History in the making

-Need to work on the transition between, where I ended the last chapter, and this scene-
“if you’re expecting a soundbite, you might be disappointed.” His tone was casual, but his eyes stayed focused, like he was already analyzing me.

I shifted in my seat, flipping open my notebook. “I’ll take my chances. First, why the—" I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Why the unconventional approach? Most teachers don’t start the semester by calling their textbook ‘propaganda.’”

Mr. Craig’s lips curled into a faint smile. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, making eye contact. “You want to know the truth, Kira?” His voice dropped slightly, as if sharing something private. “Most textbooks are sanitized versions of reality. They tell you what you’re supposed to believe, not what actually happened. History isn’t a series of neat, comfortable facts—it’s messy, full of contradictions. If you want to understand it, you have to question everything.”

I leaned forward, intrigued. “But doesn’t that make it hard for students? I mean, aren’t you setting them up to doubt everything they read? What if they just want to pass the class?”

His expression softened, but his voice remained firm. “I’m not here to make it easy, Kira. If you just want to memorize facts, you can do that in any other class. But if you want to actually learn something—something real—you need to learn how to think. How to ask the hard questions. That’s the kind of history I’m teaching.”

I paused, scribbling down some notes. “And what about the students who are resistant to that? Who don’t want to challenge the status quo?”

He leaned back slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. “That’s the thing about the system. It’s designed to make you passive, to make you think there’s only one way to see things. It’s not about challenging authority—it’s about challenging the ideas you’ve been fed. Once you start questioning, it’s hard to stop.”

I could feel the weight of his words settling in, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. “So, do you think history is all a lie? Is that how you see it?”

He didn’t hesitate. “No. It’s not that simple. History is made up of stories. Some are true, some aren’t. The trick is figuring out which ones matter and why. What’s real to you may not be the same as what’s real to someone else. History is just one way of telling the story of the world. And right now, we’re only hearing one version.”

“So, you’re telling me that we should ignore what the textbook says? Just go with our gut?” I asked, trying to get a clearer picture.

He looked at me, his eyes thoughtful. “No, Kira. I’m saying you should question what you read, what you hear, and even what you think you know. Don’t just accept things because someone tells you they’re true. Challenge it. That’s how you get closer to the truth.”

His gaze held mine, and I felt a slight shift in the air between us. I wasn’t just talking to a teacher anymore; I was talking to someone who lived by these principles, someone who genuinely believed in the power of thought and skepticism. I could see it in his eyes—the conviction, the passion.

“But it must be exhausting, right? Always questioning everything. Don’t you ever just want to accept things as they are?” I asked, genuinely curious.

He shrugged, the briefest flicker of a smile crossing his face. “Maybe sometimes. But that’s the difference between living and just existing, Kira. I’d rather wrestle with the world than let it pass me by.”

I leaned back in my chair, feeling the weight of the conversation settle into my chest. His words echoed in my mind, and I could tell I wasn’t the only one who felt it. For a moment, the room felt quieter than before.

“Alright,” I said after a beat, closing my notebook. “I think I got what I need. Thanks for your time, Mr. Craig. I think this’ll make for an interesting piece.”

He stood up, gathering his papers, but before he walked away, he looked at me with a knowing smile. “I hope you don’t just write what you think people want to hear. You’re here to find the truth, right?”

I nodded, a bit surprised by the challenge. “Yeah. I’ll keep that in mind.”