Crumbling Politics

(My politics class has only four students. I am the only person, including the teacher, who is consistently on time for the lesson. We’re studying American politics, and through an incredible coincidence, our last lesson of the year is on the 4th of July. I am sitting alone in the room when the teacher walks in, holding a plate of cookies.)

Me: “Hi, sir. Are those cookies?”

Teacher: “I said we were going to celebrate the Fourth of July, didn’t I?”

(He puts the cookies down. I grab one.)

Teacher: “Where are the others?”

Me: “No idea.”

Teacher: “Go look for them, will you?”

(I leave the room, cookie in hand. It doesn’t take long for me to find one of my classmates.)

Me: “Hey, [Classmate #1]! Sir’s looking for you.”

Classmate #1: “Where did you get that cookie?!”

Me: “Fourth of July party!”

Classmate #1: “What?!”

(She pulls out her phone and texts the other two, telling them to get to the lesson. We walk to the lesson and she takes a cookie. Not long afterwards, the other two students walk in.)

Classmate #2: “We thought you were joking, [Classmate #1]!”

(They each grab cookies and sit down. The teacher then checks the clock. We’re all earlier than we usually are.)

Teacher: “I need to bring cookies to the lesson more often.”