Ralphie squirmed in his seat, unable to take his eyes off the clock. He could hear the class reciting the State Capitols in unison, but He could think of nothing else but challenging Flick and Schwartz to a Red Ryder shootout!
Carefully he picked up the sleek rifle, running his hand across the smooth surface. Aiming at his target, he pulled the trigger ever so slowly, and-

"RALPH!"

The voice jolted him back to reality.

"Yes, Miss Shields?"
"I asked you to give us the State Capitol of Oregon."

Nervously, Ralph looked around the room, aware that every pair of eyes was focused directly on him.

"Ralph, I'm not going to ask you again." Miss Shields said irritably. "What is the capitol of Oregon?"
"Ummm... Pittsburgh?"

The class erupted in laughter.

"Ralph, I want to see you after school!" Miss Shields said in an unusually harsh tone.

"Ohhhh...." came his classmates' response.

Ralphie sulked in his seat.

"Oh man...."

Ralph turned around to find Schwartz and Flick trying ever so slightly not to laugh.

"Salem." A voice answered.

"Very good, Hester Sue." Miss Shields said with a smile. "The capitol of Oregon is Salem."
Hester Sue smiled sweetly and sat down.

"All right, Class. I want you to go home and study this list of State Capitols because there will be a test this week."
A wave of groans and protests floated through the classroom.

After what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang.

Avoiding Miss Shields' gaze, Ralphie slid his books off of the desk and quietly merged into the sea of students who were heading for the door.

"Ralph!" Miss Shields called to him, just as he reached the door."
Oh no...

Wordlessly he turned and saw Miss Shields, hands on hips, motioning him to her desk.

Like a prisoner being let off to jail, Ralphie walked slowly toward Miss Shields.

"Ralphie." She said sternly. "You are one of my brightest students and it upsets me to find you daydreaming in the middle of a lesson. This isn't the first time this has happened."

To his horror, she scribbled a note on a piece of paper, folded it and handed it to him.
"Now, I want you to take this note home to your parents and have them sign it."
"Yes ma'am." Ralphie said, clutching the yellow piece of paper in his hand. He made his way to the door and was just about to open it, when he heard;
"Oh, and Ralph?"

He turned around and cringed when she handed him another piece of paper. "This is a special assignment just for you. I want you to write I Will Not Daydream in Class fifty times and hand it in before school tomorrow morning."
Ralphie looked at his worn brown shoes. "Yes ma'am. "

"You're free to go now." Miss Shields said with a smile.

Ralphie walked out of the room, sulking.