Making Our Mark
Chapter 16: Lesson
"Hate to break it to you, sis," said Johnny, plopping his lunch tray on the cafeteria table and seating himself across from me, "but you aren't going to set those cards on fire just by staring at them."
I sighed and threw the box onto the table in exasperation. The last few weeks had been incredibly busy and my packed schedule of doing schoolwork, teaching dance classes, cooking here and there for the entire RΩR fraternity, socializing, and avoiding the Perry twins like the plague was beginning to take a toll on my body both physically and mentally. The lingering subliminal blocks that hindered my ability to plan lessons for both my education and dance classes were only adding to the unnecessary stress.
"Are you trying to learn a magic trick?" Chip joked as he sat next to Johnny with his own lunch.
I smiled slightly at Chip's attempt to lighten the mood. "No, I'm trying to figure out how to use a standard deck of playing cards in a formative assessment."
"Why a deck of cards?" Chip inquired curiously.
"That's the assignment," I told him. "We have to use the deck of cards to assess student learning of a topic and I haven't a single idea what to do."
"What does the topic have to be?" Johnny asked, opening his can of Blort.
"It's up to us to choose the curriculum topic and the subject area," I explained, running my claws through my dark waves, "but I have no inspiration whatsoever and I'm running out of time."
"I'm sure you'll come up with something," said Chip with the optimism exuded by a member of the campus's Smile Squad.
"I sure hope so," I muttered, stifling a yawn, "because I have to present it this Tuesday."
A sudden yelp caused dozens of heads around the cafeteria to turn towards our table and start laughing. Looking over the table, just past Johnny, I saw Squishy sprawled on the floor with his face to the cold and unforgiving tiles. His wrapped sandwich and milk carton, the latter which was thankfully still unopened, lay a few feet ahead of him.
Johnny, whose long tail was suspiciously wagging in delight, sneered at him, "Watch where you're going, marshmallow."
Squishy's flush of embarrassment was evident against his pale skin. Surrounded by the chortles of the other students, he scrambled to collect his lunch and scurried across the room and out the closest set of doors without a single glance towards the monster who tripped him.
Shaking my head disapprovingly at Johnny, who puffed his chest out with glee, I said, "I don't understand why you feel the need to treat some monsters the way you do, bro."
"That little marshmallow isn't a monster," Johnny scoffed condescendingly. "Real monsters are like you, me, Chip, and the rest of our frat."
"While I complete disagree with you on that first part, that's not an excuse to make things harder for them," I chided.
"They," Johnny began, emphasizing the pronoun as though it was a pest that needed to be crushed, "are disgracing the monster race by going to school here. If anything, they're making things harder on themselves for sticking around MU and thinking they can become something in this world."
"Just you wait, Johnny," I warned. "One day, those guys will surprise you."
Johnny snorted in derision and said, "I'll believe it when I see it."
I sighed in defeat, rubbing my forehead with the tips of my claws. I could channel all of the energy that I had left, as little as it was, to help Johnny see the worth in the monsters of Oozma Kappa, but it was ultimately up to him to change. Given what I had been witnessing, his chances of him perishing in an elevator accident were higher than those of him showing any sense of compassion for the Oozmas. I decided to drop it for the time being, especially when other matters in my life required my attention and strength.
Shortly after Squishy made himself scarce, Javier and Chet approached the table with trays of food in their hands and pincers respectively; Javier scooted close to me on my side of the table while Chet claimed the empty space available on the other side of Johnny.
"Estás bien?" Javier asked, sliding an arm around my shoulders and I knew that the question was directed towards me.
"It's just another tension headache," I grunted, closing my eyes. Any stress that I experience has a tendency to trigger tension headaches, making it feel like a giant vice is clamped around my skull. A good night's sleep is usually all it takes to help me reset, but that was not going to be on the agenda if I couldn't figure out what to do about my formative assessment assignment.
"Guys, you missed out," Johnny informed the new arrivals.
"On what, amigo?" Javier asked after kissing my throbbing forehead, a gesture that made me smile despite the pain.
"I tripped the little marshmallow Oozma and he went crashing into the floor face first," Johnny boasted as though the incident was a notable achievement that merited a glamorous trophy.
