Connor & Friends

Connor, Get Sharp: Chapter 1

I sat in my pencil nook, on a brown desk that smelled like metal. I was waiting impatiently for my kid. All pencils have kids. Or grown-ups. Either that or they're still in a box, in a store, waiting to be bought - Oops, I haven't introduced myself! Hi, my name is Connor and I am a pencil. That's about it, except that I live in a classroom in Brookdale Elementary, and one of my greatest wishes is to learn my kid's name. I think it's Joe or something, but I'm not sure. Let me tell you my story about - well, you'll see!

Suddenly, the wooden door to the classroom opened, and the teacher walked in. I didn't know her name either, but most of the kids called her Mrs. G. Mrs. G sat down at her desk at the front of the classroom and unpacked her stuff, including a couple rainbow-colored notebooks and a few 'Brookdale Elementary!' pencils. Then, I heard the stomping of feet. Lots and lots of 8 year old feet. The classroom door opened and banged against the wall and kids flooded into the classroom, racing to their desks to unpack.

"You're walking too quickly, children, please slow down," Mrs. G called out. The few kids who were left walked in calmly, including Joe. He always smells like lavender. He sat down, got out his stuff, and then, unexpectedly, he frowned at me! I was suddenly terrified. What was wrong? Then, Mrs. G addressed the class, "Please sharpen your pencils and then we will begin class."

"Yes, Mrs. G!" The class chorused together. Joe picked me up, but not to write with me. He walked over to a monster looking machine. What is that? I thought. It was black and gray, and it had a circle with holes. It smelled like Joe's metal desk, and a little bit like. . .me?

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" I screamed, but only Joe could hear me, because I am his pencil.

"I-w-what?" he stammered. "Who said that?" He looked around the classroom, where kids were bustling around, trying to do their homework from last night in class.

New thing I learned there - I guess it's not normal for pencils to talk! Anyway, back to the story.

"I said that, thank you very much!" I said, annoyed. He looked quizzically at me. "What, you've never heard a pencil talk before?" I said impatiently.

"Well, no!" he said to me, surprised. "I'm, uh, Joseph, but you can call me, um, Joe."

"Whatever, I'm Connor, but that's besides the point!" I said, getting more annoyed every minute. "Why would you bring me to this monstrous machine?"

"Um, to get you sharpened?" he asked, but Mrs. G interrupted him.

"Joseph, please take a seat." she said sternly.

"Sorry, Mrs. G," he said quietly. I was starting to notice what a quiet kid he was. He brought me to his desk and put me in my pencil nook. Then he sat down and got out another pencil.

"Hi, i'm Mary. I guess this big fella doesn't like you any more!" the pencil he got out sang to me. I wished he would get out a different one.

"He likes me!" I insisted, but I really wasn't sure anymore.

I listened to Mrs. G drone on and on about things like social studies, reading, and finally, writing! I watched, heartbroken, as Joe used Mary to write, instead of me! I sighed, forgetting that Joe could hear me. He glanced at me, but then got called up to the front of the class to read the story he wrote. I smiled when his story turned out to be about a talking pencil. When he was done, everyone clapped politely, but some people clapped for real.

"Great job, Joseph, you may take a seat." Mrs. G smiled. Joe smiled back and then sat down like she said. Soon, it was lunch time.

"I promise it won't hurt," Joseph said as the class left for lunch.

"What?" I asked, confused. I had forgotten about my encounter with the pencil sharpener. But then I remembered. "But it sounds scary!" I wailed.

"You've done it before, I mean, you started out unsharpened!" he said.

"Well, I don't remember!" I insisted. I actually didn't. Joe sighed.

"I'll be back from lunch soon, Conner and other-pencil-who-I-don't-know-their-name-yet," he said and walked out the door. "Assuming you can talk, too," he added.

"It's Mary!" Mary called after him, but Joseph was already gone.