23. Mannerisms

My classmates have the most annoying mannerisms ever. One of them has a really bad laugh, states the obvious, copies people right after they say something, and agrees with everybody. Another one bites his fingernails, but that isn’t the bad part. He spits them at me all of the time.
Anything funny will make the one of them open his mouth really wide and snort. He likes to say stuff that people already know. He says something that you just said because he doesn’t pay attention to anyone when they’re talking. He avoids conflict by agreeing with everyone and saying “I know”, or “you’re right”.
One of my other classmates bites his nails and spits them at you. I don’t mind him biting his nails, but when he spits them at you it’s disgusting. The only other thing I hate that he does is he says things other people say. He doesn’t say it right after like my other friend, but it’s annoying and I hate it. If someone says something that he thinks is funny, then he says it, way too much, but just for a little while until he forgets.
Other kids in my class that I don’t know well have some mannerisms too, but they’re not as annoying. One of them uses his hand to gesture when he talks. If he is holding anything he throws it by accident. Another one used to sing and everybody hated it. Some of them say stupid things and are really mean without thinking before they talk. But most of them crack their fingers, say weird things, have weird laughs, or just stuff like that.
I’m sure I have some annoying mannerisms too, but I don’t know them, and I bet everyone is annoyed by them. I hate annoying mannerisms and wish no one had them.

I have a friend with this habit.
She may always be denying of it,
but sometimes i observe it a bit.

It started at birth,
and made her remorse,
for she is known for this tendency.

When she walks down through the halls
No, she does not fall,
But rather her walk is if as she is on a ball
She walks on her tippy-toes which makes her quite tall.

Tapping Feet

By Lindsey LeBeau
Rice Memorial High School, Grade 9

Tap tap tap,
my pencil slid across my paper.
Tippity tap,
it felt like an earthquake.
Stomp stomp,
Was it ever going to end?
Tap tap tap,
It echoed throughout the room, bouncing off the walls.
Tippity tap,
It was like a constant irritating sound that was never going to go away!

Through Shiny White Teeth

By Nina Singer
Edmunds Elementary School, Grade 4

Something annoying that my sister does is whistle through her shiny, white teeth. It makes me feel like hitting her. That annoying whistle through her shiny white teeth sounds like a high pitched scream. She does it when she’s happy or nervous or any feeling in between. I’ve tried to stop her but it doesn’t work. Maybe I’ll try earplugs.

Miss Annoying

By Hayley Hancock
Edmunds Elementary School, Grade 4

Miss Annoying
In the morning I have an alive alarm clock. She rubs her head against mine very harshly. She uses her prickly tongue to lick my cheeks. She meows in my ear as loud as a tiger. She has long gray whiskers that tickle my morning face. She pounces on my back digging her sharp claws into me. I open my eyes and there she is waiting for me to get up.

By Hayley Hancock
Edmunds Elementary, Grade 4

Miss Annoying

Note to Self

By Abby Chretien
Hartford Memorial Middle School, Grade 8

I’m sorry I hurt you,
It’s not your fault.
I keep you covered up,
Hoping that no one would think to look,
Because you’re covered with scars and blood.
I try to stop,
But it’s too hard.
There’s something about it,
So addicting,
And so right,
When everything else is so wrong.
I’m sorry I hurt you,
It’s not your fault.
I’m so sorry…

Holly Thayer

By Holly Thayer
Rice Memorial High School, Grade 9

My lingering eyes position themselves on the hands,
Of a girl, as she fiddles with her ear,
Her thumb and middle finger fold the top,
Then her pointer finger presses down on the crease,
Joining in to what seems like constant torture,
Gives the allusion that her ear,
Is in fact curled.

Again and again, faster and faster,
She folds and unfolds her…well,
I contemplate whether it is truly her ear.

Like someone’s nails on a chalkboard,
My own nails clench at the pain,
Like watching someone bleeding,
My own blood seems to rush, and skin to sweat.

Only rage and irritation it extends to my own ear,
I cringe as my mind recalls the fold and unfold,
With such quickness and severity
The ear is distressed, almost red to the touch.

“Stop”, I shout with my eyes wide,
Strenuously staring on her dazed expression, anything
To end the crimpling and crumpling of the poor ear.

“I can’t help it”, she cries pathetically,
“It’s a bad habit” seems to be her only reply,
Alarmed with confusion and serious worry,
I then immediately giggle at the unusual,
Addiction to playing with an ear.

To ponder one’s ear seems,
Prohibited…what a common use it possesses,
Why satisfy it with extra attention,
And further…why must she continue to fold and unfold.

I suppose it may be a nervous gesture,
Perhaps a really bad habit,
Perhaps a relaxing motion,
Or perhaps it is simply an annoying mannerism.

Ssilly Joke For You

By Michelle Ballou
Woodstock Union High School, Grade 10

Whenever he gets excited, I hear the little lisps-
Out they come Sswinging Sso Ssweet,
To that 19th letter-a Ssecret Ssarinade.
It can happen when he’s happy,
it can happen when he’s sad
but either way it makes me kinda, sorta glad.
You see he’s perfect in every way,
its good to hear he is flawed like me at least once a day.
I am full of flaws,
Like speaking only half of what I’m thinking-but that’s ok,
because it makes him...
Oh you want me to finish that thought?
right!
it makes him Ssmile.
I love our flaws they make us-US.

What Hunter Does

By Heather White
Fairfield Center School, Grade 7

I have a five year old brother named Hunter who has certain mannerisms that he does all the time. He loves to play with everyone’s feet! He doesn’t care whose foot it is, as long as he has one- he’s fine. I think it might have something to do with his autism, because he always wants to see your feet. If you have socks on them, he’ll just pull them off, then he’ll rub your feet. He’ll even talk to them. He’ll talk to them and he likes when you move your feet and pretend that your feet are talking back to him!

In the end, when you have to get up for something, he might get mad or sad. But, it’s okay because my family and friends are used to it, and he can always find someone’s feet.

The Mannerisms I Have Grown to Love

By Noellen Neisner
Woodstock Union High School, Grade 10

I hate the way you laugh when you’re nervous,
The way you shake hands when we meet,
The way you look off into nothingness.
Your nails are always shorter and shorter and
You run your fingers through your hair.
I hate the way you tap your pen,
The way you cut your food,
The way you stand out in a crowd
With your silly little smile…
It frustrates me so
But it makes me love you even more!