Johan

Johan, a skinny young man with black rimmed glasses sat behind his desk in a brightly lit classroom amidst other students staring at a large green chalk board. A tall and skinny, black haired physics teacher in his mid-thirties energetically drew out a series of equations on the board as the students diligently copied down what he wrote.

Johan doodled pictures of superheroes in his notebook. Students behind him were giggling and whispering. Johan perked up his ears and glanced back at them in hopes of overhearing an entertaining conversation.

A meter stick crashed down on the table in front of Johan snapping.

"Johan Flint!"

Johan sat up straight startled and looked up to see his physics teacher, Mr Gilgamesh staring down at him.

"I see you've been diligently taking down class notes!," boomed Gilgamesh.

"Y-y-yes Sir!," responded Johan shrinking in his seat embarrassed.

The student's in the classroom snickered around them.

"If you are going to draw during my class," said Gilgamesh. "At least draw something interesting … like my beautiful physique!"

The teacher posed arching his back, sticking out his pelvis and flexing his biceps showing a surprisingly developed bicep bulging beneath his black shirt. The class burst out laughing as the end of class bell began to ring. Johan smiled and said, "Maybe if you were a lady!"

Johan hurriedly put his books in his bag and the teacher relaxed his pose, looked around and yelled, "Remember! Read chapter 11 on forces and moments, then do all the questions at the end of it before our next class!"

Johan slung his bag over his shoulder and walked to the door.

"Hey Johan!," a said scraggly blond haired teenager as he walked up beside Johan. "Gilgamesh is a joker isn't he?"

"Hey Berry" said Johan. "Gilgamesh totally is. I hear big Bill challenged him to an arm wrestle and lost. Gilgamesh is strong, he beat Bill, although Bill is double his size."

"Yeah," said Berry. "No one has beaten Gilgamesh for the ten years he has taught here. He used to arm wrestle in competitions apparently... How many of those meter sticks do you think he has broken? He breaks one whenever he wants to get someone's attention."

"Probably in the thousands," said Johan. "You know, I can beat him at an arm wrestle if I wanted to. I got a fool proof training strategy. It will allow me to beat any champ in the world."

"Oh yeah?," said Berry. "Bull droppings! How?"

"Special training techniques man," said Johan smirking confidently. "Eat right, work out, and train. Then in time, with years of me training, Gilgamesh will be too old and weak to have a decent arm wrestle against us youngins. With father time in my corner, I can't loose."

Berry laughed and said, "We should go to English class now. Enough kidding around, English is the one class I hate, but never want to be late for."

"You go ahead. I am going to grab a bite to eat from the cafeteria," said Johan. "I'm starving."

"Better be on time," said Berry. "I think that teaching English got to Buchiemnicka's head. Her head ain't right … she'll piss on you for the smallest reason."

Johan laughed and said, "Common man, she is just a regular old lady. What is the worst thing she can do?"

Berry shrugged and said, "She controls your grades man. If she fails you, you'll have to spend an entire year taking that class again. I am going to go off to class, I'll see you there. I am not gonna give that crazy witch a reason to notice me."

"Alright," said Johan as he bumped fists with Berry and then walked down the hall leaving Berry behind.

Johan weaved down the locker lined halls past a flurry of students making their way to different destinations. He passed through doors and down a flight of stairs into the school's main hall which was filled with groups of students talking to each other. He walked through another set of doors into the school's cafeteria. There was a lineup of students waiting to buy various meals and items.

Johan walked to the line, reached into his pocket and pulled out change. He began to count his change in order to make sure he had enough to buy what he wanted from the cafeteria. He had enough money.

"-that kid Johan is a creep Dave," said a red headed girl to a brown skinny boy with glasses in front of Johan in the line.

"Really?," said Dave. "He is a weirdo, I'll give you that."

"He is totally gay," said Kira. "… and I think he likes me."

"So he is gay and he likes you," said Dave. "clearly, you are a mysterious person. I always thought you were a bit masculine ..."

Johan cleared his throat loudly. Dave and Kira looked back surprised.

"I am not gay," said Johan with a frown. " … and I don't have a thing for you Kira, Dave or anyone else. The only person I am in love with is myself."

Dave and Kira stared back at Johan silently. Then Kira turned to Dave and said, "I am suddenly not hungry anymore. Hearing this perv talk made me loose my appetite. I am going to class, I'll talk to you later."

Kira left the line and walked out of the cafeteria.

Dave turned to Johan and said, "Ignore her man. Kira talks a lot of shit, she is insecure and crazy."

"I know," said Johan. "I don't care what people say about me, however, I do care if people start believing it … especially if it results in me being outcasted."

"Yeah man," said Dave. "I totally know where you are coming from."

"No you don't," said Johan. "You gossip and start rumors almost as much as her. I'm not deaf or stupid enough to buy your nonsense."

Dave frowned and said, "I don't think I am hungry anymore. I am going to go ..."

Johan frowned as Dave left the line walking away.

"What a jerk," muttered Dave underneath his breath.

"Good," said Johan, "Then get out of the line, so I can get myself a sandwich!"

Dave frowned and continued walking.

-- Ø --

Johan finished the last bit of his sandwich as he walked up to the room his English class was being held in. The halls had cleared and a high pitch voice could be heard from behind the doors. A poster over the window on the door preventing him from seeing inside the class.

