“Did you notice what she was doing with her hair?” Amanda asked me the moment we stepped out of Biology class.
I hugged my books closer to my chest nodded my head. Of course I noticed our teacher acting completely weird. I don’t think any of the kids in our class missed it.
Ms. Lispo was, as you may have guessed, our Biology teacher. She was brand new to the school. Petite, blonde hair down to her shoulders, wide eyes like a deer in the headlights all the time. She spoke with confidence, but she was only a few years older than us. With that in mind, it was hard for most of our classmates to take her seriously.
“Why do you think she does that? Do you think she just really likes the smell of her shampoo?” Amanda leaned her back against the lockers as I stood twisting the knob on my locker to open it.
I shrugged. “It could just be a nervous tick. She’s new and it’s only the second week of school.”
I tried to give Ms. Lispo the benefit of the doubt. She certainly knew what she was talking about when she taught the class, but deep down she could have been nervous. She was still new to teaching her own class and the some of the kids were rowdy and didn’t bother doing their work.
“Right, but some people bite their lips or fingernails when they’re nervous. Some might even chew on the end of the hair.” Amanda looked at me with disgust. “But taking a fistful of your hair and practically shoving it up your nostrils to smell it is just plain bizarre!”
I took the books I needed and closed my locker. I smirked at my friend. “You make it sound so revolting. I think I would rather have a weird teacher who smells her hair over one who chews their hair.”
Amanda tossed her head from side to side. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. But it’s still bizarre.”
“Super weird,” I agreed, “but I honestly think she’s just nervous.”
I turned around and started walking with Amanda following me when we both spotted Ms. Lispo heading down the hall. She power-walked through the corridor with one arm swinging by her side and the other holding onto her hair while she smelled it. We watched her as she walked by, turning our heads steadily until she was out of sight.
“Um,” Amanda leaned over closer to my ear, “and what, pray tell, would she be nervous about walking through the hall?”
I sighed. “Going to meeting? Maybe she’s afraid of kids? How am I supposed to know?”
The bell rang and Amanda stepped away from me walking backwards. We were going in opposite directions. I watched as she backed farther away with her index finger pointing to the side of her head. Her finger twirled indicating craziness.
I rolled my eyes, not being able to hold in a smile, and turned the other way to head to class.
Words: 506
This story goes along with the prompt, Quirks.
