Before the story begins, let my explain its origin. It is based on when my fourth grade class [and the ever so "wonderful" teacher I had] recieved two "silent" days for being annoyingly loud while my fourth grade teacher was out of the classroom. These silent days that are in the short story are much like the silent days that I had-except the story itself is made up. It is only based on a true story. Also, Pearl Jam gave me the inspiration to write some of this story with their song "Jeremy"-kudos to them.
In Class Suspension by Epiphany Thomas
“Jeremy spoke in class today….”-Jeremy, by Pearl Jam
In Room 17 at J.J. Washington Elementary School in Worthington, Illinois, the fourth grade gifted class was about to receive the shock of their lives. Marissa Allen, a ten year old fourth grader in gifted, was putting her black hair back in a ponytail and was wearing blue jeans and a black graphic t-shirt from Aeropostale. She’d finally look popular, and feel good about herself as well. Marissa’s near non-existent self-confidence was finally in full swing.
Jeremy Dallen was also a ten year old fourth grader in gifted at J.J. Washington Elementary School in Worthington, Illinois. Jeremy had short, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. His world was about to be shaken today. Before either of their cores could be rocked, they both took bus 34 to school. Jeremy had a huge crush on Marissa. Just one thought of Marissa, and Jeremy had a fever that made him feel like he had the stomach flu.
Marissa didn’t think of Jeremy much, and didn’t really care about him. Marissa was the world to Jeremy. Room 17, however, split them far apart. The classroom has been split up by boys and girls, girls on the right side of the classroom, boys on the left side of the classroom. Mrs. Cherish, the fourth grade gifted teacher, always showed favoritism for girls and never really wanted boys and girls near each other.
The isolation from Marissa that room 17 imposed drove Jeremy wild. He would come home bawling like a toddler because he missed her so much. Marissa, on the other hand, had a crush on a boy in class named Steven Olisk. Steven had long dark black hair that was down to half of his back, brown eyes, and an almost all Aeropostale style.
Whenever Jeremy saw Marissa talking to Steven, it would make his blood boil with jealousy. Today was finally going to be the day that Jeremy got to know Marissa. Marissa was finally going to know that Jeremy really existed. When Marissa walked into room 17 today, she eluded all signs of unhappiness today. Today was going to be her day, and no one else’s.
When Jeremy walked into room 17 today, he eluded all signs of confidence and walked with nervousness, trembling with fear. Jeremy went to the restroom to call down his nervously beating heart, but he began to get flushing hot with nausea. The nausea got to him, and he vomited into the toilet. However, nothing would keep him from Marissa today, not even the swine flu.
During class time, Mrs. Cherish had to go run some errands and left her classroom unsupervised. The children of room 17 were paired boy-girl for a language arts project, and Jeremy finally had Marissa as a partner. He would finally get the chance to really speak with her.
“Class, continue working on your projects while I run some errands. If I find one person off task, than nothing good will happen. That is ALL that I am going to say.” Mrs. Cherish yelled to the class.
Jeremy was nervous about Mrs. C’s comment. He knew that if he messed up, that he’d be sorry. He already had no friends and a mother that constantly yelled and shouted at him. He needed Marissa to help him out. Marissa was the only thing that gave his life any meaning to it whatsoever.
“Marissa, how are you?” Jeremy nervously asked her.
“I am feeling pretty good for once. I am not worried that any of the boys in this classroom think that I am disgusting.” Marissa said to Jeremy.
This was the first time that Marissa told anyone of how she thought boys thought of her looks in school. Jeremy was heartbroken that any guy could think of Marissa in that manner.
“I think that you are gorgeous.” Jeremy told her.
His hands were shaking, he was about to vomit again, and his stomach ached of fear over how Marissa would respond.
“Do you really think that I am gorgeous? Thank you.” Marissa said quietly.
Marissa began to blush. Marissa had been waiting for over six months for a guy to tell her that she looked gorgeous, or even remotely close to beautiful. Jeremy and Marissa sat there and began talking about their personal lives for 15 minutes. As soon as Marissa began laughing hysterically because of a funny joke that Jeremy told, Mrs. Cherish walked in.
“Marissa, why are you laughing?” Mrs. Cherish screamed at Marissa.
Marissa’s heart nearly stopped. She had never in her life been scolded in such a manner.
“Something funny about the story that Jeremy and I are writing.” Marissa responded nervously.
The assignment was to write a short story that would appeal to children in the first grade.
“Marissa, laughing is being off task! The whole class now has an in class suspension tomorrow because of you!” Mrs. Cherish screamed.
Jeremy began crying, mainly because he felt so guilty that the class was being given an ICS to serve the next day. He wanted to die right then and there. Marissa was stunned with fear that the class would hate her more. The whole class was immediately sent back to their seats.
While they were in their seats, Mrs. Cherish began explaining what an in class suspension was.
“An in class suspension is an in school suspension for an entire class of elementary school students. This is for a time period ranging from 1-5 days, and during this punishment, you are not to look at each other, you are not allowed to talk, you are not allowed to sleep or put your head on the desk, you are only allowed to do work, draw, or read. No activities are allowed to be attended during this time period, not even band or chorus. This is intended as punishment. A washroom break will be allowed before lunch and at 2:05 P.M. You are not to talk during lunch.” Mrs. Cherish said.
Jeremy was already planning how he was going to kill himself before tomorrow in his head. Marissa was thinking about comforting Jeremy on the bus today because of all of the guilt that he felt on the inside. When Jeremy arrived on the bus at 2:37 that afternoon, seven minutes after school ended, he began crying again.
