Frustration The little bitch, Laura thought in exasperation when the child giggled instead of answering what she had asked her. Laura repeated the question, her irritation rising.

"Will you please tell us the three main kinds of rocks, Janice?"

The little girl's mind was not on rocks, but on the boy sitting behind her who was making insulting remarks which she was obviously enjoying. Janice laughed again.

Laura blew up, her face flaming with anger.

"Sit down! I don't know why you bother to come to school at all! You don't care anything about learning!"

Janice sat down and simpered. She turned around and gave some kind of answer to her tormentor. Laura tried to ignore her, and she called on another pupil, her voice shaking.

"John, can you answer the question?"

John got up slowly, stalling for time. "Uh… sedimentary, igneous, and… uh…"

Laura waited as long as she could in her nervous state. Then, when he obviously didn't know the third kind, she snapped at him, "Thank you, John. You'll have to listen better from now on!"

Laura heard herself with horror. She wasn't usually this shrewish.

What's the matter with me today? she wondered.

"Nancy, can you give us the third kind of rock?"

Nancy was amiable. She smiled prettily, but she was no help.

"Well! I can see that nobody's been listening much lately!" Laura said, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She felt herself losing all control. When she glanced at the clock, it was ten minutes to three. Laura felt that she was about to cry.

I'll never make it! I can't stand any more!

"Is there anyone in the class who knows the three kinds of rock?" Laura drummed her fingers nervously on her desk. The children reacted to her tension. Most of them were watching her closely, waiting for her to blow up. There were no hands in the air.