Needy and Obnoxious
I was dealing with the neediest and most obnoxious student for the thousandth time after school. She would sneak into programs that her parents didn’t pay for after school hours, and I was in the middle of booting her off the campus when she protested.
She started trying to rationalize, then beg, then tried and manipulated her way into staying. The rules were clear and I had no problem enforcing them. As she turned away to leave in a huff, she called me a name in a not so quiet voice.
I, without thinking and almost reflexively, acted on instinct: I gave her the finger. She spun back around—I can only assume to see my reaction to her comment—only to see my finger straight up at her.
She giggled and walked off and I sat in my classroom. I thought hard about stress and how to let it affect me less. Story credit: Reddit / FUNwithaCH