Delia's Bad Day
"You ready?" Stanton asked Delia. She just nodded and continued walking to school.
"I still don't really understand why you have to come with me" she said. Stanton stopped in his tracks. Delia stopped and looked at him.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Delia, don't you get it?" he said.
"Yes I do I didn't mean to hurt your feelings I just, … what are the other kids going to think when they see you following me everywhere?" she asked.
"Is this really about me having to watch you or are you just getting the first day of school jitters?" he asked.
"I'm fine" she snapped. Delia then thought about her response she just gave Stanton and laughed. "I'm sorry" she said. "This isn't easy. Stanton what if I blow up something?" she asked worried.
"I will make sure you won't. I can go in your mind and relax you remember?" he said.
Delia just sighed.
"Maybe fifth grade is not that important in your education" she said. "Maybe I could never go to school and still be smart." Stanton looked at her.
"I know I know I have to go to school." They approached the parking lot to La Brea Elementary School.
"This is it" Stanton put in Delia's mind and secretly dissolved into the shadows. Delia's heart started pounding. "Go on" Stanton coaxed her. "You won't blow anything up." Delia took a deep breath and walked into the school.
The school was rather large along with the kids in it. Kids were everywhere shoving and pushing trying to find their classroom. "Great" Delia muttered. "I have no idea where to go."
"Fifth graders over here! Come on over fifth graders!" a teacher called in the hallway. Delia turned around to go ask if she knew who her teacher was. A sixth grader bumped into her which made Delia drop all of her books.
"Watch where your going squirt." he said annoyed at her. Delia bent down to get her books and made sure nothing fell out. She stood back up and moved closer to the teacher.
"Excuse me?" she said over the noise.
"Why hello" the teacher said. "Are you lost?" she asked. "Second graders go over there" she pointed down the hallway.
"I'm a fifth grader" Delia said.
"Oh I am so sorry dear" she said. "My name is Miss Skammel. Let me see if your on my list, what's your name?"
"Delia. Delia Killingsworth" she said. Miss Skammel studied her list.
"Aha there you are" she marked her name on her clipboard.
"It's nice to meet you Delia. You can go in this classroom over here. Some other students have already come in" she motioned her in the room.
"Thanks" Delia said and entered her class. Kids were scattered everywhere trying to find there name on the desks. Delia found her name and put her stuff down. She sat at her desk quietly. She looked at the name next to hers and saw that a girl named Laura sat next to her.
"You must be in the wrong class" a boy came up and teased her. "All fifth graders have to be at least 5 feet tall." he said. Delia ignored him.
"Hey twerp" he said again. "Did you hear me you have to be this tall" he put his hand up to a certain height.
"Ok class!" Miss Skammel said. "Everyone should be here now. Gather round and we'll introduce ourselves. Delia wondered if Laura was already in the classroom. Everyone stood at there desk.
"Hmm" Miss Skammel said. "I guess Laura is not here yet. Well we will have to begin without her." Miss Skammel introduced herself to the class and went around to each of the kids and asked a little about themselves. It was Delia's turn.
"Hi my name is Delia." that's all she said. The class giggled.
"Hello Delia why don't you tell us what your interest are." Miss Skammel was trying to help her feel less tense.
"Umm I like to play a lot of different sports and I am learning to surf" she said.
"Thank you Delia" Miss Skammel said and went on to the next person.
Two Hours later
"This is your Physical Education Class. Everything you do here will count 100% for your grade" a tall fat lady was telling Delia's class. "Some of you will make it" she said scanning the kids, "and some of you won't." she looked down at Delia who was the shortest and raised an eyebrow. "I expect you to all put 110% into this grade. I will be evaluating each one of you and then be putting you into a certain sport which I feel will work best for you." She blew the whistle. "Let's go!" she yelled "First sport basketball!"
Everyone seemed to be doing well except Delia. The coach shook her head and said "Ok let's try football now." Delia tried her best at football but was knocked down every two seconds. She fell on her back and let out a cry.
"What's the matter twerp? Can't handle a little football?" the boy said to her again. Delia found out his name earlier.
"Now now Shawn keep playing" Coach said. "Delia are you ok?"
"Yeah just got the wind knocked out of me. Umm can I go to the locker room? I will be right back" she asked.
"5 minutes Killingsworth" the coach yelled.
Delia went to the mirror to see if her scrape started to bleed again. Just then Stanton appeared out of the shadows.
"What are you doing?" Delia said. "This is the girls locker room."
Stanton ignored the comment. "Let me see your cut." Delia turned around.
"Why do you let those kids bully you like that?" he asked
"What?!" Delia asked mad. "I don't let them they're just jerks." she said
"I got to go back to class" she said and left.
