Reciting Truth
James was very nervous as he entered his third grade classroom. Today was book report day, and the students were supposed to read their reports in front of the class. James had never done such a thing before. He hadn't even done a show-and-tell since kindergarten. That was something much different though, something much more personal. Reading your book report in front of the entire class? That was just nerve-racking.
James sat down at his desk. Emily and Cheikh sat with him, as well as Ryan. Emily and Cheikh were very kind, so James wasn't worried about reading in front of them. Ryan was mean though, so mean that even the Tibble twins didn't like him or his best friend, Andrew, who was often meaner than Ryan.
James was terrified of them both. If he stammered or messed up a word or said something stupid, they would make fun of him for a long time, maybe even all year and the year after that. James didn't know if he would mess up, but he did know that he wasn't confident about his writing. It felt too simple, too silly. He wondered if he'd even done what Mr. Ratburn wanted.
When Mr. Ratburn entered the room, James knew it was time. Sure enough, as soon as the morning announcements were over, Mr. Ratburn pulled out his grade book and ran his finger down the list of the class's names. James held his breath, wondering who would be first.
"James, why don't you begin?" Mr. Ratburn smiled.
James wasn't so happy. His heart thundered in his ears. His stomach flipped, twisted, and turned. James went pale as the urge to vomit took over him. He ran into the hallway, disappearing into the boys' restroom.
Ryan, Andrew, and a few other students laughed. Mr. Ratburn silenced them with a stern look. He looked out the open door and saw Principal Haney. He asked for him to look in on the class for him, and Mr. Haney gladly accepted. Once he was inside, Mr. Ratburn moved into the boys' restroom to find James.
James was crying as he washed his face in the sink. Mr. Ratburn watched sympathetically. When James was finished, Mr. Ratburn handed him a paper towel.
"Why were you so nervous, James?" he questioned. James shrugged. He honestly didn't know an exact reason for why he was nervous enough to puke. He just knew that he felt horrible. Mr. Ratburn smiled softly, "I thought so. This is your first time, and I assume you're afraid of making mistakes. It's an honest fear, one I don't mind helping you overcome. Why don't I let you meet with me in the library during recess? You can read your report to me and the librarian. She's an expert on books, especially yours, and I'm sure she'd enjoy hearing your report. Can you do that?"
"I think so. But everyone laughed at me-"
"No, only a few students laughed at you. If you return, I'll make sure it never happens again, and—and this is very important—I'll show them why we treat our classmates with respect. We've all experienced what you're going through, and those who are not kind deserve punishment."
Mr. Ratburn's stern words were persuasive. James followed him back into the classroom, where Principal Haney was telling the students a story. Mr. Ratburn politely stopped him and restarted his class. The next person he called on was Andrew, who approached the front of the room without any paper.
"Andrew, do you have a copy of your report for me?" Mr. Ratburn asked. Andrew smiled and tapped his forehead, saying he had memorized his report. Mr. Ratburn hung his head and jotted down a note, "I expect a paper copy tomorrow morning. Continue," Mr. Ratburn said flatly.
Andrew nodded. He was eager to recite his report, but there was a major problem, one that only Mr. Ratburn noticed. To the students, his words were organized, insightful, and well-written. But Mr. Ratburn knew the truth. The words were not his own.
"Thank you, Andrew," Mr. Ratburn said, almost cutting off his final words. Andrew bowed and began to walk towards his seat, but Mr. Ratburn stopped him and asked a very stern question, "Tell me, what research did you do for your report?"
"None really, Mr. Ratburn," Andrew replied with an angelic tone, but Mr. Ratburn knew the truth. He rephrased his question, but Andrew's response was the same, "I didn't use any outside resources at all," he said, his tone slipping. Andrew blushed. He knew that Mr. Ratburn knew the truth.
"Well, Andrew, we'll need to speak after class. It seems you and book reviewer Fern Walters have a telepathic connection," Mr. Ratburn smiled. "You should have looked up her biography. She's a young literary enthusiast, as well as one of my former students. I'll tell her you said hello when I have dinner with her and her family tomorrow night.
"Ryan?" Mr. Ratburn called. Ryan looked up, visibly shaken by his friend's fate. He stood anyway, a crumpled piece of notebook paper in his hand. He shook as he read, stumbling over his words. James and the others watched as he began to cry softly, making him almost inaudible to the class.
Mr. Ratburn was sympathetic, "You can stop, Ryan. I recognize that passage as well, but I see no need to torment you further. As for everyone else, let this be a lesson in judgment. Do not pass your unkind thoughts onto others, especially when you've already committed a wrong yourself. I accept all types of assignments, even incomplete reports that remain poorly written even when I receive them days after the due date. I am very lenient, but only when you try your best and submit original work.
"Now, would anyone like to go next, preferably someone who has not stolen the words of another?" Mr. Ratburn asked. To his surprise, James stood, taking his spot at the front of the room. He wasn't afraid of his classmates' reaction anymore. No matter what they thought, he knew Mr. Ratburn was on his side, and that gave him enough strength to read out his first book report of the year.
~End
A/N: Ryan and Andrew are OC's of mine, probably a one-time-use kind of deal. They're just names to me, which is totally what they deserve, but if you want to use them, feel free. The details are up to you; just make them pretty much evil and you'll get it right enough for me.
As for this piece as a whole, it's a part of my Arthur collab project, "School Days," which is basically about anything school related. To see other pieces in the collab project, see my community, Arthur Collab Projects. See my profile for more info.