Day Out With Friends

Do you know the antonym of returning home from school on Friday? It is going to school on Monday. But this Monday was special. It was the most memorable than all the Fridays put together. 

It was my final year in school. One Monday morning, one of our teachers was absent. So we were blessed to have the first period of the week a free period. But our joy was short-lived when our Vice Principal came in to keep watch on us. One very important rule of the Vice Principal which at any cost we were not allowed to deviate from, was that in her presence, the class ought to maintain a 'pin-drop-silence'.

I was bored. So quietly I started to tare the old bus tickets I had in my bag, into tiny pieces under the desk. In no time, there was a heap of bits of paper under my desk. My partner Deepshika was watching me all the while, amused. Once I was done with all the tearing, she did something which I had least expected. Sitting in the front bench ahead of Deepshika, was Marilyn. Being winter, Marilyn was wearing a sweatshirt with a hood. Since she wasn't wearing the hood on, it was right in front of Deepshika. Deepshika looked at the hood and towards me with a wicked smile. Before I could stop her, she started putting all the bits of paper into Marilyn's hood. This act of Deepshika tickled me pink but I couldn't stop her nor warn Marilyn, since we were in the Pin Drop Silent mode. I also couldn't stop myself from throwing the halo off my head and sprouting out the wicked horns and joined her in the task. In no time the whole heap of paper were collected in Marilyn's hood. I smiled thinking that it will be a funny surprise to Marilyn when she takes off her sweatshirt at home.

The next 10 mins passed playing X and Os with Deepshikha while the Vice-Principle was busy reading an encyclopedia. Just then, shockingly, I saw Marilyn doing something that she wasn't supposed to. Marilyn placed the hood filled with papers on her head! I tried stopping her but Deepshikha pointed at the Vice principal and shushed me.  

I wondered to myself as to why Marilyn felt extra cold when it was just a pleasant morning? And as luck would have it, my thoughts were I guess loud enough for Marilyn to understand and she took off the hood from her head!! With both my hands I tightly covered my mouth.

It was a sight, really. The static electricity, made all the bits of paper to sit on the boy-cut styled hair of Marilyn, making it look like a crochet white cap perfectly fitting her head. Deepshikha's reaction was the same as mine. Marilyn was least aware of her designer cap. I quickly reached out to dust off the bits from her head but was too late. The class noticed Marilyn's artistically designed head and roared out in laughter. This startled not only Marilyn but also the vice-principal who was in her own deep world. As she lifted up her head to understand the chaos she watched Deepshika and myself brushing off the bits of paper from Marilyn's head. "What is this, a fish market?" asked the Vice Principal in her loud thick voice. "You three girls, I want you to be out of the class right now"

"But Miss!.." Deepshika and I spoke in chorus. We wanted to save Marilyn from the punishment. We wanted to tell the Vice-Principal that she was innocent. But it was of no use. The stubborn Vice-Principle I guess was herself having Monday blues and was in no mood of listening to us. Gathering all her stamina which she gained possibly from the heavy breakfast she must have had, she yelled her guts out, "Get out, I said!." When we stood to go out, she continued, "Take your bags also along with you. I will instruct all your subject teachers to not let you three attend any class today. You notorious girls will stay out of the class the whole day."

Totally embarrassed and guilty, while the whole was class watching us, with our heads hanging down, we left the class with our bags.

Out of the class, in the corridor, at the first instance, Deepshika and myself apologized to Marilyn as it was because of our mischief she would miss her classes today. We told her that in sometime we will again make an attempt in telling the Vice-principal the truth, on she being innocent. To this Marilyn gave a firm look to us and said "Dare you girls even think of doing that. You can't imagine how greatful I am to be out of class with you girls. Last year of school, girls. Possibly the last punishment of school days to stay out of the class! I am thrilled!." Deepshika and myself just stared at each other silently. Just then one girl from next class passed the corridor. Watching us three with bags she uttered in a low voice, "I envy you girls" 

This brought a twinkle in the eyes of the three of us and we giggled.

That whole day out of class we three did study to the best of our ability but mostly we just talked to our hearts content and giggled. We giggled, nonstop for absolutely no logical or sensible reason. Thinking of this day, makes me giggle even today. It was the best day 'out' with my friends.