"Curiosity Almost Killed the Cat"

I made myself look stupid....twice

"Good Morning Grimm Wood High! This is your Principal Mr. Thomas speaking to you on this wonderful Wednesday morning! Let's jump right in and congratulate the boys' tennis team on that outstanding victory yesterday, good job girls. And let's not forget the girls' basketball team. Even though they lose by four points, they really got out there and gave it their all! You know who else gave it their all, the Mathletes! Taking home, the trophy yet again after a very compelling competition. Don't forget that the annual Winter's Ball is right around the corner, so make sure that you find that perfect date and that perfect dress ladies! Gentlemen this is really your time to go all out for that very special someone! Keep up the good work everybody and have a fantastic rest of your day!"

There few a few clicks and what sounded like the struggling of hanging up the phone. This got a few giggles out of the class causing Mr. Kendal, my English teacher, to have to quiet the class back down and continue with the lesson that he started before he was so rudely interrupted, he tells us every day after the announcements go off, by the constant reminder that sports are more important that academics (Also his words. The very words he used to get Mr. Thomas to include non-sport activities in the announcements).

The morning was slow and abnormally warm for October. Mr. Kendal has decided that the topic of choice is: Why being an author should be a government job. This topic is particularly one of his favorites because he in fact was an author. The book was titled "And That's How She Got Away" and it was supposed to be a timeless best-selling romance novel. Instead, no one bought a single copy and they haunt his dreams every night. Out of pity, I offered to buy a copy. He gave it to me for free and then added fifty-point extra credit onto my overall grade first semester. I ended with hundred and twenty percent in this class.

"Hey, you totally should have been acknowledged for that essay you wrote about the horrible working conditions for the cafeteria ladies. Didn't it win like three awards?" my friend Michael whispers over to me while our in-denial teacher, lectures us on about how without authors, the whole foundation of the United States would crumble.

"Four actually, they had to do a recount three times and then took a ten-minute recess to argue over it some more." I whisper back. "I mean, the other guy had a really good essay on the absence of parents in a child's life. He actually moved out of his house to get a better understanding."

"Yeah but didn't you work with the lunch ladies for a month?"

"Yeah..." I think back shivering, remembering the experience, "Four literary awards were not worth what I had to go though in all honesty. One never truly gets the smell of mashed potatoes off them."

"Fair enough," Michael smiled, pushing up his glasses. "So... are you going to the Winter's Ball?" I almost cringed at the awkwardness in his voice.

"Michael, I told you for the past three months that I am not going to prom. I have more important things to do than worry about if my dress matches my shoes or if my lipstick goes with my purse," I exclaimed while taking my notebook out of my backpack and opening to a new page. I knew that he woke up every morning hoping that one of these days I would say yes. His crush on me was painfully obvious to everyone except him. He is my best friend though, so I entertain his little hopes and dreams and play along.

"Yeah I know," he looks down, "I just figured maybe you'd put down the converse for some heels for one night." He tried to sound like he was joking but there was clear disappointment in his voice. Maybe tomorrow.

"And you see class, in reality an author's mind is more valuable than anything they have in their secret vaults and--" Mr. Kendal rambled on. To the right of him the door clicked open and in sauntered a brown-haired girl holding two coffee cups. She walked in as if she hadn't missed the first twenty minutes of class. Not like she missed much but still, its the thought that counts. The teacher didn't give her a second thought as he continued with his lecture. This was by far not the first time she had been late and was not going to be the last. They had come to an understanding; if she brought him coffee every day, she wouldn't have to serve detentions for her tardiness for his class. The rest of her teachers made fairly similar deals. I am still constantly impressed on how often she was able to get out of trouble and still be absolutely nothing.