I never thought while I was in eighth grade that a year from then when I was in high school, I would give anything to come back to eighth grade. Eighth grade was the best school year of my life. I had a lot of good times back in eighth grade. One of my best memories was my English and Literature teacher, Lance Menser.

            One of the best things about Lance was that you could joke around and cut up all you wanted and he wouldn’t care. He would joke around with you.

            One of the best pranks I ever got him with was the Sanitized Doorknob Prank. West Hopkins School, my middle school, had hand-sanitizer dispensers in every classroom. What you did was look out the classroom door and watch for Lance to turn the corner and come toward the classroom. Once he turned the corner, you jumped back in and get a squirt of hand-sanitizer in your hand, jump back out in the hall, rub the sanitizer on the doorknob, and jump back in. Lance would then come up, not knowing the doorknob was covered, and grab the doorknob.

            I first saw some of the other students in the class do this. Then I caught on. The first day that I pranked the door, Lance took it as just a joke. Then I started getting him with it everyday. After about the twentieth time, Lance gave me a promise.

            His exact words were “When you least expect it, I’m going to shuck you, and I’m going to throw hand-sanitizer on your umh.”

            I hope you know what umh stood for.

Throughout the rest of the school year, I was on guard. Of course, I still got Lance with it everyday.

A lot of other students were going to try and help Lance get me as well. They started putting the sanitizer on the doorknob and making Lance get it on his hand. Then when he came in the classroom, they would blame it on me. Also, anytime I went to the bathroom during Lance’s class, my best friend, Jerry Blain, would get some of the hand-sanitizer and put on the doorknob to get me. Like I said, I was on guard. When I got back from the bathroom, I inspected the doorknob before entering. When Jerry put it on the doorknob, I looked and saw liquid on the doorknob. Then I grabbed the end of my shirt and wrapped it around the doorknob. I turned it and walked in. From that point on, I stood at the corner and watched for them to put the sanitizer on the door.