Opposite Day

My Big, Fat Mouth

The world wasn't ready to let me off the hook anytime soon, especially since my next class was English. Not only was I expected to give a presentation on The Odyssey, which I hadn't understood a single page of, but also to sit right next to Derek. He was already at his desk when I arrived, his mop of hair all I could see as he hunched over a journal, writing frantically.

Mr. Brine tsked, shaking his head and glancing at his watch as I passed him in the doorway. "Almost late again, Miss Scott."

"I've only ever been late twice," I snapped. My whole body froze— or it would have, if some unknown force hadn't taken over and walked me the rest of the way to my desk. Derek was staring at me with raised eyebrows, obviously overhearing the encounter. I ignored his gaze and avoided looking at Mr. Brine, opting instead to sit down and take my binder from my backpack.

The bell rang and he closed the door, clapping his hands as he walked to the front of the class, standing in front of the whiteboard. "I'll give you five minutes to look over your presentations one last time. The order will be random, unless we have any volunteers to go first." He looked around, but no one raised their hand.

A few hushed whispers started around the classroom, among the sounds of papers shuffling and pencils writing. "Finally had of enough of the Brine?" Derek whispered under his breath, turning to smirk at me.

"You could say that," I answered quietly, flipping to the papers I'd prepared. I hated presentations. My nerves always got the best of me, hands and voice shaking even if I had something good to show off— which this time, I didn't. 

He left me in silence for a minute or two as I read over my typed speech, but when I reached for my pen to make a correction, he saw it as an opening to speak again. "You seem different today."

"In a good way, or a bad way?" I inquired, not really sure why I felt the need to ask.

"Neither... just different."

"Well, you're not wrong," I said, laughing slightly to myself, "Things are definitely different."

"Allison, since you're so keen on talking, why don't you present first?" Mr. Brine spoke up from where he sat behind his desk, up in the front right corner of the room. "That is, if you're ready?" 

I wanted to roll my eyes, yet was caught off guard when it actually happened. And before I knew it, instead of standing up, I was opening my big, fat mouth again. "You and I both know there were at least ten other people in this room who were talking," I ranted, glaring in his direction even though my brain was yelling at my eyes to look away. He cocked his head to the side, frowning as I continued. "And considering I've had an A in your class all year, I don't know why you always ride my ass."

The class had fallen silent by this point, and I heard a few gasps at my last words. I could see Derek's wide eyes next to me, his head moving between me and Mr. Brine, who was now wearing outrage all over his face. His eyes bulged and a vein appeared on his forehead, skin turning red. Just when he opened his mouth to speak, mine resumed its ranting. "Not to mention, if I'm not ready, have you ever considered it's because you're an insufferable teacher who gives terrible instructions and is so rude that no one wants to ask him for help? Because if I were you, I'd start to think about it."

He slammed his hands on his desk and I flinched in surprise— except that I didn't. The curse kept my face stoney and cool, head held high.

"You," he stood, pointing to the door, "Office. Now! I'll be sending Principal Wright an email explaining what you've just said to me, and maybe he can think of some way to deal with you."

I stood, casually shrugging my backpack onto my shoulder and grabbing my binder from the desk. My stomach felt like it was at my feet, but my body simply pushed in my chair, giving Derek a wink and a hushed, "Good luck," before carrying me to the door and out into the hallway.