Cole: Classroom
Chapter 15
Tina Cole walked nervously into the classroom. She had not been in one since she was 12. That year her parents died and she had been bounced around seven separate foster homes. It was no way for a child to live. So she ran. But for a young girl, finding a place to make home was not easy.
She lived on the streets. She begged, and often people gave her whatever she asked for, not out of pity or a sense of charity, but out of some indescribable urge. It was like they couldn’t stop helping her. But as years passed, that sort of attraction she had began to fade.
She was cusping on her twenties and life was only getting more difficult. Until she met Robin, that is. Robin Washington had saved her life. In her bold attempt at stealing food from a grocery story, she was caught and arrested. But for some reason, this woman helped her. Robin took her in and gave her a home she could actually stand to live in. One where the head of the household actually liked having her around.
The classroom was small and gray with a cold atmosphere. Tina found a seat at the back and looked at the few other people in the room. They were all older people in their 40s, 50s, and even some 60s. People who, when they were young like Tina, never had the chance to go to school. And they were making up for it now so they could get decent jobs and make a living. Tina had the same goals in mind. But she was too old for high school.
Tina sat quietly with everyone else waiting on the teacher. The door opened and a very large man waddled in carrying two books. He approached the desk and relieved his burden with a heave onto the desk. The books crashed, startling everyone.
“Good, I have your attention,” the man said, clearly disgusted. “I’m David Park. During the day, I have 20 teenage geeks who absolutely love calculus, if you want to believe that. At night, I’m stuck with you people and I hate it as much as you do.
“You’re to be here by eight every weeknight. I take role. You got me on Mondays and Wednesdays for basic math. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, you got some poor soul beating basic grammar into you and on Fridays will be history and other social studies. Do your work and don’t irritate me. We’ll get along fine.”
His lecture concluded, Park took his seat behind the front desk and began talking about simple mathematical operations. The class scrambled to find their papers and began taking notes.
Tina was amused by Park’s ill-mannered nature. She always watched people and was intrigued by behavior. She wondered how he treated his high school students. He probably enjoyed them. But he clearly resented teaching night school. There were no uncertain terms.
Tina settled in and wrote almost down everything Park said. She was finally feeling— BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The building exploded. Three charges detonated simultaneously, leveling the entire high school in seconds.
Tina Cole walked nervously into the classroom. She had not been in one since she was 12. That year her parents died and she had been bounced around seven separate foster homes. It was no way for a child to live. So she ran. But for a young girl, finding a place to make home was not easy.
She lived on the streets. She begged, and often people gave her whatever she asked for, not out of pity or a sense of charity, but out of some indescribable urge. It was like they couldn’t stop helping her. But as years passed, that sort of attraction she had began to fade.
She was cusping on her twenties and life was only getting more difficult. Until she met Robin, that is. Robin Washington had saved her life. In her bold attempt at stealing food from a grocery story, she was caught and arrested. But for some reason, this woman helped her. Robin took her in and gave her a home she could actually stand to live in. One where the head of the household actually liked having her around.
The classroom was small and gray with a cold atmosphere. Tina found a seat at the back and looked at the few other people in the room. They were all older people in their 40s, 50s, and even some 60s. People who, when they were young like Tina, never had the chance to go to school. And they were making up for it now so they could get decent jobs and make a living. Tina had the same goals in mind. But she was too old for high school.
Tina sat quietly with everyone else waiting on the teacher. The door opened and a very large man waddled in carrying two books. He approached the desk and relieved his burden with a heave onto the desk. The books crashed, startling everyone.
“Good, I have your attention,” the man said, clearly disgusted. “I’m David Park. During the day, I have 20 teenage geeks who absolutely love calculus, if you want to believe that. At night, I’m stuck with you people and I hate it as much as you do.
“You’re to be here by eight every weeknight. I take role. You got me on Mondays and Wednesdays for basic math. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, you got some poor soul beating basic grammar into you and on Fridays will be history and other social studies. Do your work and don’t irritate me. We’ll get along fine.”
His lecture concluded, Park took his seat behind the front desk and began talking about simple mathematical operations. The class scrambled to find their papers and began taking notes.
Tina was amused by Park’s ill-mannered nature. She always watched people and was intrigued by behavior. She wondered how he treated his high school students. He probably enjoyed them. But he clearly resented teaching night school. There were no uncertain terms.
Tina settled in and wrote almost down everything Park said. She was finally feeling— BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The building exploded. Three charges detonated simultaneously, leveling the entire high school in seconds.
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