The Boston Massacre
I reluctantly wrote the title on the board.
You know, if that stupid git's colonists hadn't been instigating my soldiers, the whole bloody thing wouldn't have happened!
Port cities like Boston and New York were centers of protest.
I started the new section out by copying the notes straight from the lesson plan book.
In New York, a dispute arose over the Quartering Act, which had colonists provide housing, candles, bedding, beverages, to British soldiers.
I have never understood why America was so upset about that Act. In my opinion, it was perfectly acceptable!
Britain sent 2 regimens to Boston to protect customs officers from local citizens. To many Bostonians, the soldiers were a daily reminder that Britain was bullying them into paying taxes.
And this was where I started to get mad.
….
Five minutes later, I was starting to get very furious. Having to write these damn facts from an American's point of view is absolute torture. They make America look like the hero! This is absolute rubbish.
My hands were fully shaking as I wrote the next fact on the board.
"The crowd grew larger and rowdier until the British soldiers-
"ARRRRRRRRTHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURR RRRRR!"
"BLOODY HELL!" I shout loudly as someone opens the door.
There is China; sweating and panting, balls of paper weaved into his hair. He is holding his "Shinatty-Chan" doll closely.
"Wang, what in the world happened?" I say, aware that the students are watching.
"I...was teaching the class….and the kids…they…started getting crazy, aru! I tried to stop them, but they started using straws to hit me with paper balls!" China starts to sob.
I look back at the class for a second. Everyone has a look of confusion on their face. That is, except for Ana and Jacqueline. Again.
I turn back to China.
"Now, Wang, we should go outside for a minute. I think we both need a break."
I lead China to the door, forgetting my anger from a few minutes before.
"Jacqueline is in charge until I return. " I tell the class before leaving the classroom.
A/N: I really hope that this wasn't too boring! I got carried away with England's ranting :P Oh, silly me!
Anyway, thank you all so much for reading all of this! I really, truly appreciate all of the support I've gotten!
Chapter 10 coming soon!
