Hollyfield the green Meerca was in a hurry as usual. BANG went the door
and CRASH went the chair and Hollyfield was out of her NeoHome and on
her way to school, sure to be late. She zipped into class just as the bell rang,
and her teacher, Yolanda the Krawk, looked disapprovingly at her.
Later, after class, Yolanda called Hollyfield. "Hollyfield, I've been observing
you for this past week and you're either reaching school five minutes after
the bell, or just in time. I don't want to send you to detention class. Can
you promise me that you'll try to come to school on time tomorrow?"
The guilty Meerca bowed her head and nodded.
"Good," Yolanda said and waved her paw, dismissing the matter from her mind.
***
"I'm really going to try to reach school on time, before the bell rings, tomorrow,"
said Hollyfield with determination. She set her alarm clock about ten minutes
earlier than she usually did, and went to sleep. The next morning, when the
alarm clock went off, Hollyfield glanced at the time. Forgetting why she had
set it earlier, she mumbled to herself, "I usually get up much later." And she
hit the snooze button.
***
"Tsk, tsk…" Yolanda murmured as Hollyfield walked into class late with a Late
Pass from the school office.
"Class, please hand in your book reports to me by the end of class today,"
Yolanda called out. Hollyfield groaned. She had left her report on her table.
In her hurry to reach school on time, she had forgotten it.
"Since this is the first time you've forgotten to bring your work, I'll let
you off, but you must give it to me, first thing tomorrow," Yolanda said firmly,
waving her green paw. "And please try to reach school on time."
***
The next day Hollyfield overslept and reached school ten minutes late. She
did, however, remember to bring her book report, and gave it to Yolanda. But
she did not like walking into class late practically everyday with everyone
staring at her, and muttering, "Here comes Hollyfield, the late Meerca."
Hollyfield went to bed really early that night and got up early, too. She
was very pleased. As she brushed her fur, she accidentally slipped on a bit
of soap on the bathroom floor and was sent flying into the bathtub, which she
had just filled with hot water. She had not turned on the cold tap yet.
"Owwww!!" she screamed, as she bounced out. "I'm sure I'm scalded." She put
come cold cream on her tail and paws and after taking her bath, set off for
school.
"Hollyfield! There you are!"
The Meerca wheeled around and came face to face with her aunt Jeminna, the
white Meerca. Jeminna always appeared whenever you least expected her to and
when you sincerely didn't want her to. She was holding a couple of shopping
bags.
"Oh no," mumbled Hollyfield. "I'm sure she wants me to help her carry them
home with her. I can't. I'll just have to tell her."
"Can you help me carry these home?" Jeminna said, with a twinkle in her eye.
Without waiting for an answer, she hauled three of the heaviest bags onto Hollyfield's
outstretched, tiny paws and made her march behind her.
Once she had the bundles safely home, Jeminna dismissed Hollyfield without
a word of thanks. "Who does she think she is?!" Hollyfield screamed, once she
was on the sidewalk. "Making me lug all her lousy shopping bags home. And not
even a thank you!" she bounced off to school.
"One day, I'll just have to tell her face to face that she stinks. She's always
wearing some cheap perfume," Hollyfield grit her teeth. "I'm sure whenever she
looks into the mirror she feels really bad."
And Hollyfield bounced right into a manhole, in the middle of the road.
***
"Next time, you should look where you're going, miss," the Skeith worker said,
holding out a green paw. Hollyfield grabbed it thankfully and pulled herself
out. She glanced at her wristwatch and yelped. It was ten minutes before the
bell. Angrily, she zipped off to school at full speed and got there three minutes
before time.
Yolanda beamed at the panting Meerca, as she handed her a piece of late homework.
"Hollyfield, I'm very impressed, and pleased, too. You made an effort to get
to school on time, and you did. However you got here, I don't know, but please,
do it again tomorrow."
Hollyfield fainted.
The End | 
