The Test




Today's piece comes from Sarah.  It features something we've all faced at some point: The Test of Doom.


The Test

Tick tock tick tock on the clock. Time speeds away while poor, Ronald Bloom, fidgets with his pencil, as the exponential nervousness is eating him alive.


“You will have one and a half hours to complete your first sixth grade social studies test of the year,” announced Ms. Trenchly.


“More like test of doom! Gosh, kill me now,” Robert thought.


The test of doom was being distributed, still warm from the printer. Suddenly, “PLOP!” A daunting booklet had been left on his desk by Patty-Passer-Outer, with a snicker and a grin. He looked on the right side of his desk; a whopping four and a half page test booklet, and three page answer booklet.


“Pssssssssst!” whispered Ronald’s best friend Cecilia. “If I die before this is over, will you please tell my mother I love her?” Ron chuckled.


“Is there something you would like to share with the class, Ron?” shouted Ms. Trenchly, with her famous evil glare.


“N-N-No-No, Ma’am,” stuttered Ron.


Everyone despises Ms. Trenchly. Even the suck-ups and goody-two-shoes students secretly hate her. She’s the teacher that expects you to know everything already, even if she hasn’t taught it yet. She creeps people out, picks on her students, and calls us stupid. Last but not least, Ms. Trechly is the teacher that thinks she’s hip!! HA! Some teachers are... just not her.  
For example, she’s around 50 years old and she still dresses as if she’s 25! She tries to straighten her hair, she shops at Abercrombie and Fitch, and she wears her makeup like the eighth grader girls do!


“Okay, you may start... now!” said Ms. Trenchly.


Studies show that most kids spend twenty percent of their time actually taking a test and the other eighty percent simply procrastinating. Yup, that would be me. Students procrastinate on almost anything. Students procrastinate if they have to do homework, any type of cleaning, tests, quizzes, chores, and getting up in the morning. For some reason, it’s just what we do.

“What’s first on my agenda for taking the test? Hmmm... procrastination!”

thought Ron.


First, Ron fidgets with his pencil, and pretends to look through the test, “reading” each question before he started. Then he pulls a classic. His signature fake sneeze. Then, he walks up to go get a tissue. But wait, there are no tissues! “Ms. Trenchly, may I get a tissue from the bathroom?”


“Sure Ron, but just get a tissue,” said Ms. Trenchly.


Ron cockily walked out of the room smirking at his success.


On the other hand, motivated Cecilia was already one fourth of the way done and smiling confidently while doing so! It was almost as if she enjoyed this abnormally cruel torture. Cecilia and Ron are absolute opposites, and many people wondered why they would be friends.


Ron was the messiest person in the whole grade, except for his appearance. He had a bedroom floor you couldn’t see, a binder that didn’t know what a divider was, and my goodness his locker - nobody at Mildred D. Middle School ever dared to peek inside.


Then, there was Cecilia. She had a room like no other. Her clothing was organized by the seasons. She had shirts for winter, summer, spring, and fall. There were four different drawers and one closet for her hair necessities, shoes, and pants. There was also a homework desk with sections for pencils, paper, textbooks, and laptop, which was gleaming as if it was new. Lastly, her always made bed with a polka dot comforter was tucked so tightly, you could flip a quarter off of it.


Cecilia was the inventor of the divider, and the binder, which were stowed with care in her locker. Cecilia had a system. She would have one shelf for each subject in her locker. This system followed almost exactly the same principles as her room strategies.


Meanwhile, Ron was actually taking the test! He was starting to get frustrated so he faked another sneeze and went and got a tissue. He only had four questions, and for not studying, Ron was doing surprisingly well.


Cecilia had been quietly reading for twenty minutes and Ron was just about to finish his last question. This was a very big thing for him to accomplish. He took four steps to Ms. Trenchly’s desk and with a gigantic sigh of relief, he stated proudly, “I’m finished!”

