A Gym Class Mistake

As a young girl I never really thought before I acted. I was always going along with others when it came to doing certain things, especially activities at school. When I was thirteen years old I loved going to school only for my social life. I would walk up the school stairs and down the plain hallway in to Mrs. Pelly’s room each day, putting away my pink book bag and going straight over to talk to my best friend, Dani Burton. We were inseparable that year. Though in our minds school was less of a place to study and more of a place to be social with our various friends. One thing that we both always hated was Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, those days’s we had to go to gym class.

Gym class was never exciting for Dani or I, we both hated running and sweating and to us Gym was just a waste of time. One Tuesday afternoon started off like any other. Mrs. Pelly called every students name to take attendance and then we shared something good that had happened to us lately. As the day stretched on we covered our various school subjects from Math to English. Once we had completed some homework our teacher called to the class to line up single filled by the door. Dani and I glanced at one another we knew it was gym time. As we lined up I squeezed in line between Dani and our other classmate Adam Scott. As the class walked down the hallway I turned to Dani and asked what she thought was in store for our class today. She replied “I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter to me.” Her response was quite unusual and to my surprise she pulled a white, wrinkled note from her front pocket. She handed me the note and I quietly opened it and began to read. The note stated “Dear Mrs. Able, Please excuse my daughter, Dani Burton from gym today. She has been complaining of a sore ankle and will be seeing a doctor to see what the problem is.” I looked back at her and all I could think to tell her was how lucky she was and how I wished I had a letter from my dad so I could skip gym class. Yet, as we walked into the dressing room Dani pulled me aside and said “You know you can skip gym with me I’ll just write a note from your father.”

I looked at her in shock but I thought deep down our plan could really work. As I tore a white piece of notebook paper from my binder Dani began composing the note. Suddenly as the bell rang we ran out to class and handed Mrs. Able our notes. As we handed them over a feeling of relief came over me because Mrs. Able hadn’t said anything to us yet. But as she continued to read my note she quickly glanced up from the little white paper and stared me straight in the eye. She pulled both Dani and I into the locker room and began to yell at both of us. Her words seem to get louder and louder as she continued to glance at me. I didn’t know what to say or do. Until she looked at both of us and in a hushed, angry tone said “both of you will be participating in class today, and I will be taking these letters to Principal Busy. She will handle the consequences from there. Now start running your laps.”

I walked out of the locker room with my face looking like I had just spent a day in the heat. I felt as if everyone’s eyes could only focus on Dani and myself. As we ran our laps I could barely hold back my tears and the only thing I could think of was why did I go through with this. Dani and I began to talk and finish our laps. I couldn’t help but be angry at her, this was her idea. Class continued and what seemed like the longest gym class in my life was finally over. The day soon came to an end. As I walked through my front door I saw my mother, trying to avoid the situation I began walking up the stairs, when a terrifying voice called to me to get back down stairs. As I walked to the kitchen my mother explained to my father what had happened, and I began to cry. My mom told me that I would be going to the principal’s office tomorrow morning. I dreaded the next day but it had come and my fate lay in the hands of Mrs. Busy.

I met Dani outside the principal’s office, we both had no idea what to expect as a punishment. Finally we both took a seat in her office. She looked at me then glanced over to Dani. Finally she broke the silence, “ I wanted to paddle both of you, but because this is your first incident I will excuse you from the paddle. But you both will be writing a letter to each of your parents and Mrs. Able apologizing for your wrong doings and explaining why you forged this letter.” I sighed with relief, but I knew that just because my ideas sometime seem like the greatest plans are not always the wisest of plans. From that day on Dani and I never really complained about gym class and we never thought of forging another note again.