Angela in the Office

Angela plopped down in the chair. Sobs racked her body as she smeared snot and tears across her face with the back of her hand.

I waited for a minute for her to start talking. When she didn't, I gently asked, “Did your teacher send you to the office?”

“I didn't mean to call her a jackass,” Angela blubbered. “She was pushing me for the answer, and I couldn't think of it, and everybody was staring at me again, and I felt really stupid, and, and...” her sobs overtook her again.

“Hold on a second,” I said, grabbing a tissue and handing it across my desk to her. “You said you called someone a bad name. Who did you call a bad name, Angela?”

Her sobs turned into a keening wail. “Mrs. Sweeney!” she sobbed heavily.

Once Angela had cried it out a bit, I said, “Now, Angela, what you've done is pretty bad, especially for a fourth grader. It is just not acceptable behavior to call your teacher names. You're in a lot of trouble.”

Angela sniffled and nodded miserably. “I know,” she said. “I don't know why I did it.”

“Well, Angela,” I said, standing up, “I have some further bad news for you.”

Angela looked up at me warily.

“You see, I'm not supposed to talk to you,” I said.

“You, you aren't?” she stammered.

“Nope,” I replied. “You need to talk to Mrs. Gilford, the vice principal. I'm Mrs. Connor, the middle school counselor. Mrs. Gilford's office is the next one down.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean...?” she gasped.

“Yup,” I said, leading her out into the hallway. “You're going to have to go through this all over again."

Word Count: 290