“Well that’s great Ronald but my directions were to leave the test on your desk and I will collect it when everybody is finished. But I’m so very glad to know that Ronald Bloom is finished! She said loud to the class, with much sarcasm. The whole class joined in a quiet laughter.


Even though Ron had been humiliated in front of his class, he still did finish this impossible test. He was pretty happy with himself and he thought he would get a solid 90%. Just wait until he gets it back. 

Marjorie and the Robot

This week's piece comes from Breanna, and it's based on a picture prompt I do each year with my students entitled "Marjorie and the Robot".  Bree's version of this strange encounter was very popular with students.

Enjoy!

        

        This kid keeps bothering me. He is always wearing a costume of some sort, like last week he was a pineapple. I was walking home from school. It was more like running because I was late for my piano lessons. I had to cut across Jan's yard  when I heard the most interesting sound. It was like an old man trying to lift a heave idiom. After I heard that I stopped running. Followed the sound. It came from the inside of their shed. 

I was creeping over when all of a sudden the kid in a robot costume comes flying out the shed doors riding on a lawnmower. As he was riding, he sang songs like “Ring Around The Rosie” and “The London Bridge is Falling Down”. I thought to myself “what a interesting boy”. I just watched him ride around for about 3 minutes until he noticed me. When he saw me he screamed, lost control of the lawnmower and ran into a fence. He went flying off of it and it sounded like he hit the ground hard.

I started walking toward him to see if he was okay, but he shot back up and got on the lawnmower. He drove it towards me and just stopped in front of me. He asked me if I wanted a ride on it, but I denied his offer. Then I asked him why he was wearing the robot costume. He just responded by asking me why I was wearing a school girl costume. I tried to ask him other questions, but he answered them with more questions. 

Finally, I gave up and started walking the rest of the way home. During my walk noticed he was following me on the lawnmower. So I decided to take the trail in the woods that leads the beginning of my street. When I was at the end of the trail I poked my head out to check that the kid was there. Then I bolted. My backpack was flying around slapping my back and I could almost see my house. The zipper of my bag was starting to slide, revealing the white papers stuffed in my bag. It was about to fully open when I stopped and gave it a good pull that closed the bag. I got back to running, but three steps later the zipper just gave out and broke. I turned around and just stared in amazement at the white papers fluttering down to the ground. I almost didn't even notice that the robot kid was on the ground picking up my papers. He looked up and gave me a “are you going to help me” look. I bent down and started shoving the paper back in my broken bag. When all the paper was in my bag we both stood up and he went on the lawnmower and rode off. 

I was about to start walking again, but I felt bad so I placed my bag on the sidewalk and ran after him. I turned the corner and boom! I ran right into him at full speed. It sent us both flying backwards, but he had better balance than me and he stood standing. I fell flat on my back. He offered a hand to help me up. 

“I'm sorry I acted like a jerk to you.” I groaned, still recovering from the hard fall. “What's your name?” 

“M...my name?” he stuttered. I nodded with a smile.

“My name is Felix” he squeaked. 

“Well it's nice to meet you Felix, I'm Erica” I held my hand out, but he denied it. 

“Where is the lawnmower?” I asked, looking around noticing it was gone.

“I put it back”he announced. 

I asked him to take off his mask, but he said no. Then I remembered how shy he really was and how he has no friends. So, I decided I would be his friend. I patted down my skirt and pulled up my humiliating yellow socks that my mom got me for my birthday and made me wear. I convinced him to take off his mask. He had short rusty colored hair, like mine but had red eyes.

“Do you wear contacts” I asked. 

“Yes, but there colored. My real eyes are blue, sky blue.” he announced proudly. We started talking.     
         I lost track of time. When I looked down at my watch it was 4:30. I panicked and said I needed to go. He asked why and I told him. He just looked at me, laughed, and told me I need to hurry. I ran home, but before I went around the corner I screamed.   

         “ I'll see you tomorrow, right?” then I heard a faded “yes”.  I picked up my bag from the side walk and rushed into the house. Stealing glances of him in the corner of my eye.