A Short Story: Raymond Institute's Field Trip To Carnegie Hall
Raymond Institute’s field trip to Carnegie Hall was a day of firsts.
Never before had Theo attempted to use hair gel (and he wasn’t keen on using it again, after having Rebecca Dorian compare him to a shiny Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz). Nor had he ever battled a giant maniac bull-man. But that was later in the day.
On that perfectly normal morning, Theo didn’t exactly sense that things were going to change so enormously. It was a little annoying that the universe didn’t show him any sort of omen beforehand. Like, hello, maybe a little warning next time?
Theo had slept through three out of the five alarms he set for himself the night before. Eventually, whenever he managed to get up, his mother was waiting for him in the living room with his better set of dark blue Raymond Institute uniforms.
“I ironed these last night,” said his mom, …show more content…
pressing the neatly-folded pile into Theo’s hand. She looked tired and her long, chocolate curls were disheveled. “Try not to dirty them up on your way to school, will you?”
Theo couldn’t help but to smile, which was surprising for this early in the morning. “I don’t try to, mom. It just happens.”
She brushed his bangs away and kissed his forehead. “I want you looking your best for today. Maybe we’ll finally tame the monster. Sound good?”
He groaned. ‘The monster’ was Theo’s thick, curly hair. His mother never succeeded in her efforts to subdue it, claiming that it had a mind of its own. Whenever he would get a haircut, the hair would grow back twice as fast as before. “We can try, I guess.”
Theo went back to his room and dressed in his uniform—a tie, trousers, and a dark blue formal jacket. He didn’t mind Raymond Institute’s strict etiquette. As far as schools where troubled kids are sent, the place wasn’t half bad. Theo made good friends there.
Including Theo, a lot of them had ADHD, which makes it sound like the Institute is totally chaotic. And it could be sometimes. But Theo didn’t know that today would top the day when the chemistry lab had caught fire or the time the toilets in the boys bathroom exploded. Those times weren’t even close to as weird as what was about to happen.
Surprisingly, a large amount of hair gel and a hair dryer did the trick, though, in his own modest opinion, his hair made him look like a grease monkey.
Theo’s mother smiled in admiration, looking at him like she was resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks. “My boy is so handsome.”
Theo rolled his eyes and kissed his mother in thanks, then continued to get ready for today’s field trip to Carnegie Hall.
Whenever Theo finished getting ready for school, he shouldered his messenger bag and headed for the door, his mother stopped him. “Wait, Theo.”
He stopped in his tracks, glancing at the clock. “I’ve got to leave soon if I want to walk to school with Masika and get there on time.”
As if she had not heard Theo, his mother gripped the boy’s shoulders and looked at him with soft eyes. After what seemed like several minutes, she spoke. “You have your father’s eyes.”
“But my eyes are green, his aren’t,” he responded, curious.
She just smiled and kissed him. “I love you, Theo.”
In retrospect, maybe this was a sign that things were about to get strange.
He said a quick ‘I love you too’ and darted out the door into the Brooklyn
street.
The scent of summer was faint. Warm blacktop and fresh cut grass were prominent. But also was garbage cans and car exhaust. Though they don’t really mingle well together, it was home for Theo.
Never before had Theo attempted to use hair gel (and he wasn’t keen on using it again, after having Rebecca Dorian compare him to a shiny Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz). Nor had he ever battled a giant maniac bull-man. But that was later in the day.
On that perfectly normal morning, Theo didn’t exactly sense that things were going to change so enormously. It was a little annoying that the universe didn’t show him any sort of omen beforehand. Like, hello, maybe a little warning next time?
Theo had slept through three out of the five alarms he set for himself the night before. Eventually, whenever he managed to get up, his mother was waiting for him in the living room with his better set of dark blue Raymond Institute uniforms.
“I ironed these last night,” said his mom, …show more content…
pressing the neatly-folded pile into Theo’s hand. She looked tired and her long, chocolate curls were disheveled. “Try not to dirty them up on your way to school, will you?”
Theo couldn’t help but to smile, which was surprising for this early in the morning. “I don’t try to, mom. It just happens.”
She brushed his bangs away and kissed his forehead. “I want you looking your best for today. Maybe we’ll finally tame the monster. Sound good?”
He groaned. ‘The monster’ was Theo’s thick, curly hair. His mother never succeeded in her efforts to subdue it, claiming that it had a mind of its own. Whenever he would get a haircut, the hair would grow back twice as fast as before. “We can try, I guess.”
Theo went back to his room and dressed in his uniform—a tie, trousers, and a dark blue formal jacket. He didn’t mind Raymond Institute’s strict etiquette. As far as schools where troubled kids are sent, the place wasn’t half bad. Theo made good friends there.
Including Theo, a lot of them had ADHD, which makes it sound like the Institute is totally chaotic. And it could be sometimes. But Theo didn’t know that today would top the day when the chemistry lab had caught fire or the time the toilets in the boys bathroom exploded. Those times weren’t even close to as weird as what was about to happen.
Surprisingly, a large amount of hair gel and a hair dryer did the trick, though, in his own modest opinion, his hair made him look like a grease monkey.
Theo’s mother smiled in admiration, looking at him like she was resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks. “My boy is so handsome.”
Theo rolled his eyes and kissed his mother in thanks, then continued to get ready for today’s field trip to Carnegie Hall.
Whenever Theo finished getting ready for school, he shouldered his messenger bag and headed for the door, his mother stopped him. “Wait, Theo.”
He stopped in his tracks, glancing at the clock. “I’ve got to leave soon if I want to walk to school with Masika and get there on time.”
As if she had not heard Theo, his mother gripped the boy’s shoulders and looked at him with soft eyes. After what seemed like several minutes, she spoke. “You have your father’s eyes.”
“But my eyes are green, his aren’t,” he responded, curious.
She just smiled and kissed him. “I love you, Theo.”
In retrospect, maybe this was a sign that things were about to get strange.
He said a quick ‘I love you too’ and darted out the door into the Brooklyn
street.
The scent of summer was faint. Warm blacktop and fresh cut grass were prominent. But also was garbage cans and car exhaust. Though they don’t really mingle well together, it was home for Theo.