By: Emily Duvall

Opinion Editor

It was yet another dark and stormy Sunday night, eerily similar to the one I encountered last October. Instead of rain this time, though, snow flurried down Main Street and High School Court, turning LGHS into a winter wonderland. It was the Sunday prior to St. Patrick’s Day, and I relaxed on the couch and tried to complete my weekend homework. I reached into my backpack and looked for my bright blue pencil case that carries some of my most beloved pens and pencils, dating back to 2016. I searched and searched, but it just wasn’t there. I quickly remembered: I had left my sacred pencil pouch in my Philosophy class at school! I had to go back, so I could do my homework with my favorite, black, Pilot G2 .07 pen. 

I immediately drove over to the high school and parked in front, so that I could walk straight through the front door of the school, say “Happy early Saint Patrick’s Day!” to Willy the Wildcat on the lawn, and be on my merry way. As I pulled up to school, I noticed Willy was nowhere to be found, and snow covered the pedestal he normally rests upon. There wasn’t just snow though. There were tiny green footprints lining the pedestal, and they scurried all the way down the main path through the front doors. I was flabbergasted. I needed to get my pencil case, but now I felt as though I had competition for it. Maybe, I would be lucky enough to get my pencil case back AND a pot of gold! Who knows?

I crept through the already open main doors. Right in front of my eyes, I saw Willy the Wildcat, perched in the main halls blocking my route up to my Philosophy class. Except Willy looked quite different. He had been dyed. Dyed green. Dare I say, Palo Alto High School green. How disgraceful. I got that that’s kind of a leprechaun’s signature color, but come on. The leprechaun could have done better. I ignored Willy and hoped he would not pull a fast one, come alive, and pounce on me as I tried to book it for the stairwell, my alternate route to get to my pencil case.

I made my way up the stairs, but once I reached the top floor I full on cartoon-slipped in gold and green glitter. Well-played, leprechaun. But, I had a mission. My little trip would not take me down. I made my way to the classroom, but Willy stopped me in my tracks, accompanied by two leprechauns, one on each side. Willy had my pencil case in his teeth. I knew what I had to do: I snatched my pencil case out of Willy’s mouth, and it fell into shreds. I couldn’t make it to my classroom. Not even Mr. Buchanan could help now. I took the remnants and hoped my favorite pen survived. I rushed back to my car, covered in snow, glitter, and green paint. I looked like I had Saint Patrick’s Day throw up on me.

Well, another scary night was behind me, but I luckily made it out with my favorite pen and the remains of my pencil case. I will survive without it intact, and hopefully, the next holiday, I won’t leave anything at school, or have another  run in with Willy the Wildcat.