The Golden Scarab

A Surprise Haircut

I remember a time when my biggest problems were acne and my voice changing. It all started right after my half birthday.

"Ethan get up! You're thirteen and a half. I thought you said you were going to wake up early." My mom yelled. I started to open my eyes. I stretched and started to get out of my bed. My bedroom was small with bright blue walls and a fuzzy gray carpet. On the left was a small bookshelf with a pile of laundry by it. In front of me was my desk with last night's math homework still on it. I closed my window next to my bed and started to head into the living room. It was about twice the size of my bedroom with a black couch on one end and a T.V on the other. I saw my mom in the kitchen cooking scrambled eggs for breakfast.

"Morning mom." I yawned as I walked up to the table. "It about time you woke up." My mom said as she slid me a plate of scrambled eggs. My mom was Clara Velt, the best mother in the world. Ever since my dad died she had to work two jobs and still had time to cook me breakfast and dinner. " Do you have everything you need for your field trip today?" She asked. I spit out half-eaten eggs. I had totally forgotten. I rushed back upstairs to grab my ancient Egypt textbook.

Last year my teacher Mrs. Yoo retired after her husband found the lost mummy of Cleopatra. They put it on display at the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art. So the school arranged a field trip to check out her mummy. I had to pack up my backpack really fast if I wanted to get on the bus on time. I stuffed my bag and jumped out of my bedroom window onto the fire escape. The New York skylight in the dawn looked amazing in the morning light, too bad I had to leave. I slid down an old pipe all the way to the bottom. I rushed across the streets and avoided the rogue cars. When I finally made it to school they were just taking role call before entering the bus. I scooted right next to my best friend Alex Pitt.

He and I had been best friends since fifth grade. I don't think we did anything where it didn't include a two man job just so we could hangout. We basically shared everything and all our secrets. "Ethan Velt!" My teacher Mrs. Husk yelled. "HERE!"I replied. We started to climb into the yellow school bus. Me and Alex sat together near the back. I looked back and saw Sophie Duds sticking her tongue at me and Alex so naturally we stuck our own tongues at her. As I was turning back I saw something sticking out of Alex's dark brown curly hair. "Turn around." I said. "Why?" He questioned. "Just do it" I ordered him.

I started picking through his curls until I found a clump of bright pink gum stuck in his hair. "How did this get here?" I asked him. "Well," he started "I saw Sophie trying to spit gum at you so I stopped it with my head." I smiled as I got my scissors out of my bag. "You're the best friend." I said as I started to cut his hair. "I'm your only friend, dude." He replied. By the time we reached the museum he had a little patch where you could see his tan fade into his scalp. I ruffled through his hair so it all looked even.

We parked near the front and started to leave the bus. Me and Alex were the last ones to get off but we didn't mind it much. I looked up and saw the top of the building. It still looked as tall as the time my dad took me. Most of the class was already near the entrance. We ran up to catch up with them. I held my breath as I reached the doors. I remembered my dad taking me to work inside and told me all about dinosaurs and all the other facts he knew about ancient history. I let out a deep breath and walked inside.