"Mornin' Harry," a cheerful Marilyn greeted him as he walked through the
teacher's lounge. Harry acknowleged her by a hand gesture. The painkillers
and extra sleep had done no good. The headache had grown, not just in his
temples now, but behind his eyes and now growing at the back of his head.
It almost felt as though his brain was being stabbed by pins continuously.
Before he could get to his class, good 'ol Scott stood in his way, that damn smug look pressed against his taut lips.
"We will not have a repeat of the temper tantrum from yesterday, I hope?"
"Get out of my way, Scott," Harry said with a sigh and tried to walk around him. Scott blocked his way.
"Don't you walk away from me Senate; I have my eye on you," Scott responded. Harry rolled his eyes and walked easily around him. He had successfully not endorsed physical violence on Scott today. Tomorrow would be a whole new challenge.
The morning bell had already rang and Harry made his way down the stairs to 'The Dungeon' where, hopefully, his class would already be. He really didn't feel like taking any crap today, with the headache being the most important factor.
His class was already present, most of them anyway. But noticed that the one person he wanted to be there, wasn't. Ashley's seat was empty. Upon entry to his room, no briefcase this time, the chatter died down and he stood in front of them, arms crossed, not saying anything.
"So who read the book?" He asked again, hoping all of the kids would raise their hands. This time, 4 out about 16 did. J and his Buddy T in the back, however, did not.
"So J, how'd you like the book?" He asked still with his arms crossed. The kid hid a laugh behind his hand, glanced at his buddy and then back at Harry.
"Man, I don't read books. I ain't a chump," He laughed again and so did his buddy.
"Oh.. so, what are you then?" Harry shot back. He walked into the class a bit more and leaned against the front of his desk, arms still crossed.
"What am I? I'm a Nigga, and a looove machine," He laughed again. Harry felt his headache throb up a bit as a bit of the anger he had experienced yesterday started to boil up in him.
"Get out," Harry answered back simply and surprisingly calm. J laughed a little bit and answered back, "Huh?"
"Well you obviously don't want to be here, so get the hell out of my class."
The kid looked around to find everyone staring at him. He smiled, still not taking the demand seriously.
"What are you waiting for? There's the door - or are you too 'cool' to learn what that is?" A couple kids giggled at the shot to J's intelligence. The kid stood up, and picked up a binder he had brought with him, most likely full of nude women doodles or else, just completely blank. He walked over near the door and then pointed his finger at Harry.
"You're gonna get it man. Nobody pushes J around," he threatened but Harry didn't even look the least affected.
"Well I guess I'll be the first then, John," he said his name louder than the rest of the sentence and several kids giggled once more. J's face cringed at the sound of the name he depised and his eyes narrowed.
"Watch it man," he threatened again. Harry stood up straight from his place in front of his desk and stepped in front of the kid.
"What do you want to do? Hit me? Go ahead," Harry held out his arms, inviting a punch to the face. He hated ignorance.
The class seemed to gasp as if they were in a movie theater waiting in suspense, instead of a classroom at Winslow High. J grumbled something under his breath and turned to leave the classroom.
"That's what I thought," Harry mumbled back.
As if something clicked, J dropped his binder and came fast at Harry, his fist connecting directly on Harry's left cheekbone. The classroom gasped again. Harry didn't fall, but stood there bent over, holding his cheek, eyes glaring at the kid.
Before he could get to his class, good 'ol Scott stood in his way, that damn smug look pressed against his taut lips.
"We will not have a repeat of the temper tantrum from yesterday, I hope?"
"Get out of my way, Scott," Harry said with a sigh and tried to walk around him. Scott blocked his way.
"Don't you walk away from me Senate; I have my eye on you," Scott responded. Harry rolled his eyes and walked easily around him. He had successfully not endorsed physical violence on Scott today. Tomorrow would be a whole new challenge.
The morning bell had already rang and Harry made his way down the stairs to 'The Dungeon' where, hopefully, his class would already be. He really didn't feel like taking any crap today, with the headache being the most important factor.
His class was already present, most of them anyway. But noticed that the one person he wanted to be there, wasn't. Ashley's seat was empty. Upon entry to his room, no briefcase this time, the chatter died down and he stood in front of them, arms crossed, not saying anything.
"So who read the book?" He asked again, hoping all of the kids would raise their hands. This time, 4 out about 16 did. J and his Buddy T in the back, however, did not.
"So J, how'd you like the book?" He asked still with his arms crossed. The kid hid a laugh behind his hand, glanced at his buddy and then back at Harry.
"Man, I don't read books. I ain't a chump," He laughed again and so did his buddy.
"Oh.. so, what are you then?" Harry shot back. He walked into the class a bit more and leaned against the front of his desk, arms still crossed.
"What am I? I'm a Nigga, and a looove machine," He laughed again. Harry felt his headache throb up a bit as a bit of the anger he had experienced yesterday started to boil up in him.
"Get out," Harry answered back simply and surprisingly calm. J laughed a little bit and answered back, "Huh?"
"Well you obviously don't want to be here, so get the hell out of my class."
The kid looked around to find everyone staring at him. He smiled, still not taking the demand seriously.
"What are you waiting for? There's the door - or are you too 'cool' to learn what that is?" A couple kids giggled at the shot to J's intelligence. The kid stood up, and picked up a binder he had brought with him, most likely full of nude women doodles or else, just completely blank. He walked over near the door and then pointed his finger at Harry.
"You're gonna get it man. Nobody pushes J around," he threatened but Harry didn't even look the least affected.
"Well I guess I'll be the first then, John," he said his name louder than the rest of the sentence and several kids giggled once more. J's face cringed at the sound of the name he depised and his eyes narrowed.
"Watch it man," he threatened again. Harry stood up straight from his place in front of his desk and stepped in front of the kid.
"What do you want to do? Hit me? Go ahead," Harry held out his arms, inviting a punch to the face. He hated ignorance.
The class seemed to gasp as if they were in a movie theater waiting in suspense, instead of a classroom at Winslow High. J grumbled something under his breath and turned to leave the classroom.
"That's what I thought," Harry mumbled back.
As if something clicked, J dropped his binder and came fast at Harry, his fist connecting directly on Harry's left cheekbone. The classroom gasped again. Harry didn't fall, but stood there bent over, holding his cheek, eyes glaring at the kid.