I knew a girl in 6th grade (let’s call her Brooke); we weren’t great friends, but I didn’t think we hated each other. One day in the cafeteria, Brooke walked by and snatched up one of my Starbursts. It wasn’t a big deal to me until she walked by again and said in a snotty voice, “Want it back?” She stuck out the half chewed candy on her tongue.
Something about her attitude rubbed me the wrong way, so I went and told the lunch monitor, who happened to be the Assistant Vice-Principal (AVP). He thanked me and said he would take care of it.
I thought nothing more of the incident until the following lunch when the AVP came and asked for my version of the story. I told him, and he said he would like to replace my Starburst. I watched with a little confusion as the AVP asked another student if he could have one of his Starbursts. The other student complied, and I was reimbursed my one piece of candy.
During the next period, there was a knock on the classroom door. The AVP stuck his head in and asked if he could see me. I stepped outside to see the AVP and Brooke standing there. She had her head down and wouldn’t look me in the eye.
The AVP said, “Brooke, Jim tells me that he did not give you the Starburst. He says that you stole it from him. Is that correct?”
With her head down, Brooke simply said, “Yes.”
The AVP responded, “So when I met with you and your parents last night, and you told all of us that Jim gave you the Starburst, you were lying to us?”
Her eyes began filling with tears. “Yes.”
The AVP looked at me and said I could go back to class.
My path never crossed with Brooke’s again, and I never did find out what happened to her. It’s just one of those memories from childhood that has always stuck with me. I thought it was interesting, and worth recording.
Something about her attitude rubbed me the wrong way, so I went and told the lunch monitor, who happened to be the Assistant Vice-Principal (AVP). He thanked me and said he would take care of it.
I thought nothing more of the incident until the following lunch when the AVP came and asked for my version of the story. I told him, and he said he would like to replace my Starburst. I watched with a little confusion as the AVP asked another student if he could have one of his Starbursts. The other student complied, and I was reimbursed my one piece of candy.
During the next period, there was a knock on the classroom door. The AVP stuck his head in and asked if he could see me. I stepped outside to see the AVP and Brooke standing there. She had her head down and wouldn’t look me in the eye.
The AVP said, “Brooke, Jim tells me that he did not give you the Starburst. He says that you stole it from him. Is that correct?”
With her head down, Brooke simply said, “Yes.”
The AVP responded, “So when I met with you and your parents last night, and you told all of us that Jim gave you the Starburst, you were lying to us?”
Her eyes began filling with tears. “Yes.”
The AVP looked at me and said I could go back to class.
My path never crossed with Brooke’s again, and I never did find out what happened to her. It’s just one of those memories from childhood that has always stuck with me. I thought it was interesting, and worth recording.