Chapter 29 - Radical Idea

Aria sat outside Principal Wiley's office, impatiently tapping her feet as she waited her turn to see the Principal. Aria had never realized how busy being a principal was—there was a nonstop flow of traffic in and out of Principal Wiley's office.

"Aria?" Principal Wiley's voice spoke in surprised tones from the open door to her office. "Come on in."

Aria stood up and entered Principal Wiley's office. The principal was watching her curiously as she sat down across the desk

"What can I do for you, Aria?" Principal Wiley asked intently.

"I have kind of a radical idea," Aria said slowly. "I think it could be really effective though, if done right."

"You have my full attention," Principal Wiley said, leaning her chin on her bridged fingers.

"A kid in my history class, Cody Gibbons, was sent to detention today after drawing a picture of a hand making a one finger salute," Aria began, taking a deep breath. "It was a really good drawing, and it was actually in line with what our lesson was about—a Norse clan council called a Thing. When I laughed at a quip Cody made, I was also sent to detention. Heidi made a short, noncorporeal visit, and scared Mr. Sykes away. After talking to Cody for a few minutes, I realized that he was actually really smart. The thought occurred to me that if we could use the same time he spends in detention copying from the dictionary to do something constructive, he might actually be more interested in classes. I asked him if he would like to write lyrics for songs based on our school lessons, and he was very open to the idea. If we were able to write lyrics for stories like Joan of Arc, A Midwinter's Night Tale, and the Salem Witch Trials, Heidi could turn them into masterpieces. I have a feeling that he would be a lot more interested in what we learn in class if he had a reason to be interested in it."

Principal Wiley's eyes had come alight with interest as she listened to Aria lay out her plan. When Aria finished, Principal Wiley's face split into a large smile.

"Aria, that is absolutely brilliant!" Principal Wiley hurriedly scribbled something on a sticky note. "I'll see to it that Mr. Gibbons is sent to Miss Devons classroom for any future detentions. In the meantime, please send a copy to any songs you write to this email address. I would love to see what you come up with."

Aria beamed as she took the sticky note, once again feeling grateful for having such a cool principal.