Jessica Biel Gets On My Nerves.

The title has nothing to do with the following account, but I just thought I'd slip that in there, on account of I just read an interview with her where she claims, "Being very beautiful is...difficult. In terms of how you're perceived, people's expectations of you. Sometimes that's all they see."

mmk, Jessica. We'll take yer word for it.

ANYWAYS. Yesterday I decided to go to the mall north of town. It has several stores in it that our local (really expensive) mall lacks. It was strange driving right past the exit to my school; I hadn't been up this way since school got out almost a month (!) ago. Then it dawned on me. There was a good possibility that I could actually see one of my kids there. Remember this post? This is the mall that they were referring to every single Monday.

Bracing myself, I parked the car at the far entrance and walked toward the doors. "Please don't let me see a student, please don't let me see a st--" No sooner had the thought entered my mind, the doors slid open and there stood Jemon. I mean, RIGHT in the doorway, unavoidable, like he'd been waiting on me. A look of fear seized him and he froze, eyes locked on mine. Deer stuck in the headlight? No. His expression far exceeded that territory. It probably resembled the look on Regan MacNeil's mom's face when she crabwalked down the stairs or the mourners when Lazarus' four-day-old corpse rose from the dead: a delicate balance of terror and wonder.

There's nothing like an unexpected run-in with a teacher outside the classroom walls, is there? (Oh yes there is and it's called an unexpected run-in with a STUDENT outside the classroom walls--why is this so uncomfortable??)

"Hey Jemon!" I said, a little over-excitedly.

"Hey." he mumbled in return. I'd never seen him look more embarrassed. In fact, he's probably one of the most confident boys I taught.

"Is that your teacher?" an older girl asked him.

WHY DID SHE ASK THAT?? HOW DID SHE KNOW THAT?? Do I LOOK like a teacher!?! Sound like a teacher?! Or...far worse...DRESS like a teacher??

Moving on.

Jemon grinned awkwardly, nodded, and looked away. I hadn't stopped moving, but kind of had to walk around him at this point. It sort of felt like I needed to make at least a little bit of small talk, considering I'd spent every day with him for nine months and hadn't seen him in one..."Havin' a good summer?" I meekly attempted.

Another awkward grin/nod/glance away one-two punch was my only response. "Mmmkay well...buh-bye now!"

Sheesh. I spent the rest of my shopping trip ducking in terror every time I caught sight of a teenaged black dude in my peripheral.