To Teach, To Learn TG AR Part 1

Teaching seventh graders for ten years was starting to wear on Jon Heger.  Every year brought a new set of wise-asses who thought they knew all the tricks.  English class was, tragically, not a necessity in a lot of these kids' minds.  The fact that students who learned English in other countries as a second language would whip the pants off American students on any composition exam was of no concern to most of Jon's students.

Amy Rindbauer was an exception.  The girl seemed to be a tortured soul, but she was a shining light in terms of academics.  Her work alone still made him feel like he was reaching someone.  As he left the school building for the evening, he made his way around the back to drop some old posters in the dumpster.  That's where he ran straight into Amy talking to some high school-aged boy and giving him money for a small plastic bag.

His face went flush with anger, and he dropped his posters as he lunged at the teenage boy.  "Get out of here, Amy!  This is not the answer!"

"No, Mr. Heger!  No!"

Jon was about to grab the boy by the shirt and rough him up, when the boy lanced out with a left jab that caught Jon by surprise.  Jon felt the blow on his cheek, and his glasses went off into the recesses behind the dumpster.  He saw Amy turning and fleeing, so he took a return swing at the boy.  He connected with the boy's stomach, but only barely.  The boy got a good grip on Jon's foot and pushed it back and up.  Jon lost his balance, and he only vaguely realized that he had clocked his head against the steel dumpster before he closed his eyes to stop the spinning, swirling mess of pain in his skull.

In the haze the followed, Jon was only aware on a subconscious level of being dragged into a car.  His mind, which had turned off from conscious thought in order to relieve itself from the trauma, was aware that he was in an older car that sounded like a eight-cylinder with a rotted exhaust system.  He had been tossed on a big vinyl bench seat, and he was aware of his body sliding back and forth as the car made turn after turn.  Jon's assailant was muttering from somewhere not too far away, and Jon's mind decided the assailant must be driving.

"Oh, forgot to tell you.  This doesn't just change your identity, Jon.  It makes you a kid again.  You're about to be an eight year old girl."  Brandon stuck the first syringe into Jon's arm and began to push the plunger.  Jon summoned his strength, reached over and grabbed a syringe from the rack.  Brandon saw the move and went to block.  In doing so, he exposed the underside of his arm to the needle in Jon's hand.  As soon as it made contact, Jon pushed the plunger as hard as he could.  Brandon ripped his arm away and then backhanded Jon across the face.

A moment later, Brandon dragged himself into view.  "Heger... goddammit... fuck... okay, we'll just get through this... and then I'll call my guy... he'll bring over the antidote... this will take a few hours... and then... wow... this stuff makes... wow... I feel so..."  Brandon's voice trailed off and he just stared at Jon.  Jon just stared at him.  They were both so weak.

Jon was having a hard time wrapping his mind around everything that had just happened. Could Brandon really have an identity-changing drug?  What happened to Amy? Did anyone see Brandon take him away?  His fiancée would be looking for him now. How long had he been here?  His car was still at the school, so the police would come looking.  Why would Amy get tangled up with Brandon Smith?  

He refocused his view on Brandon.  It took him a minute to figure out what was different. Brandon's facial hair was gone.