The Wright One

ISABELLE

“Alright class, this is American History. Those of you who don’t know me, I am Ms. Wright, I will be your teacher this summer.” Addressing this class for the first time is a little scary but not too bad. Seven blank faces stare back at me. “Does anyone want to say anything? Any questions, or do you want to get to it?” No one answers. Ok, I knew this was going to be harder, but not nothing. I actually expected more back talk. “Ok, then let’s do attendance.” I have to at least get their names out of them.

I pick up the sheet of students that I am supposed to have here. “Luna.”

“Here.” The timid girl in the front answers.

“Nathon.”

A bulky guy in the back raises his hand without saying anything.

“Zach.”

“Here.” A boy in the middle winks at me.

I blink a few times to make sure I am actually seeing that. But no, I am going to pretend that I didn’t. It will just be better that way. I continued on as if I didn’t see anything. “James.”

Another boy just raises his hand, no sound.

“Kacee.”

“Here.” She waves her hand a little bit.

“Nova.”

Another hand raise with no sound. I think it might be a cool thing.

“And last but not least Trevor.” He just raises his hand too.

“Alright then, let’s get this show going. Does anyone know anything that happened in American history that could be important?” I am hoping that if I just get them talking about it then maybe I can bring it back to what we are actually studying.

Nova raises her hand. “Are you talking about the Boston tea party?”

I point at her. “Exactly. That is a very important piece of our history that many try to pretend didn’t happen. Does anyone know why it happened?”

Nova shakes her head. “Something about throwing some tea in the bay.” She is acting like she doesn’t see the point in it but she was actually the one to bring it up.

“Yes, but it was also so much more than that. It was a key turning point in our history. If that never happened we would all be British right now.”

Nathon laughs. “Yeah right. We are an ocean away.” I’m actually surprised to hear him speak, he seemed like the strong silent type.

I lean back on my desk. “Yes, but when America was first colonized we were part of Great Britain. They used our resources to make themselves richer and we worked ourselves to the bone barely getting by. What we had was a far cry from what it is now. Basically we were shipping everything over the ocean that took months and we were supposed to be getting resources in return, but they charged us. Then they started raising taxes that made it almost impossible to pay for anything. So finally the Colonist had enough. That is what the Boston Tea Party was about. The shipment was made of tea. Well the rebels as they were called at the time snuck onto the ship and dumped every crate of tea into the bay. Thus making the statement to Great Britain that we were no longer going to be taxed. We revolted and that was the start of the American Revolutionary war. Without that one act we would have still been a part of Great Britain and we wouldn’t have the America that we have today.”

Luna raises her hand. “What does that mean exactly?” She seems really shy so I am glad that she is participating. It makes me smile.

“It means that the rules and regulations that we live by now were made way back then. Because of the British government having such dominating control over us, we made laws that prevented our own government from doing the same thing again. Sadly people have forgotten that and they are trying to change the very laws that would protect the people.”

James laughs. “Sounds like you are a conspiracy theorist. Should we get you a foil helmet?” He seems like one of those guys that likes to get people to laugh, that is what keeps him on the top.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I laugh too. “No, I’m not that far gone. I am talking about the basic rights that we have. The right to bear arms for example. Or freedom of speech. These were laws that were designed when the Constitution was signed, but the government and those with a lot of money are trying to overturn those very laws.”

Kacee smiles. “Isn’t your family one of those rich people?” For a minute she was staring out the window, so I am glad I have her attention now.

I nod. “Sure we have money, but we work for it and we are not trying to overturn the Constitution.”

Nova raises her hand. “So wait a second, your family founded this town. You are rich as hell, how can you say that you don’t control laws. I am sure your family controls a lot.” Everyone thinks that. But in reality we are struggling to do anything because everyone assumes that we just get everything handed to us.

I nod. “Ok, you sound like you have a point. But when you look at our town history, my family hasn’t been involved in any politics in this town in the last hundred years. We haven’t even had a mayor. It’s just that our name is famous around town so people assume that we make all the rules. We don’t though, and we follow them all just like you.”

Zach shakes his head. “I’m not buying it. You guys have to have your hand in something.” He smiles and winks at me again. I roll my eyes and make sure that he sees it. I don’t need him to continue to do that.

“Alright, if you can find one thing currently that my family is politically involved in then I will give you fifty percent of your points.” I challenge them all. “But in the meantime, how about we get back to the country’s history.”

I pulled up a copy of the test. “So it looks like we have a test here that we are supposed to be going over the topics and then getting to get you to pass it. So how about this, there are fifty questions on this test. If we take two of these questions a day and discuss them, then by the time we get to the last week we can have a couple of review days before the test. How does that sound?”

Trevor groans. “Do we really have to?” I didn’t really expect everyone to be thrilled about it. Especially in this group.

I shrug. “That is really up to you. What happens if you don’t?”

Luna holds up her hand. “We fail.”

I point at her. “Good point. But what does that mean?” The whole class shrugs. “So these summer classes are to try to catch up on the credits that you need to graduate. If you don’t get these credits, do you think you will graduate?” Again a bunch of shrugs. “Ok, a better question, why do you even need to graduate?” I thought hard about this when I found out what I was teaching. I wanted them to know it was their choice to be here. They need to fully understand that choice.

Zach grins. “That’s what I am talking about.”

“But what happens to you if you don’t?” I ask again.

Kacee answers. “My parents would kick me out.”

I see a few nods. I scrunch up my face a little. “How would you make money?” Planting the idea that maybe it might be a good idea to do the class is why I am here.

Again the room shrugs.

“I don’t see this being a good thing if you don’t do the class.” I shrug too. “But it’s your choice.”

Luna raises her hand. “I want to do it.”

Kacee looks over at her. “Do you even go to this school? I swear I have never seen you before.”

Luna blushes and seems to bury herself in her desk. I know there is something going on there. “Yes, she goes to this school, or else she wouldn’t be here.” I point out.

“Ok, those of you that want to learn and get those credits, let’s get to work.” I start digging in. Two questions a day and there is going to be a lot of pointless talk but they will get what they need out of it.

It’s not easy, they are a quiet bunch, but I am getting the answers one way or another.