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Show Inside Out, 47 Chapter 10: Terra Terra arrived early to English to talk to Mrs. Ottley; it was actually still the lunch hour. The door was locked but the light was on. Terra hesitated, then knocked. "Come in!" called Mrs. O from inside. "It's locked!" shouted Terra. There were people in the hallway, goofing around. She thought she could feel their eyes on her back. The door opened. "So sorry, so sorry," said Mrs. O. "I forgot it was still locked. How are you, Terra?" "Fine," Terra said, stopping just inside the door as Mrs. O returned to her seat behind the desk. "I wanted to talk to you about the poetry assignment." Mrs. O looked up, her eyebrows rumpled in concern. "Surely you're not struggling with it, Terra? Mrs. Franklin tells me you're one of the best poets in the school. I read some of your stuff in the literary magazine last year and I believe her." "It's not that," said Terra. "I was just wondering if you could look at this." She handed Mrs. O a sheet of paper. It was her new poem, "Bear Lake in the Sand." "I'm thinking about applying for the Young Writer's Academy," she said. "Do you think I'm good enough-that this is good enough?" People were starting to come into the room. Terra felt a flash of panic that Mrs. O would read it out loud right then, and the others would hear. But Mrs. O glanced up at the other kids, then smiled at Terra. "How about I read it to myself and give it back to you a little later?" A warm blanket of relief spread over Terra. "Thank you," she croaked, then turned to take her seat. |
