This is part three. Enjoy!
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An angry squint and a hand movement showed her to follow the assistant teacher back into the building.
"Katie?"
A voice from behind drove itself into her ears. She sat, staring at the wall through her tears, pretending not to hear it.
"Katie."
"Miss Wheeler."
She was in trouble. It was Miss Blue, berating her. But she wasn't going to turn around.
The tall, commanding woman came around to face her, sitting in her work desk.
"Katie?"
She turned to look at the wall beside her, studying the framed diplomas, her arms crossed tightly on her chest.
"Listen to me."
Miss Blue cleared her throat in an awkward way that made Katie jump.
Now she was finally facing forwards.
"Katie, Ms. Mcormick said you didn't pass your homework in today."
Katie Wheeler nodded slowly, a moan rising from her windpipe. She felt as fatigued as the noise sounded.
"I was doing it at recess!" wailed the girl in frustration. Hot tears of anger and misery began to seep from her eyes.
"Why did you do this? Hmm?" queried the teacher with a demanding look. She dropped the math paper in Katie's lap.
"I-I," stuttered the girl.
"Well? What does it say, Katie? Read it," Miss Blue commanded sharply.
Katie sat, staring at the paper, her lips closed tightly. She would say nothing. Nothing. Because she already knew nothing was the right answer.
"I also noticed you weren't on the right page of you reading book this morning. Nor were you paying attention last week when we did the hands-on science experiment. Or during math. You didn't even open your book."
Katie turned away again, this time looking at the floor and her sneakers, dreading what was to come.
Why did Ms. Blue have to do this to her?
"Katie, you know there was no need to do that!" Miss Blue.
Still, she didn't answer.
"Since you apparently know that no answer is the right one, I'll give you one. You are going to write sentences--'I must stay on task at all times'--a hundred times. Now go to your seat and pull out your math workbook. The class will be inside at any moment."
.................
Katie could scarcely believe her ears. Sentences were for people like Billy Jones who skipped class in the bathroom, or Morsella Barnes who took things from the kindtergardeners. She hadn't done anything to anyone. Why did she have to write when the rest of the kids had snack time? It didn't make sense.
She stared longingly at Emilina's popsicle, and then at her own pencil and paper, which so far read, "I will stay o". Nor did she intend it to read any further. It was so unfair, she felt a growing desire to simply rid herself of the paper on which she was to write the sentences. Making a substantial hole in one corner gave such spiteful satisfaction.
..............
On bus ride home, she sat, reading her library book, now in the second chapter, listening to the words as they leapt off the page and into her mind. A big shark swam here and there, its silver skin reflecting sunlight and sand. A little fish darted in and out of its teeth, eating the leftovers of its last meal. She was so interested in her book, she had lost all track of time. She didn't even notice when the bus pulled up at the stop for her neighborhood.
"Hey, Katie! Ain't this yo stop?" called a voice from the very back. Hector.
"What-oh!" screeched the ten-year-old, jumping up and running down the aisle to the exit.
...................
"Hi, Kates," said her mother, standing at the sink doing dishes as Katie walked in.
"Hi, mom."
"Love you, Katie," Mrs. Wheeler said softly, then added "Hey, only one hour of TV. Then it's homework time."
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feedback is welcome.
