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Authors: Lurlene McDaniel
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through.”
“She should be punished.”
Elly heard the anger in her father’s voice.
“Oh, she’ll have to clean it up. And she’ll get no privileges for the rest of the school year, but I won’t suspend her this time.”
Elly felt tears behind her eyes, but she refused to let them go. She almost wished the principal
had
suspended her. When the story got around about what she’d done, everyone would be talking about her and pointing at her.
“You bet she’ll clean it up,” Mr. Rowan said. “I’ll supervise the job myself.” He stood to leave and Elly struggled up beside him.
Mr. Grant stopped them before they reached the door. “Mr. Rowan, I know life’s been very difficult for your family since . . . since the loss of your daughter. It was a terrible tragedy. Mrs. Wenzel suggested that perhaps some family counseling might in helpful—”
“My family is just fine, Mr. Grant.” Elly saw her father’s knuckles go white on the doorknob.
“Perfectly fine students don’t go about destroying school property, Mr. Rowan.”
“It won’t happen again, Mr. Grant.” Mr. Rowan gave Elly a threatening glare. “I know you’re trying to help, but what Elly did was a stupid prank. Nothing more. Now, I’ll take my daughter home. We’ll be back after school and she’ll clean the bathroom.”
They left the school, Elly trailing behind the tense, muscular frame of her father. She felt numb all over, numb and all alone.
* * * *
Elly sat by herself in the cafeteria, munching a tasteless sandwich. She surveyed the room and heard the kids’ laughter, and their chatter.
What’s happening to me?
She thought to herself. She couldn’t concentrate in class. She didn’t want anyone trying to be her friend. They felt sorry for her. The whole world felt sorry for “poor Elly.” She felt far away from everything.
Her father’s disgust about her prank had followed her into her school routine. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t forget how badly she’d disappointed her father. The kids whispering behind her back didn’t help either. She felt friendless.
Elly saw Dan Richards coming toward her with a plastic tray heaped with food and extra cartons of milk. He was headed for a table full of his buddies. She noticed Kenny was sitting with them. Suddenly Dan Richards’s presence annoyed her tremendously. He had snubbed Joy. Joy had liked him, and he’d ignored her. Who was he to snub Elly’s best friend anyway?
Feeling nasty, Elly slid her crutch sideways, directly in the path of Dan Richards. He didn’t see it, because he was calling to his friends. His foot hooked around it perfectly. His tray flipped over in the air, and he fell sprawling to the floor. The food, the milk, and the tray landed in a gooey heap, and Dan slid several feet as his palms sloshed through the mashed potatoes. The noise stopped all the activity in the room. Every head turned.
Elly pretended to be horrified, and she apologized over and over. She grabbed for some napkins and thrust them at Dan as he struggled to get up.
“It’s okay,” Dan kept saying, wiping food off his jeans. “I didn’t see your crutch. It was my fault.”
Elly tried to calm the racing of her pulse and pretend she was innocent. “It was an accident,” she said. “I’m so sorry. . .” After the janitor arrived to mop up the mess and Dan had left, Elly stood and smiled inwardly over her success. Dan had believed her. The thought that he’d been so easy to fool was amusing. She gripped her crutches beneath her arms and turned around. She found herself staring straight into the knowing expression of Mrs. Wenzel.
* * * *
“Is it true, Elly? Did you trip Dan on purpose?” Mrs. Rowan searched Elly’s eyes for the truth.
Elly paced in front of her parents in the living room. Mr. Rowan was perched on the edge of the sofa cushion, looking too tense to speak. Elly glanced miserably down at her plaster cast. “It was an accident,” she
“She should be punished.”
Elly heard the anger in her father’s voice.
“Oh, she’ll have to clean it up. And she’ll get no privileges for the rest of the school year, but I won’t suspend her this time.”
Elly felt tears behind her eyes, but she refused to let them go. She almost wished the principal
had
suspended her. When the story got around about what she’d done, everyone would be talking about her and pointing at her.
“You bet she’ll clean it up,” Mr. Rowan said. “I’ll supervise the job myself.” He stood to leave and Elly struggled up beside him.
Mr. Grant stopped them before they reached the door. “Mr. Rowan, I know life’s been very difficult for your family since . . . since the loss of your daughter. It was a terrible tragedy. Mrs. Wenzel suggested that perhaps some family counseling might in helpful—”
“My family is just fine, Mr. Grant.” Elly saw her father’s knuckles go white on the doorknob.
“Perfectly fine students don’t go about destroying school property, Mr. Rowan.”
“It won’t happen again, Mr. Grant.” Mr. Rowan gave Elly a threatening glare. “I know you’re trying to help, but what Elly did was a stupid prank. Nothing more. Now, I’ll take my daughter home. We’ll be back after school and she’ll clean the bathroom.”
They left the school, Elly trailing behind the tense, muscular frame of her father. She felt numb all over, numb and all alone.
* * * *
Elly sat by herself in the cafeteria, munching a tasteless sandwich. She surveyed the room and heard the kids’ laughter, and their chatter.
What’s happening to me?
She thought to herself. She couldn’t concentrate in class. She didn’t want anyone trying to be her friend. They felt sorry for her. The whole world felt sorry for “poor Elly.” She felt far away from everything.
Her father’s disgust about her prank had followed her into her school routine. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t forget how badly she’d disappointed her father. The kids whispering behind her back didn’t help either. She felt friendless.
Elly saw Dan Richards coming toward her with a plastic tray heaped with food and extra cartons of milk. He was headed for a table full of his buddies. She noticed Kenny was sitting with them. Suddenly Dan Richards’s presence annoyed her tremendously. He had snubbed Joy. Joy had liked him, and he’d ignored her. Who was he to snub Elly’s best friend anyway?
Feeling nasty, Elly slid her crutch sideways, directly in the path of Dan Richards. He didn’t see it, because he was calling to his friends. His foot hooked around it perfectly. His tray flipped over in the air, and he fell sprawling to the floor. The food, the milk, and the tray landed in a gooey heap, and Dan slid several feet as his palms sloshed through the mashed potatoes. The noise stopped all the activity in the room. Every head turned.
Elly pretended to be horrified, and she apologized over and over. She grabbed for some napkins and thrust them at Dan as he struggled to get up.
“It’s okay,” Dan kept saying, wiping food off his jeans. “I didn’t see your crutch. It was my fault.”
Elly tried to calm the racing of her pulse and pretend she was innocent. “It was an accident,” she said. “I’m so sorry. . .” After the janitor arrived to mop up the mess and Dan had left, Elly stood and smiled inwardly over her success. Dan had believed her. The thought that he’d been so easy to fool was amusing. She gripped her crutches beneath her arms and turned around. She found herself staring straight into the knowing expression of Mrs. Wenzel.
* * * *
“Is it true, Elly? Did you trip Dan on purpose?” Mrs. Rowan searched Elly’s eyes for the truth.
Elly paced in front of her parents in the living room. Mr. Rowan was perched on the edge of the sofa cushion, looking too tense to speak. Elly glanced miserably down at her plaster cast. “It was an accident,” she
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