Promt for Childrens Writing Contest

THE PINK SLIP

Chase was very upset the principle was calling his mother because he had received a 'PINK SLIP" for getting in trouble at school. 
This had never happened before and the only thing his mom had ever told him about getting a bad call from school was that he would be in big trouble if the principle ever called and said he had not been a good boy that day.
The principle looked very mean to Chase.  He had never so much as had a conversation with her because he wasn't the kid who got in trouble.  He sensed that Ms. Wixon, that's her name, knew that because she kept asking him questions that she would have known if he had been in trouble before.
Ms. Haugue was Chase's homeroom teacher and she kept asking Ms. Wixon if she was sure that it was Chase because it was so uncommon for him to cause any problems at school.
When Ms. Hague got to the office, she bent down and asked Chase what happened and where. 
Chase began telling her but he was so upset it was very hard to get the story out.  He said they went to the restroom in their groups of two and when he was on his way to the bathroom he and Travis began joking with each other and when they got to the stalls in the bathroom, Chase opened the first stall door and Travis began to go into the other stall. 
As soon as Chase started to go into the other stall, he soon realized there was another kid still in there using the bathroom, so, jokingly, Chase asked Travis, "hey, do you want to see what a retard looks like using the bathroom?" 
He shut the stall door back and waited his turn while he could hear Travis laughing.  He had done his job , he thought to himself.  I made Travis laugh!  Then when it was his turn, he went into the stall, used the restroom and he and Travis went back to the classroom just like any other normal day.
Then came the moment he heard his name over the loudspeaker to report to the principles office, now!
Chase learned several lessons in that brief visit to Ms. Wixon's office.  As soon as the words came out of her mouth, he realized what he had done and was so upset that he had hurt another kids feelings he could hardly contain himself. 
"The child that was in the stall when he made the comment was a SPED student," said Ms. Wixon.
"What is SPED Student?"  asked Chase
"They are the children who have some sort of mental or physical challenge and have worked really hard to be like all of the other kids in this school," Ms. Wixon stated.
"So, why am I in trouble?" asked Chase.
"Because you called him a 'retard' and we don't use that word to describe kids with disabilities any more!" Ms. Wixon said firmly.
And then Ms. Wixon, judging by the look on his face, knew he didn't have a clue of what he had done and why the little boy had gotten his feelings hurt.  But, then Chase's eyes got big and he had this hurt look on his face that she knew he was telling the truth.  He really didn't know, but, he was starting to understand as the minutes ticked away.
"Oh no!  The rule in my house is to treat people like I want to be treated and I didn't do that!"  My mom says that is the number one rule all through life.
"Well, said Ms. Wixon, your mom is on her way here and she is very upset!"  She said that was like dropping a ton of stone on her head and that you knew better because y'all had talked about that many times."
When his mom came in the principles office and heard the whole story, she said, "if you hadn't broke the first rule, which is talking in the hall and restroom, this never would have happened."  And then she said that it would be the hardest lesson for Chase to learn because he didn't have a cruel heart but what he did was very cruel and had to make it right with the boy whose feelings he had hurt.  She said that no one should ever make themselves look good at the expense of hurting others.  That was the worst hurt of all because it looks like it was done on purpose.
She told Chase to decide my punishment and that they would go over it when they got home.  She also said that he was going to tell her where he had heard that word 'RETARD' before and that he would have to look it up and write what it means and why it was so hurtful in a report and would have give it to Ms. Wixon.
Later that day, he and his mom sat down and he told her he wanted to write an apology letter to that boy and his parents and give it to him at school.  She really thought was great, she said as she was walking out of the room. 
But, just as Chase reached for the pencil and paper to begin his apology letter, his mom peeked her head back through the half opened door and calmly said,  " oh, yeah, you're also grounded for talking in the bathroom and halls when you know that is a rule at school and has been since first grade!"
Boy, Chase thought to himself, did I have a bad day? 
His next thought, as he realized he was saying out loud, was, ' I hope the kid I made upset had a better day, because he didn't deserve what I said to hurt his feelings.