Column: Beware the babies

Katie Felton, Staff Writer • November 15, 2017

Strangely identical babies now inhabit the school.

I’m sitting in class, focusing on algebra, when suddenly a baby cries.

Am I hearing things?

“Square root of 2xy to the 17th power.”

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.”

I look up, but no one else is phased by the screaming. This brings me back to my original question: Is this all in my head?

The bell rings, so I gather up my belongings and start heading out the door when I see it.

A baby.

A girl that I have gone to school with for years has a child in her arms. I do a triple take and sit down for a second because at this point I know I must be going crazy.

When I finally get myself together, I move on to my next class and come to the conclusion that the crying baby I just saw is my tired brain tricking me due to sleep deprivation.

But then I see another.

This time it is with a boy I don’t know.

I think maybe he is a single dad. Then he starts changing the baby on the floor– in the middle of the passing period.

I feel my forehead with the back of my hand, expecting it to be scorching hot because there is no way I’m not sick. I’m seeing things, right?

Slowing but surely, I make my way to English and try to wrap my head around how babies just somehow appeared.

Where did they come from?

Why is no one else freaking out?

Has anyone ever heard of daycare?

My day continues on, and with each passing minute more babies appear.

These parents are clueless, carrying their babies around with one arm wrapped around its waist like it’s a toy doll. And another yelling at the infant to shut up because they’re trying to get some extra sleep in during Spanish.

They obviously didn’t read the parenting books that line the walls in book stores.

The funny thing about these kids, though, is they all look identical.

They all have the same clothes.

And weirdest of all, they have a new parent each day.

I don’t know who started this, and I don’t know when it is going to end, but all I can say is beware the babies– they are taking over the school.

About the Contributors

Katie Felton, TRL Reporter

Senior Katie Felton, a four year Red Ledger staffer who suffers from severe senioritis, cannot wait to be done with high school. But, since she is stuck there until June, she is determined to make her last year her best year. As a part of making the 2017-2018 school year the best one yet, Felton created her schedule only with classes she enjoys going to, such as newspaper and art. Sadly, she was forced to include core classes. Newspaper has been a passion of Felton's since middle school when she was one day added to the class, and she’s been a part of it every year since. Along with a love for journalism, Felton also has a soft spot for art– sculpture, to be exact. If she is not at school, she is probably working or with friends, as she's not a big fan of sitting at home and doing nothing. Even though Felton already has one foot out the door, she adores newspaper, and it will be one of the very few things she will miss from her years at Lovejoy High School.

Parker Nolan, Section Editor

Senior Parker Nolan joined The Red Ledger in ninth grade and is now the paper’s Multimedia Editor. His hobbies include making music, photography, and borderline dangerous escapades (some consider him an adrenaline junkie). Parker is currently dual enrolled at Collin College for Emergency Medical Services education to become an EMT. His favorite movie is “The Italian Job,” and his favorite genres of music are alternative rock and rap. "Be the change you want to see in the world,” a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, is a phrase that Parker tries to live his life by. In his spare time, Parker enjoys working out, hanging with friends, and exploding fireworks. Parker can be described as sometimes chill, sometimes adrenaline filled, and a little too confident in his abilities.