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The bell rang again as the teacher started to pack up. She said, “I have a hard time believing that none of you have signed up for Ms. Graff’s science project yet! It is the most fun project I have ever organized! I think that you all are going to love this! So hurry up and sign up!” The class as a whole seemed to have ignored her, but I listened closely. A science project? That interested me. I peeked out from behind my huge binder and raised my hand. The teacher looked around and nodded her head in my direction.
“ Ms. Graff,” I said, “I do have a question, though.”
“Yes, Maura?” the teacher said as she licked her red pencil.
“Um, uh,” I stuttered. “So, what kind of science project would this be?” I asked. I couldn’t help but look up from my notebook and make contact with her eyes.
She responded immediately by saying, “Why, Maura! You’re interested?” She said as she smiled. “This is an experiment that I plan on doing with my students this year. We are going to try to find out more about the nature of the Brain, the Mind, and Personality!” Mr. Graff continued, “With the ability to study the genes of students in our school, we can find out a lot of interesting information about who you all are and how you act!” She gave a twisted grin and continued, “I’m actually very interested in some DNA results we’ve gotten in the past. But enough about me,” she said. “Anybody else interested in some science?”
The bell rang again as Mr. Graff began packing up her things. She said, “I’ve got to go! But class tomorrow I will bring in a few pokes of DNA and several instructional manuals for everyone. I will need you all to read up on the DNA and the methods that it affects!” She said the last part as she gave a curt nod of her head. “Good day!” and she walked out the door.
The rest of the students filed out, leaving me in front of the board. What did I just hear? Nature of the, Brain, or Brains, the Mind, and Personality? I thought to myself. She said that the class was very interesting, so I thought about it a little bit more before I decided to go home. My mom had already warned me, in no uncertain terms, that I should be getting home earlier this time than last year. She says that I am getting too attached to my books, and she believes that if I get home a little later, I will be more motivated to socialize with the people around me. She plans on correcting my habits with a special “program” she will put myself on, she told me.
I didn’t want to risk a special program, so I packed up my stuff and headed out the door. I didn’t know where to go first. I didn't want to go back home, though. I didn’t want to be told what to do, so I decided to go to a diner around the corner. I took a seat at the counter and ordered a milkshake. The diner was really busy, and it seemed to be one of those places where the waiters had to come and steal all of the food out of your lap. Luckily, there was more than enough food to go around, and I didn’t mind it. I really wasn’t that hungry.
When I got home, my mom was probably already there. I hoped that she wouldn’t be mad at me for getting home late. I walked up to the front door, and opened it with my keys. The scene was very much like a cliché movie scene. My mother was sitting on a chair, with her head between her knees. She looked up at me with frightened eyes. She was wearing her usual outfit, which included her huge apron, flower print dress, and her knitting that she always held in her lap. She had on her normal, walking around the house, gown, her hair was pulled up in a bun, and she sat in her favorite chair.
She looked at her watch, and sighed. “Hello, dear,” she said. “Fat, as always,” she said with a smirk.
“Mom! I’m home!” I said, as I picked her up from her chair. She squirmed as I put her back down, and then she smiled.
“Good,” she said. “I was worried about you,” she said. She stood and walked over to the table. She put her knitting down and looked at me. “I got a call from your principal today. He says that he has a very big surprise for you this year.”
“What is it,” I said.
“Oh, it’s nothing very special. He just said that he got some reports about your grades, and that he had decided to try something new this year. He wanted to make sure that you weren’t being put to sleep in bed all night by yourself because your grades weren’t up to par.”
“Is it that bad?” I asked.
“Well, yes, though he didn’t elaborate on exactly what grades you need to be getting,” she said. She paused for a second before going on. “Maybe he’s talking about your late arrival to school.”
“Maybe,” I said. “Oh, I met Ms. Graff today. She said that we are going to do a science project.”
“Really, that’s great! I’ll need to read up on this in the morning,” she said. She took the shoebox she had carried from the table and put it on the table. “Your homework for tomorrow is to do several pages on the qualities of a good citizen. We are going to have a thirty question quiz on the characteristics of what makes a good citizen on Friday.”
She said, “Thus, I take it that you have already done quite a few pages of writing?”
“Well, we had to, but I’m not sure what we’re going to do with them,” I said.
“I’m sure that you will find a way to use them,” she said as she put them back inside.
“Dad won’t be home for a week,” I said.
“Yes, that’s right,” she said. “Remember that. We have a little word for tomorrow on the quiz.”
“Citizen,” I said.
“Precisely,” she said. “No cheating, either!
As I headed out of the house, I made a mental list of the things I was to do for tomorrow’s quiz. I would read about the brain, the mind, and the personality. I would dive into a book on the nature of these things, and I would pick up a few more science lesson manuals as well. I had absolutely no idea why I had to be doing these things. But, I was determined to do them all. I walked up to my room and put them under my pillow, so I would be sure to comb through them tomorrow.
I knew that Ms. Graff was not going to like any of this. She hates when you leave work until you are supposed to done, so I was a little worried. I walked back into my room, and the last things in my closet were the books that I had clocked in for homework. I laid them out neatly on my desk, and with a big sigh, went to take a nap.
Later on that night, I awoke to silence. I looked to my left and the clock on the wall read 3:54. I turned over and pulled the covers up.
I couldn't help but think of how I had spent my first week of school. It was just like any other, except that my mother was not at home. I had to find my own things to do. I wept a little, but then I took another look at the clock. Five hours left before the start of school. I laid my head on my pillow, put my book out to read, and fell asleep.
I awoke again, and the clock read: 5:55. I was nervous because I had spent half my time waiting for my sleep to come again. I got up and looked out my window. Everything was still, except for the birds. I lived in an area where there were many trees, so I knew that it was just the birds chirping. I breathed a sigh of relief, and went to take a quick shower. I found my clothes and dressed myself.
I headed down the stairs, and my mother was sitting in her chair, knitting away. She looked up at me, and smiled. She was still wearing her usual dress and apron. Her hair was now out of its bun, and she looked tired. She looked up at me and smiled.
“Sleep well, dear?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Where were you last night and early this morning?”
“Oh, I was here, dear, I was just relaxing in this chair. I guess I ended up falling asleep before you got out of bed.”
“That’s good,” I said. “I just hope you didn’t have any nightmares, mom.”
“No, I didn’t,” she said. “And I think today is going to be a good day.”
I walked to the kitchen, and she followed behind me. I grabbed my bag, and headed out the door. Just before I opened the door, I turned toward her again.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, I met Ms. Graff at the end of my first week,” I said.
“Yes, you did,” my mother said. “I helped you get started with a couple of projects. I’ve been working at home because I prefer to return on time. I just want you to be able to get a high school diploma, and a good job,” she added.
“Good to know,” I said. “I’ll see you when I get back,” I said as I walked out the door and into the school grounds.
I had managed to wake up just enough to miss announcements about my departure time. Just as I was about to walk into the cafeteria, I saw Ms. Graff.