Misdirected by Ali Berman

Author:Ali Berman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: young adult, novel, relationships, religion, atheism, Christian, Colorado, bullying, school, friends, friendship, magic, family, struggle, war, coming-of-age, growing up, beliefs, conservative, liberal
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Published: 2014-11-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

When a Bad Day Gets Worse

After getting caught with Tess by Angela, the last thing I want to do is go to biology and listen to Mr. Thompson go on and on about the importance of the Bible in science. But that’s what’s next.

For the first time since my new straight-A goal I’m having a hard time listening. I never raise my hand anymore in this class. Not since he was such a jerk about that blood thing. At least we aren’t talking about the circulatory system any more. It’s the respiratory system now. Not that I’m even really paying attention. I’m just worried Angela is going to tell her parents. Even if she doesn’t, Angela seeing me and Tess in the auditorium means we can’t use it as a hiding spot anymore. Which means we have no place to hang out. Again.

“Ben?” Mr. Thompson says.

“Um, yeah?”

“Did you hear me?”

“No. I guess I . . .”

He sighs. “I asked if you could tell me how it came to be that man breathed his first breath.”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I mean, that happened millions of years ago before man was even man. No one knows I don’t think.”

The class laughs. Mr. Thompson doesn’t look amused.

“Every other student in the class knows this Ben. Just not you.”

“Is it some Bible thing?” I ask with more attitude than usual.

“Open up your textbook to the chapter on the respiratory system and read the first sentence, please,” he says.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” I close the book.

“So I ask again, please tell me how it came to be that man breathed his first breath?”

“My answer hasn’t changed.”

No one in the class is laughing now. Mr. Thompson is starting to look really annoyed.

“And what about the Creator? Would you just ignore Him?”

I pause for a second, trying to decide how to answer him. I didn’t lie to Tess’s parents so why lie now?

“I don’t believe in a creator,” I say. “I believe in evolution. No one gave us a respiratory system. We developed it over millions of years.”

Mr. Thompson takes his glasses off and puts them on his desk. Kenny makes a chimp noise and throws a wadded up piece of paper at me. Tess’s friend Beth gives him a dirty look.

Mr. Thompson turns to Kenny and says, “We have a student in class who, if he died tomorrow, would go to hell. You think that’s funny Mr. Schrock?”

Kenny looks down at his desk. “No sir.”

“Then I suggest you keep quiet.”

Mr. Thompson turns his attention back to me and says, “Stay after class. I want to talk to you.”

When the bell rings I get my stuff together and wait in my seat until the other kids are gone. Then I go up to Mr. Thompson’s desk.

I just stand there while he puts his notes in order. He looks up at me and smiles.

“Yes, Ben.

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