Excerpt: My Broken Boy

“You can call me Mr. Sir.” The gym teacher was quite a joker, I thought.  Mr. Sir was the name of a character in the novel Holes. Why would he named himself after a criminal? “Yes, Mr. Sir. Does anyone understand the reference?”

I raised my hand.

“She was the only one who bother to pick up a book in 8th grade? You will have to do a lot better than that in my gym.”

“But Mr.Sir this isn’t English class.” Jacob explained. “I know in school we are here to learn but I’m an athlete and this is the only time of the day I get to enjoy myself.”

“Your first priority should always be school. Now grab a book from the shelf and start reading as you do sit ups. Fifty situps now!” We all started walking towards the wooden bookshelf in the right corner of the gym. I couldn’t believe he was going to make us read as we exercised. It didn’t sound like a bad idea to me because I didn’t enjoy gym much.

“You!” He pointed at me. “Come here!”

I walked slowly towards him, kind of dragging my feet. It was the first day of my senior year and I was already scared of my professor.

“Book and author and you get to sit out this punishment.”

“ Holes by Louis Sachar”

“Go.”