Follow Your ‘Felines’

The girl squinted at the sticker. It was so inconspicuous she might have completely missed it if she had not been relegated to the ‘corner of shame’— the teacher called it a ‘cool down corner,’ but all the kids knew what it really meant — a little sticker of a cat. A black cat that reminded her of the cat from Studio Ghibli’s ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service.’ Kiki (yes, that was her name) reached out to touch the little adhesive cat but as her fingers almost grazed it, the sticker peeled off the bottom of the wall and fell to the floor. 

“Dang it,” whispered Kiki. She thought of all the stickers that were peeling off the cover of her school binder. This one was already starting to lose its stickiness and she hadn’t even added it to her collection yet. However, even a 10 year old knows that clear tape fixes stickers that aren’t sticky anymore, so Kiki continued to reach for the little cat sticker. Somebody opened the classroom door and a gust of wind came in with a whooooooooosh. Seeing the world outside the classroom, the little sticker decided to lift itself up and fly a few feet away and towards the open door. 

From her position on the floor, Kiki peeked up and glanced at the teacher. Seeing that she was occupied with finding a pencil for Pencilless Paul —- after they had learned about suffixes and their meanings, Paul got a new nickname —- Kiki army crawled, slithered, shuffled towards the sticker. Doing a stealthy one armed version of what her yogi dad called ‘Child’s Pose,’ she reached for the elusive sticker. Someone pushed back their chair and with a whisssssssssssssh the little cat glided out towards freedom.

“Dang it!” Kiki whispered even more emphatically. She peeked once more at her teacher who was still looking for a pencil, whilst quietly muttering about black holes, students, and pencils. Kiki wriggled, squirmed, inched towards the open door, keeping her eye on the sticker. Her best (and sometimes worst) traits were that she was stubborn and determined once she made up her mind —- Kiki had landed herself in the ‘corner of shame’ because she refused to apologize to Kati for pulling her hair (Kati had said Kiki read like a first grader) —- and she had made up her mind that she was going to claim that little cat sticker as her own.

 Kiki’s heart raced as she crawled precariously toward the door, the little black cat sticker still drifting effortlessly on the breeze. It danced in the air, catching glints of sunlight like a charm, tantalizingly just beyond her grasp. She could almost picture it adorning her school binder, nestled among her collection of banana cats, dogs in silly costumes, and Taylor Swift stickers—it would be the crown jewel.

As Kiki neared the door, she noticed that the little sticker had settled onto the landing outside the classroom, looking up at her as if it were daring her to make the final leap. She took a deep breath, summoning all her courage, and pushed herself up to her knees. Just then, the teacher glanced back, eyebrows arched in Kiki’s direction.

"Kiki!" she called out, voice stern but laced with a hint of concern.

Kiki froze, her heart pounding, caught between the urge to obey and the magnetic pull of the sticker. The classroom door creaked slowly as a breeze rattled the frame. The sticker teetered slightly as if shimmying in encouragement.

At that moment, Kiki felt a sudden surge of rebellion. She was tired of feeling like a misfit in her own skin; tired of being embarrassed by her impulsive nature. She had to get that sticker, and she knew she would kick herself later if she let this moment pass.

With a burst of determination, she launched herself out the door, arms flailing as she dove toward the little cat. The classroom and its reprimands faded away; all that mattered was the sticker. To her delight, her fingers finally closed around it just as it almost lifted again, like a captured firefly.

Kiki sat up, the little cat sticker cradled triumphantly in her palm. She felt like a conqueror. But her joy was quickly interrupted by the teacher’s stern voice ringing out from the doorway. “Kiki, what are you doing?!”

Realizing she had crossed a line, Kiki began to tremble, the glee evaporating into guilt. “I just… wanted the sticker,” she stammered, gazing at her teacher wide-eyed.

Her teacher stepped outside, taking in the scene. In that moment, Kiki expected disappointment—maybe even another lecture about self-control and executive functioning. But instead, Ms. Finch chuckled, a sound so unexpected that it made Kiki’s heart skip a beat.

“Stickers are fun, aren't they?” Ms. Finch smiled. “But you know, there are better ways to handle frustrations than to tear each other’s hair out over words.” 

Kiki’s cheeks flushed hot with shame. “I’m sorry for pulling Kati’s hair… and I didn’t mean to hurt her,” she sighed, drawing her knees to her chest, now more concerned about her actions than her prized sticker.

The teacher knelt down beside her, eye-level with Kiki. “Admitting when you’re wrong is important, Kiki. If you’re willing to apologize to Kati, I think we can work towards a solution together.” 

Kiki nodded. “Okay. I will.” 

As she stood up, a burst of confidence blossomed inside her. Maybe this moment was a chance to not only claim the sticker as her own but to also mend the rift she had created with Kati. With the cat sticker safely in hand, she marched back into the classroom.

“Hey, Kati,” she called out, her voice louder than she felt it should be. Kati looked up, confusion etched on her face. “I’m really sorry for what I did. I didn’t like what you said and it made me feel embarrassed. Can we start over?”

For a moment, there was silence. Then Kati shrugged. “Okay, I guess. I didn’t mean to say you read like a first grader. That wasn’t kind.”

“Thanks,” Kiki replied, with a slight smile. “Also, look!” She held up the black cat sticker as if it were an award, feeling a rush of pride. “I found this sticker! Can you help me put it on my binder?”

Kati looked at the sticker, then at Kiki, and her expression softened. “Sure! I’ve got some really good tape that’ll make it stick!”

Kiki felt a wave of relief wash over her, lit by the spark of newfound friendship as she watched Kati search through her binder for the tape. The ‘corner of shame’ faded into the background, and Kiki realized that perhaps sometimes, taking a leap of faith, owning up to mistakes, and finding companionship made all the difference in the world.

From that day on, the little black cat sticker not only found a permanent home on her binder but served as a reminder of courage—the kind that ventures outside the classroom walls and into the world of understanding and friendship.