"Good one, Johnny!" Chet praised supportively.
"It's a shame that those Oozmas don't know their place," Johnny mused.
My eyes flew open at the remark and I shot out of my seat. "That's it!"
"What's it?" Johnny asked, confused by my sudden shift in behaviour.
"While I don't like your perspective on the Oozmas, Johnny, it just gave me a great idea for the assignment," I rambled, grabbing my half-eaten sandwich and deck of cards from the table.
Johnny, looking as baffled as his frat brothers, asked, "It did?"
"Oh yeah," I answered quickly. Darting to the other side of the table, I shamelessly threw my arms around Johnny and said, "Thanks for being such an ass."
"Uh, you're welcome?" Johnny responded dubiously.
Realizing that I forgot my bag by my seat, I hurried back around the table to grab it.
"Wait, what's your idea?" Javier spoke up, reaching out to take my arm when I was back in reach.
"I'll explain later," I promised and gave him a kiss. "I have to get to work."
Swinging my bag over my shoulder, I sprinted for the nearest exit, leaving three confused RΩRs to enjoy their lunch. The sudden rush of adrenaline that shot through my veins began to alleviate some of the pain from my pounding headache and I was determined to take the period of relief, however short it would be, to further develop my idea for my formative assessment assignment.
"Good morning everyone!" Professor Clark greeted cheerfully the following Tuesday morning. "Today is the presentation of your formative assessments using only a deck of cards. For many of you, this may be your first time doing any kind of teaching, but I assure you that you will do just fine."
I smiled to myself while riffling my deck of cards like a seasoned blackjack dealer, feeling confident about the task that lay ahead. I knew that this wouldn't be my first time teaching a lesson, which I felt gave me a bit of an edge over my classmates because I was used to speaking in front of a crowd of monsters, communicating clearly, and giving feedback without tripping over my own words or fainting out of nervousness.
"I'm excited to see what you all have come up with, but please bear in mind the expectations on the rubric that you will need to meet during the presentation of your formative assessment for a would-be lesson," Professor Clark reminded us as he took out a clipboard and a pen from inside the briefcase that he carried with him. "Now, with that said, would anyone like to volunteer to go first?"
I shot my hand into the air immediately. When it came to class presentations of any sort, I preferred to take my turn as early as possible to get it over with, but also to avoid the impulse of comparing myself and my work to the monsters who presented their work before I took my turn. It would lead me to questioning my own work and doubting it was good enough.
Professor Clark smiled at me and said, "The floor is yours, Miss Worthington."
I nodded and got gracefully to my feet. As I continued to shuffle the cards in my hands, I stepped down to the floor below and turned to address my peers seated in the auditorium-style seats before me. I saw them looking at me expectantly, some smiling and others bearing expressions of indifference, but having all eyes on me didn't make me anxious in any way. I prepared well, got some much-needed sleep, and was ready to deliver my presentation like I would a dance lesson.
Before any further words were uttered, the doors at the back of the room opened and Javier slid inside with the stealth of a professional Scarer. He spotted me watching him and winked at me before quietly taking a seat in an empty chair in the back corner of the room, alerting no one to his entrance or presence. If I wasn't facing the back of the classroom, I probably wouldn't have noticed the newest addition. I wondered why he came by – surely, my presentation wasn't going to be of any interest to him – but this was not the time to dwell on it. I needed to focus if I was going to successfully present my assignment that I worked so hard on.
Professor Clark, with one leg crossed over the other, smiled and said with a click of his ballpoint pen, "Whenever you're ready, Miss Worthington."
I nodded at him and then snapped right into teaching mode by saying, "Good morning everyone! We're going to start today's lesson with a little activity. I'm going to come around the room with a standard deck of playing cards. We're each going to select one card at random and keep it faced down, so we don't see its value."
One by one, students plucked a card from the deck that I had fanned out and resisted the temptation to sneak a peek at it. Javier even astonished me by drawing a card as I passed him by, but he said nothing. His expression was not cheeky or flirty, but more attentive and serious. It seemed that he was choosing to be my student than my boyfriend for the time being and I appreciated his willingness to refrain from distracting me during my presentation.
"Okay," I spoke up once the last monster chose a card, "does everyone have a card?"
