TEENAGE DIRTBAGS ❇ SHAWN HUNTER

me and mr. joad

I walked beside on our way to Mr. Turner's class. "Hey why'd you skip yesterday?" He suddenly asked. "Uh, just slept in figured I'd just stay." I lied.

"Should've called I would've stayed with you." He said I frowned glancing at the bruise on my arm then to Matt who leaned against his locker with a black eye. "I was fine, Matty stayed too." I said as we sat down.

He furrowed his brows but didn't question me.

"Did you hear the news Mandy? No test." Cory said excited as he sat in front of us. "Seriously?"

He nodded his head as Turner started class. "Good to have you back Ms. Keller. Any good reason why you were gone?" He asked.

I pulled my sleeve further down and shrugged.

"Alright, well let's start. In The Grapes of Wrath, we see that the struggle to organize, to get justice for the migrant farm workers, was long and difficult. Heads were broke, people were killed, a lot of blood." He said putting a book on my desk.

"Sounds like bingo night at the trailer park." Me and Shawn agreed.

Turner sent us a look but continued. "Now, like the Joads, we also find ourselves in the middle of a little struggle. We don't want tests, we think we can learn the material without 'em."

"Right." We agreed as he began passing papers. "Yeah, the bos, Mr. Feeny, doesn't believe us. So, what we gotta do it prove that we can learn the book without taking a test."

"Right." We said again. "Right, and to prove that we're gonna answer a few questions on this piece of paper."

I looked down at the paper with a frown, a test.

"It's a test." Cory Exclaimed. "No, don't think of it as a test. It's a survey." Turner tried to lie. "You gave us your word!" Cory stood up. "I even read the book." Shawn added.

"With my help." I muttered and sent me a small smile.

"So, why can't we talk about the book like you said?" Cory asked him. "Because I couldn't change the system overnight, work with me." Turner pleaded. "I'm not taking the test." Cory put his in the front.

"Can you do that?" I asked him. "I don't know." Cory said nervously. Me and Shawn followed along, the others not long after.

As we all sat Mr. Feeny came in. "Good morning Mr. Turner, obviously I was wrong and your students were so prepared that they managed to finish the test in two minutes after the bell has rung."

"Let me grade 'em and I'll get back to you." Turner said back.

Mr. Feeny walked to the front, looking over all the papers. "Well, that shouldn't take long. Considering all these papers are blank."

"I guess that'll kill the curve." Mr. Turner tried to joke. "Do you mean to tell me that your students refuse to take the test?"

"That's the decision they seem to have made." Turner said. Mr. Feeny glance as us before pulling aside Turner to talk more privately. "I realize that all you ninth graders are delicate adolescent flowers just beginning your high school blooming. And so I say this with utmost sensitivity...." Mr. Feeny trailed off.

"Take this test or die."

Cory jumped up to the front. "Is this fair?" He called out. "No!" We said back. "Have we been tricked?" He asked. "Yes!"

"Take the test or die?" He repeated Feeny. "Die!" We cheered back. "Then we die together! Organized, like the people in the book should've done!"

I grinned, ready to start trouble. "The first Student Union!" I yelled.