𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 ━ shawn hunter¹

8│TEACHER'S BET

"People, people, people," Minkus said. "Are we going to do our Social Studies work today?"

"Minkus, Minkus, Minkus," Shawn mocked him. "Shut up."

"Okay guys," Cory said. "For homework tonight read the first thirty pages in whatever that book George assigned us yesterday."

"But that was last night's assignment," Minkus objected.

"Minkus! Not long ago I was a student myself and I remember that sixth graders don't always do their homework so this way, everyone gets a second chance."

"Excuse me, Mr. Hey Dude," he protested, "but I did my homework."

"Minkus, get a life. That's your homework. Get. A. Life."

Juliet sighed; this was not going to end well. 

As they left Social Studies, the redhead turned to her best friend. "Shawn?"

"Yeah?"

"What about the book?"

"I'm still thinking about it."

🌎🌎🌎

"You have to help me get the class back under control," Cory said to them the next day.

Backfire, Juliet thought smugly.

"Hey, look, you were the one that let it get out of control," Shawn said.

"Well, you two were the ones playing poker with Feeny."

"Lighten up, man. You're starting to sound like a teacher," Shawn complained as he shuffled their playing cards.

Cory turned to the redhead pleadingly but she shook her head. "Sorry Cory, this time it's on you. You already know what I think."

"Ready to lose again?" Juliet asked as the boy left them.

Shawn rolled his eyes, keeping to himself that he let her win because it made her so happy. "I was going easy on you, Julie."

"Mhm. And that's why I absolutely creamed you in the third round?"

That time, she actually had had the better hand.

Mr. Feeny joined them. "Ready to play?"

🌎🌎🌎

The next day, Juliet had moved her desk so it was practically touching Shawn's, leaving only a small gap for him to sit down to make it easier to play cards. Cory walked in wearing a complete suit, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

"Hey, Mr. GQ," Shawn said. "Nice neckwear."

"Excellent Windsor knot," Minkus said. "Did your mom tie it for you?"

"Minkus— Stuart," Cory corrected himself. "I need your help. You're the smartest kid in class. Maybe if you paid attention to me everyone else will, too."

"Why should I help you?" the boy challenged him. "You made fun of Mr. Feeny and said that he gets paid too much."

Mr. Feeny joined the class. "Hey, Dude. Oh, that suit— it's not cool."

"Class, I'd like to talk to you about prejudice and how it still exists today," Cory started. Juliet's head shot up and she focused her attention on the curly-haired boy. "I didn't even know that until last night when I saw a real smart, totally cool Asian girl crying her eyes out because some idiot at the mall called her a bad name."

He had Mr. Feeny's attention now, too, as he continued: "my lesson for today is that when people treat other people badly because of their skin color or religion or where they're from, then real smart, totally cool people can suffer."

"Hey, George, this isn't gum. These are Rolaids," Shawn protested.

"Deal me out on this one, Mr. Hunter," Mr. Feeny said.

"Me too," Juliet added.

"What? Why?"

"Okay, you win. I'm a crummy teacher and I resign." Before he got to the door, Cory paused on his way out. "Hey, Shawn, before your mother got married, what was her name again?"

"Cordini."

"Cordini. So that would make you a wop, right?"

Juliet's eyes widened and she shot out of her seat. "Cory!"

The class' attention was focused on them now.

"What did you call me?" Shawn demanded as he stood, pushing Juliet's desk away.

Cory ignored his friend's glares. "You heard what I called you."

"Did you hear what he called me?" he asked Mr. Feeny.

"I heard what he called you."

"What are you gonna do about it?"

"He's a teacher," he said. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"I'll knock his head off!"

Cory turned to Juliet. "And Juliet, your mother's Irish, right?"

"Yeah," she answered slowly.

"That would make you a Mick, yeah?"

Shawn lurched forward as he snarled, "now I'm really gonna knock your head off."

"I'll join you," Juliet added as she moved to get better access to Cory.

The boy put his hands out to stop both of them. "What if you couldn't?" he shouted. "What if you couldn't do anything about it?"

Juliet deflated slightly. "What?"

"What if you lived in a country where I could kill you because of your mom's last name?"

"Cory, what are you talking about?" Shawn asked.

"A fifteen-year-old girl is dead. Doesn't anybody care?"

"Cory—"

"She was real smart and totally cool," Cory said as he walked back to the front of the class. "She wrote this book. Her name was Anne Frank. They say she died of Typhus but they killed her because her name was Anne Frank." He paused and took a deep breath. "Anne Frank was a victim of antisemytism."

"Antisemitism," Mr. Feeny corrected him.

"Thank you, Mr. Feeny." He continued: "you have to read this book. Not because of me but because when someone calls someone else a bad name, it's not good that one person needs to jump up. We all need to." Cory opened the book and read: "'in spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart.'"

🌎🌎🌎

After class, Juliet heard Shawn calling her name so she slowed to let him catch up. He paused next to her. "Julie?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I want you to read me that book."

Warmth bloomed in her chest and the girl smiled up at him. "Come over today?"

"Alright."

They were quiet for a few minutes as they left the building before she spoke again: "would you really have knocked Cory's head off?"

"What?" he asked, half-listening. "Oh, yeah," he said more firmly. "I'd never let anyone speak to you like that." Juliet's face warmed. She tugged on his arm to get him to stop and he looked down at her. "Julie?"

After a second's hesitation, she pushed up on her toes and placed her lips briefly on his cheek before she pulled away. "Thanks, Shawnie. For the record, I wouldn't let anyone speak to you like that, either."

She avoided his gaze as she continued walking. It took a minute for him to catch up  to her as he stared after the red-haired girl with wide, awed eyes. 

[edited may 2022]