Late Again!

Irene was already late for her class, and she still had not found her keys. It was such a busy morning that she had forgotten to eat breakfast. Her class started at nine, and the clock in the kitchen said ten to. She had her bag and her coat on, and she had been walking round the flat in circles for ten minutes.

She searched the table and looked under the sofa. “I can’t find them!” she said out loud. Just then her phone rang. It was her friend Joe, but the line was so bad that she could hardly understand him. “Hello? I can’t hear you!” she shouted.

Someone knocked at the door. It was Mr Lee, her neighbour from the second floor, with a bunch of keys in his hand. “Irene, are these your keys?” he asked. “I found them on the stairs.” “Yes! Thank you so much!” She had been so worried that she had not even looked in the corridor.

“You can’t leave your keys on the stairs,” Mr Lee said kindly. Irene laughed, a little embarrassed. “I know! It’s such a silly habit, and I can’t be late again today. I was late twice last week.” She grabbed her keys and her bag.

She ran to the bus stop so fast that her bag bounced against her back. The doors were already closed, but the driver saw her waving and opened them again. “Thank you!” Irene said, out of breath. “Now I can go to my class!” Her heart was still pounding, but she was smiling.