A quick scan of the classroom picked up on the nodding heads of my peers, their cards pressed against their chests to hide the values from sight.
"Alright, let's take this moment to hold our cards to our foreheads, so that the values face outwards," I instructed clearly.
Everyone obeyed and rested their cards against their foreheads, flashing their diverse values and suits for the entire room's occupants to see.
"Now, the context for this activity is that we are all guests at a party," I explained, raising my own card to my forehead. I was curious as to what it was, but knew that I would find out soon enough. "For the next few minutes, we will socialize as guests do at parties. However, we must treat every guest we encounter based on the value of the card on his or her forehead."
Intrigue was soon written on the faces of my peers. Some looked excited to engage in the activity, which made me happy. Others, however, looked a tad apprehensive and I speculated it was either because they were worried about what the values of their cards were or they were unsure about how to interact with each other accordingly during the activity despite the instructions that I had given.
"What do you mean by treat guests by the value of their cards?" Jennifer, a red cyclops with beautiful dragon-like wings, asked.
Approaching Jennifer, I noted the Queen of clubs on her card and bent my knees in a graceful curtsy, "Well, Your Majesty, this is how I would greet you according to the value of your card."
Jennifer smiled brightly at the realization that she was certainly a royal.
"We will follow the scale of an ace being one and the lowest value and the king being the highest," I continued in my explanation to the class. "As we go around the room to socialize, I would like for you to think about how you would treat someone with a low value card, a medium value card, and a high value one. I would also like you to note how others treat you and try to guess the value of your own card."
The monsters who were initially intrigued by my activity looked even more eager to get the party started, no pun intended, while those who felt uneasy at first looked ready to mingle.
"Are you all ready?" I asked with the spirit of a cheerleader.
I received responses of affirmation in the form of words, nods, and even a few thumbs ups.
"Then, let's party!" I proclaimed enthusiastically.
Everyone wasted no time in standing up and circulating the room, creating pairs and clusters of three or four, only to disband and form new groups shortly afterwards. This process repeated, with some interactions lasting longer than others. A mix of words, both of worship and of vulgarity, filled the air, giving the lecture-style classroom the atmosphere of a party hosted on Frat Row.
No doubt I was a royal of some kind because I was greeted by curtsies and formal manners of address as I walked around the room to chat with my peers. One of them even bowed so low that his long nose touched the floor. It warmed my heart to see them embracing the activity as much as they were, especially those who were a bit nervous to participate in it at the beginning.
"Hello, Your Grace," said Javier when our paths crossed. He bowed and added, "It is an honour."
Oh, Goblin, this will be fun, I thought excitedly when I saw the three of diamonds on his card. Giving him the same look of disdain that I gave him when we first met, I questioned, "What are you doing here, loser?"
"I just invited myself," Javier answered casually. He was obviously not referring to the context of a party, but rather the class itself.
I laughed snootily and asked, "You actually thought you were welcomed here?"
"I didn't think that, Your Majesty," Javier answered smoothly, unaffected by my patronizing questions. "I simply came to see my beautiful lady in action."
I snorted in contempt. "I find it so surprising that someone beautiful would have the audacity to court you."
"So do I," Javier admitted, quirking a knowing smile. "She's above my station."
"Is she?" I asked with a pique of curiosity that was actually genuine and not part of my act. "I guess you should consider yourself fortunate then, peasant."
"Believe me, Your Grace, I do," said Javier with another bow.
I smiled innocently at him before raising my voice and declaring to the class, "Alright, party's over!"
All conversations that were taking place immediately came to a halt and my peers whipped their heads around to look at me. Even Javier looked a bit startled by the abrupt rise in the volume of my voice.
"Now," I began, lowering my card from my forehead, "let's take a moment to look at the values of our cards."
Eyes fell as everyone checked to see what cards they had and the murmurs that started floating around the room told me that their predictions were spot on or close to the actual values. Mine was the former; I suspected that I was a royal and, indeed, I possessed the Queen of hearts.
"Now that we have all learned what the values of our cards are, let's reflect on the activity," I said encouragingly. "For starters, how do you think this activity reflects the real world?"
