Class Clown by Teddi Beres

The first thing Julia saw when she entered Mrs. Durkins kindergarten class for the first time was the clown.

He was about four feet tall, with a brightly painted, smiling face, sporting a big western hat and clothes that made him look like a sheriff out of a cowboy show. Mrs. Durkins told the class that he was an old doll, "vintage," she told them, from his hat to the toy six-shooters in their leather holsters. She told the class that her mother had him all her life, and when Mrs. Durkin was a little girl, her mother gave him to her.

"He's a sheriff," she told them. "So, he looks after us and makes sure the rules aren't broken."

Julia was terrified of Sheriff Smiles, as Mrs. Durkin called him.

She picked a desk that was the farthest from him, and avoided looking at him as much as possible.

Donny Ralston figured out how frightened she was of the doll, and took every opportunity to scare her, daily. "His eyes follow you around the room, Julia," he'd say. "Julia, he waved at you," he'd tease, and the other kids would laugh. He even put the doll in her chair.

"Did not!" denied Donny.

"Did too!"shouted Julia.

Mrs. Durkin separated them, and asked what happened. Julia told her that Donny was always playing tricks on her, moving Sheriff Smile around the room, saying he was following her, and watching her. Donny admitted to the teasing, but he adamantly denied putting the doll in Julia's chair.

"One of the other kids probably did it," he declared. "They all know she's a big baby about him."

"I am not!" shouted Julia.

That day, Mrs. Durkin sent Donny out to recess with the other children, asking Julia to wait a moment. "Julia, I didn't know Sheriff Smiles frighted you so much."

"I don't like clowns," admitted Julia.

"That's all right," said Mrs. Durkin. "He's not supposed to be scary. I'll take him home, today. Okay?"

Julia brightened. "Really?"

Mrs. Durkin smiled. "Really. Now, let's go outside with the other kids, okay?" She held out her hand and Julia took it, feeling much better as she went outside. Donny Ralston nearly collided with them. "Whoa, where's the fire, Donny?" asked Mrs. Durkin.

"Gotta go!" announced Donny with no small amount of urgency.

"Go ahead," said Mrs. Durkin, smiling as Donny bolted past them, going to the boys restroom. Then she and Julia went out to the playground.

Donny was zipping up a few moments later when he heard an odd sound. It was like footsteps, but each was accompanied by a metallic jingle that echoed off the bathroom walls.

"Marty?" he asked, thinking it might be the biggest kid in class. Marty's mom always gave him twice as much lunch money so Marty could have two lunches, and the change often clinked in his pocket. "Pete?" he asked, opening the stall door and looking out. The bathroom was empty.

Donny shrugged, going to the sink to wash his hands. Jingling footsteps outside the bathroom door.

"Pete?" Donny left the water running and went to the door. He was about to push it open when he paused, frowned, then got down on his hands and knees to peer under the half-inch space between the door and the floor.

He could see the legs of the desks and chairs where they touched the floor, the bottoms of the cabinets, but nothing -

Half of a grinning face appeared directly on the other side of the space!

Donny gave a startled cry and jumped back from the door.

"Howdy, pardner," said a strange, croaking voice. "I'd like to have a word with you, Donny. How about I come in there?"

The door, which didn't lock, moved inward very slightly, as if the person on the other side didn't have enough strength to pop it open. Donny gasped and braced both of his feet against the bottom of the door, holding it shut.

"Go away!" he shouted.

"That's not neighborly, Donny," croaked the voice. "That's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. I've been watchin' the way you treat the other children, 'specially that girl, Julia. You made her scared of me and that's not nice. I like kids. Most kids, anyway. Mean 'uns, maybe not so much."

"Who?" Donny licked his suddenly dry lips and tried again. "Who are you?" He knew he didn't want to hear the answer. He already knew, and he hadn't already used the bathroom, he was sure he'd pee his pants when the answer came.

"It's me, Donny, Sheriff Smiley. Let me in so we can talk."

Donny made a sound that was something being a scream and a sob. "No, you're not! The Sheriff's just a stupid doll!"

