I'd been waiting for those magic words to happen and jumped out of my seat. Six periods down two more to go. Gosh summer vacation couldn't come quick enough

The hubbub in the classroom would put the Amazon jungle’s chirping birds to shame. Leah Dina laughed as she pulled out her snack. “I knew my sister would exchange my corn chips for her potato chips. She cracks me up. I saw her near my schoolbag last night.” She ripped her snack open sending chips flying across my desk.

“If you don’t like chips you can send some my way” I said. I looked at my orange ruefully. “Just not in the mood of fruit.”

“But what’s with your diet Shani?” Dassy looked at me.

“Nah over for the day.”

“Take this.” Frumy handed me a chocolate chip cookie.

The bell rang but barely registered in my consciousness as Mindy was regaling us with her latest babysitting saga. “… and they walked in just as I was taking out whipped cream from their closet…” We were all rolling. I could just imagine Mindy whipping up whipped cream at a stranger’s house. Hey come to think of it I promised the Goldsteins I’d babysit tonight.

Miss Dunner stood at the door. Her presence brought the class volume five decibels lower.

“Hey” Frumy looked at me. “I love whipped cream.”

“Let’s do that tomorrow.” Mindy laughed. “I’ll become the whipped cream queen!”

“That’s a tongue twister.”

“Bring some from your neighbors” Leah Dina suggested.

“Shhh…” Dassy put her finger to her lips.

“Ugh I hate whipped cream” I groaned.

Gradually the quiet arrived. But not soon enough for Miss Dunner.

She did not smile as she walked into class. I shrugged. Teachers. Didn’t they understand how antsy we felt at the end of a school year?

“… red blood cells. And white blood cells increase as an infection kicks in. Can you imagine how complex the human being is? Think of all the antibodies…”

I tuned out Miss Dunner’s speech and pulled out my coloring book instead. It had been on sale at Walmart and I was totally into it.

“Hey Shani gimme a page?”

“Sure.” I passed Frumy the floral designed paper and continued with my pink crayon. This was so relaxing. The psychologists of the world definitely knew what they were talking about when they promoted mindfulness.

Leah Dina passed me a note. Check out Dunner’s top, I like it. But gosh, it so doesn’t match with her skirt.

I laughed to myself, filling in leaves with green crayon.

Dassy waved her hand, and asked something about the antigens. I continued coloring, then stopped to pass a note back.

Top’s cute. I think I saw it in Macy’s. I feel like she’s a little boring today.

The note bounced onto my desk. Just a little? Yeah, teachers are so funny. They think we enjoy learning. Sometimes I think they’re just a different breed…

I nodded at Leah Dina, then continued coloring.

“You’re dismissed.”

I’d been waiting for those magic words to happen, and jumped out of my seat. Six periods down, two more to go. Gosh, summer vacation couldn’t come quick enough.

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