"It shows us how we all treat others differently," a pink triclops with two horns for pigtails answered with her hand raised. I was unsure as to what her name was as she rarely participated in classroom discussions, so her contribution to mine took me by surprise.
"Unfortunately, we do," I admitted. "Would you like to share how you felt during the activity?"
"Well, I was a three," the triclops sadly revealed, "and I felt bad whenever someone insulted me or ignored me."
"I was a two, but I felt like a zero," a teal-coloured monster sporting a bowl-cut hairdo and a dull expression – I believe his name was Craig – shared. "The ways monsters called me names made me felt worthless, like I was nothing."
"That's exactly how I felt!" a red froglike monster with short waves for hair spoke up. His name was Bradley. "I felt like I had nothing, that I was nothing, that I had nothing to offer."
"Poor," Craig added. "An outcast."
"So, basically, those with low-value cards felt bad, worthless, and poor with nothing to offer," I summarized. When no one else voiced their thoughts, I looked to the three monsters who had contributed to the start of the discussion and asked them, "Which part of society do you believe these descriptions represent?"
"Those who live in poverty," the triclops responded.
"Maybe those who are bullied in school?" Bradley chimed in.
"Foreigners from other countries," said Craig.
"All excellent answers," I praised, satisfied by what I was hearing.
A dark yellow cyclops raised his hand and said, "I was a seven though, so I wasn't treated as badly."
"Would you like to elaborate on that, Chris?" I asked him kindly in an effort to keep the discussion going. Chris was an avid speaker during class, so I knew that he would be open to talking about his experience during the activity.
"Well, I wasn't treated like dirt, but I wasn't well-liked either," Chris explained. "It was almost like I was just put up with."
"Tolerated," Anthony, a chartreuse ball-shaped monster with three eyes and spikes protruding from every angle, specified. The card, which rested between two of his claws, was an eight of diamonds.
"Just average," Chris added.
"Tolerated, average, and simply put up with," I recalled. "Which part of society do you believe these words describe?"
Chris paused before answered, "Middle class, I think. You know, not poor, but not stinking rich either."
"In school, students who aren't bullied, but are also not known for doing well in school or in sports and stuff," Anthony included.
Jennifer beamed proudly and said, "Well, I had a Queen and I loved how I was treated."
"Why is that?" I prompted for further discussion.
"I felt special," Jennifer answered pretentiously. "Everyone worshipped me and, let's face it, why wouldn't they?"
It took a lot of self-restraint not to roll my eyes at that comment.
"I felt popular," Kenneth, an orange ball like triclops with striped arms, bragged. His card was a King of clubs. "I was well-liked. Everyone wanted to do things for me and with me."
"I was a Jack and felt so important," Cynthia, a light green cyclops with stripes down her slim body, remarked honestly. "Like I had a purpose."
"Feeling special, worshipped, popular, important, and purposeful," I recapped with ease. "Which part of society do you feel these descriptions represent?"
"Celebrities," Jennifer answered immediately. "Actors, models, singers, and the like."
"The filthy rich," Cynthia replied bluntly.
"Students who are popular," said Kenneth, "like the RΩRs."
"Roar Omega Roar!" Anthony hollered, thrusting a fist into the air.
"The RΩRs rock!" Chris exclaimed.
Not missing the way Javier smirked widely at the adoration directed towards his fraternity, I said to the class, "Okay, I would like you all to take a look at everyone around the room. Would you agree that we are all different?"
After quick glimpses around the room, students nodded in response.
"Would you also agree that we had all been treated differently because we are as different as the values of our cards?" I asked.
I received more silent nods as an answer.
"Would you say that's fair?" I questioned.
A bunch of heads shook vigorously.
"Then we better change that," I suggested, holding my card out in front of me with both hands.
The students watched in awe as I swiftly tore my card in half and then tossed the halves into the air with complete abandonment.
"I would like you to take this opportunity to rip up your cards," I instructed with a playful grin.
Not needing to be told twice, the students began shredding their cards in a frenzy, their inner monster child coming to the surface.
"Make as many pieces as you want," I incited, "and then throw them in the air."
Before long, torn pieces of playing cards were falling from the air like huge snowflakes on a cold and wintery day, landing on the ground, the desks, and the chairs behind them. Some students reached into the air to try and catch some of the shreds.
