They call me The Dunce, but I know the answer. The teacher’s going around the class challenging people to spell “mademoiselle” with a prize for the first to be correct. The nascent football star is miles off. The clever ginger girl thinks “a” is the fourth letter. Four more aren’t listening—they make the same mistake. My heart’s beating hard. For once, I’ll get some recognition. Only two people before me. Ponytail Pam says she doesn’t know. Now it’s Lazy Len’s turn. “Spot on,” cheers the teacher, and everyone applauds. No one else hears Len’s dictionary crashing to the floor.
Paul Goodwin lives in Somerset, England. His stories have been published by Literally Stories, CommuterLit, CafeLit, Marrow Magazine, and LitBreak Magazine.