the ripple effect - tmnt (1) [edited ✔]

i. monsters

one. monsters 

  ▼  

"ARE MONSTERS REAL?" 

There was a moment of silence as the class looked up to the teacher. Their interests suddenly peaked as the old professor walked across the small classroom floor to the whiteboard, a red marker flipping through his thick fingers. 

At the lack of an answer, his lips turned downward in a deep frown. 

"Come on, guys. This is the introduction to our literature segment about lore and legends."

No one dared to answer. Yes, there were a few in the High School classroom who were ready to pounce and answer the question as best as they could, but the fear of being wrong kept them silent. 

The teacher paused, a small breath of air leaving his nostrils as his brown eyes scanned through the rows of kids from behind his glasses. A white brow was lifted when he noticed a teenage boy sitting in the back, openly on his phone as if he didn't care that it would get confiscated. 

"Moretti put the phone away and answer the question." 

Toni Moretti looked up and exhaled an annoyed breath.  He set the phone down, adjusted the spiral notebook on the table and leaned forward, smirking.

"Can you repeat the question, Mr. Bard," he questioned smoothly, unfazed by the glare that the teacher was giving him.

Mr. Bard's brown eyes squinted and he crossed his arms, taking off his glasses before he pinched the bridge of his nose. An idea had visibly crossed his mind when his shoulders suddenly relaxed and he crossed his arms. 

"Forget the question. Answer me this: what are your fears, Mister Moretti?" 

Toni paused for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, a smirk playing his lips as he snarkily commented, "I don't think I got any." 

Mr. Bard lift an unimpressed brow as the students eyed the two. There was always a heated friction between the teacher and the student who always seemed to irritate one another, resulting in a detention or a sentence to the Principal's office. 

"Why don't we see if anyone has an actual intelligent answer," huffed Mr. Bard. 

A few mumbled chuckles echoed through the class, leaving Toni to irritably press his tongue against his cheek. The teenage boy remained silent and annoyed, slouching down his seat as he watched Mr. Bard scan his eyes over the tensed up audience of students. 

"Florence! Care to show Toni how to respond to a question? What are you afraid of?" 

Every head in the classroom turned to the girl in the far right corner.