first day of schoolgrade school 

                                 teachers are going to want them to write a paper on their summer vacation 

he coudnt wait

it didnt happen until the following week

                                           Class.  This morning until lunch we’ll write a paper about our summer. 

about time

           he flipped open his wood desk opened a notebook took out several pieces of lined white paper closed the notebook closed his desk

                           he had a pencil behind his ear

his teacher didnt like that she asked him several times to remove it

he accommodated her in the moment

it found its way back

she quit asking

he wrote a dialogue between two boys on a playground on swings swinging in unison

when his teacher graded the papers he got an A he usually did on things he wrote  the other stuff  not so much  placing his down on his desk before him she asked when school let out that afternoon if he would please come up and see her

Yes. Of Course.

Let Out bell rang

she required the class to leave the room quietly their classroom was one of the very few that did usually the school shook beneath the cacophony of end-of-the-day I’m-out-of-here voices yells howls more than a thousand feet in halls feet stomping down steps

approaching her shed placed his desk immediately in front of hers 

                                                                 Mrs. Thompson.

something was on her mind  she silenced him holding up her handher index finger pointing to the ceiling brow softly furrowed

           everything was soft about her not fatsoft deliberatelysoft

he stood before her quietly

Joseph. 

Joe.

Excuse me. Yes. Joe.

Yes Mrs. Thompson.

I wanted to talk to you about your paper.

Yes.

Could you take it out of your notebook, please.

Yes Mrs. Thompson.

You can have it facing you I can read my writing upside down I’ll be able to follow you.

Very good. Your cursive is distinct, yet very legible.

I practise a lot.

And your practise shows, very good.

Thank you.

You’re welcome.

                      So the boys swinging together are talking about the other boy’s Mother.

Yes.

He said to the other boy, you I assumed . .

. . Excuse me Mrs. Thompson, a character I assumed, not really me.

Not you?

No.

The assignment was your Summer vacation.

Yes.

So this is not your Summer?

It is part of my Summer that I thought about.

Is there a grain of truth in your paper.

Of course. Fiction is made up of truth.

 Yes.  So.

                The other boy's Mom is an influencer.

Yes.

And you know what that is?

Yes.

What is it?

An influencer influences. I’m not really into that computer stuff. She influences people on-line.

Okay. Thank you.

                    And . . . she’s a cosplayer, and you know what a cosplayer is. 

It’s like dressing for . . er Halloween, dressing for Halloween . a lot.

Do you know what she dresses up as?

Japanese anime characters. I think manga characters too I might find them to be more interesting if I could read Japanese.

            I think.

And all of it, their conversation, while they’re swinging.

They’re swinging in unison, playing, yes.

And you’re going to share your paper with your parents this evening?

Right after dinnerare you kidding me? I got an A. 

                                                     My older brothers and sisters get As all the time.

I got to show-off when I can.

1057,  day-between-2-Ts,  30  8. 23