English Literature class

✴

"O. Henry was born in 1872 in North Carolina. He was famous for his play on words...blah blah blah."

Did this teacher not know what she was teaching? Forcing someone to endure Literature was one thing, forcing someone to endure Literature and providing them with the shittiest teacher in history was a whole new level of torture.

I bet you've already judged me from those two lines alone, chances are you're probably right.

I raised my hand.

"Ma'am!"

King Joffrey was my Literature teacher. If you met her you'd understand. Anyways, she sighed and looked at me through her bulletproof spectacles.

"Ah, Ms. Rane, and here I was hoping the almighty know-it-all was asleep so we could have a proper lecture."

See? This is why I hated Literature. I tried not to let my anger show.

Thou must not loose thy temper. Deep breaths.

"Ma'am despite your rather boring lecture, I'm wide awake as you can see. Either way, it wouldn't be a proper lecture, not with the degree of inaccuracy of your 'facts'." I made quotation marks around the word.

A blanket of silence fell across the classroom. Whoops.

She was gave me her death glare and sat on her Iron Throne. I really, really, really hated this teacher. Also if she had no patience I would be really really really screwed.

"Please point out where I made my mistake, Ms. Rane. Or sit down and stop acting like such a little know-it-all. It's annoying and nobody cares how smart you are."

The class, that I thought was asleep, burst out laughing. I wasn't exactly their favorite person as you may have guessed. I wouldn't be winning any popularity awards anytime soon.

I gritted my teeth.

"O. Henry was born in 1862. Atleast I'm a know-it-all that knows my shit." I said calmly.

Okay, my temper might have won this battle. Like the last thousand. Too late to fix any damage now. Might as well go out in style.

The class stopped laughing and started hooting instead. Some guy drawled out what sounded like ''Burnnn!" Or maybe he was burping instead. Either way I wasn't too interested to know. I would bet my life that it wasn't worth the effort of finding out.

"And how would you know that Ms. Rane?" Mrs Baratheon asked dangerously.

"I read it in a book about O. Henry."

On second thoughts I could have said something a little more convincing.

She smiled a winning smile, giving me a wonderful view of her rather unusual teeth. (Floss, guys. Please.).

"I'm afraid that's not good enough. Ms Rane. You should stop talking. You rarely know your 'shit' as you so elegantly put it. I doubt you actually know anything about O. Henry."

"Well, I rarely go wrong and I'm quite sure the author knows his 'shit' better than you. O. Henry was born on 11th September 1862."

Her face changed colors.

"Google it." She snapped at her pet student.

"Ma'am it was 1862. O. Henry was born in 1862" He said meekly.

I mentally did a little happy dance. I loved proving people wrong. It was fun and you get this dizzy joy that's hard to explain. Thank you O. Henry.

"I guess I was right." I smiled smugly that may have gone a bit too far.

"You! Get out of my class!!"

I felt the blood drain from my face.

O. Shit!

✴✴✴

Dylan, the designated bad boy slash heartthrob of the school was at his usual desk in an empty lecture hall. He looked at me and flashed me a brilliant lady killing smile.

Dylan was one of my few friends in this hellhole. I had drawn him in with my beautiful traits and charming personality. The other kids in this school thought I was an arrogant bitch. They were right.

"Sup, Chevie!" He greeted me in a cheerful voice.

"King Joffrey kicked me out."

"Argue with her again?" He asked raising his eyebrow.

"I was trying to explain my point, that's all."

"Riiight." He drawled out.

I plopped down on the seat next to him.

"What about you?" I asked.

"Disrupting class."

Typical.

"As usual." I said smiling at him.

"She was whining about this toothache harem." He said distractedly.

Why? Why do people like him get to take history, which was actually fun, as an extra and I'm stuck in Game of Thrones with King Joffrey?

"It was Tutankhamen," I sighed, "King of Egypt? He died when he was just nineteen and when the explorers found his tomb..."

"Oh God you sound just like my teacher."

"It's interesting!" I defended.

"Whatever, nerd." He said ruffling my hair.

"Bet it took all your brainpower to come up with that insult." I said sorely. Nerd was still a bad thing. I used to be called a know-it-all loser, maybe because the IQ of everyone else in this school is probably in negatives.

I used to get bullied a lot before Dylan stepped in and bashed up this guy. And no, neither of us liked each other romantically.

"Anyone been troubling you?" He asked, frowning, his tone was a lot gentler than before.

I bit my lip. I shouldn't have snapped at him.

"No, it's fine, just..."

"Okay."

Dylan used to be one of the people who bullied me relentlessly. Always laughing at me and picking on me till I was twelve.

Then one day, my first day at detention, I was walking with a pot full of glue to help the kindergartners. He tripped me and I fell. The five year olds were laughing. It was embarrassing as fuck. I got up and 'accidentally' dropped the glue on his hair before running out crying softly.

He had to cut his hair the next day, unfortunately he looked hot with short hair so nobody even laughed. To my surprise, he was a lot nicer since then. Almost like he didn't want me to freak out again.

Then we got paired on a science project where we made a deal. I'll do the science part and he'll keep the bullies away from me.

I don't even know how we got close. Maybe it was all the time we spent in detention (1 month of our lives approx. I calculated). But I didn't lack too much self awareness. I knew I could be a difficult person to get along with.

Six years later he still held on to his end of the bargain. Over the years he had kind of assumed the role of an older brother who both tormented you and protected you at the same time.

"You still need to pass in history, even if it is an extra." I reminded him as he pulled out his phone and started texting his friends.

"Well,then it's a good thing I'm friends with the biggest ne..." He coughed.

"Nerd around. Got it." I said smiling. It was okay, he didn't say nerd like people usually did. He didn't say it like I was inferior somehow. Not like his last comment.

"Sorry." He said.

"No big deal," I smiled,"give me your assignment. "

"Really?" His eyes lit up.

"I have nothing else to do here anyways." I said. Plus, I liked history. Unfortunately I had gotten myself kicked out of the class. Long story involving a paper pin, a bully and Socrates.

He handed me the papers.

I didn't even need to refer to the texts. I was good at dates and events. The reason why I was so sure of my answer in Literature today. I was grateful for the assignment. It didn't make me feel self conscious sitting in class like that. I didn't have many friends to text except few of Dylan's.

Slowly as time moved on ahead, I moved back. Soon I was lost in the streets of Athens, praying to Athena in the Parthenon. It was so much more preferable to the world I was in now. I had a feeling Odysseus and I would have been great friends. I imagined how it all must have looked, Greece and Rome, the Mediterranean gems. I wondered which was bluer, the Mediterranean or the Adriatic. I wished I could jump into the pages of the book and disappear.

Ugh! Focus.

Right.

Odysseus was favoured by Athena and he was..

"So screwed!"

Wait. What!?

I looked up, tearing myself from the pages. Dylan's puppy, sorry, friend. Stood in the doorway. Apparently detention had ended and Dylan had fallen asleep texting. I didn't blame him. I'm sure engaging in conversation with people from this school could cure even insomnia.

"W-W-What?" Dylan sputtered waking up, brushing his blonde hair from his blue eyes.

"Dude!" Puppy said,"you're failing history!! "

I watched in fascination as the full impact of the situation hit Dylan like a truck. I was tempted to laugh and say, 'I told you so!' But that would be insensitive and Dylan was my last remaining friend.

Dylan and Puppy looked at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, fine. I'll help!"