“Look what the cat drug in.”
“Should we alert the police?”
“Thank you, Mr. Mitchell. Okay everyone, we’re going to get started. When I call your name, please come up to the stage. We have a variety of equipment available including a microphone, overhead projector, VCR, whatever you need. All right, let’s get started. It will help your presentation if you bring your subject up to the stage while you are presenting. Just an FYI, we’re just going to go in any order… Jessica, you’re up.”
One by one, the students went up to the stage showing off their projects that they had worked so hard on. Fluorescent poster boards with photos, achievements, and the subject’s name in big bold letters. Some brought props while others, you could clearly tell had thrown theirs together at the last moment. One student even had his dad up on stage confirming facts and dates.
The first of the family to go up on stage was Shane. Clumsy and embarrassed, he dragged his neon green poster board up to the stage. As Shane meandered onto the stage, Jack Morrow crept into the back of the auditorium walking slowly with a cane, gingerly nursing his hurt knee. Quietly he took a seat next to Joe Piedmonte and watched intently as his nephew walked sheepishly up to the stage. Immediately in front of Jack, Bridgette was sitting taking pictures of the stage as Frank sat, looking tired, next to her. Shane unfolded the poster board and secured it on the tripod, before turning around with a mischievous look on his face.
“Okay, people, let’s get this crazy train rolling. You all know me, I’m Shane Kilpatrick. Class clown, resident redhead, and number fifteen on the Steeplechase Mustangs.” The audience clapped politely, while Shane’s fellow teammates cheered him on.
“So I was supposed to do my assignment on my Mom, and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings so you’ll be learning a little more about her today. Hey, Mom, can you come up here?”
Bridgette went red in the face, Jack and Frank meanwhile had to contain themselves from breaking out into laughter. Bridgette quickly walked up to the stage, embarrassed over her still-wet hair from her late wake up and her lack of make-up. Standing awkwardly next to her son, who now towered over her, she muttered at him under her breath. “Make this quick and painless!”
“So, everybody, this is my mom. Bridgette Kilpatrick. She was born Bridgette Siobhan Morrow and she was born at the Morrow Manor on October 30, 1960. She is the youngest of four children. She was a bit of nerd in school, always got straight A’s. I know nothing at all about that. Anyway. She was a student here at Steeplechase. There is some award out in the hallway with her name on it for a science challenge from back in 1976, so yeah, go Mom!”
Bridgette had turned a dangerous shade of red, an automatic indicator that she was mortified beyond belief.
“So anyway. She’s a nurse in the emergency room over at Grier Mountain Medical Center. She’s a really bad cook, but she’s really good at other stuff. Like football, even though my dad was a star quarterback here, my mom is the one who taught me how to throw a ball. And ride a horse. But the biggest things my mother ever taught me were, don’t take life too seriously and to stick up for what is right.”
As Shane concluded, Mrs. Mitchell thanked him and introduced the next presenter. “Thank you, Shane. Nice job and very entertaining. Thank you, Mrs. Kilpatrick. You can both take a seat. Next up, we will have Thomas Morrow. Come on up, Tommy.”
Tommy strode up to the stage still laughing at his cousin’s presentation. He put his white foam board on the tripod, smoothed his shirt collar, and said loudly, “Okay, old man. You have to come up here.” Rolling his eyes in the back of the auditorium, Jack got up and started to limp slowly to the stage. Bridgette, who was now standing on the side of the stage steps, helped Jack get to the top before taking her seat next to Frank in the back.
“Man, took you long enough,” Tommy said jokingly to his father.
“Keep it up, tough guy,” retorted Jack, though smiling.
“Just joking, just joking. Good morning, everyone. I’m Tommy Morrow, and this is my dad, Jack Morrow. When I was told I had to do this assignment on my old man, I gotta say, I wasn’t so excited. I mean I could think of at least 10 other people in our family I would rather research, but now I’m glad I did.”