Today at Brighton's school there is a "story basket" where the kids were asked to get a story from an elder-person... parent or grandparent, etc. Since the event is in 45 minutes, I decided to sit down 15 minutes ago and type this one out. The subject was "A time when you got in trouble". This story popped into my mind because I remember how funny my mom thought it was and how dead I thought it was! This was meant to be read out loud, so excuse the "tv news broadcaster" punctuation.
A Time When I Got in Trouble...Kinda.
By Brooke Hale Flake
It was a Monday morning
and like all Monday mornings at school we all stood up, said the Pledge of
Allegiance and held our hands to our hearts as "The Star Spangled
Banner" played on the loud speaker.
This day was no different
except my Sophomore Algebra math teacher, Mrs. Borenpole had stepped out into
the hall during the morning ritual.
"Oh say can you see...." I stood and listened to the song but my mind
was started wandering "Did I have homework due today? Do we have a
test?" Suddenly I was snapped back into reality as the National Anthem
stopped playing mid-song! We all just stood there with our hands to our hearts
looking around at each other. Just then I knew I had to do what any other
patriotic 16-year-old girl would do. I had to finish the song!
"And the rockets red glare..." I
sang in my best opera voice. "The bombs bursting in...."
"Brooke Hale!" Mrs. Borenpole had walked back into the room
at just the wrong moment! "What do you
think you are doing?! Come with me this
instant!" I looked at the back of Mrs. Borenpole brown polyester bell
bottoms all the way down to Mr. Kane's office and could feel my heart about to
burst out of my chest with nerves!
"She did what?" Mr. Kane questioned after the teacher
explained why I was in the principal's office.
"She started singing the national anthem
when the recording stopped!" a
flustered Mrs. Borenpole explained. "She deserves detention... or
worse!"
Only I could see a hint of a smile as the
edge of Mr. Kane's mouth threatened to turn upward. The slight gleam in his eye
as he looked at me, only made the teacher more upset.
"She disturbed the entire
homeroom!"
"Mrs. Borenpole why don't you go take
care of the rest of the class as I talk to Miss Hale." said the vice-principal.
(Oh great, now I was
really in for it!)
"Miss Hale... I've seen your sisters and
parents in every musical and play this city has ever done," started the vice-principal.
"I might know where you get your musical and dramatic flair... Let's just give your mom a call and see how
she feels about this spectacle."
My mouth went dry and I
could feel the grounding punishment already setting in as Mr. Kane called my
mom at work and explained to her why I was sitting in his office.
"MMhmmm... Yes... she did... Mrs.
Borenpole's class yes. Ok …. very good.
Goodbye."
"Well?" I asked?
"What did she say? Was she upset?"
The End
