“Louisa, are you ready? The bus will be here any second!” her sister Anna called.

“In just one minute!” Louisa shouted back, still scrolling on her phone. A video had just gotten good.

That minute was all it took. The bus drove off without them.

The next one came late. A detour slowed them down even more. When they reached school, they were over ten minutes late. Anna got her first-ever tardy slip.

Louisa felt terrible. She hadn’t meant to make them late. She just always said, “One minute,” and it always turned into more.

She tried to change. She stuck notes to her mirror: Don’t delay. Be on time. One minute matters. Her parents started to trust her again.

Then came the science project.

Each team had to present on ecosystems. Louisa offered to make the final slide deck. Eli and the others were rehearsing and working on props.

“All you have to do is combine the slides and send it by 7:00 p.m.,” Eli told her. “We’re presenting first thing tomorrow.”

“Totally under control,” Louisa said.

After dinner, she opened her laptop. While it loaded, she tapped on a new episode of her favorite show. Just a few minutes, she thought.

When she looked up, it was 8:12.

She rushed to finish the presentation and clicked send. But the email bounced back. The school server had closed submissions at 8:00.

The next day, their group stood in front of the class without slides. Their presentation felt rushed and confusing.

Afterward, Eli looked at her. “You promised.”

Louisa’s stomach sank. “I know. I got distracted.”

“It always happens with you,” he said. “You’re nice, but no one can count on you.”

She didn’t argue. He was right.

That night, her mom asked, “How’d the project go?”

Louisa sank into the couch. “I messed up again. Everyone did their part, and I let them down.”

Her mom didn’t yell. She just said, “I hope now you really see how one small delay can lead to a big problem.”

“I do,” Louisa said quietly. And this time, she meant it.

_{“Just One Minute” by Nina D. Smith © 2025. Retelling of “Louisa, Or, Just One Minute” from The School-Girls’ Treasury, or, Stories for Thoughtful Girls by Lucy Ellen Guernsey, originally published in 1870.}

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“Just One Minute” is best suited for grades 5–8, as it highlights responsibility, time management, and reliability—important themes for middle schoolers who are learning how their choices affect others.

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Louisa kept telling herself she only needed “one minute”?
2. How do small delays or distractions add up to bigger consequences in the story
3. What strategies could Louisa (or you) use to break the “just one more minute” habit?

This content is provided under fair use for educational purposes only. Commercial use is strictly prohibited by the creator.