always heard. After we had all found chairs, those who hadnot sitting on the floor, the room quieted down and we all knew something was about tohappen. Mr. Atkinson greeted us with his usual easily relatable anecdote. The crowdseemed to settle slightly, as if some energy had been lost when we saw that this new,exciting lesson was going to begin just as all the two-plus-two, preamble to theConstitution speeches had before it. But this lesson was more interactive. All throughout the first few minutes of our meeting hands shot up fast and sometimes naive, sometimescompletely misinformed questions were launched at the three male teachers at the front ofthe class. Sometimes the answers incited giggles, while other times they induced debate,even looks of pure astonishment.After we had covered the basics of the human anatomy, which happened slowlybut sped up when we were given a glimpse of what was to come, we moved on to some ofthe even hotter topics among the boys on the playground, relationships and sex. It startedout fine, but I was in for a surprise. As the details of the lesson became clearer, I found mystomach feeling somewhat unsettled. I pictured in my mind all the things that the teacherswere saying, and it was really disgusting to me. The strange feeling in my stomach grewmore intense, and before I knew it I was queasy. It didn’t end there, because soon myhead began to swim, and my vision was fading in and out. I was scared not knowing whatwas happening to me, so in panic I stood up weakly and slid my feet one in front of theother until I was at the front of the room. I vaguely remember trying to tell Mr. Atkinsonthat I didn’t feel good, but before I knew it I was falling to the ground. Luckily the teacher caught me, and through eyewitness accounts that have beenrelated back to me more times than I like to think about I’m told he carried me to thenurse’s office, where I regained consciousness on a small bed...
