Chapter 5: ATP Processing
It was the last week of school. Teli's sophomore biology class was being rowdy, despite the fact that they had an exam the next day. The teacher, Mr. Kowalski, was ignoring the commotion while writing key facts and concepts on the old, tired chalkboard. Finishing the last sentence, Mr. Kowalski turned to the class slowly, prepared for battle.
A paper airplane glided swiftly on the air, landing with a subtle 'plop' right into the textbook in the old teacher's hands. Without reacting, Mr. Kowalski peered over the glasses, which had already slipped down his nose.
"Matthews, out of my class. Now." It was a stern order, which Jon Matthews obeyed, a bit sheepishly, to a chorus of giggles from the glass. A wad of rolled up notebook paper also sailed across the room, just in time to hit the window of the door as it shut, bouncing off into the trash. A low high five was heard in the back corner.
"You'll be next Davis." Mr. Kowalski warned, a bit more harshly. Teli grinned and winked at her friend Kat, the thrower.
"Now, class, who can describe for me the processes in which animal cells produce ATP?" A collective groan arose from the class. The groan seemed to be the last straw - Mr. Kowalski has been through 6 periods of this already, and had one more to go. 'They wanted tough, they'll get tough!' He thought to himself. He slammed the book down on the desk in front of him, shocking the class into attention.
"Stevens! ATP processing. Now!" Teli snapped to attention. Literally. Her back went ramrod straight, her eyes un-focused and her hands went straight out on the desk in front of her. Her mouth started speaking words, but her mind showed her an entirely different picture.
"Incorrect!" An electric shock coursed through the little girls hand.
"Again, soldier. ATP processing. Now!" The little girl spoke quickly while maintaining her perfect 'at-attention' posture. The words that flowed out of her mouth were correct this time.
"... inside the matrix of the cells a gradient is established ... "
"... thus producing ATP." Teli stopped talking. Her eyes once again focused on the room around her. Her classmates looked mildly shocked. Mr. Kowalski wore a slightly amused, yet also shocked, expression.
"Teli, I did not learn that much detail until I was a PhD students. Mind telling me where you picked it up...?"
"Um...." Teli didn't even know. The bell rang. 'Thank God!' Teli thought, as her class forgot their initial shock and scurried out of the classroom. Teli followed on Kat's heels.
At there lockers, Kat put a hand up to Teli's forehead.
"Hmm... looks like an overwhelming case of overstudyitis, my recommendation, two weeks of straight TV and lots of late night parties, not to mention my 12 step program..." Teli swatted her friend's hand away, but couldn't help but laugh.
"You are such a psycho Kat!" Teli laughed.
"I'm just looking out for ya, don't want you to kill all your brain cells from over exposure to homework." Teli shook her head with a smile.
"Seriously though, Tel, where did you learn that?" Kat asked as they walked towards their next class. Teli's face went blank.
"I don't know Kat, I just don't know."
It was the last week of school. Teli's sophomore biology class was being rowdy, despite the fact that they had an exam the next day. The teacher, Mr. Kowalski, was ignoring the commotion while writing key facts and concepts on the old, tired chalkboard. Finishing the last sentence, Mr. Kowalski turned to the class slowly, prepared for battle.
A paper airplane glided swiftly on the air, landing with a subtle 'plop' right into the textbook in the old teacher's hands. Without reacting, Mr. Kowalski peered over the glasses, which had already slipped down his nose.
"Matthews, out of my class. Now." It was a stern order, which Jon Matthews obeyed, a bit sheepishly, to a chorus of giggles from the glass. A wad of rolled up notebook paper also sailed across the room, just in time to hit the window of the door as it shut, bouncing off into the trash. A low high five was heard in the back corner.
"You'll be next Davis." Mr. Kowalski warned, a bit more harshly. Teli grinned and winked at her friend Kat, the thrower.
"Now, class, who can describe for me the processes in which animal cells produce ATP?" A collective groan arose from the class. The groan seemed to be the last straw - Mr. Kowalski has been through 6 periods of this already, and had one more to go. 'They wanted tough, they'll get tough!' He thought to himself. He slammed the book down on the desk in front of him, shocking the class into attention.
"Stevens! ATP processing. Now!" Teli snapped to attention. Literally. Her back went ramrod straight, her eyes un-focused and her hands went straight out on the desk in front of her. Her mouth started speaking words, but her mind showed her an entirely different picture.
"Incorrect!" An electric shock coursed through the little girls hand.
"Again, soldier. ATP processing. Now!" The little girl spoke quickly while maintaining her perfect 'at-attention' posture. The words that flowed out of her mouth were correct this time.
"... inside the matrix of the cells a gradient is established ... "
"... thus producing ATP." Teli stopped talking. Her eyes once again focused on the room around her. Her classmates looked mildly shocked. Mr. Kowalski wore a slightly amused, yet also shocked, expression.
"Teli, I did not learn that much detail until I was a PhD students. Mind telling me where you picked it up...?"
"Um...." Teli didn't even know. The bell rang. 'Thank God!' Teli thought, as her class forgot their initial shock and scurried out of the classroom. Teli followed on Kat's heels.
At there lockers, Kat put a hand up to Teli's forehead.
"Hmm... looks like an overwhelming case of overstudyitis, my recommendation, two weeks of straight TV and lots of late night parties, not to mention my 12 step program..." Teli swatted her friend's hand away, but couldn't help but laugh.
"You are such a psycho Kat!" Teli laughed.
"I'm just looking out for ya, don't want you to kill all your brain cells from over exposure to homework." Teli shook her head with a smile.
"Seriously though, Tel, where did you learn that?" Kat asked as they walked towards their next class. Teli's face went blank.
"I don't know Kat, I just don't know."