Collapsible by Buchanan Ruth;

Author:Buchanan, Ruth;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christian Fiction
Publisher: Pelican Book Group
Published: 2017-08-17T04:00:00+00:00

14

Chris tapped the copy of Romeo and Juliet that lay face-down on his desk. “I just think it’s really messed up that Romeo kills Tybalt.”

“Of course it’s messed up,” Carl said, scratching one of his round cheeks. “It’s a tragedy. What do you expect?”

Chris glared at Carl. “We’ve been through this already.”

Rachel sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Let’s not get into the whole comedy and tragedy thing again.” She loved Chris, but some days she found him to be a bit much. Couldn’t he ever just listen to a lecture, take notes, and stare at the clock like a normal student?

“It’s messed up any time somebody kills somebody else,” Shayla put in virtuously.

“But I can sort of understand it,” Ryan said from the back of the room. “I mean, Tybalt did kill Mercutio first. So it’s only fair.”

“It’s only fair?” Rachel countered, raising her eyebrows. “Since when is life fair?”

Ryan ducked his head, embarrassed that he’d been caught using one of Miss Cooper’s four-letter words. Fair.

Denise turned to shake her head at Ryan, dark hair swinging. “Now you’ve done it,” she muttered.

“What do we know about the word fair, class?”

“Life is not fair,” they intoned solemnly.

“That’s right. Life is not fair.” It wasn’t fair that she had broken her ankle right before she had to move. It wasn’t fair that the first attractive guy who had hit on her in ages turned out to be sort of stalkerish and creepy, although handsome. It wasn’t fair that nobody seemed to understand the nature of her relationship with Lee. It wasn’t fair that the Memento Killer felt that he could take the life of any woman he wanted. It wasn’t fair that Rachel had to pee, and there were still ten minutes left in class.

“I didn’t mean fair.” Ryan scratched at the back of his neck and looked off into space, obviously thinking deep thoughts. “I meant…”

“I think he meant that maybe Romeo considered killing Tybalt as, well…as justice,” Carl said.

“Ah,” Rachel smiled and turned toward him. “Justice. That’s different. Please continue.”

Carl fidgeted. He opened his mouth, but before he could get anything out, Denise interrupted. “Hold up,” she said. “It’s never OK to kill someone.”

“Never?” Rachel asked, surprised. Her students knew how she felt about equivocal statements.

Denise nodded. “Never.”

“Tell that to the Memento Killer,” Ryan said with a laugh. Nobody else laughed. Denise shot him a sizzling look, and he visibly wilted. The discussion teetered on a knife’s edge, in danger either of falling into a bickering match or being derailed with gossip about Memento Killer theories.

Rachel cleared her throat. “What about the death penalty?”

“Yeah.” Chris turned around in his desk to face Denise. “And shooting someone who’s invading your home and might hurt your kids? That kind of stuff.”

“I just mean it’s never OK to murder people,” Denise said grudgingly.

Rachel turned toward Carl. “Would you agree?”

Carl nodded and squirmed in his seat.

“Doesn’t the Bible say ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ though?” Shayla put in her two cents, looking smug.

“That’s a good point,” Rachel said, nodding.

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