Marissa sat next to Jeremy and gave him a hug.
“Hey Jeremy, I’m sorry about what happened today. I’ll find a way to talk to you tomorrow.” Marissa said to him with hints of guilt in her voice.
Jeremy hoped that he would get the chance to somehow talk to her the next day. As he nervously wobbled down the hall to room 17, there was still that feeling of nausea. The same exact feeling he had the day before, just intensified by 10 times.
“Alright class, in class suspension is in full effect. The ten work packets that you need for the day are on the front table. These ten packets contain work in the subjects of math, reading, social studies, and science. Please grab all 10 packets and get busy working on them. Anyone who talks or passes notes receives an automatic 2 days of in school suspension and gives the class another day of in class suspension.” Mrs. Cherish said.
Jeremy became highly infuriated with Mrs. Cherish. However, Jeremy knew that he would risk anything for Marissa-even if it meant two days in the school’s tightly packed in school suspension program. Marissa, on the other hand, was a total goodie two shoes. She had never even received a detention before, nonetheless put into a suspension program.
Mrs. Cherish had to unexpectedly leave the room to run errands, and while that happened, Jeremy made a switch of seats and sat in the empty seat next to Marissa. The girl that sat next to Marissa was absent that day, and had probably skipped school to avoid the suspension.
Marissa sat in her seat and instead of working on the packets; she daydreamed of how great life would be with Steven Olsik. That is until Steven walked out of his seat, came up to Marissa, and called her an ugly snot that didn’t deserve life. Marissa began uncontrollably sobbing at her seat. She had a huge crush on Steven for 5 years and for Steven to crush her heart in such a manner was unspeakably devastating to her.
Jeremy passed a note to Marissa that read, “Steven is someone who doesn’t deserve life.”
Unfortunately, Steven happened to look over Jeremy’s shoulder when Marissa read it.
“Excuse me Jeremy, but you are a gay punk with no friends!” Steven shouted in front of the whole class.
Mrs. Cherish had still been running errands, and it had been 45 minutes later. Jeremy was worried that if Mrs. Cherish never came back that a huge fight would erupt between him and Steven.
“Come on punk; show the whole class what you’re made of, ice cream soft serve!” Steven shouted toward him.
“I hate you, and you have no life other than to call a girl that you don’t even know a loser. I feel sincerely sorry for the girl who ever has to date you. Oh wait, I don’t even think anyone wants to date you. If you are so judging of a female at 9 or 10 years old, how do you think that you will be in the future? You are a horrible example of a male, and I hope that my words have emotionally emasculated you.” Jeremy said loudly in front of the whole class.
Jeremy’s words truly emasculated Steven, so much so that Steven nearly cried in front of the whole class. Steven always thought that several females liked him.
Marissa passed Jeremy a note that read, “Jeremy, you’ve truly spoken for me. I feel so loved and adored, and I just want to tell you that I love you.”
Once Jeremy read the note, he wrote a reply that gave Marissa his cell phone number, asking her to text message him when she could.
Mrs. Cherish walked into room 17, and unfortunately saw the note that Jeremy passed Marissa.
“Jeremy, what did I say about passing notes?” Mrs. Cherish said.
“While you were gone, I stood up to a little boy that made a girl cry and one that called me a punk. While you were gone, I made someone’s day a whole lot better by just simply reminding them that I loved them. Why? Because love is stronger than any of the rules.
Love is stronger than any emotion, and love is an euphoric feeling. Love is a word with several connotations and different meanings. If you understood what love was, Mrs. C, than you would maybe understand why I am willing to risk my freedom in school for the girl that I love.” Jeremy said in a haughty manner to the teacher.
“Jeremy and Marissa, both of you go down to the in school suspension room right now! You have both committed a severe violation of the rules and have earned 5 days of in school suspension!” Mrs. Cherish yelled.
Jeremy and Marissa refused to leave.
“I SAID RIGHT NOW!” Mrs. Cherish screamed.
Jeremy and Marissa still refused to leave the classroom. The goodie two shoes of the classroom was finally speaking out, but not with her words.
“Alright, now that the both of you have disobeyed orders once again, you both have now given the class 5 days of in class suspension!” Mrs. Cherish yelled.
“Even if the whole class serves an ICS for 5 or more days, Marissa and I will not leave. You might as well give up on punishing us.” Jeremy said to the teacher.
As a result of Jeremy’s words, he was given 5 days of out of school suspension, effective immediately. As soon as the clock reached 2:30, and Marissa walked out of school, she texted Jeremy’s cell phone number.
“Are you alright?” Marissa texted Jeremy.
“I am alright, my mother is finally proud of me for sticking up for myself, and I am headed to a family outing with my sister and cousins.” Jeremy replied.
Jeremy’s palms began to sweat, his heart pounding out of his chest, because he had one more urgent question to ask Marissa.
“May I ask you a question Marissa?” Jeremy texted to Marissa.
“Anything you want.” Marissa replied.
“Will you go out with me? ” Jeremy texted Marissa.
Marissa had been waiting for a boyfriend since the beginning of third grade.
“Of course sweetheart! :D” Marissa replied to Jeremy.
Jeremy and Marissa remained a couple for 12 years, and eventually got married and had three kids named Jacob, Alexandria, and Jonathan. Who knew that a day originally intended as a punishment for a group of fourth grade gifted kids would eventually end in true love?
[End story]
PLEASE comment and tell me what you think! :) Much appreciated.
-Epiphany Thomas
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