The room is too pink. Somehow this is the only thing that Johnny could think as he entered the second grade classroom. Pink winged babies with weaponry he would not be allowed to use in school, pink hearts with white lace, pink streamers and altogether just too much pink.
Miss Winkler always did that. Every day was celebrating some sort of holiday. Finally it was Valentine’s day. The decorations had been up for three weeks. The unfairness of the world weighed down on him as he thought of how he’d been teased for being in the kissing classroom. He slunk lower into his seat, wishing he could melt out of the room.
None of the other teachers do that, he thought as he pulled his books out of his desk and slammed them down a bit harder than was strictly necessary.
He looked over at Josh. Josh looked just as miserable. So did Dickie and Billie (the class twins). It was alright for all the girls. They were supposed to like all that kissing stuff. No one made fun of them.
Oh well, he thought. At least tomorrow it would all change. Leprechauns and Rainbows and Pots O’ Gold.
“Hello Class!” sang Miss Winkler. Johnny hated that. People should sing when they sing and talk when they talk. It was so stupid when people just sang everything they said. It always made him feel like they were treating him like a little baby.
He turned to the door, bracing himself for what he knew would be one of her ‘special outfits’. Miss Winkler always wore her special outfits every holidays. Every kid knew it.
On president’s day last year, she dressed as Lincoln, beard and all. After Easter Break she wore an easter bonnet and bunny ears, and a normal outfit, but glued a big cotton ball to her butt to make a bunny tail. (Okay, that one had been funny, but only because no one had seen the tail until she turned to the board to write something).
Oh no. It was worse than he’d thought. Her dress was a pink Alice-In-WOnderland Dress with a giant Cupid on it. That wasn’t the bad part. The cupid was him. It had his green eyes, curly brown hair and small pointed chin. Oh no, this was not going to be good. he had to get out of there before
*RIIIINGGG*
Too Late. Class had officially started. There was no escape and now everyone came to order as she started with Roll Call. This was terrible! Everyone was gonna see the picture when she put down the Roll Sheet and then… then… well, he didn’t know what would happen, but he knew it would be bad.
Oh no, she was halfway through the list now. She called his name and he raised his hand slowly. Not long now before his school career and friends were over. There’d be no playing on the cool parts of the playground after this.
