Honestly, George!

George walked slowly on the road to his home. The ten-year old was not in a very good mood. Today was the day that he got his math test result back, and he got a D minus! Not just D, buf D minus!

It actually didn't surprise him as he didn't prepare well for the test last week. He remembered what he had been doing on the evening before the test.

"George, stop playing with your food. You have a math test tomorrow, you need to study." Mom said as George flipped the broccoli on his plate over and over.

"It's fine, Mom, I've studied today at school with Henry." lied George.

"Still, it's never bad to study again and make sure that you understand the material." Dad jumped in.

"Okay, l'll study right away." George said as he head to his room leaving his broccoli uneaten.

"Uh, I'm so lazy..." thought George. So he ended up reading comic books instead.

And now, he got D minus. Mom would be very cross to see his score. If only he didn't need to show his test to Mom.

He continued to tread slowly as he passed by Mrs. Huckleberry's house. Mrs. Huckleberry was reading with his two dogs sleeping at her feet. It was quite a rare sight to see Molly, the golden retriever, and Vinnie, the pug not fighting. Then a mischievous idea comes to George.

He was suddenly energetic, he grinned as he marched home. At the house gate, he tossed his test paper to a bin.

"It's garbage day," he said happily to himself, "by the time Mom gets home, the bin would be empty!"

He came in, washed his hands and feet, had some mashed potato with mayonaise without veggies, then turned on the TV to watch his favorite cartoon. Not long after that, Mom came home.

"Hi, Mom!" George greeted joyfully.

"How's your Math test, Honey?" asked Mom, "You got the result today, right?"

"It's good, Mom. No, it's not good. It's great! I got an A!"

"Really?" said Mom rather suspiciously. But George was too pleased with his lie that he didn't notice. "So, can I see it then?"

"The test? Well that's the problem..." said George hiding a small smirk under his nose, "I got this!" thought George.

"Well, Mom, about the test," he began, "I was walking home and I had the test in my hand. I'm so proud of the result so I wanted to keep looking at it. Then suddenly there's a big wind and the test flew away!"

"Really? Didn't you go after it then, since you like it so much I'm sure you won't just let it fly that easily." replied Mom.

"Well, I did! I tried to grab it but it went to Mrs. Huckleberry's house."

"And?" asked Mom raising her eyebrows.

"Well, her two dogs are on the front yard and they saw my test and one of them ate it" said George again making a sad face.

"Really, which one?"

"Well, uh... Vinnie, I think."

"Well then I have to call Mrs. Huckleberry right away."

"What? What for, Mom?"

"Her small dog can get sick, of course, eating something that isn't food."

"No, Mom. It was not the small dog, it was the big one who ate it. I'm sure it's okay, it's only paper after all."

"Still, dogs aren't supposed to eat paper. Mrs. Huckleberry would be upset if one of her dogs fell ill."

"Wait, Mom," said George starting to panic. If Mom calls Mrs. Huckleberry then she would tell Mom that there was no such paper flying to her yard. "I think they didn't eat them. No, in fact I'm sure they didn't eat them."

"But you said..."

"I forgot. Now I remember, the test was flown away again, another big wind came."

"I see. Where did it go this time?"

"Well, it spun around and went to all places."

"All places like what?"

"Well, everywhere. I saw it went to the roof, then over a tree, then..." suddenly George got another idea.

"And then, and then, the garbage truck came and it went into the truck, you see."

"Oh, so the test went to the garbage truck?"

"Yes! So it's impossible to find it. I've asked the driver to stop so I could fetch the test but he said no." said George.

"He said no?" asked Mom again.

"Yeah, he said that he was in hurry and looking for the paper inside the truck would take too much time."

"Hmm... Okay. It's too bad that I can't see the test then." said Mom.

George sighed in relief. It was a close call, he thought. His heart had been pumping fast. He didn't know that lying could be so difficult.

"Oh, one more thing, George," Mom said peeking from the kitchen.

"Can you tell me what this is, then?" asked Mom tossing a scrunched white paper towards George.

George uncrumple the paper ball and to his horror it was a Math test with his name on it and D minus score written in bold red ink. It was his math test.

As he looked up, he saw Mom standing in front of him with her hands folded complete with a super-angry look on her face.