The students sat facing the teacher in their desks under the sink in the kitchen bathroom.  At least she assumed they sat at desks.  She couldn’t really see them but they were there.  The girl would talk to her students every day when she used the kitchen bathroom.  When she would come into the bathroom, class would resume, in real time.  The girl was their teacher but mainly she was designated that because she sat on a large white throne.  Shel was a little small for her throne, her legs didn’t always touch the ground.  But she did love using this bathroom.  It gave her a chance to check in on everyone and see how things were going.  

The students progressed through whatever it was they were doing.  The girl didn’t lecture.  She checked in, solved problems and sometimes had to act as arbitrator of disagreements.  What was going on with the class varied.  It was more her imagination that characterized that they were students.  That made sense to her and allowed her to assume a role of authority.  

Sometimes the girl would use the bathroom and forget about the students.  But oftentimes she remembered.  The students were so good to her.  If she remembered to meet with them, there was always plenty for the girl to address or discuss.  If she forgot, they never angered with her.  It was a nice escape for the girl to meet with the class.  

One night, the girl’’s parents went out to a party.  One of the older girls from up the street came to babysit.  This was unusual, her mom and dad went out for a longer event.  The girl knew that.  This older girl--Megan?  Maria?  Molly?  Mary?--was a little older than the girl’s brother.  She had dark hair, fair skin and lots of freckles.  She was near the age of the girl’s brother, maybe a year or so older.  The girl’s brother wasn’t really the best at babysitting.  Even though the girl was younger, she often babysat her brother.  Playing paper knights, watching Monty Python or the Goonies late at night were ways they occupied themselves when their parents went out.  This night, the girl’s parents must have been out late because they had that older girl come over to babysit.

The kids had all eaten dinner and watched TV that night.  The girl went to use the bathroom and when she went in, she checked on her class.  She was busy talking with everyone when she heard giggling.  She looked up and saw that the babysitter and the girl’s brother were laughing at her.  They could see her because the girl’s brother had opened the shutters in the bathroom window.  They could stand on the couch on the porch and see the girl.  They were laughing at her.  The girl was embarrassed and hurt.  She looked down to get comfort from her friends but they were gone.  They never came back again and the girl was crushed.  The babysitter and the brother laughed and laughed at the girl that night.  The girl was pretty sure that her brother knew later how mean this was but she never said anything.  It didn’t matter anyways.  Her friends were gone.