Have you ever been absent from school for a period of days? If so, you know how hard it is to get back into the school routine. However, nothing could compare to what happened to me the last time I returned from a week's absence.

I walked into homeroom not knowing what to expect. The other students in the room were busy returning report cards. The teacher did not want to give me mine so I sat trying to figure out the best way to make up all the homework I knew I would have.

First period ‑ a speech class. I had just set my books down when the teacher said, "You can set up your presentation now.,,

"What presentation? Oh, That one."

My language teacher took a more liberal view of my absence.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Am I actually seeing the person I think I'm seeing?"

"No, I'm just a figment of your imagination."

A classmate muttered, "I wasn't aware the clone had an imagination," to me.

During gym class the teacher called me over.

"You've been absent a lot lately."

"I know."

"You were gone all last week."

"Yeah, I was sick."

"And the two days before that."

"I was in school."

"You were absent."

"I was here."

"You weren't in this class."

"I know that."

"Well, where were you?"

"I was at a demonstration."

"Well, I'll believe you ‑ this time."

Lunch was a whole new experience. I put my books down where I usually sat and went off to get some food. When I returned, my things were spread over half of the cafeteria, and a group of freshmen had possessed my table. While I collected my possessions, I discovered that the ex‑friend I used to eat with decided to eat with her other friends for the rest of the semester. I ended up asking half a table to move down so I could sit with another pal.

My English teacher was the happiest to see me ‑ every few minutes she kept returning to my seat. Unfortunately, it was not to inquire after my health. It was to give me another handout.

"Let's see, you didn't get this story or these vocabulary words. You don't have to take the test on Poe tomorrow, but I expect you to do the in‑class paragraph on Wednesday. I'll put the test in the library, but don't forget to make it up within six weeks or it will be an automatic F. You need these, too."

I had 20 pages worth of handouts by the time I left English.

To make a long story short, by the end of the day I was pretty disgusted. I had three quizzes and a major test to make up in one class, a few short stories to read for another class, and ended up coming in before school for extra help (which I didn't need). The return to school is worse than the illness.