The moment we've all been waiting for

So you know those super cheesy "inspiring" teaching movies about teachers who go into a classroom full of hoodlums and after some standing on desks or ballroom dancing or musical training, suddenly every student is this passionate, intelligent, functional member of society?

I hate those movies, FYI. But my mom's a teacher, so I've seen a LOT of them. And every single teacher in those movies always talks about this big MOMENT where something finally clicked for one of their problem kids, and that's when it all became worth it for them.

Well, I'm a substitute teacher. So, I don't see kids long enough to really affect them, or inspire them, or have fabulous silver screen moments with them. In fact, if anyone ever televised any of my moments in the classroom, I think it would produce some pretty boring footage, since some days it feels like I'm repeating the same line over and over again. And the line is usually, "Excuse me, why is there STILL talking in this classroom?"

But today, I had my moment. And it doesn't make any sense. When the bell FINALLY rang, and the classroom started emptying, I felt the tightest little hug around my waist. I looked down, and looking back up at me was by far my WORST student ever. I mean this kid LICKED his own desk to get out of doing work. I had to take his water bottle away because he was somehow shooting water out of his nose at people. I had to threaten to send him to the office when he refused to do the assignment I gave him, because he said his regular teacher NEVER makes him do boring work. And this kid was hugging me at the end of the day? He said "Goodbye Miss Miller! I hope you come back and sub for us again, because I like you!"

Naturally, my first instinct was to check my back for the "kick me" sign or whatever other trick he had up his sleeve. But there wasn't anything there. The kid genuinely LIKED me. And damn it, I liked him too! Lord only knows why, but it's the kids like that who make the measly pay and sore throat worth it at the end of the day. Because if nothing else, there's ALWAYS a good story.