Olivia was always late. Not terribly late—just late enough to make everyone else tap their feet.

Her best friend Jade was used to it. “If we say meet at two, she’ll stroll in at two-thirty,” Jade joked once.

But today was different. Today was the middle school talent show. Olivia had signed up to play piano, something she was actually pretty good at. The problem? She just never felt the same urgency as everyone else.

“Liv, you need to be backstage by six,” her older brother Marcus reminded her at dinner. “The schedule’s tight. Don’t mess around.”

“I won’t,” Olivia promised, taking her time buttering her bread. “Relax. I’ve got it handled.”

By 5:45, Jade was already backstage, fixing her hair in the mirror and rehearsing her dance moves one last time. She texted Olivia: Where are you??

No reply.

At 6:05, the emcee announced the show would begin in five minutes. Jade peeked through the curtain nervously. No sign of Olivia.

Finally, at 6:10, Olivia strolled in, hair still damp from her shower, shoes untied, music sheets sticking out of her bag.

“You’re on in three acts!” Jade hissed. “Where have you been?”

Olivia shrugged. “I had to finish painting my nails. Chill.”

Jade threw her hands in the air. “You’re impossible.”

But when Olivia’s name was called, she took her time adjusting the bench, smoothing her dress, and neatly arranging her sheet music—while the audience shifted in their seats. The emcee cleared his throat. Someone coughed loudly.

Olivia ignored them. She pressed one key to test the sound, then began.

The room went silent.

Her fingers moved slowly at first, then with more confidence, filling the auditorium with the smooth notes of a pop ballad she’d practiced for weeks. By the final chord, people were leaning forward in their seats. Applause erupted, louder than for almost any other act.

Backstage, Jade stared at her. “How do you do that? You almost gave me a heart attack, and then you get the biggest applause of the night.”

Olivia grinned, not rushing to pack up her music. “Guess I just work best in my own time.”

Marcus walked in, shaking his head. “One of these days, Liv, your easy-going ways are going to catch up with you. What if you’d missed your turn?”

Olivia shrugged again, but this time her smile faltered just a little. She had cut it close—too close.

Later that night, lying in bed, she thought about it. Maybe Marcus was right. She couldn’t keep assuming the world would always wait for her.

Still, when her phone buzzed with Jade’s text—You were amazing. Totally worth the wait.—Olivia smiled. Maybe being easy-going had its dangers, but sometimes it let her shine in ways no one expected.

_{“Fashionably On Time” by Nina D. Smith. Published by Bright Bunny Books © 2025. Retelling of “The Easy-going Boy” from The Parkhurst Boys and Other Stories of School Life by Talbot Baines Reed, originally published in 1914.}

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“Fashionably On Time”  is best suited for grades 6–8 because it reflects common middle school experiences—procrastination, performances, and friendship—told in a relatable and accessible way for this age group.