The Physics Lesson

Back then I was sixteen, at high school, which I attended with Nick. The lesson which we simply hated and never really looked forward to it, was Physics. I mean, Physics is interesting and I was usually very hard working during this lesson. But we simply hated the Physics lesson because of the teacher. He was a tall, skinny man, and his skin was a dark shade of mahogany, as if he had crossed the Sahara desert to come to school. His dark brown eyes were hidden behind an overlarge pair of brown spectacles and his black hair was streaked with gray. He was known by the students as Spaghetti Legs because of his abnormally thin legs.

Spaghetti Legs never allowed Nick to sit beside me. From the very first Physics lesson, Spaghetti Legs grew to loathe Nick for some reason. The more he punishes him, the cheekier Nick got.

Once I remember, Spaghetti Legs was doing some basic revision after the Christmas Holidays. After each holiday, this teacher used to quiz us about anything which had to do with Physics so that after the days away from school, we would remember our lessons.

That day, Spaghetti Legs asked us the question,"What is a friction force?"

Of course this was basic, and many hands shot up to answer the question.

However, Spaghetti Legs, asked Nick, who wasn't paying attention. The teacher repeated the question menacingly to his least favourite student.

"A friction force is just what I needed yesterday when my bike's breaks weren't working," replied Nick, who pulled up his sleeves to show a terrible bruise.

We all started to laugh loudly but Spaghetti Legs was infuriated. He raised his hands to his head and tried to keep from screaming.

"A copy! A long copy! You'll think twice before being rude to me, young Nick!" he yelled.

"That's fine with me," replied Nick.

The calmness in Nick's manner sent Spaghetti Legs berserk!

"The whole book! Copy it all! I want it by the next Physics Lesson on Thursday!"yelled the manic teacher. After that, a girl and two other boys earned themselves a copy for not doing their work correctly. All for Thursday.



The days passed and Thursday came. Physics was the first lesson after the break. The lessons before recess were English, Maths and if I remember well, History.

Nick came to school as cheerful as usual. However, the good mood was short lived. During the English Lesson, he discovered he left the copy home! I still remember clearly we both started to write different chapters from the book to finish it off but how can one copy a 400 page book - diagrams and all - in two hours, without being caught by a sharp - eyed teacher? And how could we copy out the book and do our school work at the same time?

By breaktime only four of twenty-three chapters were covered and Nick was frantic. Spaghetti Legs could give much harsher punishments than copying out one whole book, and Nick was really scared now.

The break flew as quick as a flash and we had to give up writing and go to the Physics lab.

Spaghetti Legs was already there, waiting for us to start the lesson. Nick entered quietly and sat at the back, hoping the teacher wouldn't notice him.

The lesson started and Spaghetti Legs mentioned nothing which had to do with the copies. After ten minutes, he remembered and said, " The offending students who had a copy to return to me, must come forward, with the copies infront of me."

Nick raised his hand and said, " But Sir, the copies can't be infront of you - "

"OUT!!!" yelled Spaghetti Legs, making a comical imitation of the moustached man in the Laurel and Hardy movies.

Nick went out and peeped through the door. Spaghetti Legs shut the door and drew the curtain and shooed him away.

Back in class we continued the lesson and I didn't know what was happening outside, until Nick told me afterwards.

Nick was bored outside and he fished in his pockets to see what he could pass the time with. In his pocket there was a sweet and a two penny coin. The sweet was eaten, and the 2 cent coin was of some use to Nick as well.

Since the curtains were drawn, Nick couldn't be seen from the class. So of course, we didn't know what he was up to.

We heard a weird ticking noise against the door.

It was Nick, playing a tune on the door with the coin! Spaghetti Legs swore under his breath. After a minute or two, the ticking noise began again and Spaghetti Legs swore loudly. From outside, Nick gave a snort of laughter. Again his started knocking the two penny coin against the door but this time the ticking stopped short.

"Good. He's caught by the Corridor Supervisor," Spaghetti Legs had said smugly. I was worried Nick had gotten in trouble and I couldn't pay attention during the lesson.

Back outside, Nick had heard footsteps coming. He had stopped the noise and crouched against the door and peeked carefully to see who was coming up the corridor. The Head Mistress!

There was no place to hide except in an old cupboard which had originally been situated in the Home Economics kitchen. Nick entered in and peeped through the keyhole.

The Head Mistress knocked lightly against the door and made a noise quite like the one Nick had previously made.

Back in the class, Spaghetti Legs swore and furiously grabbed a metre ruler. He opened the door and very nearly beat the Head Mistress with the ruler.

"What is the meaning of this behaviour?" she asked Spaghetti Legs as if speaking to a rude child.

The teacher said nothing. We all started giggling and suppressing our laughter.

Back in the cupboard, Nick watched tensely until the Head Mistress went away. Spaghetti Legs popped his head out of the door.

"Where is he? Where is that devil?" he yelled. He ran up the corridor to look for him in the toilets, or in other classes maybe.

Whilst he was gone, Nick entered the classroom and he was greeted as if he was a hero. He snatched his satchel and was going to rush out of the class when Spaghetti Legs returned.

"You're gonna be the death of me!" yelled the frenzied teacher and just as he was going to trash Nick with his detestable ruler - whether caning was allowed or not - the bell rang and Nick ran out of the class for next lesson!