SECOND PERIOD: ENGLISH

"English is with Ms. Rafferty. She's cooky." The corners of Jeremy's lips upturn in a thin smile. "But, what English teacher isn't? She makes reading interesting, I guess. It's my favorite, though!"

From behind a stack of high-piled books comes a high-pitched voice. "A room without books is like a body without a soul. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some are to be chewed on and digested. What does that mean?" A beehive of grey hair peeks above the leather-bound books as a short and stout woman in her mid-fifties comes around the wooden teacher's desk. She wears a jean skirt and a white button up shirt. Thin rimmed glasses dangle from a leather cord around her neck. "Jeremy. Why don't you share your thoughts on the quote."

Jeremy takes a moment to think before replying, "There are some books that you should only glance at or read a couple pages of. There are other books that you should read. There are few books that you should read, read again, and think about."

"Alright. A nice answer. And now . . . you."

She points right at you. You clear you throat and answer her question. "Some books you read to see if you like them, like tasting a new food for the first time. Some books are to be read and enjoyed, almost like swallowing a large mouthful of something you absolutely can't get enough of. And other books are meant to make you think and cause you to look at things and ideas in a new way. They challenge you and sometimes you don't agree with them, but that's okay because you don't have to agree with everything you read."

Ms. Rafferty smiles, some of her bright red lipstick sticking to her coffee-stained teeth. "Impressive. Welcome to Freshmen English."

Jeremy throws a balled up piece of paper scrap at you teasing, “Show-off.”