45 Days to Save the Bad Boy

Five

“Georgie, can I please speak to you?” Mr. Toms asked as I walked past his classroom when the bell rang for school’s out.

“I don’t know Mr. Toms.  Can you?”  Mr. Toms smiled at my little joke.  He corrected everyone’s grammar constantly, and it was always funny when he slipped up and one of his students were able to correct him.

“Yes, I think I can.  Please step into my room,” he instructed.  Uh-oh. 

“Am I in trouble Mr. Toms?  I was only one minute late today!  That’s a serious improvement.  I promise today will be the last day I’m late!  Next week it will seem like I’m a whole new person I’ll be so on time!  I might even be early!” I promised.

“Georgie, I just wanted to congratulate you on being mostly on time.  I’ve talked to your other teachers and they have no problems with your attendance, so I’m sad that it’s only my class you feel the need to skip.”

“Mr. Toms!” I interrupted, “I LOVE your class.  It’s just that the hallways are so crowded after lunch and your classroom is pretty far from the cafeteria.  It’s hard to squeeze through all the students.  I promise, I’m not trying to skip!”

“Well that makes me feel better.  You are one of my favorite students Georgie, and I would hate to have to fail you based on your poor attendance.  I hope whatever has been holding you up in the hallways has eased and you’ll be here early, as you promised.”

“I will Mr. Toms.  I know I will,” I said firmly.

“I hope so Georgie, I hope so.  Now go on, you’re missing precious Friday afternoon time.  It’s gorgeous out.  Go hang with your friends, as you kids say.”  

I laughed and bid Mr. Toms farewell.  He was right, it is gorgeous out.  Unfortunately, there’s no friends here for me to “hang” with.  Dallas already went home, and I don’t even know if Hayley and I are friends.  So I started my walk home.

“Don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful, don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful.  My walk, my talk, the way I dress, it’s not my fault so please don’t trip, don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful, don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful,” I sang as I walked.  “All eyes on my when I walk in, no question that this girl’s a ten, don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful, don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful.”  

Pretty Girl Rock is one of my favorite songs, probably because it gives me confidence.  I also like Sara Bareilles, and anything from One Direction.  Also, Disney songs lift my spirits, and Marina and the Diamonds are really good too.  Actually, I’ll listen to any music, as long it makes me want to sing along or get up and dance.  If I had an iPod, it would be filled with a very eclectic collection of songs.  Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood, Martika, Owl City, and some songs off of the Pitch Perfect soundtrack.  Michael Buble, Olly Murs, P!NK, Cher Lloyd, and Tom Petty.  Argh, there are so many great songs, if I was listing them all it would take up a whole book!  And since you don’t have that much room George, I think I’ll stop now.  

The reason I’m writing this down anyway is so you know how much I love music.  I want to be a singer, but no one has ever heard me sing.  I once tried out for the school’s talent show, but that was in elementary school, and the day of the show, I had a cold.  I couldn’t even stop sneezing long enough to sing!  It was a nightmare, and I haven’t tried to sing in public since then.  I still have nightmares of opening my mouth to sing and sneezing instead!

I tripped over a bump in the sidewalk and sent a pencil line all the way up the page.  Sighing, I close George and slid him back in my bag.

I continued to sing as I walked along.  “Singing I lo-lo-love you.  How to be a heartbreaker, boys they like the look of danger!  We’ll get them falling for a stranger, a player, singing I lo-lo-love you!  At least I think I do.”