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Drama Kids

“Emma?” My little sister shook me on my shoulders. “It’s time to get up!”

“Ugh.” I groaned. “Humph. C’mon Olive, just a few more minutes?”

“Mom says to get up now.”

“Okay, fine! I’ll be up in a minute!” I said. My sister ran out of my room. She is seven, but she acts like a three-year-old.

I sighed. I am definitely not a morning person. 

Today is my first day of school. Well, of seventh grade. I’ve already done a year of middle school, so I know what to expect. 

Well, sort of.

I have new teachers and harder subjects. I have a best friend, but she is still on vacation. Her name is Tamera, and she got special permission from the principal to take an extra week off. She doesn’t have the best grades in the school, but she is super sweet. The principal really likes her.

I'm actually a straight-A’s student. Since today is the first day of school, it’s important to make a good impression on my teachers. 

Today, I’m going to wear a new shirt and jean shorts. Not too fancy. I get dressed and go downstairs. My sister is already at the table, eating her bagel. 

“Morning, mom!” I said, while sitting down.

“Hi, Emma! What do ya want for lunch?”

“Oh, maybe a sandwich?” I ask. It’s our tradition for my mom to make my first day of school lunches. Every other day, I have to make it. Well, for my sister, she has to help my mom make it.

“Sure, honey. I’ll make it right now. Here’s your bagel!” My mom said, handing the bagel to me.

“Thanks, mom.” I said.

I eat my bagel, while reading my book. I’m reading Percy Jackson. It’s a really good series! I mean, the author takes old greek myths, adds in some modern stuff, and spins a really good story! 

I finish my bagel. I have to walk to school, so I had to get going. I grab my lunch from my mom.

“Bye, mom! Love you!” I said, walking out the door.

“Bye, Emma! Love you too!” She calls out to me.

I smile, and walk to school.


***


When I get to school, I’m early. I really like being early. It helps in making a good impression. I start walking to my room, when I get distracted by something going on in the principal's office. I turn around and walk towards there.

I hear the principal, Mr. Hirena, talking to a student. He is just opening the door to his office. I can’t quite hear what he’s saying. He turns around just as I turn the corner to his office.

“Ahh, Emma! I’ve been looking forward to seeing you!” He exclaimed.

“Hello, Mr. Hirena! Nice to see you, too!”

“Thanks! Oh, now that you're here, I have a favor to ask you.”

“Oh, of course!” I said.

“Now, we have a new student here, and I was wondering if you could show her around here!”

“Sure!” I respond.

“Thanks, Emma!”

He turned around and called someone out from his office. He walked out, with a girl right behind him.

“So, Emma; this is Natalie.” He said, gesturing to the girl.

No, no, no. 

It isn’t her, is it?

Natalie. Natalie.

I quickly peek at the girl behind him.

It’s her.

I look at her expression on her face, to see if she recognized me.

Yeah. She definitely knows me.

“H𑁋hi.” I stuttered.

“Oh!” Natalie exclaimed, clearly surprised to see me. “I mean, hi.”

“Well, Natalie.” Mr. Hirena said. “Emma will be showing you around today! Now, Natalie has moved to a lot of different states, Emma, so Natalie can tell you all about it.”

Now, in my mind I wanted to yell at Natalie. But, of course, being in front of the principal and all, I kept my composure. 

“Oh, well, sure!” Natalie said.

“I’ll leave you to it! I got some work to do.”

“Okay, Mr. Hirena!” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic, though I was quite the opposite. 

Mr. Hirena went back into his office, and I was left with my sworn enemy. 

“So...hi!” I said to Natalie, pretending not to know her. “How are you doing?”

“Uhh, good.” She answered, raising an eyebrow at me.

“I can show you the classrooms.” I offered. “What’s in your schedule?”

Natalie opens her backpack and gets her paper out. She hands it to me.

“Thanks.” I said.

I looked at it. “Oh, we have most of the same classes.” I remarked. “I mean, it’s cool!”

“Oh, interesting.”

Yeah. It really was Natalie. She says everything with the smallest interest possible.

“Where did you just move from?” I asked, trying to make conversation.

