1 Roberta I

"Oh no I slept in!" Roberta yelled, she was going to miss her bus. She jumped out of bed and threw on the clothes she had on the previous day. Forget breakfast and brushing her teeth let alone her hair, there was no time.

"No, no, no, no!" She yelled looking at the clock and trying to find her missing backpack. Finding it under her sleeping cat and a sweater,

"Move Scarlet" she said pulling it from under her stretching cat. She made her way out of her room and halfway down the stairs to fall down the other half. Her father already left leaving her with no Plan B of transportation in case she missed the bus. Getting to the door hopping on one foot at a time putting on each shoe before going out. She closed and locked the door going to walk to the end of her driveway when her bag ripped. Her books were all over the ground, she dropped to pick them up as her bus drove by.

"Are you kidding me!" she screamed then after realized she was wearing two different shoes. Luckily having a plastic store bag in her now broken backpack she filled it with her schoolbooks. She walked to her trash can that awaited to be emptied by the garbage men and threw her backpack in. Putting the lid atop of the can someone sped by splashing her with a muddy puddle.

"Seems about right" Roberta said wiping the water from her face with her sleeves. Now thinking of a way to get to school she hauled her bike out of the garage. She hadn't rode it in months and the breaks didn't work but it was her only choice. She got on the and started peddling hard as possible only having ten minutes to get to school. Riding through town she flew across a street almost getting smoked by a truck. Squeezing on the breaks remembering they were useless she sped up just missing the vehicle.

"Are you stupid? I coulda killed you!" the driver yelled as she continued on. Arriving at school and hopping off the bike she noticed she had no lock. Not having time she threw it up against a wall on the side of the school.

"It'll be fine there" she thought pushing the doors to enter the school. The bell rang and she started running down the hall

"No running!" a teacher said as she passed them. Whipping around the corner she slipped and fell.

"Whoops sorry kiddo, I haven't put up the wet sign yet. You alright?" the janitor asked. Roberta kept on almost completely damp now entering class interrupting the teacher.

"Take a seat Roberta. I'm about to hand out the tests from yesterday."

"Sorry Mrs. Chang I will" Roberta replied embarrassed. She walked to her seat hearing people snickering and someone whispering

"Did she pee her pants?" Being done with the day already she just couldn't wait to get her test back. She had been up the whole night before the test studying. Then her anxiety kept her up the whole next night thinking

"Did I answer that question right?" Or

"Did I remember to write my name." Now she was calm knowing she had done well and there was nothing to worry about. She'd get a great score, maybe even the best in class then put it on the fridge for her father to see. Roberta was probably the most nerdy person in school and the biggest goodie two shoes. Her appearance even showed that being 5'6" with short red hair, wearing thick big glasses over her dark brown eyes. She had freckles and often wore turtle necks or sweater vests with skirts and leggings. She was known for being the teachers pet even though she didn't really try to be. If she wasn't studying or practicing piano she was reading. Mrs. Chang began to walk around and hand out tests and Roberta crossed her fingers for reassurance. She placed them face down and told the class not to look until they were all handed out. Finally hers was given and the suspense was killing her waiting for six more handouts. Taking a breather and exhaling the teacher announced the students could look at their tests now. It felt like slow motion as Roberta flipped the test over. Her heart began beating like a rabbit and she didn't even know why. She flipped the paper completely and her beating heart sank like a hole filled boat.

"A seventeen? A damn seventeen?" Roberta yelled thinking there must be some mistake. "Excuse me?" Mrs. Chang asked placing her hands on her hips.

"This is crap Mrs. Chang!"

"Do you need to go for a walk?"

"Absolute crap."

"Watch your mouth Roberta."

"I stayed up all night studying and for what? A seventeen!"

"Calm down, now."

"I bet Quintin got a higher mark than me and he's the stupidest in the class"

"Go to the office Roberta!" Mrs. Chang ordered and Roberta was stunned. That was the first time she had ever been sent to the office, she was at a loss for words. She picked up her things and walked to the door like she was being forced on a space shuttle and taken to a strange planet. She could barely remember where the office is only ever going there once for a late slip. Eventually finding her way she walked in, the principal told her to come to the back and enter his office.

"Take a seat" he said closing the door.

"Mr. Samson I can explain I-"

"So your names... Roberta, are you new here?"

"Mr. Samson this is my fourth year being here."

"Riiight, let me look you up in the system. Hmm... you actually seem like a pretty outstanding student. Straight A's, most likely to succeed and if you've never been here before you must keep to yourself. Behaving the way you did in Mrs. Chang's class today doesn't seem explainable."

"But Mr-"

"No but's, I'm going to have to suspend you."

"Suspend!" Roberta yelled starting to feel like she was hyperventilating.

"I think I'm gonna pass out" she cried.

"Calm down, calm down you're not gonna pass out. Mrs. Kitchen can you bring me a paper bag" Mr. Samson yelled out to the secretary opening his office door. The secretary came in with a paper bag and handed it to Mr. Samson who handed it to Roberta. She started huffing and puffing on the bag -

"This has a hole in it" she cried again throwing the bag to the side.

"I'm sorry Roberta, maybe this will teach you how to treat your fellow classmates and to respect your teachers. You're a good girl I can see it you just need to learn how to not lose it over small things." Mr. Samson said pointing to the door queuing for Roberta to now leave. She got up and went to the front doors of the school.

"Me, suspended. I can't believe it I don't even know what suspended people do. Nothing to study and no homework" Roberta thought. She left school and went to retrieve her bike where she left it.

"Of course" she said finding the bike was no longer present and had been stolen. She broke down, she had nothing left in her. This was the worst day of her life, it felt like a bad dream she couldn't wake up from and so she started bawling her eyes out.