Before you read this, there are some background details that you need to know:
1. The art teacher at our school has her students make tape art all over the halls with blue painters tape.
2. The security guard at our school looks a lot like Mr. T- only about 4 inches taller and bald.
3. My daughter loves a good adrenaline rush.
We must be clear on these facts or the following story might sound really, really mean.
We got to school early in order to put all the mustaches on the creepy clay faces. Abby helped a lot after I reassured her 47 times that we would NOT get in trouble for what we were doing. Took about 30 minutes and then we went to my classroom and I got my iPad and sent her back to take pics of the faces. She came back grinning- apparently just taking the pictures made her happier than actually sticking blue tape under the noses of the creepy faces.
About 40 minutes before the end of the school day, I walked past the stairwell that housed the clay faces and came upon our security guard.
You had the same idea just now, right?
Yup. I told him I thought it would be funny if he pulled Abs out of class and told her she was in trouble for defacing school property. (The man looks scary but he has a heart of gold and the kids just love him.) He giggled and said he thought he had time to do that. I went back to my classroom, all smug because I had finally pulled a prank worthy of the best of them.
And when I sat down at my desk, I sort of regretted the prank. I mean, what if she really believed him?
So I got up to go find Mr. T and then he walked into my room- half laughing and shaking his head.
It went something like this:
Mr. T (after putting on his best menacing scowl and talking on his radio to the pretend cops) - you know we have cameras all over this building?
Abs- yes.
Mr. T - we have an image of you doing something to vandalize school property. Did you put tape all over that artwork in the stairwell?
Abs- yes.
Mr. T- well it's going to cost over $250 to clean it up which is a felony and I need to call the cops.
At this point, he tells me that she is crying and of course, I felt awful and he felt awful... (but wait- it gets good.)
He then tells her she is not really in trouble, it's an April Fool's prank and he lets her back into class. And then I asked him the $64,000 question-
Did she rat me out?
Nope. Not one word about how it was my idea to do the tape or that I helped her or anything.
Nothing. Nichts. Nada.
THAT'S MY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!
Later, when she retold the tale (not knowing I had instigated it), I asked her if she tattled on me. She said that she only answered the questions he asked- she didn't offer any information that might be new. Huh. Not only did she protect me, but she has the makings of a great lawyer!
When I fessed up about sending Mr. T to prank her, she didn't get mad at me all. Thought it was pretty funny and she was relieved that I wouldn't lose my job. I guess she needed that adrenaline fix.
I took her out to dinner to the inexpensive restaurant of her choice.
