I always hated April Fool’s Day and had since I was in elementary school. My mother scared easily so the two of us tried to avoid having anything to do with April 1 when it rolled around. My father and brother were obsessed with scaring everyone so naturally, my mother and I were their favorite subjects. As I grew older, I started to pay attention to what my dad and brother were doing beginning in mid-March.
“We literally aren’t doing anything,” my brother said as I walked into the living room. I stopped dead in my tracks and turned toward him. I knew he was up to something when he started making excuses when I hadn’t even said anything yet. The knot in my stomach started to grow. I started to get jumpy every time I walked into a room and every time I heard a loud noise I almost fainted.
When I passed my brother’s room every day, I either tiptoed or stopped short to listen so I could tell if he was lying in wait to jump out at me. He usually tried to scare me ahead of time so I would be sufficiently prepared for the big day.
When April Fool’s Day finally rolled around, I was prepared. I pumped myself up before I even got out of bed. I would not be afraid for the first time in my life. I looked at my phone and got the greatest surprise of all. It was April 2.
Standing Room Only 