Apathy Jack writes:

“Ella, come. We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“You’ve been snapped for wagging Maths.”
“What? What will happen?”
“Well, I told the Dean that the problem would be fixed by Monday. But if it isn’t, she’s going to come to talk to you.”
“But she goes on forever and she’s really boring and doesn’t know what she’s talking about!”
“Exactly. So I’m afraid you’ll have to go to Maths for a couple of weeks.”
“Mister, no!”
“Just for a few weeks, so that your Maths teacher can calm down and stop filling in Dean’s referrals. A fortnight won’t kill you.”
“Yes it will!”
“Ella.”
“Alright. Two weeks?”
“That should about cover it.”
“Okay. I’ll try.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I’ll try!”
“Come on.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll go to Maths for two weeks.”
“Good. Now look in my eyes and say it.”
“I can’t.”
”Come on.”
“I’ll go to Maths for”
“Look in my eyes.”
“I’ll go to Ma”
“In my eyes.”
“I’ll go to Maths for two weeks.”
“Thank you Ella.”


I’m sure the idealist that I was a few years ago would be horrified, but a small victory is still a victory, and after a while you learn to take them where you can find them...