8th period. The last and slowest period of the day. And it just so happens that our last period has to be with Mr. Watson, the only man on Earth who thinks history is important.
I plunked my bookbag by my desk and sat down. In chalk letters, Disney Week was written on the board.
Mr. Watson tapped the board. "Class, as part of our history lessons, I've decided to make you study Walt Disney's classic animations."
The class groaned, much to his dismay. "Anyway," he went on, "we'll start watching the classics in order from which was created first." He hooked up the projector and stuck a DVD inside.
Up on the screen, the title slide of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was in blurry letters. I yawned and put my head down.
"Make sure you pay attention, for at the end of the week I'll be expecting an essay on all the classics we've watched."
I bit my lip. "Which ones will we watch?" I demanded.
Without looking at me, he said, "Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty."
"Why can't we write an essay on the hotter princesses?" asked Todd Steele, captain of the high school football team and also the dumbest person in the school.
"The classics are better than those nubs!" exclaimed Natalie Mason, your average nerd.
Mr. Watson quieted us down and the movie started. I watched Natalie pull out a piece of paper and take notes. I decided to fall asleep until I heard something dying. I looked up.
"Someday, my prince will come..." sang a woman who was probably Snow White.
"Ew!" I said a little too loudly.
"Keep your comments to yourself," Mr. Watson said.
The movie went on for what seemed like forever. Finally, when the last bell rang, the dwarfs killed the Evil Queen and Snow White awaits her "special" kiss.
I jumped out of my seat and headed for the door.
"Hold on there, Ms. Grey," Mr. Watson motioned me back to the classroom. "Class, tonight your homework is to watch the rest of the movies and think of a suitable topic of discussion for tomorrow. Good day."
Thursday Afternoon
Why I Think Disney Princesses are Overrated
Danielle Grey
Ever since Snow White was created, little girls hope and pray every day that "Someday Their Prince Will Come". I highly believe that those classic Princess movies are giving them bad lessons on intuition and perseverence.
Firstly, I don't see any of these princesses at least trying to get their man! They just sit there and have their lives go by wherever it takes them! Personally, I think little girls should strive to get what they want, and not have some do it for them. Maybe--
Mr. Watson shuffled my three-paged report. "Ms. Grey, I asked for a factual report, not an opinion-based one."
I tightened my ponytail. I was prepared for this. "Mr. Watson, the Disney Princesses don't do anything but--
"You've said enough," he interrupted me tiredly. He stood up and looked out his window. We were the only ones left in the classroom. "Ms. Grey, this semester you've turned in the most ridiculous reports. That is why I've been giving them a low grade."
"It's a gift," I spoke confidently. "I was born as a debater."
He looked at me seriously. "I'm afraid that after I've put this into the grades, you might have to attend summer school."
"What!"
"I said--"
"I heard what you said, Mister." I looked him straight in the face as he sat back down. "My reports are only what I believe and that's entirely what history is about!"
"That's true," Mr. Watson admitted. "But, I need to see you more serious with your work. Sometimes I have the wildest imaginations that you have your eight-year-old sister doing it for you!"
I said nothing.
He looked at his calendar. "Tell you what, Danielle. If you could give me a sensible report by Monday, I'll give you full credit and 10 extra credit points for working so hard. Deal?"
I slung my bag over my shoulder. "Sure."
He frowned. "Remember, it has to be factual and serious. You're lucky you have a three-day weekend. Don't let me down on this."
I walked outside and unlocked my bike from my rack. "'Sometimes I have the wildest imaginations that you have your eight-year-old sister doing it for you!'" I mocked him secretly. I pulled out and pedeled. Who does he think he is? History is all about debate! And how the heck does Disney have to do with it?
I looked at the blue April sky. This summer I would be turning 18, and I was planning to have my party at the beach. I sighed. It all depended on the stupid report. I turned onto the next block. I could see my house behind a few trees. We'd have to do this sooner or later, I thought.
My eyes wandered aimlessly at my empty computer screen. The shiny edge was mocking me. The clock on my dresser ticked on annoyingly. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
My body longed to run out of the room and never come back again, but I had vowed that I wouldn't open the door until I was finished.
Aurora
Being born with the gifts of three good fairies, this princess is cursed with a lifelong prophecy stating her death by a prick of her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel by an evil old witch that has some sort of grudge on the family.
"'Some sort'?" I snorted. This was going to be a long night. I put my head in my hands as if it was going to help.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. My little sister Lily popped her head in. "Hey, Danny! What're you doing?"
I tapped the screen on the only paragraph I wrote in an hour. "Writing a "factual" report."
She looked closer. "You're doing a report on a princess?"
"Well, in high school, Disney Princesses have so much in common with history," I said sarcastically.
"I thought you wrote one yesterday!" she accused.
I sighed. "You won't tell Mom, right?"
She shook her head. "Of course not."
I groaned. "I'm gonna take a break. You wanna watch something on the computer?"
"But Danny, your report..."
I rolled my eyes. "Nah, I'll get to that later."
My sister crossed her arms. "You get distracted too easily."
I thought for a moment. "How about this? We'll review the princess movies, and that might refresh my brain a little."
She shrugged. "If you say so."
I minimized my draft and opened up Youtube. I found a video on Cinderella, and clicked on it. It didn't do anything.
"Your computer's messed up," Lily commented.
"Shut up!" I clicked on it a hundred times more, but it wouldn't work. "What'd you do to it?"
"I didn't do anything!" she protested.
I grunted and clicked on it and held onto the mouse for a while. When I let go, my room and the computer disappeared.
