The bell rings, and everyone rushes to sit down before they’re marked tardy. Chatter dies as 50 minutes of instruction begins. Twenty minutes in, the looks of boredom set in on the faces of students.
A hand reaches into the pocket and takes me out. Honestly, I’d take myself out too. This lecture sounds terribly educational; I’m sure I’m much more entertaining! A scroll here, a scroll there — I can’t hurt my human’s education. It’s called multitasking, am I right?
Not even three minutes later, I feel two pairs of eyes on me. Oh no. No, this can’t be happening; the teacher is giving me a dirty look and is storming over towards me. Oh gosh, where am I going? I’m being lifted up and away. Maybe I’m going to my charger, that would be nice; I’m running out of juice anyways. Ouch! Nope, I’m dropped into a hanging confinement pocket on the wall.
I can see my human across the room through the little mesh holes of the pouch I’m sitting in. My human is sitting there, actually working. What? You mean to say my human actually has to learn now?
Does my human miss me? Do they still care about me? Can they even breathe without me?! Once in a while, I’ll see my human take a quick glance in my direction, with eyes longing just to tenderly cradle me again. To take a few snaps or scroll a finger along me.
I start buzzing. Missed call from mom, and another, and another. What in the world does she want?! Boy, she’s not letting up, it must be important if she keeps ringing. Too bad she won’t get through… it’s not my fault that I’m so far away from her child!
Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, texts, basketball scores, weekend plans: My human is missing too many notifications. Ouch, Powerschool got some new grades put in; a C- on that last physics test?
This is too much to handle now. Am I allowed to be taken away? Aren’t I my human’s phone? Yes, maybe I should have stayed in the backpack, but ultimately my human is hurting their own education by not paying attention to the class.
Suddenly a loud bell sounds once more — finally the class is over! I’m taken from my imprisonment, and my human runs out of the class before the teacher can say anything. Five minutes of freedom. Five minutes to respond to mom, check social media, make weekend plans, cry because of the physics test and enjoy my presence while I’m still here.
After five minutes, I’m put back into the pocket as the next class is about to start. Occasionally I’ll get a little pat to make sure that I haven’t fallen out and that I’m still there, but other than that, I’m kept in the darkness for the entire 50-minute period. We don’t want a repeat of me being a prisoner in jail again — what a terrible experience that was!
