Bunsen Burner
‘One, two, three, four . . .’ he chants as they all jump in sync. I don’t join in, because I physically can’t move my body after this morning’s torture, but I am getting my class to shout out the periodic table at me as they jump about. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to see Dr Therone.
‘We’ve received a complaint from a parent. Can you guess why?’
I frown and shake my head in bewilderment.
‘Beatrice’s parents. Something about you doing some birth control project for the science contest. I said to them, no, not Miss Elman, she’s doing plastic in the ocean.
She wouldn’t dream of doing something so inappropriate.
’ She raises her eyebrows at me. Oh God.
I feel my pulse in my throat. She sits back in her giant chair.
‘Um, the girls wanted to explore it. They were passionate about—’
She slaps a hand on the desk, making me jump.
‘Of course the girls wanted to explore it. They’re 15 – they thrive on being controversial. That’s why you’re here, as an adult, as their teacher, so that you can tell them no.’
I feel shaky and teary. I’ve never been good at being told off.
‘But you said plastic in the ocean was boring,’ I remind her. She scrunches her hands into tight fists. I think she may punch me.
‘Miss Elman, I will pick boredom over embarrassment any day,’ she snaps and takes a deep breath. ‘Now you are going to do this science contest on plastic in the ocean like a normal teacher.’
My stomach drops. Not just because I think the presentation we have is so good that it could win, but also because, for the first time ever, the girls have worked their arses off. They’re going to be gutted.
‘Dr Therone, the girls have worked so hard—’
‘I don’t care.’
‘There is no way we can prep another presentation in two days.’
‘You should have thought about that before you let a bunch of teenagers influence you into doing a presentation about birth control, in front of all the schools in London. Now go and fix this mess.’