Page 25 of Atticus
“We were supposed to read chapters seventeen to nineteen of our textbook and discuss the cause and effects of the Great Depression.”
“Teacher’s pet,” Jack mutters, sitting in the back of the class.
Pearl simply adjusts her pretty floral sleeves, the embroidered blossoms outlined with a neon glow. Whenever there’s a new fashion trend, I’ve quickly learned Pearl is on top of it. She’s looking a little washed out, though, as the colors don’t compliment her pink skin. “Loser.”
Her father is the mayor of St. Morgan and it makes her a bit arrogant, but she works hard. She and Jack are both in my class too. A part of me hopes they get over themselves, realize how much they like each other, and start dating by junior prom.
“That’s enough,” I warn, resting my elbows on the desk. “Jack, put the phone away.”
He scoffs. “I don’t have my phone out.”
“Nobody stares at their crotch that much and for that long during class,” I reply as I check Bryant’s tablet. Fortunately, he left it on the desk. “All right. Let’s hear it. What caused the Great Depression?”
My question is met with silence. Pearl’s hand is urgently in the air.
I lean forward with a heavy, exasperated sigh. “Really? I know Pearl isn’t theonly onewho read the assignment. Someone speak up, or I’m gonna start picking on people.”
Hoseok, our foreign exchange student from Korea, speaks up. “The stock market crashed.”
“Uh-huh.” I nod a little. “And why did it crash?”
Pearl raises her hand in the air again, her chair squeaking as she bounces.
I give her a look. “Let’s allow others to speak today, Pearl.”
She flops her arm down on her desk and sulks.
“Rich people fucking everything up,” Jack says. “As usual.”
“Jack,” I warn. “Don’t use that word.”
“Why fucking not?” he needles me. This is the second time he’s deliberately defied me in class over foul language. If I have to watch my mouth, so does everybody else. I sent him to the principal’s office last time.
I’m not going to give him what he wants. “See me after class.”
He sinks in his chair smugly, tapping his pencil on his notebook.
“As Mr. Gunther so eloquently put it, part of the problem was the actions of the super rich. What were they doing?”
“Buying out stocks for no good reason,” Pearl blurts, unable to keep it in any longer. “They weren’t worth as much as they were paying for.”
“Bank loans,” another student, John, chimes in. His natural Afro bobs when he shifts in his chair. “They couldn’t collect on them because people were really poor and struggling back then.”
“And the Irish Potato Famine, right?” Lauren suggests.
Pearltsks and gives her an incredulous look, which causes Lauren to slouch sheepishly, her pale, freckled face turning beet red.
“Wrong famine and wrong century, but yes, there was definitely an agricultural drought that didn’t help matters.” I scan the class. “So what’s something we can learn from the Great Depression and apply to today?”
“Don’t trust rich people?” Jack offers dryly.
“Notallrich people are bad, Gunther,” Pearl shoots at him crisply.
“You’re right.” Jack shrugs. “Not all of them. Just your father.”
“Miss Warren!” Pearl gasps, indignant as she turns to me for assistance.
Jack really wants to go to the principal’s office today. Still not going to give him the satisfaction. “That’s enough. Let’s hear some real answers.”
