By: Adelaide Plylar
“AHHHHH! Ewww, a spider!” said Zoe, the leader of the ‘cool club’ at school. Zoe was the most annoying kid in Ms. Winter’s 1st grade class.
“It’s not just a spider, it’s a tarantula. And her name is Felicia” said Kathryn. Kathryn was a shy girl with brown hair who always wore swirly pink and yellow shoes. She tapped her fingers on the glass tank. Kathryn always looked at their class pet’s tank when she was nervous, even though she was terrified of spiders.
Zoe looked at Kathryn. “Stop tapping your fingers, maybe you should marry that little spider if you love it so much!” All the ‘cool kids’ started laughing at Kathryn. They knew she was scared of spiders, but they had no idea just how much!
“Attention!” said Ms. Winter. “As you all know, it’s Valentine’s Day. I will be pairing up everyone for a special Valentine’s snack. We have an odd number of students so one of you will be paired with Felicia, our class tarantula. But first, let’s all take a bathroom break.” Kathryn had mixed feelings. She wanted to be paired with her best friend Jackson who sat two rows away, but she was scared of being paired with Felicia.
As the students left the classroom, Zoe snuck back in. She went through the teacher’s files on her desk where she saw on little cards that Kathryn was paired with Jackson, and that SHE was paired with Felicia. “Oh no, no, no, no, no!” She quickly erased the cards. Now Kathryn was paired with the tarantula! Zoe whispered “I hope this will work, it’s my greatest idea other than stealing my mom’s make-up this morning!”
The students came back from the bathroom break. “I’d like everyone to sit quietly. Pair number 1, Daniel and Carter! Pair number 2, Zoe and Jackson!” Kathryn was very sad to hear this, she couldn’t even pay attention as the teacher called out more names.
Jackson said “Ahh man.”
Zoe said “Oh yeah!”
“Quiet class! Pair Number 11, our final pair – Kathryn and FELICIA!”
The class started laughing so hard, all except Jackson. Zoe pointed right at her. Kathryn did NOT want to sit with a tarantula and share a snack!
“Now students, find your pair and I’ll grab your special Valentine’s Day snacks, juice boxes, chips, and cookies for the kids, and a plate of cicadas and beetles for Felicia!” Kathryn felt sick and embarrassed, but she had to push her desk next to the tank.
Kathryn looked fearfully at Felicia’s short, barbed hair. The teacher gave Kathryn her treats, but Kathryn couldn’t believe when Felicia started eating the bugs. The spider froze the moment Kathryn tried to look into her eight eyes. Kathryn nervously began tapping her fingers.
“You called?” someone said.
“Who said that?” She looked down at Felicia who had her mouth open.
“You called?”
“ooook…you talked!” whispered Kathryn.
“So? Why did you call?”
“But I didn’t call anyone, I just tapped my fingers!”
“But tapping your fingers three times is the secret way to call all the spiders who live here.”
“What do you mean ‘all the spiders,’ it’s just you!”
“There are thousands of spiders in the water pipes in this school that lead outside and into the playground” said the spider. Felicia seemed surprised that Kathryn didn’t know all this.
“So did I just call ALL the spiders?”
“No deary, you tapped once, which just calls me. Every time you’ve ever tapped, I looked up at you. I have eight eyes, don’t you see me?”
Kathryn felt sorry for the spider. “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry for the way I’ve felt about you and for how Zoe feels about you. I like you now that I know you, but I still wish that I had Jackson as my Valentine’s Day pair.”
“I know something.”
“You do?”
“I saw Zoe sneak in and switch the names. You were supposed to have Jackson. She really hates me, and she wears too much make-up, I saw lipstick dripping off her face!”
Kathryn had no idea what to say. She looked over at the cool kids who were still laughing and saying mean stuff. She looked back at Felicia and said “Do you think you could help me?”
Felicia said “I will help you as long as you promise to be my friend.”
“Of course!”
“Ok, so what’s the plan?”
While eating her snack, Zoe looked over at Kathryn. “Look at Kathryn, is she TALKING to that spider?”
The teacher said “Ok finish up, it’s almost recess!”
Everyone got in line but Kathryn who walked over to her teacher’s desk. “Ms. Winter, can I take Felicia with me to the playground for some fresh air?”
“Why of course!”
Zoe and the cool kids pushed their way through the line to the playground, Zoe was out in front. Kathryn was the last to get to the playground and walked out slowly. She had Felicia on her shoulder!
Zoe came up to her. “Eww, why do you have that gross spider on your shoulder?” Kathryn looked at the water pipe next to her. Slowly she reached her arm out and tapped the water pipe three times. The cool kids all backed up, except for Zoe.
Suddenly, a WOOSH of tarantulas came down the water pipe, covering Zoe. Zoe screamed at the top of her lungs while the cool kids ran away.
Kathryn smiled. She was no longer scared of spiders. She high-‘eighted’ Felicia.
“I hope you learned your lesson Zoe.” And the cool kids never bothered Kathryn again.