Caitlin’s Detention

“Why is today so slow?” I thought to myself standing in front of my class teaching about various historical figures and events. “That’s right, he’s here right now.” I thought shooting a glare over to a man watching as I taught.

You see, I’m a first time teacher. This group of students are the first ones I’ve ever taught and it was maybe two months since I had started teaching. Since this was my first try at teaching a class, they’d send in some 70 year old stiff to watch from time to time. He’d criticize me after each class saying how I should focus more on empowering them or how I was too lenient when someone broke a rule, and I’d be forced to follow his will while he was around or else I feared I’d get in trouble some how. My own teaching method was more fun than this and it at least seemed my students enjoyed it. They at least usually paid attention more.

It was on this day that I was thankful for his ‘advice’. As I droned on and on in a monotone voice that even made it hard for even me to stay awake, I noticed as a few of the kids in the back of the classroom whispering. I didn’t mind personally if the kids did this from time to time, but to give a good impression to the 70 year old coot, I told the group to settle down and pay attention. It worked too easily as he nodded in approval.

Of course, like all sixteen year olds, they’d use other means to communicate. Note passing in this day and age was non-existent it seemed as I watched the group pull out cell phones. Though there was a strict policy against them being on, but I always allowed it because I went with the logic of if there was an emergency, they’d want to know then. So long as they were on silent and made no noise with them, I had no problems. However, one student must have forgotten this and after reading something from a friend, she replied with a very loud *BEEP* as she pressed the number on her phone. Everyone turned to her including the man watching me.

Being still rusty with names, I looked down a list I had with student names and their pictures next to them. To try and find a place where both the man and the girl would be happy, I said to her, “Please turn your phone off, Caitlin, and pay attention.” Knowing full well she’d just turn it to silent.

I looked at the man from the corner of my eye and felt my self shiver as he stood and walked to me. He only did this when I made a huge mistake and I kept thinking “Fuck!” in my head over and over. He leaned in to me and whispered in my ear something that no one could hear but me.

“Okay,” I mumbled back to him then looked towards the girl who’s face was rather red still from being caught. “Caitlin,” I said with obvious resentment for the old man, “Please bring me your phone. You can have it back at the end of the class.” The girl walked up under the snickers and giggles of her classmates and with reluctance handed over the phone. She quickly headed back to her seat her face flushed with embarrassment while her friends made fun of her.

My droning made the thirty minutes of class seem like several hours, but it was all to make this 70 year old shirt happy. When it finally ended, everyone quickly left the class while Caitlin trailed the group last. She walked up to my desk, my hand already pulling the phone from my desk. I handed it to her and said, “Don’t do it again.” As she walked to the door.
The old man stopped her. “Wait!” he said with a voice that sounded like it should just die already. He looked to me. “I haven’t seen how you handle discipline yet and this is a good opportunity.” He smiled making me think he was a sadist in an earlier life.

He didn’t have to tell me what to do, I could read it on his face. “Fine,” I said looking to Caitlin. “You’ve got detention after school, Caitlin. Two hours of it.” I hated giving detention. As a student, I hated it for wasting my time, as a teacher, I hated how it cut in to my little personal time that I had left after grading papers and homework. Caitlin cursed under her breath at the old man as she left.

The rest of the day went by just as that class did. I droned on and on putting my students to sleep, barely keeping a single line of thought. Finally, the bell rang signaling the end of the school day. Three thirty never felt so sweet. Finally I could go home! Well, I wanted to until I remembered the detention I was forced to give. My mood became rather fowl.

A few minutes after the bell rang, the old man asked about what I was going to do for Caitlin’s detention. I said I’d just teach her what I went over in class then make her do homework, then would probably go over how her breaking the rules wastes both our times. He nodded in approval and a few moments later, Caitlin entered. Not saying a word I watched as she shouted profanities at the old guy with her eyes.

“Take a seat, Caitlin,” I said as she did so, her skirt fluttered as she sat. “Since you weren’t paying attention in my class, I’ll have to make you sit through my class again.” And thus I began my droning again. Thankfully, it wasn’t as long as it was the first time. I was about halfway in to my talk about Caligula when the old man stopped me.

“I’m sorry for interrupting,” he said standing. “I completely forgot about a conference I needed to go to.” The old man started for the door. “You’re doing good right now with this. Keep it up for the rest of the time.” With a speed that no old man should have, he bolted from the room.

I sighed and sat down in my chair looking at Caitlin. “I’m sorry for this. You know I don’t like giving detentions.” I looked at the clock and noticed only a half an hour had passed.

Caitlin smiled, “Well, does that mean I can leave now early?”

I laughed really wanting to leave as well. “Sorry, Caitlin, but we gotta make it official. Besides, chances are that old guy forgot something and could be back at any time. By the way, have you called your parents yet telling them you’ll be late? I’d hate if you got in trouble because of me.”
She gave a small laugh. “Yeah, but they think I’m with friends. Don’t tell them, please!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” I said with a smile. I mean, what really was the point? Her grades were good in the class and she turned in all her homework, so I found no reason why her parents should know. I looked at my watch. “Well, if you need to kill time, just do your homework or whatever until 5:30” I said starting on a stack of tests I had yet to grade.

And hour later I looked at my watch to realize only 15 minutes had passed. “Fuck!” I shouted accidentally.

“I didn’t think teachers were allowed to swear in front of students.” I looked up and saw Caitlin balancing a few things on her desk.

“Well, I can’t help it always. Normally grading papers goes a lot faster when I’m at home.” I laughed watching her. At first I was watching her balance things, but felt my eyes drift to her body as she sat at the desk. I never noticed before, but she was quite the girl. Her eyes shined a soft blue which seemed to stand out even more to her slightly pale, but beautiful skin. I watched as she bit her light pink lips trying to balance a pencil on end. The blonde pigtails she had her hair in flowed down and over her perfect looking chest. My eyes drifted to under the desk to her feet. Though I’m no foot guy, I must say, she had the prettiest feet I’ve ever seen, perfectly cleaned and maintain to show off. My eyes began wandering up her smooth looking, model-like legs. Before long, my eyes found there way to her skirt.