Chapter 18

Second period on Friday, and Mr. Bower droned on and on about the life cycle of the mosquito. I glanced around. Most of the class were nodding off as usual. Even Tami and Robbie, who shared a lab table with me and Luke, looked zoned out.

It's not that biology can't be interesting—hell, I was in my third year of research on female mammalian mating habits--but Mr. Bower had a monotone voice and never got excited. I doubt he could give a word inflection if he wanted to. It was a good thing his tests were straight out of the book or everybody would flunk. And it was a required course.

For once, I was wide awake. But not because of the life cycle of the mosquito. I was waiting. I actually listened to Bower; not the content, but his delivery. How the hell could he talk and talk without changing his pitch or tone even a little? Did he know he did it? Did he ever notice that half his class was asleep and the other half, dazed?

An aide from the office came in and set a stack of newspapers on the corner of Bower's desk. Bower either didn't notice or didn't care, because his delivery on the blood sucking tendencies of the mosquito didn't waiver. The man was amazing in a tragic sort of way. The papers always got delivered second period. When the bell rang, everybody would grab one on their way out.

I wondered if Bower would notice if I got up and started passing them out. I glanced at the clock over the door. Fifteen minutes.

The door banged open, waking everyone, and Parker strode in. I was reminded about the movie about George Patton. I wondered if they ever made a movie of my life, could we get George C. Scott to play Parker?

Parker looked around as Bower abruptly stopped talking, with a real live change in pitch to indicate surprise. Parked focused on our table and stomped over.

"You!"

Tami started when she realized he was talking to her. He had a folded newspaper in his hand that he slapped down against the desk.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I, uh, I, uh..."

"Excuse me, some of us are trying to learn here," I said.

"I am not in the mood for you," he said, shifting his stare to me.

I wanted to tell him that I wasn't in the mood for him either, but my policy is never get suspended on a Friday if you can help it. Ruins the weekend. "We're here to learn and Mr. Bower was just getting to the good part."

"I was?" Bower asked in surprise. "Well, to continue, the female mos..."

"I'm not done here." Parker said loudly. "What is this about?" He slapped the paper against the desk again.

"What?" Tami stammered.

"This," he said, slapping the paper down for the third time.

"I..."

"You might get better results if you showed her the paper instead of waving it around," Robbie suggested sweetly.

"Stay out of this," he shouted. I watched the vein in his forehead start to throb. I pictured it as a mamba, ready to strike.

"Mr. Parker, If you must yell at students, could you do it elsewhere?" Bower asked, surprising everyone.

"Teach your class," Parker snapped.

"I'm trying to," Bower snapped back.

Parker ignored him. "What is this?" He opened the paper and displayed it for Tami.

I decided to be helpful so we could get back to the other bloodsucker, the mosquito. "It's a newspaper. A popular form of mass communication. The first newspaper in the United States was the Boston News-Letter, first published in 1704--or was it 1705?"

"Detention, Mr. Sims."

"For answering your question?" I asked innocently.

He ignored me like he'd ignored Mr. Bower.

"Well, Miss Sharp. Would you care to explain?"

"Explain what?" Tami asked, confused. "The girl's basketball team being invited to Phoenix?" The headline was GIRL'S B'BALL TO PHOENIX TOURNAMENT, with half of the team picture above the fold.

"No, this," he said and showed us the bottom of the paper. Tami's essay was in the right hand column.

"I... I..."

"Come with me. NOW!"

"Excuse me," I said, as politely as I knew how.

"Mr. Sims, your detention is now for a week. Want to try for a month?"

"No, sir." I smiled. "I just thought you might like to know that I put that in there, not Tami. But I realize now that facts just get in your way. I'll be quiet." I smiled again.

The room was silent. You could have heard the proverbial pin drop. Though I had a feeling that anyone dropping a pin right then, would be joining me in detention.

"Mr. Sims, my office now!"

"Could it wait five minutes? I was really hoping to hear the rest of the lecture. Education and all."

"NOW!" It was almost a scream.

"Why did you do this?" Parker asked waving the paper in my face.