The Rocky Road Pact

Chapter 13: We're not Gonna Take It

Day 1 was horrendous.

Day 2 was even worse.

By Day 3 when they started doing office chair races down the hallway and slamming themselves into the lockers, I gave up.

They were untutorable, that was the truth. They honestly didn't give one single solitary shit about passing or failing. So why should I care?

Each day, I'd sling my purse into a desk drawer, take out my novel and read while they upended chairs and desks, threw empty pop cans at each others' heads and, once, started a small fire. That got me up out of my seat in a hurry, dousing the garbage can with a can of cola.

Through it all, Tommy watched me with those half-closed dark eyes. He wasn't joining in on the worst of it, but he wasn't stopping it either.  I couldn't tell what he was thinking but I knew one thing: he knew as well as I did that I was a shit tutor. 

"Hey, I still get paid whether you losers pass or fail," I yelled in frustration one day, as a chair thrown my way narrowly missed my head. "I don't care either way." They guffawed.

"I don't care, I don't care," I repeated to myself, reading my book while the classroom descended into chaos. 

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" 

The shout startled me and stopped the noise dead; something I thought couldn't be done. Mr. Burns stood in the doorway, his face purple with rage. I'd never seen that particular shade on a person before.

"Sit DOWN all of you, and clean up this mess," he yelled. "Cassie, can I see you in the hallway?"

"Sure, " I said, heart pounding in my throat. I felt like I'd been caught throwing chairs. "OOOOOooooooo" the boys sing-songed as I got up, making me feel even more nervous. "Cassie's in trouble! Cassie's in trouble!"

Outside, he closed the door.

"I told you to call me if they got out of hand. This is totally unacceptable!"

"I know, sir," I said, looking down.

"We had much more experienced tutors lined up for the job, but I went with you as a personal favour to your father. You have really made me regret my decision!"

I continued to study my hands, my face flushed with shame.

"They won't listen to me," I said.

"Then, we'll have to get someone else in here. Pack your things and go."

"You're firing me?" The thought was catastrophic. I'd been working since I was 13 if you count babysitting, and I'd never been fired in my life. What would my Dad say? Panic rose up and seized me by the throat.

"I'm afraid so. We'll mail your cheque to you."

I grabbed his arm. "Give me another chance, please? I know I can do it!"

He shook his head. "I don't think I can trust you, Cassie. These are the worst of the worst students. I didn't expect it to be a picnic, but I thought you'd at least try and teach them something. You said you were friends with that Moose fellow, correct? Are you just giving them a free ride because of your friendship? Good lord, you're not dating any of them are you?"

I nearly jumped back, stung. "Of course not!" 

"Good. Because those boys are on a one-way ticket to the gutter. Don't let them drag you down with them." He softened. "You're a bright girl, Cassie, with a good future. Why, if you apply yourself, you can be a nurse someday. Or a teacher! But only if you take every opportunity offered to you, and you don't shirk your responsibility!"