“She puts me on every morning and I feel her feet twitch and turn,” Mr. Nikes told all the shoes.
“Oh really?” Mr. Tevas asked excitedly. “Tell us more.”
“The bottoms of her feet are soft,” Mr. Nikes explained quietly.
“When she runs on the track, I feel my soles pound hard against the concrete,” Mr. Tennis said in memory. “Her long brown hair blowing in the breeze. Determination on her mind.”
“Oh Alyssa’s one determined athlete,” Ms. Flippers gushed.
“She runs and runs, never slowing down. The only thing on her mind is being the first to cross that finish line,” Mr. Tennis explained. “Her hand is clenched closed as she speeds around, focusing on the one person waiting for her at the finish line…her secret crush.”
“As she zooms ahead of everyone and wins the race!” Ms. Flippers cried excitedly.
“All the determination and hard work from practice gave her the confidence to win the 800 meter dash!” Mr. Tennis exclaimed, ending like a broadcaster.
“All in all she’s agreatt athlete and track is her favorite sport,” Mr. Nikes summed up. “But Special Olympics sports aren’t her whole life. Lets explore the the other categories in her life…shall we?”
“I watch Alyssa four days a week as she sits in classes and she absorbs as much as her brain can hold,” Mr. Tennis spoke to the shoes with pride. “She wears me everywhere. I am definitely her favorite pair of shoes.”
“She wears you with a brace on her leg,” Ms. Flippers pointed out. “I on the other hand am worn all summer because it’s so hot outside.”
“We could argue about who Alyssa’s favorite shoes are, but this isn’t about us. This is all about Alyssa,” Mr. Tevas said in annoyance. “What else happens with Alyssa in school?”
“Her left hand works hard with the pencil, writing as fast as she can,” Mr. Tennis said wisely. Her right hand clenches up a lot until she realizes it and opens her hand so it’s free again or flat on the table when she remembers.”
“Wow. You know so much,” Mr. Tevas observed. “What’s her physical challenge called again?”
“Cerebral Palsy,” Ms. Flippers answers cheerfully. “She’s weak on her right side.”
“From her right foot to her shoulder, she’s weaker than her left side,” Mr. Nikes explained. “But there’s something about her eyes that are different.”
“Remember Mr. Nike, her brain was affected so she wears a shunt on the right side of her head. Her left eye is a lazy eye while her right eye is her stronger eye,” Ms. Flippers said remindingly. “But her hearing is weaker in her right ear and so she takes longer to grasp hard concepts in school.”
“Oh. But don’t forget her passion…writing,” Mr. Tevas said, lightening the mood. “Alyssa has agreatt way of making up romance stories and bringing the characters to life. She’s so dedicated!”
“No wonder her favorite subjects are English and Creative Writing. She proves in her short stories how skillful she is with her writing,” Mr. Tevas complimented.
“But what about Choir? She loves that too,” Ms. Flippers told the others.
“We know. But we’ll talk about that a little later,” Mr. Nikes assured her. “Did you see the whole book of stories she has? Her mom calls them her bedtime stories.”
“Oh she’ll write for as long as she lives, become famous and keep writing as she’s inspired by her students in her English classes,” Mr. Tennis predicted.
“What are you…a crystal ball?” Mr. Nikes asked.
“No, but I believe that’s the path she’ll take,” Mr. Tennis said confidently.
“Well, a fiction writer may not make enough money, so I think being an English teacher is agreatt idea considering English is one of her favorite subjects,” Ms. Flippers agreed. “She’ll be able to write in her spare time.”
“Now on to choir,” Mr. Nikes said.
“Choir. Alyssa opens her mouth and a beautiful sound comes out,” Mr. Tennis said. “Did you know no one in her family can sing as well as she can?”
“I know!” Ms. Flippers exclaimed. “She dances around her room all the time listening to her favorite pop music. I love to hear her sing. Its magical what her voice sounds like.”
“Well surprise, surprise. There’s always a surprise around the corner,” Mr. Nikes said.
“And then she messes up on a note, she trips on the track and oh she writes too much too fast and her hand cramps. Oh she’s going down!” Mr. Tennis cried sounding like an excited sports announcer.
“Oh you’re so dramatic!” Ms. Flippers moaned. “But that’s one part of Alyssa that overwhelms me.”
“Yeah. She gets upset about nothing when something doesn’t seem right,” Mr. Nike told the others. “No one will like her if she’s that way. She’s desperate to find love and I know in my heart she will.”
“She’s a dreamer. A day dreamer of love,” Ms. Flippers sighed. “She’s always dreaming of the love life she hopes to have one day. A girl like her will find true love that I know will last forever.”
“I can’t believe she writes romance stories but she’s never experienced falling in love with a boy. That’s so sad,” Mr. Nikes sobbed openly.
“But love will find her Mr. Nike. Don’t worry,” Ms. Flippers said in a comforting voice. “She hopes one day her love life ends up like her romance stories. A fairy tale ending is all she’d want.”
“And a teen who loves her teen mags is always inspired by her favorite celebrities,” Mr. Tennis said. “She’s sooo obsessed with her teen gossip. She needs it pretty much every day.”
“The romance she reads about, she’s drawn to,” Ms. Flippers said. “Between those magazines and her romance novels she reads, its no wonder she’s neck deep in it all.”
“And who the mystery man will be and how the story will unfold…nobody knows,” Mr. Nikes said mysteriously.