“Saadi, what did you tell your teacher?” These insinuating words from my mother had me hanging in fear and disbelief on the edge of Mount Everest. It was the fall of 2016, I had just started my third-grade year at my elementary school. As I was walking out of my last class, I saw my band teacher in the hallway. She and I struck up a conversation; we talked about the drums I’d be playing in the next band concert and how my weekend was. That’s when I told her about Greg Olsen my football idol at the time. That weekend I went to an NFL game and watched the Panthers and Giants game in NY; I also got to meet Greg Olsen after the game. He was a player on the Panthers who was really talented and also happened to be my aunt’s cousin. I got so involved in the story, and I was really appreciating the one-on-one attention, so I told my band teacher that my family and I were going to see Greg Olsen play in Charlotte, North Carolina. We had never been to North Carolina nor did we have any plans to go. This was an absolute lie.  She was one of my favorite teachers, and I always had fun in her class. I remember us having a nice conversation and I think I got carried away and wanted her to be more engaged. Shortly after, we parted ways and I went home.

 That night I didn’t think anything of the lie, but I was falling into my own trap. As I was going to sleep, I felt a bit of joy and excitement because I had a great day. The next day my friend asked me if I was going to the game. “What game?” I said. He went on to tell me that the band teacher told him about the game I was going to so I could see my new friend Greg Olsen. Soon, other friends and even other teachers were asking me about my upcoming trip to North Carolina to see the Panthers. A little attention I wanted ended up spreading like wildfire, and I didn’t want anyone to know I was lying. Soon it was the last day of school before Thanksgiving break and my lie was still alive. 

My mom came to pick me up from school coming inside to where I was waiting in the seating area near the front desk. As she was walking inside, I saw my band teacher come out of the door and walk toward the front desk. I knew I was in trouble. My mom started to talk to my band teacher and then she brought up the game. As I heard this, I was excessively nervous and wished it was a bad dream. After their conversation ended, my mom pulled me aside and asked me, “What did you tell your teacher?” I told her about the lie, and I thought we would just go home, where I would lose my iPad and prepare my apology. I was wrong, my mom made me apologize and tell my teacher the truth right then and there. My band teacher was not mad at all and was very kind about it. Her forgiveness and me telling the truth made me feel like a new person. I realized that lying, even a random attention-getter, could go a long way, but would get me nowhere.