The poster had a picture of Donald Trump on it, and next to it written on it in big black letters, it said:

---------------------------------------------------

IF YOU ARE EARLY, YOU ARE ON TIME.

IF YOU ARE ON TIME, YOU ARE LATE.

---------------------------------------------------

"Damnit!," said Johan leaning against the locker next to the door. "I am late!"

A short black student with glasses and a brown bag slung over his shoulder walked past Johan to the door. He paused, let out a sigh, looked at Johan and said, "She is gonna give it to us, isn't she?"

"She will probably put us on the spot for like five minutes, call us idiots, and then forget about it and resume class," said Johan.

"Well, no point in waiting," said the black kid opening the door.

Johan gathered his courage and walked into the classroom behind him.

The door slammed shut behind Johan as the black student hurriedly found and occupied an empty seat. Johan scanned the room looking for another empty seat. Buchiemnicka stopped lecturing mid-sentence, stared at Johan with a crazy look in her eyes and yelled, "JOHAN FLINT, HOW DARE YOU BE LATE TO MY CLASS!"

Johan froze staring back at her. An awkward silence took over the class as everyone in the room stared at him. A few students in the room began giggling. Scanning the class he saw Berry sitting at the other end of the room with an expression of pity on his face.

"AND WHAT DO YOU FIND SO FUNNY ABOUT JOHAN BEING LATE!?," boomed the teacher staring at the group of giggling students.

The giggling students immediately fell silent.

"Sorry Miss B," said Johan. "We were late because-"

"WE!? WHO ARE WE!?," yelled Buchiemnicka in her high pitch voice. "THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD THE ODACITY TO BE LATE TO CLASS WAS YOU!"

The black student looked at Johan with pleading, fearful eyes.

Johan sucked in his breath, nodded and said, "I am sorry. I've never been late before … this wont happen again."

"HOW MANY TIMES WILL YOU IDIOTS DISRESPECT ME!?," yelled Buchiemnicka. "HOW MANY! YOU GET BARELY SATISFACTORY GRADES IN MY CLASS AND YOU WRITE HORRIBLE ESSAYS! THE WAY YOU ARE, YOU WILL AMOUNT TO NOTHING! YOU ARE AN IDIOT!"

Johan looked at her annoyed and said, "Look Miss B, I really am sorry. However, I think you are a bit out of line. I know for a fact that I'll grow up to be someone more successful than you, that's for sure. What have you done with your life? Teach English? Do things like everyone else? Have you traveled the world, or even changed it? I will be a great inspirational man that people will look up to, one day!"

The entire class let out a shocked gasp, hearing Johan stand up to the infamous Buchiemnicka.

"YOU WORTHLESS LAZY BUM! YOU COME IN LATE AND THEN GET MOUTHY WITH ME!?," screamed Buchiemnicka. "IF YOU CAN'T DO SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS BE ON TIME, DON'T COME AT ALL! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! RESPECT!"

"Miss B," said Johan feeling everyone's eyes on him. "I am sorry, it won't happen again. Can you over look things this time?"

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!," yelled Buchiemnicka as spit flew out of her mouth. "TAKE THIS AS A LESSON! ALL OF YOU KIDS TAKE THIS AS A LESSON!"

Johan reluctantly walked away and heard the black student whisper, "Thanks man. I owe you one."

Johan sighed, leaving the room with his books closing the door behind him. As the door clicked shut he heard the Buchiemnicka yell, "LET THAT IDIOT'S BEHAVIOR BE A LESSON TO ALL OF YOU!"

"Crazy Quack," muttered Johan under his breath.

-- Ø --

Johan walked to the school library waiting for his next class to begin. Out of the corner, he saw two familar students whispering to each other at a table. Johan went and sat next to them.

A scraggly looking black haired teenager with brown glasses on, looked at Johan and said in a thick italian accent, "Hiya Johan, whatcha doin here? Dontcha have class now?"

A chubby blond teenager next to the first student at the table cued in, "Larry isa right Johan. You hava class a now. Dontcha?"

"I got kicked out of class by Buchiemnicka for being late," said Johan. "She has something up her butt. Probably a mental illness ..."

"Really?," said Larry. "Whatta that spaghetti-head say?"

"She said I had to leave the class. Spewed out a bunch of ridiculous insults. All in front of the class," said Johan.

"Ha ha ha!," laughed Larry. "She issa needin italian sausage from Mama. Right Chuck?"

Chuck laughed and said, "Ha ha ha! Mama, make a excellente sausage, Buchimecka woulda havea gooda day then!"

"What are you crazy Italians saying?," said Johan confused.

"We the crazy Italians isa saying," said Larry, "is thata you gotta give her a poison sausage."

"Whatever man," said Johan standing up. "You guys never make sense. But, I think I get you, I think you're saying that someone has to stand up to her and not back down. I am going to complain to the principal's office about Buchiemnicka."

"Excellente!," said Chuck and Larry synchronously smiling. "You crazy man! We lika your thinkin!"

~

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Johan's willingness to stand up to a teacher was a reflection of his character. He was a strong willed young man, not afraid of going against the crowd or authority. But perhaps this outlook was also the source of a lot of the difficulties he faced in life.

Would Johan complaining about an authority figure's unruly behavior do him any good?