I was late again. It was my fault though; I slept in and took to long to get ready for school. Not only that, if I missed the bus one more time I’d be suspended from school, and of course because I’d be suspended I’d be grounded too.

The situation stood like this: I’d missed the bus many times before and managed to get too school on time, but once or twice I decided to do some much needed shopping. Somehow that leaked back to the school and then in turn got back to my mother.

Now my mother had a good old chat to the principal and they set up a deal: If I miss the bus and don’t turn up to school and I get suspended, the school calls my mother and when I get home I get grounded.(Fun.)

These factors cause me to sprint as fast as I can through the streets to the bus stop. I can say, with confidence, that I’m not a very fast runner and about a third of the way there I started to loose my breath.

‘A shortcut,’ I thought ‘All I need is a shortcut’. I glanced around for said faster way to the school bus and saw neither head nor tail of a quicker way there. I kept running, taking my normal route, I’d already worked it out to be the fastest, legal, way to the bus that already included any shortcuts I could find. ‘Of all the days to be late I pick the one that I’m carrying the most stuff with me’ I thought angrily as my heavy bag thumped painfully against my back.
I glanced at my watch and frowned at the time. Twelve past, (wonderful, three minutes and counting)’ I took a deep breath and increased my pace, and at that moment it wasn’t easy.

I really needed that shortcut at this point. After I thought, and a few minutes had passed, I glared at my watch again. Fourteen past. (Great) Had I not been gasping for air I would’ve sighed irritatedly.

I was going to miss the bus, be suspended from school and grounded. All in the same day, and it wasn’t even nine o’clock yet.

I rounded the corner and spotted the bus still there, waiting. With relief I slowed down, ‘Surely the bus driver saw me. He’d wait for me too.’ I didn’t have time to check for cars; at this point all I cared for was reaching the bus. I stepped out onto the road and was struck by a pain so excruciating it rendered me unconscious.