104- Tight Pants

Linda came up to me during a math test today on told me that her stomach hurt. I am used to kids pretending to be sick in hopes that they can get out of taking a test. Linda is a decent math student and rarely complains, so I believed her when she said she didn’t feel well.
“Did your tummy just start to hurt?” I asked.
“No,” The girl shook her head, “It has been hurting all day and now it still hurts and I can’t concentrate on my test.”
I was impressed that the Mexico native, for whom English is a second language, knew the word concentrate. Looking her up and down, I noticed something strange about her pants; they were extremely tight. The button that held her pants closed was threatening to pop off, and the zipper was only half way zipped. Linda is a thin girl, but a fold of flesh still protruded from the top of her pants. She appeared to be extremely uncomfortable and her pants were obviously several sizes too small.
“Linda? Are those your pants?” I was bewildered.
“Oh, yeah.” Linda shrugged. “I’ve had these a long time.”
Like three or four years? Doesn’t her father know that kids grow?
“Well, they look a little tight. Why don’t you go to the nurse and see if there is anything she can do for you.”
Linda turned and left the classroom and I could tell by the awkward stance of her steps that every move she made was painful.
Less than ten minutes later, the girl was back in my classroom. She was wearing a stretchy pair of sweat pants and a smile that plastered from ear to ear.
“Thank you, Teacher!” Linda said to me before she settled back into her desk to complete her math test. “Now I will be able to concentrate.”