The Day I Bit Katie

A Story by Brad Pine

Bradley bites Katie in class, and risks losing his chance at being Student of the Week. Hoping to make this into a children's picture book one day. :)

The Day I Bit Katie

My name is Bradley. I am a grade 3 student. I am a class clown.

The year is 1983. Our grade 3 teacher recognized one student in our class every week by awarding them “The Student of the Week”, which consisted of the student’s picture instantly published with a Polaroid camera, and posted on the classroom’s bulletin board for all the class to see. The student would also get a toy and a snack. In 1983, this was a major deal for a grade 3 student.

In order to be student of the week, you had to stand out as the most well behaved, courteous, and all around best student. As I was a class clown and usually getting myself into trouble with my teacher for misbehaving, it would be a great challenge for me if I were to become the student of the week. I wanted that recognition, I wanted that Polaroid photo up on the classroom bulletin board, and I wanted that toy and snack!

So, that week I was the best student that I could be. I was courteous to everyone, well behaved, and I would stand out as the best student in the class all that week.

I knew I was going to be student of the week. I could just feel it. I just knew it. I could visualize that Polaroid photo framed on the classroom bulletin board for all my classmates to see. I would be the King of the Class. From the Class Clown to the King of the Class.

And then Friday afternoon happened. Katie happened.

Katie was a very pretty and very nice girl in my class. There was half an hour left in the class, and then we would find out who would be student of the week. I don’t know why Katie did it, but she crawled underneath the desk where I was sitting, and it drove me crazy. “Katie, get out from underneath my desk!”

“No!”

“Yes! Get out from underneath my desk right now, or else!”

All I recall is Katie was mouthing me off. It felt like she was mocking me and my demand.

I had to teach Katie a lesson. I crawled underneath my desk quickly to where she was, and immediately bit her hand! Yes, you read that right, I bit Katie’s hand!

Katie had my teeth marks on her hand, and she started crying and crying loudly.

I was like “Oh no! Be quiet Katie, please don’t cry, please be quiet, don’t cry!”

It felt like time stood still for the moment. The classroom was full of all the other students, but it seemed like it was just Katie and I in the class, and the teacher not too far away.

Katie kept crying. Her face was streaming with tears, and she was crying loudly. I knew the teacher would hear her, and if the teacher found out what I had done, there would be no Student of the Week for me! No toy! No snack! No King of the Class!

Katie crawled out from under the desk and headed to tell the teacher. “Oh no Katie, don’t tell the teacher on me. Please don’t tell!” I pleaded, desperately.

It was all going to be over for me soon. Not as fast as how long it took to bite Katie’s hand, but fast enough. Katie told the teacher. The teacher comforted Katie, and then said: “Bradley, I need you to stay after class is over to talk to you.”

When class was over, it was just me and the teacher. “Bradley, I was very upset to learn you bit Katie. You were so great all week, and I was going to choose you for student of the week, but if you bit Katie, I’m afraid I can’t pick you to be student of the week. Did you bite Katie’s hand?”

Oh no. Oh no. If I tell the teacher the truth, I will not become Student of the Week. No Polaroid photo of me posted on the classroom bulletin board for all to see, no toy, no treat. No King of the Class stature. What do I do? What do I say?

“No teacher, I never bit Katie’s hand, Katie is lying!” I shook my head as I lied to the teacher. The most horrible lie ever. Not only did I bite Katie’s hand, I told the teacher Katie lied about me biting her hand, so I lied not once, but twice to the teacher!

“Well, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt Bradley. Congratulations, you are student of the week.”

And... with a click of the Polaroid camera, a picture of me smiling with victory was posted on the bulletin board as Student of the Week. I got a toy, and a treat to eat! This was great! I would be King of the Class! I bit Katie, lied about biting her, said Katie was a liar, and I got what I wanted! Hardly anyone knew the truth!

Katie knew the truth, and I knew the truth.

I’m sorry for biting you, Katie. I’m sorry for calling you a liar to the teacher.

Teacher, I am sorry I lied.

This story is a true story. In 1983 I bit Katie’s hand, lied about it, and became Student of the Week.