AT THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR MAJOR JOHNSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL • by David Macpherson

2:55 The girl with the Supergirl t-shirt and the frilly purple skirt runs into the after school program. She greets the afterschool teacher with her arms in front of her, flying as fast as her sneakers can go. “I’m a super girl. Not the Supergirl on TV because her show is on past my bedtime so I can’t see her, but I am a super girl and I have fights and I rescue people from bad guys and I have arch enemies, and they are all girls too.” She sprints past all the other children, assessing the risk level around the block area.

3:45 The super girl is saving the day. She is helping the kindergarten kid with the fire red cheeks and runny nose tie his shoelaces. The little kid thanks her and the super girl beams and flies off.

4:40 The super girl watches another child leave with their parent. She waves and tells them to do no crime. She is the last one here. There is no one else in the room. Just her and the afterschool teacher. The super girl stands with her legs out and her fists resting on her hips. If there could only be a superimposed American flag waving behind her, the image would be complete.

5:25 The cd playing Mozart for Kids stops and the afterschool teacher decides to not put in another disc. The afterschool teacher reflexively looks at her watch. She can’t stop herself from mumbling, “Again. She’s going to be late again.” The super girl is in the art area pushing a crayon across a coloring page picture of pumpkins with forceful motions. She is not staying in the lines. She rips the paper with the force of her coloring.

6:05 The afterschool teacher leaves a message on the number she has for the super girl’s mother. “Yes, hello. As you know, the final pick up is 5:30. I am calling again to see if there is any issue and please, if this number is not good, please supply me with a better one. Thank you.” The super girl built a 12 block tower and is now pushing teddy bears off the top. At first, she was catching them as they plummeted, Now she only watches them slam onto the the carpet.

6:26 The super girl’s mother is not happy with the attitude the afterschool teacher has. The mother was busy. Her car was giving her problems. She knows when she has to do pick up but crisis happens and her daughter understands. And no, she will not pay the fine for being late, how can she be expected to pay the fine for a bad car? The super girl gathers her bag and the art she made. She runs over to the afterschool teacher and whispers in her ear, “I am not the supergirl you know. I’m her arch enemy who looks just like her. I’m the Anti Super Girl. I’m in disguise. I’m pretending to be good. Don’t tell anyone.” As she crosses the room’s threshold, the little girl in the supergirl t-shirt and frilly purple skirt turns and bestows on the after school teacher a large smile, full of teeth and knowledge.


David Macpherson is a writer living in Massachusetts. His first e-book, Tales from the Reanimator’s Saloon, was published in November 2016.


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Every Day Fiction