Time was slow. I was bored as heck monotonously communicating with my friends. I could understand how such a wonderful conversation can become so dull. Bland at that. It’s not the friends that I hang around (of course it’s not them), but there are no good topics at this time and all I could think about is going to sleep until this class period ends. Then Miss Hallzheimer’s PA came on and said, “Miss Hallzheimer, could you send Ashton Patch to the principal’s office for a minute?”
Due to her slumber, she didn’t respond.
“Miss Hallzheimer?”
She woke up with a cough. “Um, ma’am.”607Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQyN2d1EeD
“Could you send Ashton Patch to the principal’s office. He’s not in trouble. We just need him for something.”
“I’ll send him right down. Ashton?” I exited her classroom and went down to the principal’s office, which was also the attendance office. I passed by Mrs. Platt who worked the desk giving out passes to people who were late coming to school and Dakota who was a senior that worked the desktop...at the desk. I went down the meter-long hallway and headed to Principal Winslow’s open door.
“Come in, come in,” he said in an urgent tone. “I’ve been waiting to see you. You know, about the school newspaper. And close the door behind you.” I did as he said and sat down.
Earlier this year, I have signed up to be a school newspaper editor for more extracurricular activities. Since I have a humongous knack for journalism and other English-related categories
“So, what about the school newspaper did you want to talk to me about? Am I doing good or bad?”
“No, it’s good. We just wanted you to talk to you about your alternative headlines that you print into the paper, mainly speaking of the comics sections. We’ve read your latest article and I knew that in your narrator’s POV that you were downing the school about its sanitation problems. I wasn’t very intrigued and I would like to advise you to write more positively about the reference to Richardson.”
“So what you’re saying is that you don’t want me to talk about the most important things to look at for Richardson High?”
“Exactly. Especially if newcomers come here and they want a positive review of this school. They don’t want to have to check for Google Maps or anything for reviews. Just the school newspaper.”
“Okay. I understand. But they’re probably only coming over here for their friends, for the athletics, or by default if they live in the district.”
“Yep, that’s right. Now go to your classroom and don’t forget what I said.”
“Yes sir.”
I know that the principal didn’t care for my last statement about the student. You could actually tell because of the way he replied to it. I’m telling you, nobody really listens to people these days. Especially a principal like Principal Winslow; wants just what he wants best for him.
While I was in the hallway, I’ve seen so many freshmen with their MacBooks in their scrawny arms like it was the total package to expose.
(I know I sound slightly jealous right there. Probably because I AM JEALOUS!)
One of them had it in their arms while chatting with one of their friends, showing off the sky-blue, plastic case that came with it for protection. Another person was using it as a music device plugging their now-popular Beats headphones into the jack and bobbing their heads up and down to—I don’t know—some Skrillex or maybe Audien.
(Some EDM performer, I surmise.)
Then I noticed that almost everyone on this hallway had theirs exposed while doing something occupant with it. They talked about it and they typed on it and they just interacted with it in any type of way. Then I noticed all these voices that always uttered the word “MacBook” in the sentence.
—In French II, are we able to use our MacBooks?
—I can’t wait for that update to my MacBook, man.
—Hey, have you downloaded Microsoft Word to your Macbook yet? It’s completely mandatory for Mrs. Lindull’s class...
Awfully unnecessary.
“What was all that about, Ashton,” Dareeka worriedly asked me. “Are you in trouble or something?”
“Oh, no. Everything’s fine. Principal Winslow just wanted me to slow down on the ‘incognito’ criticism that I was jotting down in my comic strips for the school newspaper. I wasn’t downing the school; I was just listing the downsides of the school, like for instance, the bathroom.”
“Now that’s needed to be discussed about,” Timmy agreed. “Especially in the boys restroom where you have limited tissue paper. I don’t want to be walking around with feces stuck in my...”
“Please don’t mention it; we get it. I’m just trying to be rational about the situation so we can encourage the janitors to stop being so lazy and apathetic and do something about it. Apparently, the principal only cares about not having to deal with the truth!”
“You got that right.” Dareeka was about to say something when Paige obtruded right into the conversation.
Paige is an extremely annoying girl that always has to barge into other people’s conversations. There are actually three things that peeve me about her: (1) she’s too friendly, meaning that she acts like everyone is her friend (best friend at that) and (2) she causes a ruckus whenever she talks. She talks so loud that she could wake up a deaf person in a second. Even though we’re nice to her, we don’t choose to have her as an all-time goon.
“Hey, Paige,” I greeted her falsely. “Do you know what we’re talking about?”
“Um.....no. But I would like to know what you’re talking about. So what are you talking about that is so, so important?”
“Well, since you want to know so badly we were having a discussion about Principal Winslow. Remember when I got sent to his office earlier?”
“Of course.”
“Well, he wanted to talk to me about the school newspaper’s comic section. He claims that I was making bad remarks about Richardson under the whole plot when I was creating the dialogue. So he wants me to change the script around and let it become more positive about the school that I included in there. But I’m just stating, some parts do need to be pointed about because nobody wants to go to a run-down school with unsanitary bathrooms.”
“You sound like a clean freak right there,” Timmy teased. “But you do have a point. That’s why I don’t go to public bathrooms with no flushing and no tissue.”
“Now you sound like a clean freak,” Brandy said to him.
“Oh.” We all laughed happily, enjoying the talk about the newspaper and all, until Paige blurted, “You shouldn’t be talking about the school like that! That’s just dirty!”
“Well, it’s the truth, Paige. Richardson is just a dump that needs more construction work.”
“That’s not true. This school is as fun as can be if you just believe in it.”
“Well, I believed and it did not work.” The room was silent for a moment and there was nothing else to say. Was it me or did the topic just lose interest? Then the bell rang and it was time to go home. So lucky that this was the last class in the day. I had gotten on the Blue Bird with all of the rowdy kids throwing stuff at people and rough-housing in their seats.
And the principal thinks this is positive, I said to myself. He knows that this school has gone downhill ever since he became the principal. Man, Principal Springs was the most strict teacher over here and he kept everybody in check. Too bad he resigned.
My stop was coming up and I was occupying myself by looking out the double-slit windows, intriguingly looking at the great houses on the corner of the street. I’ve always wanted to live in that area. Soleil Circle was the name and they had everything over there. Solar panels (hence the street name) Direct TV and X1, Corning glass on every room. Just across the street was where I lived. Only a measly walk away.
Halt.
The bus stopped at my dull neighborhood and I went off looking glum as usual. After I got off, the bus rolled on and the tumultuous children resumed with their work of rude behavior.607Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuNTLbaeIC
I was walking to my monotonous two-story house with no Direct TV or X1. Just plain old Xfinity with no unlocked channels. I grabbed the key from the flower pot and I heard this rustling sound on the side of the building. Wondering what the heck it was, I went over there curiously and I saw this black coat silhouette reflecting from the back of my neighbor’s house. I headed towards the patio and then...
