Zoo

     I walk through the halls,  silently,  quickly.  I'm passing people by noticing their cold eyes with their cold stares.  The students bump into me,  laughing past me,  not caring about how I feel.  Some might say I'm being overdramatic.  Some might say that I'm too sensitive.  The teachers stare and the students gawk.  

     I finally get to class.  Oh no,  presentations.  We have presentations today.  Why today out of any other day...  Why this day?  I pull my book from my bag,  skimming over the part I was supposed to read hoping,  praying that I would make it through this class.  "It's okay...  It's okay."  I tell this to myself trying to calm down.  It isn't working.  Nothing is working.

     I hear the sharp sound of the bell;  the indication that this class has started.  The indication of my public life suicide.  The teacher starts talking...  Maybe she'll ramble...  I hope that she rambles. 

"Time for your 'Of Mice And Men' chapter analysis'",  she says sharply.  

     Oh no...  I slouch back into my chair and out my hood up.  This can't be happening.  This cannot be happening.

"Katrina,  you're up first",  she declares.

     Great..  I'm first now too.  I slowly get up,  pulling the hood of my jacket down and grabbing the book,  bringing it close to my side.  I start walking.  Why is everybody staring at me,  stop looking at me.

     I get to the front of the room,  looking out into the sea of desks and students.  I feel their judgmental stares from across the room.  I take a deep breath and begin.  As I start talking,  I hear the chuckles.  What's so wrong with the way I talk?  

     I finish my presentation quickly after that.  I look back out.  I feel trapped because of the arrangement of desks.  I feel scared as these strange people look at me.  Faces that I've never seen before.  I feel the tiny paper balls hitting my arms and my legs,  like a person would peanuts at an elephant at the circus or,  how people throw bread at the birds at the Zoo.  I feel like a caged animal.