Pete was the first to stand.
Mr. Webster had given him a detention for something he didn’t do.
Mark was next. Unrepentant, eyes forward. He wouldn’t sit down.
The next day, Eddie joined them.
All three on their feet through maths and assembly.
Before long, it was four. Then five. Then ten.
Teachers punished. Then begged and pleaded.
But the kids kept standing.
The first escalation came when semolina was served with no jam.
One boy stood. Then the whole school.
It became easier after that.
They stood when given homework. They stood when told to run laps.
By spring, standing wasn’t confined to the classroom.
People stood at work and in cafes that served lukewarm baked beans.
No one wanted to risk staying down when others got up.
The mayor pleaded, but the town rose before her second sentence.
So the mayor stood, too.
Officials avoided policies that might trigger a stand.
Businesses changed. Factories slowed. Markets froze.
And with nobody left sitting, there were no more decisions to make.
We all stand now.
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