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been
sufficient,” I replied. “And the rest of you, stop laughing,” I added, controlling
my voice, not letting on that they were annoying me.
    I resumed taking the roll, now even more determined
to get through the lesson without losing my temper. Luckily, the rest of the
kids answered their names without issue, Dante obviously the class clown. After
I’d called out the last name, Dante piped up again.
    “Do you give privatelessons?” he
asked, his leer telling me he wasn’t referring to English ones.
    The tenuous thread, that had been barely
holding the class in check, snapped. Hoots and childish remarks bounced off the
walls like cannon fire, ripping holes through my eardrums. I was sure the far
end of the school could hear them, the noise they were making ridiculous.
    “Be quiet!” I hollered, having to shout it
more than once before they settled down. I levelled a glare at Dante, who
looked like he was having fun, his eyes shining so brightly they could have had
their own solar system.
    “I’m glad you’re enjoying my class so
much,” I said dryly. “But please keep your comments class related or I will send you to the principal.”
    He smirked. “Aye, aye, darling, I promise
I’ll keep my mouth shut.” He pretended to zip his lips.
    Shaking my head at him, I went to start
the lesson, hoping I could get through it all with the amount of time he’d
wasted. But before I could get a word out, rap music started up, the sounds of California
Love making me jolt. My eyes snapped back to Dante, who’d shifted the boom-box
to his desk, the tin can blasting loud.
    “Turn that off,” I yelled.
    Smiling, he leaned his arms on the boom-box,
resting his chin on top.
    “Turn it off!”
    He turned it up.
    Finally losing my temper, I stalked over
to his desk and leaned across the boy sitting next to him, reaching for the
boom-box’s switch. Dante clamped a hand over it.
    “Move your hand,” I ordered.
    He turned the music even higher.
    “Dante!”
    “That’s my name, what’s yours?” he asked,
finally speaking.
    “It’s on the whiteboard, so turn it off!”
    “No, I wanna know your first name. Gimme
it and I’ll do whatever you desire.”
    “Clara.”
    Smiling wickedly, he switched the music
off. “Cool, now I have sumpthin’ to call out when I come.”
    The class burst out laughing yet again.
    “You just earned yourself a detention,” I
snapped.
    He snorted. “You’re really threatening me with detention?”
    I nodded, thinking one wasn’t enough for
him. “For today and tomorrow.”
    He laughed.
    “What’s so funny?!”
    He stopped laughing, although a few sniggers
escaped as he answered me. “Another teacher has already given me detention for
the week, so you’ve gotta give me more incentive to shut my mouth.”
    “An education.”
    He snorted out another laugh. “You don’t
needa educate me.”
    “Yes, I do, it’s what I get paid for.”
    “Nah, you’re gettin’ paid to babysit us,
cos once this year’s up, you and every other adult can’t make us do jack shit.”
    “Why are you being so rude to me?”
    “I’m just stating how it is, sweetheart.”
    “I’m not your sweetheart and you can go to
the principal’s. I’ve had enough of you.”
    “Mmmh, I’ll never get enough of you.” Keeping
his eyes on me, he placed his hands on his desk and pushed back, scraping his chair
across the lino flooring, probably damaging it in the process. He rose to his
feet and hooked his bag over a shoulder. His friend moved his chair forward,
letting Dante squeeze past him. He grabbed the boom-box and pursed his lips,
giving me an air kiss. “See ya later, sweetheart .” He strutted towards
the door, leaving it banging in his wake, making me shake with fury.
    “Ignore him, miss,” a soft voice said. “Dante’s
rude to everyone.”
    I turned to search for the owner of the
voice. A girl raised her hand in a friendly hello. She was sitting in the front
row, smiling at me with sympathy.