The Sandwich

The teacher taught subtraction.

“Twenty minus five is fifteen,” he said.

Later, they stopped for sandwiches.
He paid with a twenty.

He received twenty-five in change.
He looked at it.
Then he turned to leave.

A student tugged his sleeve.

“Twenty minus five is fifteen,” he said.

The teacher paused.

“That’s for the classroom,” he said.
“The real world is different.”

The others heard it.

On the bus, they ate.

Wrappers fell to the floor.

The teacher frowned.

“Remember the rules,” he said.

The same student looked at him.

“That’s for the classroom,” he said.
“The real world is different.”