"There you go, sayin' them mean things again. I'm just gonna have t'do somethin' 'bout that." There was a thump on the door as something shoved harder. "Take what's comin' to you, Donny!"

"No! Stop! Please!" shouted Donny. "I didn't mean it! I won't do it anymore!"

The pounding stopped. "What was that, buckaroo?"

"I won't pick on the other kids anymore!"

"What about Julia?"

"I won't pick on Julia! I'll say I'm sorry!" Tears spilled down Donny's cheeks. "I'm sorry!"

"Well, I s'pose that will do jest fine, buckaroo. And don't you go back to bein' an outlaw 'cause I'll be watchin'."

"I won't! I won't!" babbled Donny. There was silence a moment then - footsteps and jingles as Sheriff Smiley walked away, and it was only then that Donny realized the jingling sound must be the spurs on the doll's boots.

Donny didn't move. He stayed where he was, holding the door shut, until the cacaphony of children rushing back into the classroom, and boys knocking on the bathroom door released him from his paralysis of fear. He got up and Marty pushed open the door.

"Whatcha doing?" asked the larger boy, looking from Donny's tear-stained face to the sink where the water was still running.

"I - slipped on a wet spot," stammered Donny, hurrying to the sink to splash water on his face. He received a shrug from Marty, who went to a stall. Donny grabbed a handful of paper towels, drying his face before hurrying out to his desk.

Sheriff Smiley sat there. Donny stopped, staring, and swallowed hard. He looked across the room to where Julia sat with her back to him. He glanced at Sheriff Smiley again, and he thought the doll's eyes were more narrow than before. He shivered and fairly tiptoed across the room to Julia's desk.

"Uh, Julia?" he began.

Julia looked at him with an angry expression. "What do you want?"

"I wanted," he paused, glancing at the doll, and he nearly jumped when he saw the head was now turned toward him! "I wanted to say I'm sorry," he stammered. "I'm sorry I picked on you, and everything."

"I don't believ you," declared Julia. "Mrs. Durkin made you say that."

"No, she didn't! Honest!" babbled Donny, panicked. "It was," he broke off, glancing at Sheriff Smiley, gasping when he saw the frown on the doll's face. "It wasn't nice. I thought about it and, and I wouldn't like to be picked on." He looked at Julia, fear on his face. "I wouldn't like it at all, and I guessed that's how you felt," his voice dropped to a whisper. "About Sheriff Smiley."

Julia looked past Donny, to where the doll sat in Donny's chair. "What's he doing in your chair?"

"I don't know," said Donny. "I'm really sorry, Julia. Really."

Julia looked up at him and nodded. "I believe you. Thanks."

Donny turned around to see Mrs. Durkin picking up Sheriff Smiley. "Well, here you are. What were you doing in Donny's seat? We're just about to learn a song about animal names. Did you want to join the class?" The boys and girls laughed at that, all except Donny and Julia. He returned to his desk while Julia stared at the doll. "I'm afraid Sheriff Smiley has to head back to the old homestead, tonight," announced Mrs. Durkin, and the children groaned. Julia raised her hand. "Yes, Julia?"

"I -- I think it would be okay if Sheriff Smiley stayed." The other children agreed with her, while Donny just stared at Julia in obvious surprise.

"Are you sure, Julia?" asked Mrs. Durkin, also surprised.

"I'm sure," said Julia. "He's not as scary as I thought he was."

Mrs. Durkin smiled. "Well, that's just fine, then." She sat the doll back on his rocking chair and frowned, spotting a chalk mark on the sole of his leather cowboy boot. She didn't recognize the symbol, but it brushed off and there was no harm done. "Okay, kids, ready to sing about animals in the zoo?"

The class began to happily sing a rhyming song starting with aardvarks in the zoo and Julia sang along, glancing over at Donny. His mouth wasn't moving with all the words, and he spent most of the song casting nervous glances at Sheriff Smiley.

It was too bad that Mrs. Durkin found the spell symbol, but Julia was pretty sure Donny wouldn't give her any more trouble. And if he did, well, it would be easy enough to draw the animation symbol on the doll's boot again.

Smiling, Julia slipped the piece of chalk back into her desk, and sang even louder.

Done