Reason and Rhyme Reason and Rhyme_2018SP | Page 18

who was picking on me because my nose was bleeding. Naturally, the day ended with me sitting in the
principal’s office staring at the fish in the aquarium while he yelled at me.
“August, this isn’t like you at all. In all the time that you’ve been at this school, the only time I
have seen you in here was when you bit Marcy Meyers back when you were in kindergarten. I’ll have you
know, this is completely unacceptable,” Principal Smith said. His orangey red mustache made his mouth
look animated as spittle made its way into the air instead of staying in his mouth.
I apologized to the boy I had punched that day. Of course, when I got home, the situation got
much worse.
“August Oliver Johnson,” My mom yelled. She only yelled when she got angry. I suppose that is
where I got it from. “You punched a boy today? What were you thinking?”
“Mom, I’m sor---”
“Oh no. I do not want to hear the apologies or the excuses. No T.V. for a month. You’re officially
grounded until I say otherwise. We do not punch people, Gus.”
“But Mom--”
“I just don’t understand. You have never gotten into a fight at school before.” She kept on ranting
for a while. It felt like forever, but I know it wasn’t.
“Mom, can I at least tell you why I hit him?” I finally said when she calmed down.
“I guess so.” she said.
“He was making fun of me because my nose always bleeds. So, I got mad and I hit him. I know it doesn’t
make it right.”
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