My hands turned clammy my fingers shaking. They all stared at me waiting for me to present. My feet wobbled like I was on a trampoline and my voice lighter than ever.
I had trouble speaking up. The kids looked around at each other some smiling, others completely bored and uninterested. What was I doing here in front of them all?
I was completely flustered scared out of my witts, my sarcasm, my body, and soul, it all just seemed to disappear.
I stared at them totally
un-composed, twiddling on my feet in the front of the room. Mustering out any facts I could remember on a project I did a week ago.
My throat constricted the urge to vomit coming on. I stared helplessly at my teacher. Would she just sit there like baboon? Judging me on my every word, but incapable to realize I was seconds away from coughing back up my lunch.
I stood there still, silently mumbling the tiniest of words until they were inaudible. Breathing out a sigh when she said I was finished.
I wasn't expecting applause not did I need it, but it would've made me feel tons better. It would've made me realize that every thing I said every embarrassing move I made they didn't take notice too.
And even realized they might've felt like that themselves at one point. But I got nothing as I marched back to my seat. Sitting down like the fallen soldier I was.
My head down for the rest of the time. I felt horrible. But didn't we all make mistakes?
I was too stupefied by the commonly forgotten fact. Too stupid too realize my own mistake.
The mistake that we all just make mistakes in life and that's ok. It's not inhuman it doesn't make you any different it just makes you a person.
A living breathing person. I put my head back up, looking at the next person present and the next.
The applause reached it maximum for them obviously because of there popularity rather than there poorly done projects.
Even the teacher applauded when it was done in a day instead of a full week like some of us.
I didn't though, they didn't deserve as much applause as they got. The courage and cockiness they emitted had filled the room to the point I saw a kid crack the window open to make the room more spacious.
But when the final person came up it was a girl that walked calmly to the front of the room. I hadn't noticed her in the class before. Her moves, her awkward hand gestures and all, just reminded me of when I was up there not even 20 minutes ago.
She stood there after a couple minutes shaking like a cold puppy. Looking seconds away from bursting into tears.
She was just as scared. For making a fool of herself. For making mistakes. But I just stood up and applauded her.
Even when the rest of the room was dead silent.
And I swore I saw the tiniest smileon her face when she walked back to her seat.
