I've been afraid of snakes all my life, not as afraid of spiders, though.

Last year in 8th grade, Ms. Wolff, my Earth Science teacher, adopted one as a class pet. It was odd, and scary, but I did have the courage to actually hold it. It was really cool, actually. Nowhere near as scary as I thought.

Her name was Cuddles, and in fact, she was. Her body was smooth and shiny, underbelly soft and ticklish. She was beautiful. Those beady black eyes creeped me out a little, but from then on I loved her. I held her all the time and let her slither around or rest in my lap. She was a Ball Python, and the prettiest I'd ever seen.

Even on the very last day, Cuddles was my last memory. I held her for the last twenty minutes of school, then tucked her away in her tank.

Now I think snakes are awesome, and I'm a really good handler. I hope to have my own snake someday.