M.S.F. Specimen/A day in the life

Specimen:
“Rodrick pay attention” the familiar refrain from Mrs. Wormwood echoed through Rodrick’s noggin. He was lost at sea fighting a pirate hoard to save a beautiful damsel in distress. Although since he couldn’t really see the point in rescuing a girl from pirates, it was his dog Thurber that he was saving. “Yes Mrs. Wormwood?” why did she always call on him, he knew the answers fine, but when the whole class looked at him his face would go warm and anything he tried to say would come out mumbles. She was talking again, he had time to sward-fight one more pirate before he tuned back in to the end of her question. “…archeologists in Egypt in the 1800’s?” The Rosetta Stone, that helped decipher hieroglyphics. Is what he thought but “ummmm the ahh the thing” is what he said. He could hear several of his classmates roll their eyes. “Would you please see me after class Rodrick.” “mmmm” He concentrated on rejoining the fray at sea, only now the pirate king was Mrs. Wormwood and the pirate he was fighting was Jimmy two desks over. When the bell rang an hour later Rodrick had moved on to fighting Huns on the steppes of Mongolia. He shoved his books into his bag happy to be done with another day of swimming in the doldrums. “Rodrick, would you mind fallowing me to the teachers lounge?” uh oh, boy was he in trouble now, he could feel a snake squirming in his belly. “K’” How was he going to explain this to his parents. “Rodrick I’ve had a conversation with your mother last night.” Could teachers do that? He was going to be dropped a grade, put in remedial classes, he would probably be required to ware a pair of dorky glasses just so everybody could tell what a dunce he was. “Oh?” She looked at him, “don’t sound so glum, there’s nothing to be worried about.” Probably the same thing they said to the French monarchs right before they lopped there gourds off “mmm k’.” The door to the teachers lounge had frosted glass so the students couldn’t see the scheming, and mocking of their assignments he was sure all teachers did. He was holding on to the straps of his backpack very tightly and was trying not to let on, this was it he might as well join a traveling circus cleaning up after elephants and soaking up the vomit of over-fed midway riders. There was a man in a crisp black suit standing at the window twiddling his hat behind his back. When Mrs. Wormwood spoke he turned with an awkward smile. “Rodrick I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Woolytuft.” Was his name really Wooly-tuft? It sounded fake, he was probably with the government. Was he being sent to a state school for problem children? He would never see his family again, or Thurber! poor Thurber. Rodrick was now on the verge of tears. “Hi” he croaked out to the man that would lock him away forever. “Hello Rodrick, do you remember me?—No well probably not, its been a long time. I am the curator at the museum that your uncle Walter works for.” Walt? Rodrick perked up a little bit, so he wasn’t from the government and he knew Uncle Walt? “Your parents, Walter, your teacher and I have all been talking, about you.” Uh oh, this was going south again in a hurry, whenever that many adults were talking about you nothing good could happen. “Now if you agree to this Mrs. Wormwood has fixed it with the school board, you would still need some classes in English and math and what have you but that could easily be…Oh I’m getting ahead of myself.” Mrs. Wormwood was positively glowing. “Rodrick it’s not hard to see how bored you are with regular classes, your mother and I have been talking for a while and then the other week Mr. Woolytuft and I bumped into each other at the library.” He always wondered what Mrs. Wormwood did in her free time, libraries seemed a natural fit. “Martha— Mrs. Wormwood— and I were at university together.” His eye gave a twinkle, “and we were catching up and talking about…” Excuse me but what has this got to do with me?” Rodrick startled himself by interrupting Mr. Woolytuft, “sorry.” “Oh no quite alright, I some times get away from my self, so what do you say lad?” “Say about what?” “About what? Oh Right yes I don’t suppose I’ve actually told you yet have I eh?” Mrs. Wormwood piped in, “We have decided Rodrick that it may be more beneficial to your studies if you were to take an unorthodox approach, heavens knows you’re the brightest child ever to come through this place, what were offering Rodrick is a chance to learn outside of school, far outside.” Mrs. Wormwood now looked positively giddy, not an emotion that Rodrick knew she could express. “How would you like to accompany me to South America to join your Uncle in his search for the lost city of the Aztec?” Rodricks ears were humming slightly, he wasn’t sure but it was possible that for not paying attention in class his teacher had arranged for him to go in search of a lost fortune in gold. “Could I take Thurber?”