The Spare Shirt

Angela and Stuart are getting ready for the school fun run. They help fill cups of water for the runners. Angela reaches for a stack of cups, and her sleeve catches a jug. Water spills over the table and down her shirt.

Stuart steadies the jug and calls their teacher. Angela steps away from the wet floor. “I cannot run in this,” she says. Their teacher brings a cloth to wipe up the spill.

Angela remembers her spare shirt. She took it out of her bag this morning to make room for her lunch. Now she has no dry one with her. Stuart wonders whether the school has any clean sports shirts.

Their teacher finds a clean shirt in the equipment room. Angela changes in a private changing room. While she is away, Stuart helps finish setting up the water table. They keep the jug farther from the edge.

Angela returns in time for the start. She thanks Stuart and their teacher. The students run together at a comfortable pace. When they finish, the water cups are ready for them.

Later, Angela puts her wet shirt in a bag to take home. “I will pack my spare again next time,” she says. Stuart nods. “And we will leave more room around the jug.” They have two useful things to remember.