Eric is mouthing off about Mr. Woods’ sweaty armpit stains or his greasy hair or his fat arms winding up during his lectures about government but right now one arm shoots out and grabs Eric by the throat pushing him back so Eric’s face is skyward like some painting of a saint awed by God but his feet are dangling from the tilting chair with that fist stiff around his throat and Mr. Woods’ blue vein pulsing on one side of his head and the whole class gasps and we can’t hear what Woods spits out to Eric or Eric whispers back his eyes down until Woods finally lets his throat go lets all our throats go