If This Were a Story by Beth Turley

Author:Beth Turley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Importunate. Spiteful. Acute.

In class we practice spelling. Mrs. Bloom goes over the words on the board.

IMPORTUNATE.

SPITEFUL.

ACUTE.

The thing about spelling is, you don’t need to know the definition of a word to spell it. But I like meanings. I think looking at a word only for how its spelled is like judging a person by their outsides.

We’re copying the words into our vocabulary journals when there’s a knock on the door. Ms. Meghan is standing at the back of the classroom.

“Keep copying,” Mrs. Bloom says, and joins her.

“Importunate” describes something that is persistent.

“Spiteful” means something unkind.

“Acute” is when something is felt very intensely.

Mrs. Bloom and Ms. Meghan talk in the back of the class. I snap the tip of my pencil on purpose and walk to the sharpener near where they are standing. I hope my newly repaired receivers can hear them.

Before I make it to the sharpener, Mrs. Bloom is tapping Kimmy on the shoulder. She motions for Kimmy to follow her. Kimmy’s eyes are wide when she puts down her pencil. They look wet by the time she’s taken out the door.

If this were a story, a big red arrow would appear above my head, so that everyone would know I am to blame.

I put my pencil into the sharpener.

“It’s over now,” I say under my breath.

“Yooouuuu diiiiiid theeeeee riiiiiiiight thiiiiiing,” the sharpener whirrs at me. I pull the pencil out, and the voice stops. No one’s looking at me. No one else has heard.

I put the pencil back in. “You—” Pencil out.

Quiet.

Pencil in. “Did—” Pencil out.

Quiet.

Pencil in—

“Hannah? Stop playing with the sharpener,” Mrs. Bloom says.

Pencil out.

I go back to my seat and start copying the words again.

Sometimes when you learn vocabulary, it’s useful to put the words into a sentence.

Maybe I did do the right thing, but the importunate reminders the spiteful notes have left me with an acute pain in the center of my chest.

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