A short story

Quite some time ago, I asked other Steemians to provide an opening line for a short story, and I would come up with something creative. I received three suggestions, and promptly began to mull over ideas. It was harder than I thought it would be, and life is always full of interruptions and distractions, so I am just now getting around to posting my first such short story, using an opening line provided by @trishlarimer. I apologize for the delay, and will try to produce the next one a bit sooner!!

The following short story is loosely based on my own and my friends' experiences in elementary school. All names have been changed, just to be on the safe side.

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Looking back, she wished she had stayed in bed that day. Unfortunately, that had not been an option for 9-year old Lori. It was a school day, and when Mother woke her up, she had to get out of bed and get ready for school.

The first mishap occurred at breakfast, when one of those slimy, stringy things in her poached egg got caught around her tongue, causing her to gag and nearly throw up. She didn't eat any more after that.

When it was time to walk down the long, gravel driveway to wait for the school bus, she couldn't decide whether the white anklets she was wearing would be adequate for the day. It was rather chilly, yet the sun was shining. Ought she to have donned her ugly blue tights instead? After several minutes of indecision, Lori ran back up the driveway to change her leg-wear. Of course, the big yellow bus arrived in her absence, and her older sister had to ask the driver to wait for her. This was not an unusual occurrence, and had resulted in him nicknaming her Poky, much to her chagrin.

In the chalk-and-glue-scented classroom, Lori quickly occupied her assigned desk in the back row, where she sat because a) she was tall and b) did not cause trouble in school. Next to her sat tufty-haired Bobby, who was also tall, but did get into minor mischief from time to time. Today he decided to amuse himself by using his wooden ruler as a springboard for launching his pink eraser into the air. Since Mrs. M. was occupied elsewhere in the room all went well for Bobby until his eraser got stuck in the light fixture above his desk. The noise attracted Mrs. M.’s attention, and Bobby had to sit right next to the teacher’s desk for the remainder of the day. Lori didn't like it when fellow pupils got into trouble, so she felt very sorry for him.

At recess Lori fell off the merry-go-round on the playground and got a little muddy. When Mary fell off the week before, she got soaking wet and very muddy, and got to wear Mrs. M.'s big cardigan sweater while her dress and socks dried. But Lori was only dirty enough to look unkempt, and didn't get to wear the big sweater. That was a big disappointment!

The cafeteria was the usual noisy place at lunchtime. Lori always brought her lunch in a metal lunchbox. Lori's best friend, Sandy, sat across the table from her with her sack lunch. Sandy had braces, and bits of her tuna sandwich got stuck in them. It was a nauseating sight, and Lori lost her appetite again.

The afternoon passed quietly, and Lori rode the bus home again. Alas, when she got off the bus she lost her grip on the handful of papers she was bringing home, and they all scattered on the pavement! One of the big boys jumped off and gathered them up for her, but she was terribly embarrassed about the incident.

Lori didn't feel like practicing the piano after school, but her mother insisted on it. Supper was mutton stew, with big chunks of tough meat that wouldn't turn into something she could swallow, even after a great deal of chewing. Using great care, she managed to slip the glob of stringy goop into her napkin. She lost her appetite again, and quit eating.

At long last, it was bedtime! It had been a very challenging day for a little girl. There had been disappointments, frustrations, embarrassments, and not very much food. It was wonderful to crawl between her welcoming sheets with her rag doll and her old baby blanket, and slowly drift off to sleep. Bed was such a safe place. If only she could just stay there!