The crowd roars,
belting out
lyrics to
Frosty the Snowman,
starting our assembly
by trying to get
the decibel meter
to cry.
The goal of
this assembly
is to motivate
the school
to donate money
to earn
everything from
the principal
dying his hair
green and red to
inflatable
human hamster ball
fights.
Our goal
this year,
with about
3,000 students
is $9,000;
$3 per student.
I have
complete faith
we will make it.
A Mario Kart
competition
is set up
in one corner
for a dollar
per race.
Attendance issues
can be excused
for money
in another
corner.
Booths for
face painting and
snacks and
autographed photos
with the mascot
dot the track that
encircles
the bleachers
that descend into
the gym floor.
Potato sack races
begin to
take place,
followed by
the most intense
game of Pictionary
I've ever seen
played.
We have cups
in different colors
wandering around;
a color for
each grade
and one for
the teachers.
The winners
get bragging rights
and points for
the Spirit Bowl
in May.
For every goal
we hit,
a new prize
is earned.
Our most popular
history teachers
have a rap battle
to celebrate
$100.
$200 is
leg wrestling;
a math teacher
vs anyone
who will pay $2
(we use this
to earn
more money
because we're sneaky
like that).
For $300,
the janitors
best the counselors
in an 80's rock
lip sync battle.
$400 and
everyone's favorite
English teacher
sacrifices
his dreadlocks.
$500 gets
the chance to
pay to throw
a pie at
the face of
one of our
volunteered
staff members.
The painting teacher,
an admin,
a secretary,
and the psychologist
end up
dripping in
whipped cream.
As the numbers climb,
teachers eat
homemade disgusting
smoothies,
selfies posted with
#MerryAndBrightBayview
are displayed,
confetti bombs
are launched across
the gym floor,
races are won,
heads shaved,
ears are pierced
(featuring
a male teacher),
and more.
Any
ridiculous thing
we can
come up with,
we do
for the sake of
charity.
Cadence
finds me
in the middle of
blindfolded
piñata smashing.
"I'm sorry,"
She starts,
pausing so we can
cheer on
our friend who
cracks open
the llama piñata.
Everyone
in the room
leaps to their feet
and screams as
a junior
destroys the
final
piñata, sending
candy into the
bleachers.
I turn to her.
She looks
so
uncomfortable.
I don't like
that look
on her.
It's not right.
I don't tell her
it's okay
because
it's not.
Instead,
I hug her
like she
never left,
wish her
a merry Christmas,
grip her hand,
and we celebrate.
"Remember,"
I say.
"You have
the universe."
In the end,
the Seniors cream
everybody else
with our cup
donations,
the Sophomores
pry second place
from the hands of
the teachers,
and Juniors
come in pitiful,
pitiful
last.
Our principal
leaves with
multi-colored hair,
contrasting his
normal white,
and gets caught in
a flood of
selfie sticks
and overexcited
teenagers.
StudCo
leaves triumphant
with just under
$15,000.
Robby's family
will be having
a Christmas!
YOU ARE READING
Remember; You Have the Universe
Teen FictionCover by kyromaniak Everyone wants to be different. I just want to be like everybody else. ---- Seventeen-year-old chronically ill Emma has traded dreams of flying into space for, "Support Therapy," aka, "The Dying Kids Group," and Student Council...
