"Amelia Sheppard, it's only second period, are you trying to set a new record for how quickly you can be sent to the principal's office?" Mr. Gerritt's secretary inquired.
"Just send her in, please, Ms. Markwell'" Mr. Gerritt called from his office.
Amelia entered the principal's office as she did at least once a week for the past three years. She shut the door behind her and sat in her usual seat across from Mr. Gerritt.
"What brings you to my office today, Ms. Sheppard?" Mr. Gerritt had already spoken with most of Amelia's teachers about her behavior, but Ms. Ferrera hadn't sent a student to the principal's office in nearly a decade. He knew something major must have transpired.
"Nothing! I'm innocent! I was in my seat, sleeping peacefully, when Zak Locke started poking me. So I turned around in my seat and poked him back. Then Ms. Ferrera said I needed to come here, even though Zak poked me first. He's the one who should be in here, not me!"
"You know Ms. Ferrera hates students sleeping in her class, Amelia. Just because she hasn't sent you here before doesn't mean you can use her class for nap-time."
"Did I say sleeping? I meant sitting. Yep, I was just sitting and he poked me."
"Okay. And after he poked you?"
"Like I said, I poked him back. That's all!"
"Okay, Amelia. And if I ask Zak and Ms. Ferrera, they would say the same?"
"Of course not! They'd probably say he didn't do anything and I punched him, just to get me in trouble."
"Amelia, if you kept your hands to yourself, I'm sure we could avoid these misunderstandings. For now, wait with Ms. Markwell. I'll need to speak with Ms. Ferrera and Zak, then we will see what appropriate disciplinary action will be."
"Fine. Whatever. It's not like I'm ever going to need to know about buoyancy, anyway," Amelia said as she found a seat in the secretary's office.
And so Amelia sat, thinking about why she was really in trouble. She had been sitting near the back of the class, paying attention to the lesson on buoyancy. Ms. Ferrera said they'd even have a project to see what made things float. Amy always loved projects, it was great to be able to work directly with what you were learning, instead of just hearing about it.
But Ms. Ferrera had a very strict rule. Under no circumstance was sleeping acceptable in her class. Projects were cancelled, discussions became lectures, and everyone had a bad time if she even saw a student with their head down.
So when Amy saw Zak sleeping, she had poked him to wake him up. It was never that simple, though.
"Keep your hands off me, Airhead Amy. I don't want to catch any of your ugliness germs."
Amy tried to swallow her pride and just ignore the insult. She was normally called worse, anyway. But Zak's head was returning to his desk, and that would mean no project. Amelia lost control of her temper, and Zak would probably have a bruise on his chin to show for it.
So Amy sat, twiddling her thumbs and letting her mind wander. It was a slow day in Ms. Markwell's office, barely any phone calls or students. A few parents called in regarding their children and absences, but most probably had before second period.
So when a call got Ms. Markwell's face to go pale and then she ran into Mr. Gerritt's office, Amy took note. And when Mr. Gerritt raced out of his office yelling for Amy to go directly to the gym, "No ifs, ands, or buts," Amy showed a willingness to follow the instructions with a blur of motion no longer hindered by the school rule of "no running."
"Everyone please report to the first floor gymnasium for a special school spirit meeting," boomed Ms. Markwell over the P.A. system.
Amy burst through the doors, trying to catch her breath. The other students already in the gym looked at Airhead Amy with their usual demeanor of disgust.
Amy's eyes sank to the floor, and she made her way to the bleachers. First row, right along the edge, so she wouldn't bother too many other people.
The vice principal came in and started speaking. More students filtered in while he spoke. Soon the bleachers were full, they weren't intended for the entire student body. Normally the faculty set up chairs for these events, but there were no chairs. Despite how they wanted it to seem to keep the students calm, this wasn't planned. Teachers stood on the sides counting students, making sure nobody was missing.
Then, when the flow of students seemed to be ending, yet before they had found seats on the floor, the room imploded. The roof came down, the walls buckled. Then the bleachers collapsed and sank.
Until that moment, Amy hadn't even suspected that the school had a basement. Now she and four other students were stuck in it.
One light was still flickering in the underground hallway, the rest were probably broken. Amy looked up, but the rubble and broken bleachers blocked the way back.
Amy tried to stand, but she could only find support on one leg. She fell back onto the cold cement, gasping at the pain in her left leg. It felt broken, like when she was in first grade and got punished for letting the dog out. The dog ran away, so only Amelia was there for her mother to punish.
She looked for something to use as a brace, or at least as a crutch, but her eyes were drawn to the other students, instead: Tabitha Almond, one of the girls all the boys noticed, had her arms around her knees, her pink skirt more immodest than usual.
As usual, I enjoyed reading it. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete