Are You Ready, Sam?
The clouds hung low in the gray sky. The chirping of the bluebirds woke me
from my restful sleep. As I slowly woke, I got a funny feeling in my stomach.
Today was the day. Today, I had to do something I have been afraid to do for a long
time. Breakfast was normal and I began to relax.
Mom came into the kitchen asking, "Are you ready, Sam?"
"Yes," I answered quietly. I wasn't really!
The school bus came on time, and I sat with my friend, Billy. We chatted about
baseball and trading cards. It was a great way to get my mind off of what I had to
do today. As we approached the school, I could feel my heart beating. My hands
were starting to sweat. I hated this!
I entered Mrs. Owens' class. She was smiling, and saying hello to all her
students as she did every morning.
“ Hi Sam,” she said as I walked in.
“Hi,” I said and quickly sat in my seat. We said the pledge, and then took our
Spelling test. I looked at the clock. The time was near. I hope I am not first! Mrs.
Owens said it was time to begin our special day. Special day? That’s a joke.
Mrs. Owens announced, “Sam, you’ll be first.”
I got up slowly, looking at the ground as I walked to the front of the room. I
Looked up, and everyone was staring at me. Mrs. Owens must have known I was
Nervous because she came by me, and put her hand on my back.
She said to the class, “Sam has worked very hard on his report, and I know it
Is very interesting.” Then she turned to me and asked, “Sam, what did you like
Best about your report on Hawaii?”
I thought about the fun things I had read about surfing, and I started to talk.
Before I knew it, I was telling the class about everything I had learned. I talked in
Front of the whole class, and it was fun. It wasn’t scary after all. The class clapped
As I finished and Mrs. Owens was smiling. I was pround of myself.
Describe Sam’s feelings at the beginning of this story.