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The First Day of School
Riya Laddha
It was the night before the first day of school. Slowly, I brushed my teeth trying not to think about the day ahead. For a lot of people, it was a night where they could barely sleep, they were so excited to meet their friends and get to know their teacher. But "most people" did NOT include me. I was nervous. Really, extremely, nervous.
I know most of you are thinking that there was not a reason to be nervous, I was acting childish, there was nothing to be afraid of. But there is. All my life, it seems my teachers pay more attention to me than everyone else. I can see it. Out of the corners of their eyes, staring at me suspiciously as if they know a secret about me that I don't.
My name is Olivia, and I have a normal life. Mostly. (does having a little brother who sticks baby carrots up his nose count as normal?) So, as I pull my blanket up to my chin, I try to be normal and look forward to tomorrow.
"My teacher will be really nice, and I'll make a lot of friends, and everyone will like me and vote for me as class representative and I'll have the best year ever." I whisper positive things to myself until black wave of sleep claims me.
I wake up and the morning flies by in a blur of getting ready for school and my brother shoving his breakfast-stained fingers into his nose.
Gross, I think Sometimes I wish I had not begged Mom for a sibling. It
definitely wasn't worth the trouble.
Again time flew in blur, like the wings of the butterflies in my stomach.
The clock ticked and ticked until I found myself in a classroom, and the teacher at the front of the room talking.
"Good morning! I just wanted to tell you how excited I am...yada yada...blah blah blaaaah."
That was all I heard. She didn't even side-eye me creepily the way all my previous teachers did. The butterflies in my stomach were gone. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad! Anyway, I was having a pretty good time, looking at the slideshow of our teacher's "All About Me" assignment she was modeling as our first assignment of the year.
Then the announcements came on. The next 10 seconds of pure announcement would change the rest of the school year forever. Or so I thought.
" Olivia. Calling Olivia in Mrs. Applegarth's classroom to Mr.
Hawthorne, the principal's office. Calling Olivia."
I froze. The whole class turned their heads toward me. Everything seemed in slow motion. Slowly, I walked out of the classroom. Slowly, I trudged to the principal's office. Slowly, I opened the office door. Slowly, extremely slowly, I looked at the lady sitting on the desk for instructions. I knew I hadn't done anything. At least I thought I hadn't. A knot in my stomach began to form. I felt like throwing up.
"Take a seat, dear. I'm sure the principal will be in here shortly. The lady's perfectly red-painted lips smiled at me. As if on cue, a tall, red faced man with huge, clumsy hands, strode in as if he was a police officer who had just caught a bank robber.
" Come in- Olivia. Take a seat. He led me to the chair like a mad dog owner leading a bad dog to the pound. It was almost like the office was a pound. A student pound.
" SO. I KNOW EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. YOUR PAST SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, EVERYTHING.YOU.DID."
"Um...uh...?"I didn't know what to say. I wish I could fly out of the room back to my bed. Suddenly, the principal slammed his fist on the table.
"GIVE IT TO ME." He boomed furiously.
"Give what?" I squeaked. As soon as I thought he was going to banish me to a dark forest at the corner of the world, he said," so? Where is it?»
Then I thought of something. _
"It's over there, Mr. Hawthorne." I said, as calmly as I could, which was NOT very calm. As soon as the principal turned his head to where I gestured, I RAN. I ran like my life depended on it, -which it probably did. I ran all the way back home, but as soon as I was going to open the door, everything blurred-then froze.
I know most of you are thinking that there was not a reason to be nervous, I was acting childish, there was nothing to be afraid of. But there is. All my life, it seems my teachers pay more attention to me than everyone else. I can see it. Out of the corners of their eyes, staring at me suspiciously as if they know a secret about me that I don't.
My name is Olivia, and I have a normal life. Mostly. (does having a little brother who sticks baby carrots up his nose count as normal?) So, as I pull my blanket up to my chin, I try to be normal and look forward to tomorrow.
"My teacher will be really nice, and I'll make a lot of friends, and everyone will like me and vote for me as class representative and I'll have the best year ever." I whisper positive things to myself until black wave of sleep claims me.
I wake up and the morning flies by in a blur of getting ready for school and my brother shoving his breakfast-stained fingers into his nose.
Gross, I think Sometimes I wish I had not begged Mom for a sibling. It
definitely wasn't worth the trouble.
Again time flew in blur, like the wings of the butterflies in my stomach.
The clock ticked and ticked until I found myself in a classroom, and the teacher at the front of the room talking.
"Good morning! I just wanted to tell you how excited I am...yada yada...blah blah blaaaah."
That was all I heard. She didn't even side-eye me creepily the way all my previous teachers did. The butterflies in my stomach were gone. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad! Anyway, I was having a pretty good time, looking at the slideshow of our teacher's "All About Me" assignment she was modeling as our first assignment of the year.
Then the announcements came on. The next 10 seconds of pure announcement would change the rest of the school year forever. Or so I thought.
" Olivia. Calling Olivia in Mrs. Applegarth's classroom to Mr.
Hawthorne, the principal's office. Calling Olivia."
I froze. The whole class turned their heads toward me. Everything seemed in slow motion. Slowly, I walked out of the classroom. Slowly, I trudged to the principal's office. Slowly, I opened the office door. Slowly, extremely slowly, I looked at the lady sitting on the desk for instructions. I knew I hadn't done anything. At least I thought I hadn't. A knot in my stomach began to form. I felt like throwing up.
"Take a seat, dear. I'm sure the principal will be in here shortly. The lady's perfectly red-painted lips smiled at me. As if on cue, a tall, red faced man with huge, clumsy hands, strode in as if he was a police officer who had just caught a bank robber.
" Come in- Olivia. Take a seat. He led me to the chair like a mad dog owner leading a bad dog to the pound. It was almost like the office was a pound. A student pound.
" SO. I KNOW EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. YOUR PAST SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, EVERYTHING.YOU.DID."
"Um...uh...?"I didn't know what to say. I wish I could fly out of the room back to my bed. Suddenly, the principal slammed his fist on the table.
"GIVE IT TO ME." He boomed furiously.
"Give what?" I squeaked. As soon as I thought he was going to banish me to a dark forest at the corner of the world, he said," so? Where is it?»
Then I thought of something. _
"It's over there, Mr. Hawthorne." I said, as calmly as I could, which was NOT very calm. As soon as the principal turned his head to where I gestured, I RAN. I ran like my life depended on it, -which it probably did. I ran all the way back home, but as soon as I was going to open the door, everything blurred-then froze.
I blinked open my eyes as sunlight flooded through the window. It took me a moment to realize that I was in bed- then smoosh my face in my pillow. HOW? How had it been possible? How was all that principal drama and nice teacher playact all a DREAM?
Quickly, I logged into my computer and sighed with relief as I found that my teacher's name was Ms. Matthews, and the principal's name was Mrs. Thatcher. Phew! A second later, my wake up alarm rang. It was time to get ready for school. Sigh. At least school couldn't be as bad as my dream... or could it?
THE END
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