Wisedom

“This topic, Wisdom,” the Philosophy professor drawled, “was overall well done. Dismissed.”

The boisterous clique filed out of the lecture hall and into the hallway.

“Phil! I hate you for getting A+ again!” Demi exclaimed.
“How did you it, Demi? Bed the professor or what?” Joan joked ruthlessly.
“Alex, you really must give me tuition!” Phil exaggeratingly implored.
“Goodness gracious, look at that A on Madeline’s paper!” Alex cried.

Alex craned his neck to look at Joan’s Philosophy paper.

“C+,” he announced. “It’s all right, Joan. Just try harder next time.”
“That’s unlike her.”
“But then again you know she’s not good with words and explaining herself etcetera…”
“Shut it, it’s just one paper, one damned paper on Wisdom. I just don’t get it,” Joan snapped.

Madeline, intoxicated by her good grades and congratulations, decided to lead the gang in an exciting endeavor.

“Hey, there’s one particular junior I know, that mousy looking midget. Yes! The name’s Grace. What a name. Anyway, I’m aware that she’s bitching about me behind my back, and I have in mind a most delightful plan to carry out in response to her remarks about me.”

They gathered about Madeline. Fighting to hide a wicked grin, she whispered to them her plan.

They roared with laughter, heady at the prospect of carrying out the hilarious plan.

“Madeline, you are one scheming lady!” Phil burst out finally, and pressed his hand against his belly as he shook with laughter.

Then Joan seemed to come to her senses. Push Grace into the fountain? That was one funny idea, imaging that nerdy midget being pushed by the buttocks and falling headfirst into the fountain but then the humor seemed to dissipate, to be replaced by guilt.

Why should one man be so mean to another? Though Grace did backstab Madeline, she did no deserve such utter mortification. Joan herself did not want to suffer such humiliation, so why should she torment Grace like that?

“Hey,” Joan said, “it’s pretty darn funny but isn’t it too much?” She tried to make the gang abandon the plan.
“Joan, what’s wrong with it? We’re all in this together. And in case you haven’t noticed, such pranks are so common. Everyone’s doing it. It is so bloody normal.”
“What’s wrong with your thinking Joan?”

True, Joan contemplated. Why should she make herself the odd one out? Phil made sense, but there was still something wrong. Her conscience pricked her. She would rather be the oddball than a mean bitch. At least being the oddball did not include doing the unconscionable.

“Fine, Joan wants to play the saint,” Madeline said sarcastically.

Joan was left walking along the hallway alone, and thought to herself.

I don’t regret my decision. Well, just because everyone’s doing it does not mean it is right. Just because no one is doing it does not mean it is wrong. So what exactly made her change her mind and stick to it? What was that called? She simply did not know what that word was.