"We are different in so many ways," I told the students, "but we shouldn't let our differences define how we are treated."
The students listened carefully as I stood up straighter, eyeing each of them as I orated.
"In many ways, we are all the same," I stated, feeling like a master orator. "We all have a purpose in this world whether we know what it is or are still trying to find it."
"Yeah!" Chris cheered, slamming a fist into the air in support.
"We are all of high value," I continued boldly.
"Preach, sister!" Cynthia yelled in an upbeat manner.
"No matter what anyone else says," I reminded my peers, "we are all important and we all matter."
"Yeah!" the students chorused passionately.
"I hope you all enjoyed this activity, a great way to kick off a lesson about discrimination and how we can combat it," I finished. Bowing my head, I said, "Thank you."
Cheers rang out from around the classroom, causing me to look up and smile joyfully Everyone in the room was clapping, seemingly having enjoyed my presentation. Looking towards the back of the room, I saw Javier still on his feet and applauding with the rest of my peers, wearing an expression of immense pride and admiration on his face.
"Impressive activity, Miss Worthington," Professor Clark remarked once the noise level gradually decreased. Glancing down at the notes that he had jotted down, he continued, "Firstly, your activity served as a creative hook; it piqued the interest of your students and is related to your would-be lesson on discrimination and ways of combatting it."
I nodded, my smile fuelled by both the positive feedback that was issued and the nervousness of what had yet to come.
"Secondly, I really admire how the activity served as a formative assessment to determine how much students knew about discrimination prior to conducting a lesson about it," Professor Clark continued. "Your open-ended questions encouraged discussion and reflection about the activity and the topic amongst the students, and the praise that you gave out also motivated them to participate more."
I exhaled, trying to ignore my heartbeat pounding incessantly against my ribcage.
"Finally, I commend you for your use of inclusive language and positive attitude throughout the entire presentation," Professor Clark added, finally looking up to meet my eyes. "By using words like 'we' and 'us' rather than just 'you' and smiling as you spoke, you engaged all of the students and kept them engaged. Furthermore, you circulated the room during the activity and even participated during it, demonstrating your willingness to participate and not just instruct."
I held my breath as Professor Clark's lips curved into a broad smile.
"Overall, Miss Worthington, your formative assessment was incredibly creative, well-planned, and well-executed," Professor Clark praised, his eyes as warm as his smile. "I'm very pleased."
I exhaled in relief as the cheers and claps of my peers filled my ears once more. As I was relishing in the moment, I saw Javier take the opportunity of my distracted classmates to nod approvingly at me before sneaking out of the classroom.
As soon as the last presentation of the day wrapped up, Professor Clark dismissed us and we began filing out of the classroom, chatting about the past hour and twenty minutes of one formative assessment after another. I still wore a smile on my face as I headed for the door, mentally checking off another assignment on my long to-do list. Based on Professor Clark's feedback and the reactions of my peers, it was safe to say that I likely did well on my presentation and I was glad that it was over and done with.
"Hola, Señorita Worthington."
"Goblin, Jav," I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest the moment I caught him leaning against the wall next to the classroom door. "Give me a heart attack, why don't you?"
"Lo siento," said Javier, pushing himself off of the wall.
"Were you waiting out here all this time?" I asked incredulously as we walked down the hallway. I assumed that he had somewhere else to be when he left earlier. Apparently, he didn't.
"Sí, but I did a little reading while I waited," Javier explained, showing me the textbook in his upper left hand that he had apparently brought with him.
"Why?" I inquired.
"Well, I have grades to keep up, being a RΩR and all," Javier pointed out with a grin.
"No, I mean, why did you wait outside the room for me?" I clarified. "I would have told you eventually how I did."
"I know, but I couldn't wait to tell you that you were great in there," said Javier. "If my high school teachers were as good as you, I would have actually liked going to school."
I laughed. "I think you're incredibly biased."
"Nah, I just know a good teacher when I see one," said Javier, winking at me.
I smiled and tucked my left arm around his lower right arm while Javier put his upper right arm around me. This side embrace quickly became our favourite way of getting around from place to place whenever we were together. Regardless of what other monsters thought about us, whether it was good or bad, I was happy to be by his side and I knew that he was just as happy, if not happier, to have me on his arm.
