Miss Beaver Rumors

The kids are walking all over me. I showed an R-rated film to my 7th graders and Dan,the janitor, walked in to check the heater (It's been broken). He came in during a part when the f-word was flying around. Now there are rumors spreading. The janitorial staff hates me. I know it. Before, when I would walk through the halls, they would always approach me and smile.

"Miss Beaver," they would say. "So nice to see you. How are you doing?"

Now it is me, though, that starts the hellos. I hate starting hellos.

I walked by Dan today as he was mopping up a trail of water leaking out of the boy's bathroom. I had to jump over the puddle that Dan was mopping up. I thought for sure that he would clear a path for me with his mop head, but he didn't. He just stopped mopping and made me jump over the puddle. He didn't smile or nod or anything. I know he thinks less of me. Maybe I shouldn't have shown the film. I just don't know.

In other news, Anji, a new history teacher at the school, invited me to his house and made me falafel. I had never had it before. It was so good.

"What is this made out of?" I asked him as I ate it.

"Pig fat," Anji said. "Fried pig fat."

I stopped chewing. Anji smiled. He smiled like Dan the janitor use to smile when he use to ask me how I was doing.

"I joke with you," Anji said. "It is garbonzos."

"Garbonzos?"

"Yes," Anji said. "All mashed up and cooked."