A Collection Of Short Stories

The Stethoscope

Bring your favorite toy to school day is the stupidest day ever invented; Millie thinks to herself, we’re in Junior High. Why do we need to bring our old toys to school?

Yet she sits silently and pretends to listen as Ms. Harmony explains the rule just like she had done every year prior. When it’s your turn take your toy out of the bag, blah, present it to the class, blah, tell the story behind it, blah, blah, blah!

Millie rolls her eyes at all the people that present stuffed animals. She wonders if they were scared of being judged for their real favorites or if everyone honestly loves the fake creatures. Millie finds them rather disgusting and worthless.

A girl stands and holds up a Barbie doll with bright blonde hair- just like her own. Holding the doll as if it were a lifeline, she says, “This is Angelica. My mom gave her to me when I was two years old. I’ve adored her ever since; especially after my mother passed away.”

Trying not to laugh, Millie presses her lips together. The girl, Marine, has a mother who is still very much alive. In fact, Millie happened to be at the store when they bought the doll, just last week. The rest of the class knows Marine’s mother is fine, but they’re too bored to care.

Ms. Harmony is the only one to protest. “Marine, I talked to your mother earlier…”

“It’s a miracle!” The seventh grader proclaims dramatically before returning to her seat. Ms. Harmony sighs and gestures for the next person to take their turn.

Millie is the last one to present, situated at the back of the classroom and pushed against the corner, something she considers lucky. She hates presenting first.

When it’s Millie’s turn, she stands in front of her desk and holds the bag in her hands very tightly. Everyone stares at her, waiting to see what she has. Slowly, as if to draw out the suspense, she reaches in and pulls out a plastic stethoscope. A few people scowl in disdain.

“What is that?” Marine asks with obvious disgust.

Millie smiles in reply. “It’s my favorite toy from my childhood, obviously.”

“It looks like the thing that the doctor used on me when I went in for my physical last summer,” a boy calls out from a few desks away.

Ms. Harmony clears her throat. “Class, please stay quiet so she can present. We’re almost done.”

“Okay, so unlike Marine, I wanted to bring something that is actually important to me that I’ve had for a long time,” Millie starts, making the other girl frown. “And Grayson is right; doctors use stethoscopes all the time to check your heartbeat.”

“Please get to the point, Emilie.” The teacher complains, using her full name.

Millie scowls, “Alright. When I was three and a half, my sister was diagnosed with cancer.” Some people gasp, but some scoff as if she’s lying. “She was seven and made my mom take her to the store just so she could buy me this,” she continues, ignoring her loud classmates.

“We played with this toy every day, hoping it would help her fight the cancer. I felt like I was supporting her by pretending to be her doctor. I felt as if I was actually helping her and I guess it worked, because she made it.”

“Then why does the toy matter so much to you if she’s fine?” A snotty girl asks.

Millie sighs, knowing her class won’t understand no matter what she says. She tries anyways, “Because it gave us both hope and determination which made her stronger.  There’s a part of me that believes it actually helped somehow. And because it inspired me to work hard so someday I can be a doctor and save lives.”

Millie turns around and sits back down, not caring what her classmates think. The stethoscope wasn’t about them; it was about her and family and dedication. That was something most of them wouldn’t know about.

“That was very touching Millie,” Ms. Harmony tells her.

Marine snorts and mutters, “I bet she was lying.” The teacher doesn’t hear her, but Millie does and glares at the back of her head.

Grayson leans towards Marine and whispers, “No, she wasn’t. She’s not like you.” Then he turns and winks at Millie, making her blush.

“Thank you,” she mouths back and he nods before turning forward again.

Millie clutches the bag under her desk long after presenting time is over, thinking about her sister and Grayson and Marine. And the lovely toy that she, even now, believes saved her sister.

Maybe this day isn’t so stupid, she thinks happily, maybe it’s meant to help us know who we are.

 

I don't think anyone cares, but this won me second place on a contest on another website :) Yay.