day 98 – Kid in Trouble

Everyone was lining up after recess to return to the classroom.

“The Monkees are way better than the stupid Beatles.” I emphasized placing both hands on my tiny six-year-old hips and sash swaying left to right and back, defiantly defending my stance.

“You know you have no idea what you are talking about.” Repeated my frenemy Michael Pellegrino.

I cocked my head to one side and queried “Oh, yea?”

“Yea.” He replied.

Michael was constantly opining about rock n’ roll music. He had a much older brother in twelfth grade that knew all about it.  His long black hair was parted on the side and swept over his left eye.  He repeatedly brushed his smooth, dark; straight locks away and behind his left ear.  He annoyed me to no end.

“I want complete and utter silence so I can hear a pin drop. And straighten your lines, please.” Reminded somebody’s mom who volunteered as a cafeteria aid.

Tilting my head, squinting my eyes and wrinkling my nose, I gave Michael a last sticking out of the tongue as we stepped into our same sex lines side by side.

Under his breath, Michael continued his loyalty to the Fab Four and murmured low enough so only those in closest proximity could hear – “They are real musicians, not a TV band.”

Not being able to resist, I retorted rather loudly “Well, the Monkees are cuter and funnier.”

“Little girl!” The helper mom screamed out to the crowd.  Her eyes keenly honed in and resolutely directed towards me like a sharp shooter.  Time stood still as our eyes locked.  My heart sank and my throat bobbed. “Who me?” I answered meekly, tears welling up in my eyes.

“Yes, didn’t you hear my request for complete silence?’ The authoritative voice demanded.

“Yes.” I whimpered.  But I only remember some adult voice yapping while my head was scrambling for snappy comebacks to sling at Michael P.

Within seconds I was grabbed rather harshly by the arm and taken to the principal’s office to be dealt with.  I had never gotten into trouble at school before and I pleaded all the way to the office, half dragged, to please, please understand how my parents could never, ever be informed of this.

I sat waiting on a hard wooden bench and I shivered, cried and sniffled not knowing what would happen to me next. Would they throw me out of school? Did I even do anything that wrong? What exactly happened and why was I here?  Would this be on my school record and follow me into second grade? Would I be left back? Would my teacher be notified why I wasn’t in class? What were the other children thinking or saying about me?

The principal’s secretary pulled out my emergency card from her files in her steel cabinets by the window. “Is it 269-9610?” she verified and glanced at me.  I nodded.  It had started to drizzle and it got real dark out.  She swiftly, adeptly used the back of her #2 pencil to dial my home phone number so as not to break her long rose petal pink fingernails.

Yup, this was it. My last day on earth. Oh Christ.  I was terrified! Repercussions were going to be severe I feared.

All at once I heaved and vomited all over the waiting area vinyl floor.

The secretary hung up the mustard yellow receiver in its cradle and rushed over to me and called the nurse from the inner office.  The janitor was summoned to clean my mess and I was sympathetically led into the inner confines of the nurse’s station. The staff decided to give me a warning and another chance.  I never gave anyone an opportunity or a reason to scold me again in Elementary School.

Then, I graduated to Junior High and a whole new, unforeseen set of troubles was awaiting me.

 

 

2 thoughts on “day 98 – Kid in Trouble

  1. hahaha. Remember the days? LOL. We listened to music on LP players not MP3s and music turned and spun around instead of streaming.

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