Chapter 29: Big Idea
Adam looked at the students. They were all looking at each other. They were whispering and murmuring amongst themselves. The initial shock of his outburst had worn off. Now they were just confused.
He felt a wave of intense frustration wash over him. He stood in the middle of the volleyball court. He felt completely out of place.
He thought to himself I don’t understand why I chose this school. Why did I agree to this? He really wanted to leave this place.
He wanted to walk away from this whole absurd situation. He wanted to go back to his quiet apartment and his simple life of making money.
He let out a deep sigh. The sound was loud in the quiet tension of the court. He spoke to the class again. His voice was flat and devoid of emotion.
"Okay," he said. "All of you do your own work. You don’t need to bother me. I won’t bother you." He looked around at their faces. He saw a mix of defiance and curiosity. "And if anyone tries to act oversmart," he added his voice dropping to a low warning tone. "I also know many ways to deal with them."
The students just looked at each other. They did not know what to make of this strange new teacher. He was not like any other teacher they had ever had. He was not kind. He was not strict. He was just... different.
Adam thought to himself I’m only doing all this for Sophia. The thought was the only thing that kept him from walking away right now.
He turned around. "Do whatever you want," he said to the class over his shoulder. "I won’t bother you." After hearing this the children slowly started to relax.
Some of them picked up volleyballs and started a game. Others went to the sidelines and just sat and talked. They were happy to be left alone.