evading my students

"So, what did you do this weekend?"

I blank.

What did I do this weekend?

I know there was a lot of Facebook involved.

I read a book. But it was a trashy romance novel, so I won't be bragging about it.

I must have cooked food at some point because I know I ate.

And I evaded my student...


Standing out as the most vivid memory of the weekend, I think it says something about my experience here. I'll let you read into it as you will.

I had ventured out of my apartment to visit the large grocery store in town-- about a ten minute walk from my house. On the return trip, a familiar car passed by. And slowed down. Oh, dear...

I knew this car quite well. It was always being driven recklessly. And it had driven me recklessly home one night.

I never finished off that story about hanging out with my students... well, here's the ending: I caught a ride home with one of them. A 10th grader. The cheshire-cat-always-trying-to-hug-me one.

And that's who I expected to see when the car slowed down, stopped, and pulled in reverse.

"Heeeeey, Mees!"

Only it wasn't Cheshire Cat, but his older brother-- who I don't have a clever nickname for yet.

"Mees! Where are you going? To your house? Where do you live, Mees?"

I couldn't think of a way to evade his first question before he'd already asked the other two. Although I was surprised that he didn't already know (given that his brother dropped me off!) I certainly was not going to be the one to provide the information. "Just... for a walk!" I smiled cheerfully and hoped he bought it.

I'm not sure if he verbally acknowledged that he was going to follow me or I just intuitively knew it, but I watched as he drove forward again, honked so that all the pedestrians in our vicinity turned back to stare at me, and pulled into the next side street to await my arrival.

HA! Fat chance of that.

As soon as he turned into the side street, I ran back the way I had come, dodging bushes and dogs and people in my path. I was NOT going to fall into his trap.

Instead I ran headlong into another of my 12th graders ("Heey... Mees...") and plowed on until victory.

And there you have it. That is what I did this weekend.