Todd looked through the crowd before him. Searching for a familiar face. A little older now he was at his class presentation. Where the families of the students were invited to come to the school and walk through their classes to see all they have accomplished. Todd couldn't find his own family. They already missed two of his classes. His history class where they displayed the final project on an ancient civilization. And his art class where the left there portfolio on their desks for their parents to flip through. Todd had been very proud of his art work. All neatly ordered in the big folder. His favorite being the one he had painted in water color. Todd had stood next to his desk alone. Watching the other families gathered around the desks praising their child's work. And Todd felt awkward and exposed and ashamed.

And now here he was in his favorite class, English. And he prayed desperately that if his parents showed for anything it would be this. They were to recite a poem of their choice that they had been working to memorize all year. Where the other children had chosen small simple poems about simple things Todd had looked through a book the teacher had in her class and had picked a poem that was very large and the words hard to understand. But he had liked the way it sounded when he spoke it out loud. And liked the way the words felt in his mouth. And without thought as to the difficulty of it he had chosen it. He worked long and hard to memorize it. And many of the words he had to look up in his dictionary to figure out their meaning. And now was time to recite it and his family wasn't even hear to see!

The boy before Todd walked confidently to the front of the room and stood before the crowd. Hands behind his back and a huge goofy smile on his face. The teacher gave him the sign to go ahead and he began. In a high squeaky voice fitting of the poem.

"The Prayer of the Selfish Child by Shel Siverstein!

Now I lay me down to sleep.

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my toys to break.

So none of the other kids can use'em!

AMEN!"

He smiled that cheeky smile of his once again before bowing to the audience delight. As the women commented on how cute he was. His parents in the front row laughed out loud as they applauded their little boy. And through out the poem Todd had noticed that the boys mother had looked at her son encouragingly mouthing the words as he spoke them out loud.

Now it was Todd's turn and a sudden dread fell over him. His little hands shook as he took slow steps to the front of the room. He stood before the crowd that seemed enormous from his standing point. All eyes focused on him. He searched once more for those faces he so desperately needed to see. Not finding them his eyes darted to the mother he had observed just a few moments before to see that her attention wasn't on him but her own son who she had pulled into a sideways hug at her side.

Taking a deep breath he went to begin but his mind went blank. He stood with his mouth open in udder horror. He turned to his teacher on his left his eyes pleading for help. She cupped her hand over her mouth and whispered "When..."

Then it came flooding back and Todd quickly began eyes staring behind the crowd to the wall behind.

"When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,

I all alone beweep my outcast state

And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries

And look upon myself and curse my fate,

Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,

Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,

Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,

With what I most enjoy contented least;

Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,

Like to the... LARK at break of day arising

From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;

For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings

That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Sonnet 29 by William Shakespeare." Todd had spoken the poem very fast without much grace. His hands shook uncontrollably and every movement in the audience had made him self-conscious. Some of the other kids had looked behind them to see what he was staring so intently at on the opposite wall. While others snickered to each other when he tripped over a word. By the end of the poem where it was suppose to be happy Todd felt like he would break out in tears. He had fumbled over many of the word in his nervousness. The words he worked long and hard to perfect in pronunciation and delivery.

He hurriedly ran off stage oblivious to the scattered applause by the bewildered audience. He ran into the hall and sat on the floor. His chest hurt and his head was spinning. He felt like he could throw up but the churning in his heart and the tears that stung his eyes took priority. He felt his chest heave with the weight of a sob and fought it back desperately. He bit down hard on his hand to distract his mind and let the sobs escape muffled by his fist. Tears streamed unnoticed down his face and he felt alone. And rejected. He felt stupid and ashamed. He was humiliated with himself.

Finally he wiped the tears from his eyes in anger and stormed from the school to walk home. Upon opening the door he realized that no one was home. He went to his room and crawled in his bed. Pulling the thick comforter over his head he lay on his back, staring at the dark grey world the comforter created. As the air within his cocoon began to get thick and stuffy he wondered if it will eventually run out and he would suffocate. And so he lay there, taking great deep breaths.

I'm working to try to figure out what I am doing with this thing. Review if you want it to continue and sorry for the wait.