Taking Chances, Learning To Love--Chapter Five
"Okay, so I want all of you to, when you're called on, say a few words about yourself," Russ said, sitting on his desk, "and then I'll say a few of my rules."
"But, the day is almost over!" Jonathon protested, "wouldn't it had been smarter to just do it this morning?" Russ nodded in agreement. "Sure. But, the day is not almost over, for it is only noon, and this is my classroom, okay?" Jonathon just rolled his eyes and nodded.
"OKay...Krista," he said, referring to his 'helper' in the front of the row. "I'm Krista and..." she started and paused. "And the only thing she knows how to do is read!" Jonathon interupted, getting laughs. "Well look at it this way, Jon, that's one thing that you can't do!" Russ snapped.
"Well look at it this way!" Jonathon mocked but slumped back in his chair. When RUss looked expectantly at Krista and she didn't finish, he said the next kids name.
After a few, he got to Jonathon. Jonathon grinned and stood up, something none of the others had bothered to do, even Andrew. "Hewwo! I'm Jonathon..I'm ten-years-old, I live with my dad, my stepmom and my little stepsister, Meg. I play on the football rec team and I havea job." he said. "What kind of job?" Russ asked eagerly. "None of your business," Jonathon snapped.
Russ eyed him. "Watch it." Soon it got ot Hailey, who was glaring down at her paper and fiddling with her pencil. "I'm Hailey...And I hate my father...And I live with him and my brother.." she said and shut up. She heard Cole hiss 'shut thehell up' behind her but she ignored him.
"COle, how about you?" Russ called him. Everyone turned around to face Cole, whose shaggy brown hair was in his face. "I livde with my dad and my sister, and I play hockey, soccer, basketball and baseball. I can do BMX, too, but my trick bike is broke. I skateboard." Cole said without looking up. Russ could tell that he wasn't lying.
The kids (at least the boys who thought he was a sissy earlier) all stared at him with surprise.
**At the end of the day**
Cole was walking out quietly when Jonathon, ANdrew, and a boy named Wiley (short with Wilhelm, or something like that) ran up beside him. "Hey, Taylor. Wanna come to Wiley's to race bikes or play ball?" Andrew asked. Cole grinned and was about to accept when he remembered his father. It was a wednesday, so he and Hailey were forced to sit in the living room with his girlfriend's kids (annoying brats named Cal and Zana) while their father and his girlfriend enjoyed their version of 'Sabbath', which was the kids thanking God for what little they had and them getting drunk.
"I can't...It's wednesday," he mumbled. "So?" Jonathon asked. "It's a type of sabbath formy family, my dad and his girlfriend, while we and her kids sit in the living room until midnight." Cole explained. making it seem like it was more simpler than it really was.
"Okay, whatever. Maybe some other day." they called over their shoulder as they ran off. Russ smiled. Hopefully, Cole would have friends, even if they were the wrong crowd.
"Okay, so I want all of you to, when you're called on, say a few words about yourself," Russ said, sitting on his desk, "and then I'll say a few of my rules."
"But, the day is almost over!" Jonathon protested, "wouldn't it had been smarter to just do it this morning?" Russ nodded in agreement. "Sure. But, the day is not almost over, for it is only noon, and this is my classroom, okay?" Jonathon just rolled his eyes and nodded.
"OKay...Krista," he said, referring to his 'helper' in the front of the row. "I'm Krista and..." she started and paused. "And the only thing she knows how to do is read!" Jonathon interupted, getting laughs. "Well look at it this way, Jon, that's one thing that you can't do!" Russ snapped.
"Well look at it this way!" Jonathon mocked but slumped back in his chair. When RUss looked expectantly at Krista and she didn't finish, he said the next kids name.
After a few, he got to Jonathon. Jonathon grinned and stood up, something none of the others had bothered to do, even Andrew. "Hewwo! I'm Jonathon..I'm ten-years-old, I live with my dad, my stepmom and my little stepsister, Meg. I play on the football rec team and I havea job." he said. "What kind of job?" Russ asked eagerly. "None of your business," Jonathon snapped.
Russ eyed him. "Watch it." Soon it got ot Hailey, who was glaring down at her paper and fiddling with her pencil. "I'm Hailey...And I hate my father...And I live with him and my brother.." she said and shut up. She heard Cole hiss 'shut thehell up' behind her but she ignored him.
"COle, how about you?" Russ called him. Everyone turned around to face Cole, whose shaggy brown hair was in his face. "I livde with my dad and my sister, and I play hockey, soccer, basketball and baseball. I can do BMX, too, but my trick bike is broke. I skateboard." Cole said without looking up. Russ could tell that he wasn't lying.
The kids (at least the boys who thought he was a sissy earlier) all stared at him with surprise.
**At the end of the day**
Cole was walking out quietly when Jonathon, ANdrew, and a boy named Wiley (short with Wilhelm, or something like that) ran up beside him. "Hey, Taylor. Wanna come to Wiley's to race bikes or play ball?" Andrew asked. Cole grinned and was about to accept when he remembered his father. It was a wednesday, so he and Hailey were forced to sit in the living room with his girlfriend's kids (annoying brats named Cal and Zana) while their father and his girlfriend enjoyed their version of 'Sabbath', which was the kids thanking God for what little they had and them getting drunk.
"I can't...It's wednesday," he mumbled. "So?" Jonathon asked. "It's a type of sabbath formy family, my dad and his girlfriend, while we and her kids sit in the living room until midnight." Cole explained. making it seem like it was more simpler than it really was.
"Okay, whatever. Maybe some other day." they called over their shoulder as they ran off. Russ smiled. Hopefully, Cole would have friends, even if they were the wrong crowd.