"Do you know a Keith that goes to this school?"
I did. There was a Keith in the seventh grade science class I had done the long-term assignment in.
It was passing period before fourth period. A boy named Kevin was claiming that this Keith was his twin. His classmates were dubious. I didn't have much information, so I stayed out of the discussion. And then it was time to start class.
It was French 2. The students in this discussion were in eighth grade. For the time I was there, Kevin maintained this story that he had a twin that went to the school.
I quickly figured out that this story is a fabrication.
Because, while Keith does have a twin, that twin was in the same science period as Keith, and his name is Jared.
Oh, and Keith is in seventh grade while Kevin is in eighth. (And Keith is white while Kevin is Black.)
I'm not sure why I didn't bust Kevin, but I chose to stay out of this conversation and just watch from afar.
The next time I had this group in class, Kevin had changed his story. No, Keith wasn't his twin. His twin's name was Kingsley.
This was slightly more plausible as Kingsley actually has the same last name as Kevin.
Funnily enough, I had met Kingsley as well. In the seventh grade science class. So, again, not his twin as Kevin is in eighth grade.
I'm not sure what it is about that age, but they will tell stories that are clearly fabricated and they will try to get people to believe them. And they will maintain that they are telling the truth even when you have ample evidence that they are lying.
Perhaps that's why I chose to stay out of it. I didn't want to waste the energy.
Because, the kiddos were sucked into that conversation enough. They were sure he was lying, and they were working hard to disprove Kevin. But every reason they could find that Kevin was lying Kevin was able to rebut.
Did they get their French work done? I hope so. But eighth graders. They can get distracted by just about anything.
That's funny. Kids are always making up stories.
ReplyDeleteOh, they are. Any time I walk into a middle school classroom, some kid will tell me that this other random kid is their cousin. Or twin. Or sibling. Never fails.
DeleteThe prime age for lying just to screw with people. Sometimes it doesn't end after middle school.
ReplyDeleteSome of the stories my girls came home with …there was a girl who swore the head singer of a popular band was her cousin (he wasn’t) and that she hit yo go to all of his concerts (she went to one concert). My daughter believed her for a very long time…
ReplyDeleteIt's the age. I just nod and go on my way. It saves time.
DeleteFunny! I actually thought it would be true it was Keith and Kevin! I can think of a few ways that could be possible! But, yeah, funny how kids make up stories. Songbird reminded me of a YouTuber (not that I make a habit, my son shows me) who once did a segment on things other kids said when you were young that you believed. He collects emails and texts about different subject. Some are hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThe twin thing is so easy to disprove. And there are twins at the school. (There is even a group of triplets.) I can always tell because their student ID numbers are different by 1.
DeleteI can't think of stories my son told me at that age but I actually knew a family with three children of different ages. Two were white, one was black. And they all graduated high school together. How was this possible? One was a genius and I think he graduated at age 14 or 15. One was special needs and graduated at the maximum age. The middle boy graduated "on time". But none were twins. Now I'm wondering what stories they were telling other students to explain how they were all in the same senior class.
ReplyDeleteI can see how that would happen. I bet they didn't tell stories, and at a certain point, everyone would have known them. Perhaps that's what does it for the middle schoolers. Some of these kiddos are meeting them for the first time.
DeleteThat’s actually kind of funny!
ReplyDeleteFunny is what I was going for.
DeleteHe's going to need to come up with a new story next time!
ReplyDeleteOh, he'll milk this story as long as he can. Weeks. Months. It'll be a running joke.
DeleteI used to tell fantastic stories at that age, but I always had a reason. I told my mom how stilly Nancy's mother looked in her bathing cap, but that was because my mom would have been furious to know we'd gone swimming in Nancy's pool when her mother wasn't home. I made up a boy named Jeff I met on vacation who was in love with me but that's because I felt left out when all my galpals starting getting attention from boys. So I wonder why this boy is doing this. Do you think it's just for his own amusement? Or does he have another reason?
ReplyDeleteHe could have another reason. He did admit to having other siblings, so perhaps he felt overlooked?
DeleteI must admit to fabricating facts as an adult a few times but never really as a child. lol
ReplyDeleteNow I'm curious what you've lied about lately...
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