Episode 63: Scene Four
Shannon, Mel, Karen, and Jade walked hesitantly into their first period classroom. A couple of other students were there, but the room was basically empty. The four students sat down apprehensively in a back corner of the room, causing their instructor to look up from the book she had been reading.
The look in her eye seemed to be communicating something to the four, but none of them could come up with its meaning. When the teacher noticed this, she placed her book face down and folded her hands together.
"Why don't you go ahead and get into your assigned seats?" she asked, though her tone was far from sweet and helpful.
"W-where are they?" Shannon stammered.
"Hmm, could they be where I taped all of your names to the desk?"
Shannon squinted down at the bite-sized pieces of paper covered with a thick layer of scotch tape. She smiled faintly and looked around the room to find hers. After several minutes of searching, she walked up to her teacher's desk.
"Mrs. Vanderweasel," Shannon began.
"Wiesel! Put an accent on it!" the teacher snapped, slamming her hand against the surface of her desk. "What's so hard about putting an accent on my name?"
Shannon looked at her teacher stupidly, then let her eyes fall to the floor. "I-I didn't know. I mean, I-I've never heard of you before."
"Well, you know now," Mrs. Vanderwiesel turned back to her book. When Shannon still continued to stand in front of her desk awkwardly, she put her book down again and sighed in exasperation. "What do you want?"
"I think you left me out when you named the desks," Shannon said in her smallest voice, subdued by Mrs. Vanderwiesel's condescending attitude.
"No, I didn't."
The finality of her statement nearly caused Shannon to turn around and walk out of the room. However, Mel saved her.
"I haven't been able to find her either," Mel said from his desk.
"Well, I don't believe you were supposed to find hers, now were you?"
Mel opened his mouth as if to say something, then clamped it shut as if he were forcing himself to bite his tongue. After a moment of reflection, he began again, "If her name isn't on a desk, miss, she won't have a place to sit."
"Can't you people find a simple little piece of paper?" the tall woman sprang to her feet and eyed the heavens in frustration. "Look at the names and you will find it."
"B-but I did, and..."
"Goodness! Is it that hard, child, to read? If it is, then you most certainly don't have a place here in the Upper School! If you know how to, then just read the piece of paper and you will find it!"
"I already have!" Shannon snapped, regaining her sense about herself. "It's not there! Why don't you go look yourself? You'll find that yes, you did make a mistake! Wonder of all wonders!"
"That is enough!" the teacher boomed.
"No, it's not!" Shannon spitfired, her hands planted firmly on her hips and her eyes snapping and sparking in anger. "When a student comes to you because of your own mistake, it is not in your best interests to dismiss it as their own ignorance! I don't know who you think you are, lady, but you sure as heck ain't God. So why don't you just put your friggin' romance novel down and show me where my desk is!"
"Well, I never!" Mrs. Vanderwiesel cried in outrage.
"You have now! You have been nothing but rude to my friends and me since we got here, and I think it's about time for you to show us some respect. Just because we're in the Upper School doesn't give you the right to treat us the way that you are. Now, if you don't mind I'd like to find my desk so that I can start my first day of school!"