Rat Story (Continued)

Just to give you an update...this post should be read after my previous post entitled "Fugitive."

The rats did not escape again while I was observing them at my apartment, but I was still too nervous to take them back to school. My close call had been WAY too close. I wanted to wait until I had a new cage to take them back.

My kids obviously missed the rats right away and kept asking me about them. I told them that I took the rats to my apartment for a while but would bring them back. Even though this is totally true, I do not usually do this so it aroused suspicion with my students. I had multiple students come up to me privately and say, "The rats died, didn't they? You can tell me...I can handle it." (as their eyes are welling up with tears). I promised them that they didn't die, but as the week wore on my arguments grew weaker. Still, I was not about to admit that one had gotten loose. Gossip like that would zip around the school almost as fast as the rumor that I was pregnant (not sure who started that one...but it was totally annoying. Someone said they saw me puking in the bathroom, which I so did not, but I guess that meant I was pregnant).

On Thursday, a girl brought in her pet hedgehog as part of a presentation she was doing in my class. She put in on the table where the rats usually sit, and all of the students freaked out. "WE GOT A HEDGEHOG! SHE REPLACED THE RATS! I KNEW THEY DIED!!" I explained that the hedgehog was just for a project and that the rats were still FINE, just on vacation at my apartment.

Finally this weekend I got them a new cage, and the rats are going back to school with me tomorrow. I am so excited to finally prove that I wasn't lying and that the rats are fine. Silly kids. Those rats had better not die tonight, or my students are never going to trust me again.