"Show them your stuff" Stanton said in her mind. Delia stood there confused then walked back.
"Good thing your back" the coach said. "We're trying gymnastics now you up to it?" Delia just then remembered what Stanton had said. "Show them your stuff" he said again.
"Sure" Delia smiled. Kids began lining up at the balance beam. When Delia got up there she started to show the others what she had. She walked confidently down the balance beam toes pointed not one balance check.
"Very good" the coach said impressed. "Can you show us anything else you have?" The kids in her class were impressed. Delia smiled and did a full turn on pointed toes. She then did a scale going right into a handstand. Delia turned around and walked to the end of the balance beam. She started to run and did a tuck (that's a flip) off the end and landed with grace. She pretended to salute the judge.
"Well Delia I think we have found your sport" Coach said.
Later that Day
School was finally let out. Delia ran to the beach hoping that the sweet smell of salt would help calm her down. She sat on the sand and watched the waves roll in.
"You should go home" Stanton said.
"In a minute" she said. Delia looked up at the rocks and saw one that she decided to climb. She left her backpack at the bottom of the rocks. As she climbed she got higher and higher. Finally she reached the top. Delia looked out at the horizon. She could see some surfers catching big swells.
"Cool" she whispered.
Delia sat down and waited until the tide came in then stood up. She looked down and could see the bottom of the ocean. It was at least 14 ft deep. A smile crept over her face.
"Delia don't" Stanton said. She ignored him and took off her vest.
"I won't get hurt" she said. "It's deep enough." She took one more look down and then backed up. She began running and jumped off. In the air she did a twisting tuck in layout position. Delia hit the water with ease. She opened her eyes under water and swam to the bottom. She grabbed a handful of sand and then came up for air.
"SWEET!" she yelled! "Oh my goodness that was so much fun!" she laughed. She didn't care that the water was over her head she just enjoyed the cool swim. Her cut stung a little but she knew the salt water was good for it. She kept swimming until she realized she had been out for about ½ hour.
"Shoot! I got to go!" she said and swam to shore. She grabbed her backpack and started running home. Immediately she knew that Collin would not be happy with her. She tried to think of a route into the house without him seeing her. As she approached her house Delia tried to ring out some water from her clothes. It was no use. She was sopping wet. Delia looked inside and saw Collin with Jimena. They looked occupied. She giggled. "To easy" she laughed. She opened the door and quietly crept inside. She shut the door quietly and started upstairs.
"Delia!" Collin yelled. "How was your first day?"
Shoot Delia thought.
"It was great thanks" she said lying.
"Well come down here and tell me about it." he said
"Umm" she thought for a moment. "I can't I fell on my back today and I am going to see if it's ok" she said hoping she could make an escape upstairs.
"Let me see it then" he yelled back
"Oh no" she thought. "Nice one Delia" she muttered.
She walked back down the stairs to where Collin was.
"What the heck?!" he cried. "How did you get so wet? Delia come here now!" he yelled the anger rising in his voice. Delia walked slowly over to Collin and Jimena.
"I decided to go for a swim before I came home. You know swimming in your clothes it's fun" she laughed nervously. Collin had a cross look on his face.
"Delia why did you do that?" he yelled.
"I just went for a swim that's all" she said. Stanton then shadowed in.
"Is that all you did Delia?" he asked. Delia looked at Stanton angry and shook her head. Stanton shadowed out.
"Delia what was he talking about?" Collin asked trying to be calm.
"I jumped off the rocks" she said with her head down.
"You what?!" Collin shouted except she thought the whole world could hear him now.
"Delia Mae!" he was speechless. "You're grounded!"
"I'm sorry Collin I just didn't have the best day at school. I thought a swim would help" she said.
"Delia go to your room I will talk to you later" he said and plopped on the couch. She ran upstairs and changed.
"Collin don't be to hard on her" Jimena said. "She must have had a really bad day and she had no intention of getting hurt or making you mad. I think I remember Serena telling me you did the same thing one day and your father grounded you" she said. Collin looked up surprised.
"She told you" he asked. Jimena laughed.
"Yeah we tell each other everything" she said. "I am getting the feeling that Delia is a little daredevil" Jimena laughed.
"It's not funny" Collin said. He sat there for a minute then laughed himself.
"I remember that jump" he said. "God that was so much fun."
"Why don't you just take it easy on her" Jimena said.
"Oh I will" he said.
"Good" Jimena said.
"I'll take it easier than what my father did to me" he added.
"What was your punishment?" she asked.
"4 weeks of no computer or T.V." he said. "Delia will get 2 weeks." he said
