This is probably all my fault for looking the other way back when Mikey was in the fifth grade.
The principal decided that she would require all the kids to run a mile in less than 10 minutes by the end of the year. Except for Mikey's best friend, Kenny (who was a bit overweight), he was the slowest and was nowhere near being able to finish in under 10 minutes. On top of that, the kids picked on him and said he ran like a duck.
Mikey was distraught and so his Dad decided he'd just hold Mikey out of school that day and say he was on a educational trip. Unfortunately, this resulted in a strongly worded letter from the principal that the mile was mandatory and his absence was not excused.
So his Dad told the principal that he would have Mikey run a mile and let her know his time. That evening, Kenny went with Mikey to the track so Kenny could time Mikey. When they came back, Kenny said Mikey ran it in 7 minutes! Since he had told me his previous best time when they ran at school was 12:30, and that he felt like he was going to die, I was a bit astonished. But Mikey was so happy for the first time in months that I didn't say anything else. In fact, he still has the photo Kenny took of him with the Polaroid as he finished (to show the principal that he had run). Mikey seemed very proud that he ran it in 7 minutes and he wasn't even tired or sweaty.
So now I'm left with hard questions. While I want to believe that my boy really ran that mile in 5th grade and that he didn't cheat at the LVM marathon, even I am having doubts.
Mike, if you are reading this, please tell the truth. And Kenny, if you are reading this, were you Mike's accomplice .. again?
-- Mikey's Mom