We were in a whole new world.
I plunked my bookbag by my desk and sat down. In chalk letters, Disney Week was written on the board.
Mr. Watson tapped the board. "Class, as part of our history lessons, I've decided to make you study Walt Disney's classic animations."
The class groaned, much to his dismay. "Anyway," he went on, "we'll start watching the classics in order from which was created first." He hooked up the projector and stuck a DVD inside.
Up on the screen, the title slide of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was in blurry letters. I yawned and put my head down.
"Make sure you pay attention, for at the end of the week I'll be expecting an essay on all the classics we've watched."
I bit my lip. "Which ones will we watch?" I demanded.
Without looking at me, he said, "Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty."
"Why can't we write an essay on the hotter princesses?" asked Todd Steele, captain of the high school football team and also the dumbest person in the school.
"The classics are better than those nubs!" exclaimed Natalie Mason, your average nerd.
Mr. Watson quieted us down and the movie started. I watched Natalie pull out a piece of paper and take notes. I decided to fall asleep until I heard something dying. I looked up.
"Someday, my prince will come..." sang a woman who was probably Snow White.
"Ew!" I said a little too loudly.
"Keep your comments to yourself," Mr. Watson said.
The movie went on for what seemed like forever. Finally, when the last bell rang, the dwarfs killed the Evil Queen and Snow White awaits her "special" kiss.
I jumped out of my seat and headed for the door.
"Hold on there, Ms. Grey," Mr. Watson motioned me back to the classroom. "Class, tonight your homework is to watch the rest of the movies and think of a suitable topic of discussion for tomorrow. Good day."
Thursday Afternoon
Why I Think Disney Princesses are Overrated
Danielle Grey
Ever since Snow White was created, little girls hope and pray every day that "Someday Their Prince Will Come". I highly believe that those classic Princess movies are giving them bad lessons on intuition and perseverence.
Firstly, I don't see any of these princesses at least trying to get their man! They just sit there and have their lives go by wherever it takes them! Personally, I think little girls should strive to get what they want, and not have some do it for them. Maybe--
Mr. Watson shuffled my three-paged report. "Ms. Grey, I asked for a factual report, not an opinion-based one."
I tightened my ponytail. I was prepared for this. "Mr. Watson, the Disney Princesses don't do anything but--
"You've said enough," he interrupted me tiredly. He stood up and looked out his window. We were the only ones left in the classroom. "Ms. Grey, this semester you've turned in the most ridiculous reports. That is why I've been giving them a low grade."
"It's a gift," I spoke confidently. "I was born as a debater."
He looked at me seriously. "I'm afraid that after I've put this into the grades, you might have to attend summer school."
"What!"
"I said--"
"I heard what you said, Mister." I looked him straight in the face as he sat back down. "My reports are only what I believe and that's entirely what history is about!"
"That's true," Mr. Watson admitted. "But, I need to see you more serious with your work. Sometimes I have the wildest imaginations that you have your eight-year-old sister doing it for you!"
I said nothing.
He looked at his calendar. "Tell you what, Danielle. If you could give me a sensible report by Monday, I'll give you full credit and 10 extra credit points for working so hard. Deal?"
I slung my bag over my shoulder. "Sure."
He frowned. "Remember, it has to be factual and serious. You're lucky you have a three-day weekend. Don't let me down on this."
I walked outside and unlocked my bike from my rack. "'Sometimes I have the wildest imaginations that you have your eight-year-old sister doing it for you!'" I mocked him secretly. I pulled out and pedeled. Who does he think he is? History is all about debate! And how the heck does Disney have to do with it?
I looked at the blue April sky. This summer I would be turning 18, and I was planning to have my party at the beach. I sighed. It all depended on the stupid report. I turned onto the next block. I could see my house behind a few trees. We'd have to do this sooner or later, I thought.
My eyes wandered aimlessly at my empty computer screen. The shiny edge was mocking me. The clock on my dresser ticked on annoyingly. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
My body longed to run out of the room and never come back again, but I had vowed that I wouldn't open the door until I was finished.
Aurora
Being born with the gifts of three good fairies, this princess is cursed with a lifelong prophecy stating her death by a prick of her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel by an evil old witch that has some sort of grudge on the family.
"'Some sort'?" I snorted. This was going to be a long night. I put my head in my hands as if it was going to help.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. My little sister Lily popped her head in. "Hey, Danny! What're you doing?"
I tapped the screen on the only paragraph I wrote in an hour. "Writing a "factual" report."
She looked closer. "You're doing a report on a princess?"
"Well, in high school, Disney Princesses have so much in common with history," I said sarcastically.
"I thought you wrote one yesterday!" she accused.
I sighed. "You won't tell Mom, right?"
She shook her head. "Of course not."
I groaned. "I'm gonna take a break. You wanna watch something on the computer?"
"But Danny, your report..."
I rolled my eyes. "Nah, I'll get to that later."
My sister crossed her arms. "You get distracted too easily."
I thought for a moment. "How about this? We'll review the princess movies, and that might refresh my brain a little."
She shrugged. "If you say so."
I minimized my draft and opened up Youtube. I found a video on Cinderella, and clicked on it. It didn't do anything.
"Your computer's messed up," Lily commented.
"Shut up!" I clicked on it a hundred times more, but it wouldn't work. "What'd you do to it?"
"I didn't do anything!" she protested.
I grunted and clicked on it and held onto the mouse for a while. When I let go, my room and the computer disappeared.
We were in a whole new world.
