Second Grade

The classroom smelled like construction paper, lined paper, and children and books and desks. We had colored pencils that had crayon instead of colored lead, we used to fight over who got to use them. I cheated on a spelling test, the one and only time I ever cheated on anything, because I couldn't remember how to spell "wizard." I got caught before I even finished writing the word because my supposed best friend ratted me out. He also later said that my handwriting was crap, even though it was some of the neatest in the class and certainly better than his. I got in trouble for calling one of my classmates a grouch, although all I said was "Don't be a grouch." The teacher used to babysit my siblings and I when my parents were working in the city. She had chickens, ducks, horses, and dogs. We used to watch a movie about Dutch ice skaters.