Upon exiting the School of Liberal Arts and Monstrosities, I spotted Terri and Terry speaking to Don, Squishy, and Art by a lamp post. The twins had their backs to the building, so they didn't see me wave, but turned around when Don, Squishy, and Art waved back at me. When the twins laid eyes on me, Terri gave a small and sheepish smile, which I took as a good sign. Terry, however, scowled at me as though I had shattered his favourite tea cup.
"Come on, guys," the taller twin hissed, beckoning for his frat brothers to follow him, "let's go somewhere more pleasant."
"Sure, change the view," Javier spoke up, directing his gaze to Terry and it looked far from friendly, "but there's not much that can be done for that bitter personality of yours."
"Jav!" I chided in a disapproving tone.
"Your words don't hurt me, Rios," Terry sniped with a tenacity that I had never seen from an Oozma before.
"Maybe not, but yours hurt my sweet señorita," Javier snarled, taking a step forward towards the Oozmas, "and that was a big mistake."
"Javier, no!" I cried warningly, pushing against his chest to prevent him from advancing any further. "Don't." Glancing at the Oozmas, I gently said, "Go, guys."
"Gladly," Terry spat before dragging his twin off in the direction of the main gate to campus.
I exchanged apologetic looks with Don, Squishy, and Art before they hurried after the twins. Inwardly thankful that the situation didn't escalate to a violent level, I asked an aggravated Javier, "Have you learned nothing from my presentation earlier?"
"Loads," Javier grumbled, glaring at the twins' retreating backs.
"So what was that?" I barked, shocked by what had just transpired.
"Honestly, I wasn't going to say anything," Javier muttered, "but then that twin weasel opened that hole of his and, well, he was asking for it."
I sighed, calming myself down. "Terry's obviously still upset about us. I'm not surprised that he lashed out."
"How can you still defend him after what he said to you?" Javier asked me in disbelief.
"Because I still have hope that he will come around," I answered surely.
"He's lucky one of us does then," Javier murmured lowly.
Patting the arm that I was holding, I said, "I don't want anyone to get into any arguments or fights over me."
Javier's face softened slightly when his eyes met mine again, but some of his features remained hardened. "I can't stand aside and let someone disrespect you like that."
"I appreciate that," I told him with a smile, "but you know that I can hold my own."
"Claro," Javier agreed, kissing my temple. "At least those Oozmas don't like going to Greek parties, so we won't be seeing them this Thursday night."
"Are you excited about the Howlaween party?" I asked him in an attempt to change the subject to a more pleasant one.
Javier nodded as we resumed our stroll in the direction of the troll bridge. "Sí, the RΩRs may be the scariest monsters on campus, but the HSSs are the creepiest. No better place to host a Howlaween party than at their house."
"Makes sense," I said with a nod.
"You're going with me, right?" Javier checked.
I shrugged. "If I am, I better decline George's invitation then."
"What?" Javier roared, sending a few birds flying away from a nearby tree. "Sanderson asked you to go with him to the party?"
"No, he asked me to go fly a kite," I responded sarcastically. "What else could he want me to do?"
"Dumb JθX," Javier growled, his eyes gleaming with determination. "When I see that orange ball of fur next, I swear he will –"
My sudden burst of laughter cut off whatever George's fate was going to be in the claws of my boyfriend. Glancing up at Javier, I noticed his confused and outraged expression, which caused me to laugh even more.
"Did you just play me?" Javier asked in an accusatory, yet amused tone of voice.
I nodded, wiping tears of mirth that were spilling down my cheeks. "I'm sorry, Jav, but I couldn't help it. The opportunity presented itself."
Javier chuckled and mumbled, "You little deceiver."
"Did you honestly think I would go with anyone else, but you?" I asked him teasingly.
"I can't even imagine you going with anyone else, but me," Javier answered, pulling me closer to him.
"Glad we're on the same page then," I quipped, sliding my hand lower to intertwine our claws.
"Come on, let's go grab lunch," Javier suggested with a smirk, "and because of that little stunt you pulled, it'll be on you."
"Fair enough," I replied, smiling in acceptance.