AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I smiled at Toby’s tone of voice, which made me sound like some kind of history superhero. It was nice to know that he liked me. Maybe that meant when he finally found out I was dating his dad for real he’d be okay with it? Yeah, probably not, but a guy could dream.
Will scoffed. “He’s too busy, and when he does help, he just tells us what to do instead of actually helping. I’m telling you, man, we got screwed.”
“Language, Will,” I said, making both boys jump and shoot me guilty looks.
I retook my seat beside them, where I stationed myself when I wasn’t checking up on other student groups. We’d had a few more late additions to the program, including Will. Most of them were here for academic assistance, so the two additional mentors I’d managed to recruit for the program had been placed there.
Toby had already started his project with me, so it didn’t make sense to give him a different mentor, especially because we worked well together. Will was the wildcard, though. He was recommended to the program because of behavior problems, not academic. Our program was a perfect opportunity for him to make a friend, learn to work cooperatively, and feel more connected to his community.
In short, he was exactly the sort of kid I wanted to help.
“Sorry, Cla—er, Mr. F,” Toby said.
Will scoffed again. “Why do you keep calling him Clark? He’s a teacher, not your friend.”
Toby’s cheeks flushed bright red, and I didn’t like the bullying tone to Will’s words.
“Actually, I am his friend,” I corrected Will. “I know his dad, who calls me Clark, so Toby has gotten used to my first name. Since this is just an after-school program, and not class, I don’t mind if he uses it. That goes for you too. Feel free to call me Clark, Mr. Fletcher, or Mr. F. Whatever makes you comfortable.”
Will wrinkled his nose. “I’ll stick with Mr. Fletcher.”
“That’s a very respectful choice. Thank you.”
I could tell by his expression that he hadn’t expected that reaction. No doubt he hadn’t intended respectful to be the message he conveyed, but sometimes this kind of reverse psychology could de-escalate a kid’s animosity. Getting Will to see I wasn’t his enemy was the first step to him changing his attitude about the program.
“Do you two need some help with something? I know that I can’t give you all my time, but I’m here now.”
Toby gestured to his spiral notebook covered in notes. “It’s just…I have all this information, but how do I turn it into a play? You said this is supposed to be historically accurate. I have no idea what he’d say to people. How can I play the part of him?”
I nodded. “These are good questions, Toby. I’m going to answer them for the whole class because it might be something other kids are struggling with.”
Toby puffed up a little, looking proud, until Will huffed. “See? He helps everyone,” he grumbled.
I ignored him for the time being and stood. “Hey, can I get everyone’s attention? Toby had a great question. I want to explain something. When I say you need to be historically accurate in your re-enactments, that means you need to use facts you’ve researched about your historical figures, you need to write a story based on an event you know took place if possible, and you want to use historically accurate dates and styles of language and clothing and props. You can’t possibly know what these people might have really said during their lives, so you can choose your own words, as long as you base your work on the information you do have. Does that make sense?”
There were a few “ohhs” that told me it had indeed been a matter that had confused more than one student. I should have explained my meaning more clearly before now.
“Thanks, Toby,” I said as I sat again. “I hope that answers your question?”
Toby nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I just have to…make up words for him to say, but still have it be based on his life.”
“Exactly right. I know Matthew Ball hosted an event at his house that was photographed in the newspaper. That might be a good place to start. I’ll find that for you.”
The clock finally hit four, and Will was quick to jump from his seat, but I stopped him before he could make a run for it.
“Hey, Will, I’d like to talk to you for a minute.”
While the rest of the students poured through the doorway, I guided him toward my larger teacher’s desk on the far side of the room. My heart was already crying out that I was missing a chance to see Hunter, but I’d have dinner with him tonight. Will needed my attention now. So with a sigh of regret, I turned my back to the doorway and focused on the mulish kid in front of me.
“I overheard some of what you said to Toby.”
Will crossed his arms. “So, what? I’m in trouble for being honest?”
“No,” I said, “but I’d like you to bring your concerns to me. I’m here to help you. I realize the other teams have a teen mentor, and maybe you feel like you’re missing out a little. Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of late entries to the program, including you, and we just don’t have enough mentors to go around.”
“Whatever. I’m not missing out. This whole program is dumb. I don’t care about a bunch of dead people who used to live here.”
I nodded. “You know, Toby wasn’t really very interested in this project either when he started.”
