Got What I Wanted
by Drew Alexander Ross
(Originally Published in Down in the Dirt)
“Can you bring Rachel to the front office?”
Jackie mouthed, “Please.” I put down my coffee and walked over to the fifth-grade wing.
Rachel was late for a speech therapy lesson. Other students pulled from their classes were already there. I knew the favor wasn’t going to be the simple task of escorting a happy student to the front office.
“I don’t want to go!”
Rachel stamped her feet as if she was trying to squash a swarm of nasty bugs. Her shoes emitted glows of light from the soles during each contact with the ground. I stared at her and didn’t reveal any emotion.
Rachel darted for the door like a mouse that was afraid to get caught. I exchanged raised eyebrows with Ms. Larrabee before I went to find her. She wasn’t in the immediate area.
Tucked in the corner of a stairwell, Rachel pouted. She whined and would not listen. I tried to convince her the speech lessons wouldn’t be bad. I said that others were waiting on her. I told her there would be games and candy if she went.
She did not want to go.
Rachel played with her shoes and watched the colors light-up on her heels. I waited a minute before I told her they were cool. Her face glowed like the bottom of her shoes. Rachel explained how they lit up when she stomped in them and proceeded to do just that. One red and the other blue. I asked her if she could make a pattern as we walked to the front office. Her face went blank for a moment before it scrunched up. She ultimately decided this was worth her time and started to skip ahead of me.
After we rounded the corner, the front office came into view. Rachel hesitated. My suggestion of don’t step on the cracks got her the rest of the way. At the door, she scurried back a few steps and sank down next to the wall. I felt like I was watching a tiny elephant trying to evade notice while emitting disruptive bursts from its trunk.
“I’m not going in! I hate it there.”
Jackie, the front office receptionist, came outside with the speech counselor. The speech counselor told Rachel they would be playing games, and the other students wanted her to join. Rachel shook her head and repeated “no” to each prompt. Nothing changed her mind.
Finally, the counselor let out a sigh and told Rachel if she didn’t go today, she would have to go to two sessions next week or go by herself the following day. Rachel gave a snarl with pursed lips.
“Fine. I’ll go tomorrow… By myself.”
The adults looked at each other and felt the shared release of tension. The situation was resolved. We could go on with our day.
I walked Rachel back to class. After we rounded the corner, Rachel started to skip.
“Yay! Got what I wanted.”
