Taking the Fall

It was one of those rare and precious moments in the middle school classroom. Students were sprawled or tucked into various corners, book in hand. Not one person was giggling, trying desperately to send-off an illicit text, or mouthing a joke to a nearby friend. There was no emergency need to visit the clinic or the facilities. No one was requiring any redirection of any type.

The entire class was simply engaged in the act of reading. 

Of course, that left me bored. I wove through the silence basking in the glory of this small success, mentally noting the progress of various students. As I monitored an emptier section of class the silence was broken. Not by a pin dropping, rather by a much more human sound. The soft "pfffltt" could be heard around the room. 

Being immediately beside the culprit, I knew from whence the sound had come. But, I allowed the giggles to be directed at me. After all, I have already survived middle school.