Effort

• Brooke Davidson, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2013

Ever get those days where you just don’t want to get out of bed? Well today is one of those days. You lay there and contemplate different ways to get out of doing anything involving too much effort. “Maybe I’ll stay in bed. Maybe I’ll fake a sick day and I say I have a fever. Maybe my Romeo will come in bursting through the door with a boom box held on his shoulder playing The Beatles, then we’ll ride off in to the sunset on a ride on lawnmower. ” Thanks to the lamp next to my bed, faking fevers in the past to get out of school have been simple as pie. 8:15 now, running out of time. Have to think of a new, brilliant excuse. “My alarm didn’t work.” No that will never suffice, I swear it’s loud enough the people next door can hear it. “Today’s a pupil free day because Jim’s Dad got a new car.” Pfft, yeah right. Jim’s dad doesn’t believe in cars, that’s why he rides his bicycle everywhere. Got to love the pom poms on the handlebars though, adds a bit of class if you ask me. 8:20 now, maybe I should just get up and get ready for school. I realise none of these excuses are going to work.
So I get out of my comfortable bed, put on my nerdy uniform consisting of a skirt that goes to my ankles, a tie that makes my neck look enormous and a shirt that makes me look like I eat donuts for breakfast, lunch and tea, all day, every day. As I walk out in to the kitchen to get my lunch box, Mum is sitting at the table staring at me funny. I think nothing of it, get my recess and lunch, and head for the door. “Where do you think you’re going?!” yells out my Mum. “It’s Saturday!”