The Awkward Owl

By Holt Bigelow

Pete didn’t fit in. His feet were too small, his coo-coo was very soft, he had huge eyes, and on top of all that he had a weird passion... traveling.

Ding-ding-ding, the bell rung for first period. In the hallway other owls called him names “softy” said one “I want to travel the world” mimicked another. For Pete this was the usual, every day getting called names, he got used to it.

In first period the teacher was yapping away, then out of the blue she said “Pete, would you please come to the board and do this math problem” when he sat up his foot got caught on the desk and he face-planted. The whole class was guffawing, “I hate my feet” he mumbled.

He cried for hours after school, tears dripping down his face. When he woke up in the morning his den was spray painted in the words “HAHA”, but that morning he had a revelation, “What if I ditch school and travel the southern United States? It’ll be a dream come true!”

He prepared his things that morning, his slippers, footies, travel guide, and his lucky coat. When he set out he found the nearest road, Highway 678. After a couple of hours after he got there a man stopped by in his big SUV and he said “Aren’t you a little cute owl”. Pete said in response “Sir, could I hitch a ride to California.” “Why, you’re talking to me!” the man exclaimed.Just then he tripped on a pebble and smashed in the dirt, when he finally came around he was grinning, “Pal, we got ourselves a deal

So on they went through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, “I’m loving life on the Highway” is what he kept saying until they had to stop for the night in Texas.(Burrowing owls are diurnal, mind you) they slept in the SUV.

When they got to California he got meet the natives and learned how to skateboard. “hecka rad dude” said his buddy when he went off a jump. Lots of friends were made and he met a female owl and lived happily ever after.