Books > Sad Underwear and Other Complications >

Excerpts

Will they let me go when I need to go to the bathroom?

And what if I get lost on my way back to class?

And what if all of the other kids are a hundred, a thousand,

a million times smarter than I am?

And what if we have a spelling test, or a reading test, or

an...anything test, and I'm the only person who doesn't pass?

And what if my teacher decides that she doesn't like me?

And what if all of a sudden a tooth gets loose?

And what if I can't find my lunch, or I step on my lunch, or

I (oops) drop my lunch down someplace like the toilet?

Will they just let me starve or will somebody lend me a

sandwich? A cookie? A cracker? An apple? Some juice?

And what if they say, "Do this," and I don't understand them?

And what if there's teams, and nobody picks me to play?

And what if I took off my sneakers, and also my socks, and

also my jeans and my sweatshirt and T-shirt,

And started the first day of school on the second day?

CREDIT

You asked me to do it.

I promised to do it.

I planned to do it.

I started to do it.

I really meant to do it.

Except I forgot.

Couldn't I get some credit

For promising,

Planning,

Starting,

And really meaning to do it?

Guess not.

Copyright © 1995 by Judith Viorst