Jacob and the Missing Homework

By Drew Alexander

Welcome to Jacob's World. You might know it as the 8th Grade.

Jacob West is in the eighth grade and his teacher hates him. It's not that Jacob is a bad kid; he just has bad luck. After repeated warnings from his teacher about turning in his assignments Jacob discovers that the worst thing imaginable has happened. He has lost his homework. Now he must find his missing assignment and turn it in before suffering through detention under the rule of Ms. Horne, the teacher voted "most likely to be a monster".

• Language: English
• Publisher: Drew Avera
• Release date: Jun 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386973478

Book preview

This story is for my daughters, Chloe and Lucy, I love you!

ONE

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you are three steps behind? Maybe even more than three, like a billion? Well that's how every day is for me in Ms. Horne's English class.

I don't want you to think that there's anything wrong with me, like maybe I have two left feet, or two right feet, or anything like that. And I don't ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed, because let's face it; there's only one side of the bed to wake up on when the other side is against the wall. But, I do think there's something wrong with my teacher.

Jacob, do you not hear me calling your name? she said with just the right amount volume to pull me out of the cloud that I often found myself in while within the confines of her classroom.

Um, yes ma'am. I answered amidst the rolling chuckles of my classmates. I could feel the reddening of my cheeks as embarrassment crept in.

Then why didn't you answer the roll call? she asked while drumming the eraser of her pencil against the clipboard in her hand. It was one of those hypocritical things that she did all while yelling at the students when they drummed fingers, pencils, or pens against their own desks.

I don't know, Ms. Horne. I guess I didn't hear you.

She peered at me over the purpled rimmed glasses that sat crooked on her nose and placed one hand on her hip in an authoritative manner.

At least she stopped that incessant drumming.

Did everyone else in the class hear me call Jacob's name? she asked. Her head moved side to side while all of my friends and classmates left me as the lone problem student in room two-fourteen. I guess you're the only person who did not hear your name being called, Jacob. That's the third time this week, and its only Wednesday. Perhaps I should send a note home to your mother about taking you to have your hearing checked.

On the outside looking in I was sure that her statement would get her loads of brownie points for voicing concern about my hearing loss, but the truth was that the old woman had it out for me. She was chomping at the bit for an excuse to bring my mother in and tell her all of the bad things that I did, or did not do, or did not know I was going to do.

Let's face it, she hates my guts.

Now that attendance has been taken care of, would you all please pull out your homework from last night so that we can go over it? Ms. Horne paced the classroom while I, and all of my classmates, rummaged through our book bags to grab out assignments. Beth already had hers out and Sam found his in rather short order. I