The Gig is Up

The whole kissing operation got busted today. Laura and I were at a meeting this morning, so we planned that we would stall letting kids go to the bathroom this afternoon. It would throw the whole timing off, we thought.

I had her kids for math in my room. It didn't take long for one of the girls to start the process. This is how the conversation went:

Girl: Can I go to the bathroom?
Me: Not right now, hold on a minute.
Girl: Okay. (She's a good student and didn't push the issue.)
Then she started bouncing in her seat like she really had to go.
Girl's friend: You really have to go, don't you?
Girl: Yes!
A few minutes later...
Me: Okay, go.
The girl high-tailed it out of the room. She was late for her date!

Meanwhile, in Laura's room, the same conversation was taking place with a boy. She finally let him go, waited a while, and then walked out into the hallway. Then she saw the girl from my room heading toward the boy's bathroom. When the girl saw Laura there, she made a nonchalant u-turn and headed toward the girl's bathroom. Laura said, "Oh, is this the time you were supposed to meet ____ in the bathroom?" "No," the girl muttered as she stared down at the ground. (Not even a cover-up like "What are you talking about?") When the boy came down the hall, Laura said, "Oh, isn't this the time that you were supposed to meet____ in the bathroom?" "No," he also said looking at the ground.

This seemed to send a wave through the whole underground operation. No one in the whole bathroom brigade asked to go for the rest of the day. I thought one of the rough boys was attempting to stir something up when he asked toward the end of the day. I let him go, but called Laura to make sure no one was doing the same in her room. I guess he really had to go.

It still baffles me that this whole thing was planned and executed. Actually, it doesn't. These kids are capable of anything. Even though they're only 10 or 11. If I only knew then what I know now...