Don’t Take This Heart To Heart

(Around Valentine’s Day, the student body sets up something in the student store where you can send a chocolate heart on a stick to another student for a dollar or two. They’ll deliver them in class over a few days in third, fourth, and fifth periods. I’m not seeing anybody.)

Delivery Student: *reading off a list of names, followed by* “[My Name]’s fat, ugly a**.”

Teacher: “[Delivery Student]! That wasn’t very nice!”

Delivery Student: “Don’t blame me. That’s what it actually says on it!” *shows her*

Teacher: “And you people just let whoever bought that write that about her.”

Delivery Student: *snidely* “Well, maybe she should try not looking like that.”

(I take the chocolate, but I recognize the delivery student’s handwriting.)

Me: “Don’t worry about it, Mrs. [Teacher]. She’s the one who wrote it. It’s not her fault she can’t come up with something creative.”

Delivery Student: “I didn’t write that, you fat loser!”

Me: “Really? You sit next to me in English and I’ve been the one peer-reviewing your last several papers. I recognize the handwriting. I know you think you’re oh-so-special and cool, but seriously, do try harder next time.”

(The teacher gave her detention and ended up having a chat with our school’s principal over the incident. They still did Valentine’s delivery next year, but they involved a teacher who checked the names written on each and every one.)

This story is part of our Handwriting roundup!

Read the next Handwriting roundup story!

Read the Handwriting roundup!