Loving a Man Who Forgot Me Novel Chapter 70
“I hope you all studied.” I grinned as my third period filed into the classroom.
They stopped short when they took notice of the odd desk arrangement and looked at me.
The room was divided, the desks split between the two sides of the room, facing each other.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard that we do quizzes a bit differently in this class, so when I call your name, take a seat on the side I indicate.
Once the class is divided, you will have one minute to come up with a team name relevant to the subject material, and then our first World History quiz battle will begin.
But first for the stakes. As long as every team member participates, your team will pass the quiz, but the winning team will be joining me in here for lunch tomorrow, catered by none other than Boston’s own Ernie.”
Yes, I was referring to the Ernie that made amazing pizza. The kids grinned and looked between each other.
“But that’s not all,” I rubbed my hands together excitedly, “I have it on good authority that sweets from Anna Banana’s Bake Shop will also be provided.
You heard that correctly! Lunch and dessert, in here, with me.” That got a few more grins and chuckles. I think mostly they were just happy about the part where they would all pass.
I held my hands up. “Settle down, settle down, I know you guys can hardly contain yourselves. I know the stakes are high and you all have your eyes on the prize, but let’s keep this battle civil. I don’t want to have to send another student to the infirmary.
Headmaster Higgins might frown on that. Just kidding, students almost never die during quiz battle.”
There were more chuckles, and I caught Aiden rolling his eyes, but then I began calling out the teams and they all hurried to their respective sides and began spitting out team names.
Once they’d decided and I wrote the two teams on my rolling white board, I held my hand up to silence the class.
“A few more rules we need to go over before we get started.” I moved the rolling cart beside my desk to the center of the room, which had been cleared, and locked the wheels in place. “As you can see, we have a magic buzzer.”
Really it was just one of those obnoxious buttons you press to trigger some funny line or sound. This one happened to sing or say lines from Disney movies. Gotta keep it PG in the classroom and all that.
“Round one, is head to head. You will be called on to face off against a classmate on the opposing team. First one to hit the buzzer and answer correctly gets the point for their team.
If your team manages to get three in a row, you earn a bonus question which any member of your team can answer for the point. Round two, I like to call round robin, and here’s where it’s going to get a little crazy and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.
I will read off the question and the first student to stand up in their seat, yes that’s right, you have permission to stand in your seats, not on the desktop though.
Headmaster Higgins put the ixnay on standing on the desk tops last year after one very minor, hardly even worth mentioning, accident.” Robert Brady, a big linebacker of a student, may have, allegedly, broken a desk.
Okay, it wasn’t allegedly. He stood on the desk, it broke, he was uninjured, but it could have been worse, so no more climbing on desks, but I hadn’t been told they couldn’t climb on their seats. Yet.
Headmaster Higgins knew today was a quiz Monday, and I was surprised she hadn’t poked her head in yet to check on things. But then again, maybe she wanted plausible deniability.
“Everyone got that? You will stand up on your chair and shout out the answer. If you are correct, your team will gain a point. If you’re wrong, your team loses a point, and gets a penalty.
Three penalties and your entire team will be forced to do a little song and dance, song of course chosen by me, during the homecoming assembly. Personally, I’m hoping you all get a lot wrong during round two.
And then finally, we will enter into the final round of . . .” I paused for added suspense. “Sudden death! But really no one is going to die, I promise. Each team will select two champions to represent them.
The first two champions will come forward and two minutes will be put on the clock. In those two minutes they will have to answer as many questions as possible. You get two passes, so don’t waste them. Then the clock will reset for the other team.
The team that wins sudden death will walk away with the points for their team, possibly determining the outcome of the battle, so when the time comes, choose your champions wisely. Now can I get a drum roll, please!”
The kids started drumming their hands on the tops of their desks, the tempo building until everyone let out a wild yell and I raised my hands in the air and then brought them down, the ruckus cutting off and the room falling silent.
“Let the quiz battle begin,” I said gravely. “Take no prisoners and show no mercy, for none shall be shown to you.” I grabbed the stack of prepared round one questions pertaining to the ancient world and pointed at my first pair of opponents.
“Bryce, Kiersten, what is another name for the Paleolithic era, and,” I held up my hand to stop them from jumping out of their seats before I finished the question, “why it is named such, and which era preceded it?” They both jumped up and raced for the magic buzzer and just like that the game was afoot.