Devonne Brown

It’s the little things that make mountains. Kaiden didn’t want to wear his headphones even though they were a requirement for the test. “I know how to read, why do I have to do this?” He was in the sixth grade, and his third grade reading scores indicated that headphones would be more helpful than not. 

“I don’t want to wear my headphones either, they hurt my ears.” Now Zion was complaining. His eyes were twinkling. I shook my head. He read at a kindergarten level and was proud of it. All I could do was repeat the testing directions and the requirements, and hope the boys complied. 

“You do too much. You’re always making me do stupid stuff like wear these dumb headphones.” Zion stood in a classroom full of headphone wearing students trying to begin a test. He was stalling, so was Kaiden. Neither boy wanted to take the test. I didn’t want to argue with them. I wasn’t. They were doing all the bickering. 

A few of the class had been amused at first, but most had been annoyed with their delay tactics. The two didn’t usually act in tandem, but today seemed like a good day for Zion to take Kaiden’s lead. 

Both boys were backing each other. They’d driven themselves from “No,” to “Hell no” in nothing flat. Clearly they were unmedicated that morning  and feeding off of each other’s inanity. I called for administrative assistance, they would refuse to leave on their own accord just to be contrary. They had each other.

Zion lost his mind when I pressed the call button. “You’re always trying to get somebody in trouble. I didn’t do nothing. This is bullshit.” Kaiden laughed at Zion and walked out of the classroom. 

“Dude, just wear the damned headphones,” said a student in the middle of the room. “That’s all she asked you to do.”

“I ain’t wearing no fucking headphones.” Zion screamed when two administrators walked into the classroom. The rest of the class was silent. 

“You just going to let Kaiden walk right out the room without saying nothing?” Zion was still screaming at me. The administrators nodded at me, and looked around.

“It’s testing day and Zion doesn’t want to wear headphones, Kaiden didn’t either, so he walked out. We’re having a hard time getting started.