Fixing Things

Flash Fiction

Fixing Things

“Can’t you just give me a little hint?”

“Ah… no.”

“Come on! Just a little hint, I won’t tell anybody!”

“So, you say… do you mean like the time I gave you a hint about the surprise Dad was planning for that Sunday? And you told the whole neighborhood?

“That was three months ago…”

“Well, I learned my lesson! I never tell our secrets anymore!”

“What about Susan?”

“What about Susan?”

“Somehow Susan knew that I had to re-write my paper because it looked just like the words in the encyclopedia…”

“Well, you did copy it, maybe she saw it too?”

“She doesn’t have an encyclopedia. I know that because she asked if she could borrow ours before.”

“And did you let her?”

“Of course!”

“Then why are you whining at me?”

“Because she told on me, and I got in trouble!”

“Do you really think Susan told the teacher?”

“How else would she know?”

“Mrs. Marks also has an encyclopedia; the same one we have. And when you decided to write that, you used a few words that you probably wouldn’t have used… Like-trending.”

“Well, I couldn’t write a different word because I didn’t know what trending meant.”

“And that’s why Mrs. Marks was sure you copied. If you want to cheat in the future, be sure to change the words to easier words, kids use them words…”

“Good plan… So, give me a hint then. And I will make it big and silly sounding, so nobody knows you told me.”

“I can’t tell you, I’m not a good liar as you pointed out… However, if you were to look at page number sixty-three in the encyclopedia, you might do well.”

He got an A. But more than that, he and his sister finally became real friends.