Streble

The bell rings ending fourth period, everyone grabs their belongings and bolts out the door into the crowded hallway. I put the completed handout in my folder, stack my books and stand in no rush since my fifth period class - Algebra - is only a few doors to the left down the hallway. "Mr. Patton!" I am startled as Mr. Streble approaches me, his standard disheveled wardrobe consisting of dark dress pants, plaid shirt, wide tie and well-worn brown shoes that I now know are wingtips. "Mr. Streble." "Your paper on Garfield was excellent." He reaches out and hands me the graded report with a nice fat red A at the top. "Thank you, his time in office was limited but he had a long political career before that." The assignment was a biography of a US President - any president. "Yes, your paper provided great details of his time in congress and his poor upbringing." He stands with hands stuffed in trouser pockets and grins. "It was interesting to read about somebody that is never discussed." I did not remember why I had chosen Garfield, but I had found a few books in the school library that provided all the information needed for five pages. "You actually read the books listed in the bibliography, didn't you?" "Sure, your assignment said to use two sources." I take a step back as his infamous coffee breath spreads and begins to fill the space around me. "You are probably the only one in the class that followed those instructions and read the material. You read, gathered your facts and crafted the paper. It is great." "Thank you." I am uncomfortable with the kind words. "I am serious, do not let anyone change the way you approach your work. I am not sure why you are in this level of class, but you are a great student - very smart. None of the others care about any of this." He waves his hand across the room while staring past me. "I do appreciate that." I have no clue what to say. "I am not kidding, keep up the great work, never stop." He leans in close to me and pats my shoulder. I thank him again and float out of the classroom to the next class.