Rearranging seats

Mr Johnson stood at the front of the classroom, his eyes fixed on the electronic blackboard as he scribbled down equations. He was about to introduce them to trigonometry as the first lesson of the year but the room kept buzzing with the sound of restless chatter, whispers that danced through the air like mischievous sprites.

Unfazed by the commotion behind him, Mr Johnson cleared his throat and turned to face the class. He adjusted his glasses and raised his voice, projecting it over the low hum of conversation.

"Good morning. As you know I am Mr Johnson and today, we embark on a journey into the realm of trigonometry. As I write these equations, I expect your utmost attention and participation."

He glanced over his shoulder, his heart sinking at the sight of the sea of disinterested faces. Most of his students seemed more engrossed in their private conversations than in the lesson at hand. He sighed inwardly already planning to have a word with Mr Harris their homeroom teacher.

"Let's start with a simple question," Mr Johnson announced, hoping to engage his students. "Can anyone tell me the value of the sine of pi/2?"

Silence hung in the air for a brief moment. Then, a lone hand slowly rose from the front of the classroom. It was Luna, one of the few students who had been attentive from the beginning. He had never taught Luna before but her reputation was clear to him. She was the very definition of valedictorian and a perfect student.

"Okay, how about this," he said turning to write on the board and putting up several other equations.

"Miss Luna... Mr Wyatt...," he said glancing around the room, searching for another participant. "Mr... Ross..." When he saw Kilin trying to reduce her presence at the back of the class he knew he had found his target. "And Miss Kilin please come up to the board and solve this equation."

Luna made her way to the front of the classroom, her steps measured and confident. Wyatt nonchalantly sauntered up to the board. Ross waited for Kilin to walk past him first before following after her.

"Thanks," whispered Kilin and Ross showed a slight smile that was hard to miss. Luna's eyes sparkled with anticipation when she saw Wyatt standing next to her. She nervously clutched the stylus marker trying to act disinterested in him.

Wyatt appeared unfazed as he seriously wrote on the e-blackboard. He didn't even notice her glancing at him as he solved the equation effortlessly.

Ross's brows furrowed in concentration as he solved the equation. Once he finished, he couldn't help but notice Kilin, struggling to grasp the concept.

Like a true gentleman, he leaned over to help, offering a quiet explanation. However, before he could help her, Mr Johnson intervened, raising a hand to stop him.

"Mr Ross, I appreciate your willingness to assist, but not every damsel deserves to be saved," he said firmly, his voice carrying a touch of authority. A few students broke into laughter further throwing Kilin off her balance. She knew she could figure it out but her brain went blank on the spot.

Ross went to sit down like the others leaving Kilin standing there like a scarecrow with no clue what to do. She could hear people whispering and chuckling behind her but she wasn't at all embarrassed. She had already been torn apart on the school forum over the incident yesterday and she didn't care anymore.

Mr. Johnson finally got tired of waiting so he said, "Miss Kilin, you can stop wasting our time and go back to the back of the class. Why you are even in class one is beyond me."

Kilin wasn't at all offended. In fact, given the chance she would rather be in class two at least then she wouldn't have to look at Wyatt's face for the rest of the year. She was about to walk back the way she came but when she recalled Wyatt's desk was along the aisle she turned to the other aisle thoroughly avoiding him. No one else noticed what she did except Wyatt and he seemed unbothered by it.

When she reached the back of the class Keele held her hand and pulled her down slightly while scolding, "How could you not know how to solve that equation?"

"I froze. You know I don't like being put on the spot," she said only for the teacher to yell at them both.

"Miss Kilin and Miss Keele would you prefer being here or the principal's office?"

"Sorry sir,"

"Sorry,"

The two of them simultaneously apologised as before shutting their mouths. They were relatively well behaved for the rest of the class but the lesson was less than peaceful. There was attentiveness and some were chatting it up with their deskmates constantly disrupting his flow while teaching.

By the end of class Mr Johnson stormed into the break room, his frustration palpable on his face. He slammed a stack of math books onto the table, causing Mr Harris to jolt in surprise.

The force of the impact sent ripples through the table, shaking Mr Harris' coffee cup, and a small amount spilt onto the surface.

Startled by the sudden disruption, Mr Harris looked up, his eyes widening as he took in the sight of Mr Johnson, his usually calm and composed colleague, seething with anger. Mr Harris quickly set his coffee aside and stood up to grab a paper towel to wipe the spill.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern etched in his voice as he wiped the table.

"What's wrong? Pssh... your class is what is wrong," replied Mr Johnson before he took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. "They were unbearable!" he exclaimed, frustration lacing his words. "They were completely inattentive, talking and laughing with their friends throughout the entire lesson. It was impossible to teach them anything! Fix it!"

"Okay," he said while Mr Johnson picked up his books and left. He couldn't believe those brats were already making trouble. He took his cup of coffee to the staff room and bumped into the geography teacher about to go to class one.

"Hey, Miss Sofy... can I take your class slot? I need to rearrange my class," he said and Miss Sofy who would much rather watch some videos online than teach a class today was more than willing.

"Sure," she said and walked back into the staff room. After generating random sitting arrangements he went to the class and as expected it was a circus.