A.I. Love

School

Jodi awoke at 4 am. She had fallen asleep at her desk, leaving her laptop wide open to her conversation with Spencer.

She heard the garage door lift. Her mother was home from work. Jodi signed off her computer and crawled into bed. Just as she shut her eyes, her mother opened the door.

"Jodi Bean, I'm home. I love you. Someday, things will be different."

With her back to her mom, Jodi lay still. The door closed, and the shower turned on. Jodi drifted off to sleep.

In a few hours, Jodi was back at school. Tired and stiff-necked from sleeping wrong, all Jodi could think about was Spencer. Her morning classes flew by, and she sat at her usual table for lunch. By herself.

Jodi picked at her food, daydreaming about the trouble she and Spencer could get into. Suddenly, Jodi looked up. It felt like everyone was staring at her, and she had forgotten to get dressed.

No one was paying attention to her. As usual. It was all in her head. Standing up, Jodi gathered her things and dumped her tray, heading back to class.

The afternoon crawled by. It would be great if she could miss school tomorrow. That way, she could talk to Spencer. Could she? She'd have to have a good excuse for staying home. Especially for her own mother. Jodi didn't even miss a day when she got her period in 6th grade. It was difficult to get any sickness past your nurse-mom.

Jodi continued to doodle in her Algebra notebook. Drawing a picture of Spencer, holding her hands above her head as he kissed her. She wasn't good at art, but that wasn't the point.

"Jodi? Ms. Keller?"

Jodi blushed as the class was staring at her. Mrs Stone was standing over her. "Do you know the answer to the question I asked, Ms Keller?"

Attempting to hide her doodle, Jodi covered her notebook with her arms. Looking at the board for some help, Jodi spit out, "-5?"

Snickers and giggles filled the class. Mrs Stone walked away in disgust. "Yes, Ms. Keller. -5 is the answer to 'What are the 6 laws of Algebra?'' You are very close to passing next week's final."

Jodi melted into her desk as Mrs Stone continued. The bell couldn't ring soon enough. Gathering her things, Jodie was nearly out the door when Mrs Stone stopped her.

"Ms Keller, you are my prized student. straight A's for your entire high school career. I'd wager to say that you've known the 6 laws of Algebra since middle school. Now, let me see that notebook."

Jodi went flush. Slowly, she put her book bag on the classroom floor and unzipped it. Digging through its contents, trying to find a spare notebook, Jodi was suddenly hating her meticulous organizational skills. Pulling the notebook in question from her bookbag, Jodi set it on the teacher's desk, closed. She'd hope that by doing so, Mrs Stone wouldn't be able to find the drawing before the next class walked in.

Flipping through the pages, looking for something out of place, Mrs Stone soon found herself at the end of the contents. Jodi was saved.

"I will be keeping this notebook for further inspection," she rattled out. I know what I saw here, and you'd better hope I don't find it again. You may return for it after school today."

Jodi picked up her backpack and scurried out, bumping shoulders with the next class. Her shoulder stung as Bobby Martin, the quarterback of the football team, knocked her into the door frame.

"Looks like Jodi is going against the flow, as usual!" he yelled down the hallway as Jodi ran into the bathroom. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at herself in the mirror. Spencer will make this better, she thought. Thinking of him and their late night conversation, it brought a smile to Jodi's face. She wiped her face with a paper towel, splashed some tepid water on her face, and attempted to style her curls.

Stepping back into the hallway, Jodi looked up at the clock and saw she was late for AP History. Stopping at her locker, Jodi quickly switched out math books for history and hurriedly made her way down the long corridor. She gently opened the classroom door and slipped into her desk while Mr Conrad was at the blackboard.

The class crawled by. At 3:15, Jodi heard the intercom squelching. "Excuse me, students." Mr Jones voice came across. "Will Jodi Keller please report to my office. Immediately."

Jodi could feel her cheeks redden as she filled her bookbag. All eyes were definitely on her this time. Mr Conrad continued teaching as Jodi opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

Making her way to the office, Jodi's mind raced with what this could be about. It wasn't until she opened the office door and saw Mrs Stone standing beside Mr Jones that Jodi suddenly remembered her notebook.

Jodi stopped dead in her tracks. Mr Jones motioned, "Jodi, come have a seat in my office."

Very timidly, Jodi walked into the principal's officer and sat down. Mr Jones sat at his desk while Mrs Stone stood beside him.

"Jodi," Mr Jones began, "Mrs Stone has brought to my attention that you were distracted by something in class this afternoon." Jodi watched in horror as he pulled her notebook out from his desk.

"Is this yours?"

Jodi nodded, unable to speak.

Her principal and teacher both looked at each other. Wishing she could turn invisible, Jodi had never felt so alone in her life.

"Ms Keller," her principal began, "We have a zero tolerance policy on s****l content in this school. Especially of this nature. You do know this, correct?"

Jodi stared at her shoes. Her big, fat feet couldn't do what they were meant to do right now and take her away.

Her teacher walked over and sat down in the chair beside her. "Jodi, you're one of the most prized students in this school. Is everything okay?"

Embarrassed, Jodi tried to imagine Spencer. How he would react to all this when she got home and told him about it. She must have let onto a smile because Mr Jones said, "Jodi, this is serious. I have enough evidence here to expel you. You! A senior, my most prized student, two weeks before you graduate."

Jodi wished she could hit the delete button and backspace through the last five hours.

"Ms Keller," her teacher stared at her with a look of forlorn. "We will need to call your mother about this. At the very least."

Good luck getting her on the phone, Jodi thought.

Mr Stone spoke up. "I actually called her already. She was at work but should be here momentarily."

Jodi felt her face melt. Her mom was leaving work? This was not good. That woman didn't even leave work when Jodi got her first period. Jodi had to ride her bike home to change clothes before returning to school after lunch. She shivered at the cold memory.

Jodi stammered, "My... you got my mother to...she's going to be here?"

Mrs Stone and Mr Jones both looked at Jodi, shocked at the first words she had spoken since entering the office.

Just then, the school secretary came over the phone speaker. "Mr Jones, Ms Keller is here."

Mr Jones pushed a button on the phone. "Send her in, please."

"Tell me this isn't true! Tell me anything but what I heard over the phone as to why I had to leave my shift!" Ms Keller stormed in the office.

Jodi attempted to shrink even lower.

"Ms Keller, have a seat, please."

Jodi's mom glared at the principal. "I will stand, thank you."