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?”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡuW32iB45Xw
Due to her slumber, she didn’t respond.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIoyVmBlWi
“Miss Hallzheimer?”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmH0vPsXAG
She woke up with a cough. “Um, ma’am.”186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW04zfhLml6
copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45C78VIc0G
“Could you send Ashton Patch to the principal’s office. He’s not in trouble. We just need him for something.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpo7XkuzGq
“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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnNznioQgZ
“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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡwk59sd4bp4
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 categoriescopyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8tgfrAJ0h
“So, what about the school newspaper did you want to talk to me about? Am I doing good or bad?”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡaREXr2gPTw
“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.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqRUzj7Dux
“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?”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡImGcCWDdGD
“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.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQv9OWb4M5
“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.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡABvsw5LDJg
“Yep, that’s right. Now go to your classroom and don’t forget what I said.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsCREfNhst
“Yes sir.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWkq58mhc9
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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNLTfiY1VI
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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7aVYOaM5C
(I know I sound slightly jealous right there. Probably because I AM JEALOUS!)copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0zArFIOWV
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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkJJdZ1c0X
(Some EDM performer, I surmise.)copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡUj44e3ToPZ
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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡ150AFrfofc
—In French II, are we able to use our MacBooks?copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡjdw2WK1YW2
—I can’t wait for that update to my MacBook, man.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRl0VA3PYT
—Hey, have you downloaded Microsoft Word to your Macbook yet? It’s completely mandatory for Mrs. Lindull’s class...copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZZOAFfP3v
Awfully unnecessary.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nIypFirDe
“What was all that about, Ashton,” Dareeka worriedly asked me. “Are you in trouble or something?”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡtz5Pz1pDQo
“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.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFowtYcJNf
“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...”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡePDWn3CGuf
“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!”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYP0No2d2T
“You got that right.” Dareeka was about to say something when Paige obtruded right into the conversation.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzy052YiLM
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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZBaWZezFI
“Hey, Paige,” I greeted her falsely. “Do you know what we’re talking about?”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAHDBv2EI4
“Um.....no. But I would like to know what you’re talking about. So what are you talking about that is so, so important?”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkD6kJ9j1U
“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?”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zUHKRGYqm
“Of course.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfWoSxTVcC
“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.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JWEQhnZBp
“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.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHZOoJF5I5
“Now you sound like a clean freak,” Brandy said to him.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpkoOdWH98
“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!”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9SgNIybI9
“Well, it’s the truth, Paige. Richardson is just a dump that needs more construction work.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡACQArfk6l2
“That’s not true. This school is as fun as can be if you just believe in it.”copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMsxbhL7YU
“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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡfi48zRQ83z
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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEb9eCoyJJ
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.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWw4tIlfPk
Halt.copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5Dedc64k9
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.186Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZJkOvmgGX
copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCNPL2raAb
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...copyright protection182ＰＥＮＡＮＡUc7rgB9BQY
