Late for School

“Oh, Joshua and Tim went to the cinema today!” Eric thought aloud as he spotted his friends’ update on Facebook. The rhythmic click-clack of the keyboard echoed in the dimly lit room as he left a comment and made a mental note to ask them for a review of the new movie the next day. Oblivious to the passing hours, Eric continued surfing the net way past his bedtime.

The next morning, Eric was awakened by his mother knocking on his door. To his horror, he realised that it was already half-past-seven. Eric boldly asked his mother if he could call in sick from school and received an earful. She knew that Eric was always staying up late to surf the net and wanted him to learn a lesson.

With no way out, Eric hurriedly changed into his school uniform and dashed out of the house. He took the bus, which crawled at the pace of a snail, before running the rest of the way to school.

Anxiety gnawed at Eric as he stepped into the classroom, knowing that he was going to be in deep trouble. Eric’s maths teacher was disappointed to learn that he had overslept for school and reprimanded him for his tardiness. Embarrassed and remorseful, Eric vowed never to stay up late again.

It was the dead of night. Peter sat in front of his computer, staring at the soft glow of the screen. The developers of his favourite video game ‘Monster Attack’ had just announced a second installation of the game, creating a buzz of excitement in the community. Hours slipped away like sand through his fingers as Peter poured over news articles and videos for information about the new game.

The following morning, Peter slept through his alarms as he was too tired from staying up late. When he finally awoke, the sky was bright and school had already started. In a frenzy, Peter scrambled to wash up and put on his school uniform before rushing out of the house.

Unfortunately, the school bus had long left and he had no choice but to take a public bus. Seemingly testing his patience, the bus arrived after a gruelling ten-minute wait and got caught in a jam. Getting off at the bus stop at the school, Peter ran like the wind to school.

Peter’s form teacher gave him a quizzical look as he stepped into the classroom, apologising for being late. He realised, to his horror, that it was Monday, and everyone was in their P.E. attire. Peter’s face flushed a deep scarlet as he made his way to his seat. He vowed to strike a healthy balance between his hobbies and his responsibilities in future.