Fiction: The 157th Reason

     "What the fuck, Miss?" 

    She stood four feet away from the student. He was double masked, both an N95 and a cloth mask, and because of his goggles she could not read anything in his eyes. He had already had to repeat himself twice, as his enunciation through the mask was garbage. 

   "That's not stellar word choice, Miguel. I don't enjoy students hurling obscenities at me, regardless of their intent. I can't hear your vocal inflection through the mask, and your eyes are obscured by your goggles." She stopped there, not mentioning that the fact that his gloved hands only exacerbated the situation.  Usually Miguel loved it when she used too many words when talking with him, it was part of the fun. She told him she felt she needed the words to penetrate the masks, goggles and gloves he wore daily. The first day of class, he had written three simple words on his 3X5 card in response to  "Tell me something about yourself": "I am paranoid."

    He looked like he was costumed as a military extra in  The Crazies. It had been twelve weeks, and still she had no idea why this kid had chosen to enroll in an acting class.  To be fair, he was really funny, and he was truly working on being heard and understood through the masks. The gloves and goggles made it impossible for him to truly participate in any acting exercises, and the day they learned to play a verb, he covered his ears because everyone was too loud.

    "I said 'what the fuck' because I just went to the nurse. I have a headache and I'm coughing. She gave me a mint." He held the mint out as evidence.

     "I dunno, Miguel. Can't you just call your mom---" she stopped talking as Miguel began to vomit. He left both masks on, and was clearly struggling to breathe. Somewhere in the midst of the massive upheaval, he removed his goggles. Perhaps he was hoping to breathe through his eyeballs.

    It should have been ten steps to her classroom phone, but she made it in three. 

    "Angelo," she said into the mouth piece "Seriously, security. I have a kid puking uncontrollably in the theatre classroom. Send help."

    As she hung up, she watched the other students in class react. One started retching herself. Two ran from the room. One, the closest thing Miguel had to a friend in the class, stood next to him looking helpless, saying "Take off your masks, Miguel!" over and over again. One of the special ed students began to cry, while the other started making monster noises and walking like Godzilla.

    Two girls pointed their phones at Miguel and began to record the event, making retching noises mixed with giggles.

    Her student assistant was kneeling with the sobbing Sped student, keeping an eye to the rest of the room but clearly unsure of what he was to do with himself.

    The rest of the class were in varying states of horror and humor, unsure how to handle the situation. She realized with terror that Miguel had fallen to his knees, his friend was holding him up by his armpits, screaming "Take off your MASKS! DUDE TAKE THEM OFF YOU'RE GONNA DIE!"

    She walked two steps to the bank of windows and opened the first one she was able. 

    She turned and looked at the hysterical commedia slapstick that was unfolding in her room.

    Then she sat calmly down at her computer and clicked on a document she had opened earlier in the day. It was titled "157 Reasons I'm Leaving Teaching."

    As security entered the scene, she typed "Reason Number 157."