WW 31/08/04, Don't fortget now, 15 Minutes only! Options

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Equal

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QUOTE (My writings)

It all just stopped. Time, his heart, the class' mutterings. He knew that he had to answer. But he had no idea. The answer could have been one of an infinite number of suggestions, but he knew not which one it could have been. All he knew was that the answer was there somewhere, and he had no idea where it was. He searched frantically through his mind trying to find where he had stored this information. Where he had placed this learnt fact. To fin the impossible. A droplet of sweat started to run down his forehead. He knew the whole class was watching him. He knew that they were all staring at him, waiting for his answer. It didn't help that the teacher was gazing at him in her stern manner, expecting her teaching to be perfect and for him to know the answer. He started to feel very nervous. He knew it. He must have. He wouldn't be here if he hadn't have known, but this was just beyond him. What was it that he had to say, and was it right? He knew he had to say something soon. The class were getting restless and you could feel the tension. In fact, you could cut the tension with only a meat cleaver and even then you'd have to strike several times to make an indentation in it. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. He felt a cold shiver down his back. He was nervous. He didn't want to be shown up, but knew that if he got this answer wrong, he'd be in deep trouble. He knew it. He must have. Maybe he hadn't paid attention. Maybe he didn't care what the answer was. Maybe he made a mistake in even being there. He felt bad for not knowing, and that's the worst feeling he could have ever thought of. Well he had to say something. Soon. People were starting to think that maybe he shouldn't have been there. That maybe he shouldn't have wasted his time or theirs. That he was stupid. But he had to carry on. He had to give some response, so he thought of a possible answer, took a deep breath and thought only about what he was about to say. What if it was wrong? What if it was said wrong? What if he made a huge mistake and showed himself up? What if he didn't get it right? What would happen? Would he been thrown out? Would he be the laughing stock of the entire world? Would they send him off to the moon with a one-way ticket for his crimes against intelligence? Would they all point at him and fall into hysterics? He honestly didn't want to make an error. But, as he hesitated and paused, he was asked again. This time he breathed in, closed his eyes and said, with as much confidence as he could muster... "Martin. His name was Martin." He felt relieved he said something, and was glad to know he got it right. He was glad that he was no longer the laughing stock of the class. He breathed a sigh of relief as another pupil was picked out with another history question. And he looked around to see everyone treating him as one of them, and not an outcast for being wrong. He no longer felt humiliated or bad about himself. He felt as one of the rest. He felt he was just like them. He felt he was an equal.