Author's Note: This story is based on 'Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" by Kevin Henkes. It is about a little mouse who really is fascinated with her teacher. I am a preschool teacher and love almost any story that contains a mouse (since that is my nickname).
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the book (except a copy of the book) or it's author. Nor do I own anything related to CSI.
Sara loved work. She loved the cases. She loved the pink fingerprint powder. And she loved the way her coveralls covered her long legs.
Sara loved the privacy of her very own locker. She loved the veggie burgers and beer every Friday at the diner. And, most of all, she loved her boss, Gil Grissom.
Gil Grissom was as sharp as a tack. He wore a straw hat. He quoted great authors. And he kept bugs as pets.
"Wow," said Sara. That was just about all she could say. "Wow!"
Instead of "Greetings, workers" or "Good evening, field techs and lab rats," Gil Grissom winked and said, "Here's tonight's assignments!"
He thought Conrad Ecklie was old fashioned and boring. "Do you scientists think you can handle things yourself?"
And he always provided the most tasty snacks—things that were crunchy and chocolate-y and leggy.
"I want to be a lab supervisor when I grow up," said Sara.
"Me too!" said her friends Nick and Warrick and Greg.
At home Sara tried to be more like Gil Grissom.
"I will be the boss." she told herself. Sara even wanted her own set of entomology textbooks.
"What's with Sara?" asked Catherine.
"I thought she wanted to be a singer," said Greg.
"It must be because of Gil Grissom," said Catherine.
"Wow," said Greg. That was just about all he could say. "Wow"
Whenever the CSIs had free time, they were permitted to go to the break room in the lab.
They could express their ideas creatively through talking and hanging out to drink Blue Hawaiian coffee. Sara went often. She liked the coffee. She would daydream of Gil Grissom. And she thought about what might be.
When anyone asked what she was thinking deeply about, Sara would not tell them.
"Wow," said Nick. That was just about all he could say. "Wow."
When Gil Grissom had assignments, Sara stayed in the room even though she had her own assignments. Sara worked harder than anyone else did (even if she didn't know the answers sometimes.) And she volunteered to stay after shift to finish paperwork.
"I want to be a supervisor when I grow up," said Sara.
"Excellent choice," said Gil Grissom.
One Monday evening Sara came to work especially happy. She had gone shopping with Caroline, an old friend, over the weekend. Sara had a new pair of sunglasses, complete with a little bit of bling bling. She had one new shiny necklace. And, best of all, she had a brand new purple i-Pod that played all kinds of groovy music when she pushed play.
Sara wanted to show everyone. "Not now," said Gil Grissom. "Listen to assignments." Sara had a hard time listening.
Sara really wanted to show everyone. "Not now," said Gil Grissom. "Let's be considerate of our coworkers." Sara was having a hard time with being considerate.
Sara really, really wanted to show everyone. "Not now," said Gil Grissom. "Wait until we are on a break or until shift is over."
But Sara could not wait.
The glasses were so bling blingy. The necklace was so shiny. And the i-Pod played such nice music, not to mention how excellent it was for blocking out annoying questions.
"Look," Sara whispered fiercely. "Look, everyone. Look what I've got." Everyone looked. Including Gil Grissom. He was not amused.
"I'll just keep your things in my office until the end of shift," said Gil Grissom. "They'll be safe there, and then you can take them home."
Sara's stomach lurched. She felt like crying. Her glasses were gone. Her necklace didn't seem quite so special. Her purple i-pod was gone. She longed for her i-pod all through shift. She was even too sad to drink Blue Hawaiian that Greg made for her.
Later that night, Sara went to the breakroom. She was still very sad. She thought and she thought and she thought. And then she became angry. She thought and she thought and she thought some more. And then she became furious.
She thought and she thought and she thought a bit longer. And then she had pulled out a notebook and wrote a story that included a picture of Gil Grissom.
He had claws for hands. She labeled it 'Mean Old Stealing Grissom!" It had arrows pointed toward the drawing by the words thief and bad.
Right before shift was over, Sara sneaked the drawing into Gil Grissom's office.
When all the CSIs were ready to go home, Gil Grissom strolled over to Sara and gave her things back.
"It really is a nice i-pod. Your necklace looks lovely on you. And those glasses are really quite interesting. You may bring them back as long as you don't disturb everyone."
"I do not want to be a supervisor when I grow up." Sara said as she marched out the door of the Crime Lab.
On the way home Sara checked the envelope he had put them in. Her glasses and i-pod was inside. And so was a note from Gil Grissom.
"Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better." There was also a small bag of licorice at the bottom of the envelope.
Sara's stomach lurched. She felt like crying. She felt simply awful. Sara sped all the way home and told her dog everything.
Instead of listening to her police scanner, Sara decided to sit on the couch in silence. That night, Sara wrote a new story and drew a better picture.
Sara was really really sorry. So everyone forgave her. Even her friends. Even the lab rats. Even the especially incredible supervisor of the grave yard shift.
And then the moon shined its smiley face down on everyone and everything. Even the bugs and fetal pigs. The END.
The picture was of Gil Grissom smiling and saying that he forgave her.
Sara picked up some cookies to share at work the next night. "I think that Gil will understand," Sara said to herself.
The next night, Sara got to work early. "These are for you," Sara said to Gil Grissom. "Because I am really, really, really, really sorry."
Gil Grissom read the story. He looked at the picture. And he sampled the cookies.
"Wow," said Gil Grissom. That was just about all he could say. "Wow."
"What do you think we should do with this?" asked Gil Grissom as he held up the story with the ugly picture.
"Could we just throw it away and forget about it?" asked Sara.
"Excellent idea," said Gil Grissom.
Before assignments were passed out, Sara got to show the new sunglasses, her new necklace and her purple i-pod. Then she told her friends all a bout her weekend.
"Wow," said the entire team. That was just about all they could say. "Wow."
Throughout the rest of the shift, Sara's things were tucked safely in her locker. She could peek at them when she wanted but did not disturb her coworkers.
Right before it was time to go home, Gil Grissom invited everyone to have one of Sara's cookies. "What did you want to be when you grow up?" asked Gil Grissom.
"A SUPERVISOR!" everyone responded. Sara's response was the loudest.
"Excellent choice," said Gil Grissom.
As everyone left, she held a thought in her heart. Gil Grissom was right—it had been a better day. Sara smiled and laughed all the way home. And she really did want to be a supervisor when she grew up.
That is, when she didn't want to be a singer or science nerd or a …