"Mrs. Tassie?" I asked quietly. "I wondered if I could talk to you about that story we were supposed to have written for today."

"Oh, yes!" she replied, looking up from a paper. "I am glad you remembered that! I can't wait to read your story. You always do such a good job, Sarah."

I sat down feeling miserable. Mrs. Tassie had given us a week to write a story and I had only written my name on the paper.

Mrs. Tassie got up in front of the class and clapped her hands. "Okay, class. Settle down!" Everyone hurried to their seats. "Today we are going to share our stories with the class. Some of you have chosen to do your stories orally. Some of you have chosen to have it written down first. For today we will start with Andrew."

Andrew got up nervously and began to tell his story. He had written it down and was hiding his head in the paper. As Andrew mumbled along, I began to think of what story I could invent.

"And the dog began barking ..." Andrew continued.

Andrew would be done soon and it would be my turn. I hated my last name for being so close to the beginning of the alphabet.

"That is what my sister did on her day off," Andrew finished.

A few kids clapped and Andrew hurried to his seat after dropping his story on Mrs. Tassie's desk.

"That was a wonderful story!" Mrs. Tassie exclaimed. "Did you kids like it?" I had not heard a word of it.

"Now I want to have Sarah come up and read hers!"

I hobbled up to the front of the class. "Mrs. Tassie?" I asked meekly.

"Yes, dear?"

"I ... " I could not break her heart. I was just too awful.

"Did you want something, Sarah?" she questioned.

"I ... I chose to do mine orally," I blurted out.

"That is fine. Go ahead!" She encouraged.

Yeah! Go ahead! I thought. Go ahead with what?

I stood there looking at everyone like an idiot. The only other person who had not done their homework was Eddie. He was the oldest and dumbest kid in our class. He must be 16!

I was not sure where to start or what to say. The kids began to giggle, and Mrs. Tassie asked if was ready. I began to think of what Andrew had said. "And the dog began barking ..." Something jogged my memory. That word "dog" ...

"Sarah! You know what to say!" A little voice exclaimed in my head. 1