School Days

So Rick signs up for a computer class... because he can never remember that he's already taken a computer class. The same computer class.

Word I. But he won't practice what he's learned tonight, so he'll be taking this class again in about six months when he remembers that he needs to learn about computers. Or something twisted like that.

But for now, Rick has just signed up for his seventh or eighth try at Word I.

I dropped him off at 7:00 and told him to call me when the class got out... at 9:00.

But 9:00 rolled around and he didn't call. 9:15 rolled around and I thought about driving over to get him, but I had no desire to sit and wait in a dark parking lot, just in case class got out a little late. I decided to wait for his call.

And I waited some more.

Suddenly it was 9:45. Still no Rick. And I began to freak out. What if his phone was dead? What if he was sitting outside waiting for me, trusting that I would've been there to pick him up at 9:00. And I wasn't. What if he had begun to walk home? What if... what if... what if?

I jumped in the car, cursing myself for not being there right at 9:00 to pick him up. I sped there, scanning the streets all the way, looking for him, just in case he had tried to walk home. We live only 5 minutes away from the school, but with the speed Rick walks, he could've turned it into an all day affair. I was very nervous.

Got to the school to find it was closed. All closed. Vacant. Except for one janitor who was buffing the floors. And he didn't want to let me in. He knew nothing about a computer class. But I sweet-talked him into opening the door and letting me in. (See? I can be stern.)

Found Rick's class... the door there was also locked. The room was dark. So Rick must've tried walking home.

And I ran. Towards my car. And I ran... right into Rick. In the teacher's lounge. With the teacher.

The dork and the teacher were having coffee in the lounge. After class. Teacher's pet.

DID YOU NOT HEAR YOUR PHONE RING??????

No. I turned it off. I didn't want it to disturb the teacher.

And as we were walking out the door, the teacher says to me, "He told me you were Vanna White's stand in."

I guess I can't complain. At least they were talking about me...