Cait thought to herself, "Well, that's just not true." Her teacher had just finished talking about World War II and how the kids in the class could have no concept about what had happened so recently in the world. Cait knew, at twelve, that sixty years ago was a long time, but at the same time, it was no time at all. Terrible things happened during that war, and you couldn't frame it under the "Well, people acted differently way back when." Sixty was how old her uncle was. She didn't believe that all the world's violence had changed that much since he'd been born.
She wanted to ask, "Do things like this still happen in the world?" but she was afraid to hear the answer. Her teacher momentarily made eye contact with Cait, like he knew that she had wanted to say something, but Mr. Tronch didn't single her out. She cast her eyes down to her desk, suddenly needing to adjust the length of her mechanical pencil's lead. "All right, guys, that's a wrap for this unit. I want you to finish your book reports over the weekend to hand in on Monday. This has been heavy stuff. Pack up your things--let's spend the last fifteen minutes outside."
The classroom became a clamor of activity as people unzipped bags, stuffed in books, and pushed in chairs. "Whoa," said Nellie, "we never get to go outside." Cait just nodded. "Is this, like, recess or something?"
Mr. Tronch led them to the atrium and gestured widely to indicate that they were free to disperse. He pulled his sunglasses out of his shirt pocket, unfolded them, and placed them on his pale face. He found a spot under a tree and eased himself to the ground. Nellie had started talking to Cait about her weekend plans, but Cait was still thinking about war. She'd never really thought more in-depth about it than just a perfunctory understanding that, of course, people died.
"Why do you think people agree to go to war?" Cait asked Nellie.
"Um, what does that have to do with collecting bugs?" Nellie must have been talking about her brother's collection again. She pretended to be grossed out by it, but Cait knew she enjoyed helping him. "Are you still thinking about school?" she asked.
Cait's temper flared and she wanted to shout, "This isn't about school! Don't you know that this wasn't just some unit we covered, that it changed the whole world?" She bit her tongue and squinted in the sunlight in Mr. Tronch's direction. "I guess. Mr. Tronch was right, it was heavy stuff, don't you think?"
"I guess. I mean, it was so long ago," said Nellie. She didn't have any living grandparents and her parents were pretty young, so maybe that made it harder for Nellie to imagine.
She wanted to ask, "Do things like this still happen in the world?" but she was afraid to hear the answer. Her teacher momentarily made eye contact with Cait, like he knew that she had wanted to say something, but Mr. Tronch didn't single her out. She cast her eyes down to her desk, suddenly needing to adjust the length of her mechanical pencil's lead. "All right, guys, that's a wrap for this unit. I want you to finish your book reports over the weekend to hand in on Monday. This has been heavy stuff. Pack up your things--let's spend the last fifteen minutes outside."
The classroom became a clamor of activity as people unzipped bags, stuffed in books, and pushed in chairs. "Whoa," said Nellie, "we never get to go outside." Cait just nodded. "Is this, like, recess or something?"
Mr. Tronch led them to the atrium and gestured widely to indicate that they were free to disperse. He pulled his sunglasses out of his shirt pocket, unfolded them, and placed them on his pale face. He found a spot under a tree and eased himself to the ground. Nellie had started talking to Cait about her weekend plans, but Cait was still thinking about war. She'd never really thought more in-depth about it than just a perfunctory understanding that, of course, people died.
"Why do you think people agree to go to war?" Cait asked Nellie.
"Um, what does that have to do with collecting bugs?" Nellie must have been talking about her brother's collection again. She pretended to be grossed out by it, but Cait knew she enjoyed helping him. "Are you still thinking about school?" she asked.
Cait's temper flared and she wanted to shout, "This isn't about school! Don't you know that this wasn't just some unit we covered, that it changed the whole world?" She bit her tongue and squinted in the sunlight in Mr. Tronch's direction. "I guess. Mr. Tronch was right, it was heavy stuff, don't you think?"
"I guess. I mean, it was so long ago," said Nellie. She didn't have any living grandparents and her parents were pretty young, so maybe that made it harder for Nellie to imagine.
