My dad, my loving father, I know you couldn’t give us a lot of things. And I know at times I resented you for not getting me the newest Barbie doll or whatever I wanted at the time. But, what you did give me was priceless. You gave me love but most of all you gave me the ability to dream.

I wish you were her to dream with me.

* -Cherri O’ryan

    ***

A loud  scream came from Mrs. Carlton’s 1st grade classroom. Seconds later, 3 more ear piercing screams rang out. Mrs. Carlton who was in the hallway talking to Miss. Brownstone, instantly came running to see what terrible thing had to have occurred to cause such gut wrenching screams.

The teachers come barging into the room to find a pool of blood leaking from a cabinet. Four little girls are crying and screaming “Warren died! He’s dead!” 

Then a loud “Woooo! I’m the ghost of Warren! I’ve come to eat you!” Echoed through the classroom. The room broke out into shrieks. Mrs. Carlton hurries to the cabinet and opens it. To where she finds a split bottle of paint. And, behind that cabinet she finds a four foot little boy with a buzzed head and red paint on his shirt. 

“Warren Jones! Principal! Now!” Mrs. Carlton screeched. Warren Jones? Who’s that? By the  sound of it, he’s dead.” The little boy said with a big grin on his face. “I’m not putting up with these shenanigans this year. Principal! Now!”

Mrs. Carlton had the pleasure of being Warren’s teacher last year, Warren had been held back for “lack of attention” and “mischievous behavior”. Specifically known for giving the girls “better hair cuts.”

“Warren! This is why you’re held back! Don’t you ever learn? Besides, you didn’t have me for a second” said  Little Miss Loretta Belle, with her drawn out southern twang. 

“Oh yeah. Then why do I see you crying, like a big cry baby right now?” “ Warren! That’s enough for you.” Said Miss. Brownstone from the doorway. So much commotion had just occurred, that Mrs. Carlton forgot she was even there. She even jumped a little from hearing another adult voice. 

Warren gave her a quick glance and then went back to teasing Loretta Belle. “Cryba..” “ Me and Miss. Brownstone has told you enough. Now go to the principal's office!” 

With a huff.  Warren started to walk out of the room. But, then he thought of what his brother had taught him. You never actually go to the principal's office when they tell you too. Go do something else around the school. Warren was going to go play with the second graders on the playground, the friends he made last year.  

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He almost skipped out of the classroom. Right as he walked out of the door. A hand caught his arm. “ I’ll be escorting you to the principal's office, '' said Miss. Brownstone. Warren didn’t know the word “escorting” meant, but he knew he wasn’t going to the principal's office alone. 

***

When Warren got to the principal's office, a blonde little girl was sitting in the seat next to the receptionist’s desk. She was tall for a girl her age with piercing blue eyes. She looked like she was being checked in for the day. 

Warren recognized the girl. She was Cherri O’ryan. She had been gone for the past two weeks. Rumor had it that her dad died recently. 

Warren usually wouldn’t talk to her. She was shy and quiet. She always did what was told and had no fun at all. But even though she wasn’t fun and she didn’t talk much. She looked like a shell of her former self. She was quiet and timid. Warren felt bad. 

He took the seat next to her. She looked up, but then shot her glaze back down. Warren knew she was shy, but this was absurd.  He wasn’t going to hurt her. Maybe take some of her hair, but that was it. And if he did, he was doing her a favor.

“I heard your dad died.” Said Warren abruptly. Cherri was taken aback by his bluntness.  She looked shocked at first. After the shock was gone, she sank her head and began to silently cry. Warren felt an instant feeling of regret and felt bad that he had made this little girl cry. The sadness from her sniffles was the most sorrowful sound he’d ever heard.  Tears began to swirl in his eyes as well. He had to fix this. 

“Hey! Hey! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry. I just needed to know whether or not to be nice to you. I can’t be mean to a girl whose dad just died.” The blond girl was tired of talking to such a rude and oblivious creature that was Warren Jones. “Shut up. You don’t know anything.” She said in a low and unforgiving voice. Warren knew he struck a nerve. He felt even more regret.  

Warren didn't know what to do to make it better. He looked around. He then rummaged through his pockets. He found a toy magnifying glass he had stolen from the treasure box. He thought about giving it to her but that meant he couldn't zap ants with it, later at recess detention.

Warren swallowed his pride, sacrificing his torturing of ants. He stuck his hand out to give it to Cherri. He did not want to do this.  She was likely going to do something boring with it. Like, read or find a weird stamp or something incredibly dull. There were so many cool things you could do with a magnifying glass. But he was going to waste it on her. 

“Here,” he said with an ounce of hope she wouldn't be interested. She looked at it, and to his disappointment, she lit up with excitement. She snatched it out of his hands. “I can find the Zorobat with this!” She said practically screaming. It was the loudest he'd ever heard her speak and he was interested.

“What’s a Zorobat?!” Warren said eagerly. “ A Zorobat is a round fuzzy creature. Typically green, but can be dark blue. They have bat wings and can use little squeaks to see. You can’t see them with your normal eyes. You have to look through glass. This magnifying glass is perfect!” 

Warren's eyes filled with excitement. Warren was about to ask 100 questions about this so-called Zorobat. As he took his breath, the principal's door opened. “Warren Jones. You may come into my office now.” said Mrs. Harley, the principal. “But!” Warren sputtered out “ Now. I don’t have all day.” Warren resistantly started walking with a pout. “Come on. Come on. And, you Miss O’ryan, you may go back to class.” 

Cherri got down from her chair and began to walk out of the door. As Warren was walking away, he thought the unimaginable. 

“This girl might actually be interesting”