“Pennsylvania.”

“Oh, cool! Did you get snow there?” I inquired.

“Yeah.”

Wow. She definitely didn’t want to talk to me. So, I just looked at her schedule to show her where some of her classes are.

“Well, our first class is homeroom.” I said. “Our teacher is Ms. Humdell, and you do not want to get on the wrong side of her. She’s nice, but still.”

“Okay.”

“Our math teacher, Ms. Melvia is strict.” I warned. “ So, don’t do anything wrong, and don’t raise your hand to a problem you don’t know, and you’ll be fine!”

“Yeah, okay.”

“As for the rest of the classes, you should be good.” I assured her. “They aren’t that bad.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

About now was the time kids started coming in. It was ten minutes before classes started, so I led Natalie back to our homeroom. I told her I needed to use the bathroom. I walked back out in the hallway, to get to the bathroom.


***


I was four at the time. I had lived in Georgia, where it was hot and humid. I went to a preschool with a bunch of other little kids. I was a rambunctious child back then, so I had gotten in a lot of trouble. It wasn’t my fault, though. I didn’t do all those things.

It was all Natalie.

She had moved here a few weeks before the school started. Before her, I had a lot of friends. But, she changed everything.

Natalie was the one who stole all of those crayons, who planted them in my backpack that when I opened it the crayons all spilled out. She was the one who kept on messing up everybody's cubby, who left mine perfectly organized so that the teacher would immediately point to me.

She was the one in charge of all of the girls. Natalie wouldn’t let any of them be friends with me anymore. 

I didn’t know why she hated me so much. 

Later that year, I moved to Los Angeles, where I live now. I hadn’t seen her since preschool, so I assumed I wouldn’t run into her again. But of course, I was wrong. It was pure luck that she came to this school.


***


I walked out of the bathroom. I went to all my classrooms, did all my work, not really talking to Natalie. But then, it was lunchtime. I knew that the principal might be watching, so I asked her to sit with me at lunchtime. She answered, “Sure.”

We sat at our table in total silence. Finally, I couldn’t stand it. 

“So, how come you have to move around a lot?” I asked.

That question caught her totally by surprise.

“O𑁋oh! Well, my dad works in the army.”

“Cool!” I exclaimed.

“Well, it’s cool for a while. Then, it gets boring.”

“Oh.”

She took a deep breath. “That’s why I was so mean to you, back in Georgia. I moved around so much, I never got to make any friends. And, you were so popular, and the other girls loved you. I got jealous. I wanted to see you in trouble. But, I’m different now. I am truly sorry.”

Her long burst left me momentarily stunned.

“O𑁋oh.”

“Yeah. I’m really sorry.”

“I𑁋it’s okay. I forgive you.” I whispered.

“Thank you. Are we friends?” Natalie asked.

“Friends.”


August 24, 2020 01:25

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76 comments

Juliet Martin
22:10 Aug 24, 2020

Nice! I really like how clean your narrative voice is - you write in a simple, effective style (I mean this in a good way!). There's good suspense created in the first encounter between Natalie and the narrator. To me, the pacing of your plot could be altered a bit to make your story more effective - the reveal at the end about why Natalie is mean seems a bit abrupt, and you spend a fairly long time at the beginning with the details of the morning which develop your narrator but don't contribute as much to the plot. I think you could create ...

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Avery G.
00:16 Aug 25, 2020

Wow, thanks for the feedback! I'll work on it!

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Lily Kingston
16:24 Aug 26, 2020

Great story. It comes together nicely in the end. Keep up the good work and keep writing!!

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Avery G.
20:13 Aug 26, 2020

Thank you!

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Hriday Saboo
14:06 Aug 24, 2020

Brilliant story. I have submitted my new story Pls read it

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Avery G.
19:19 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you so much! Sure!

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01:17 Sep 11, 2020

ahhh this was so good!! Keep it up!

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Avery G.
01:19 Sep 11, 2020

Thank you so much!

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01:21 Sep 11, 2020

np! ;)

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B. W.
17:32 Sep 10, 2020

I'm telling most of my friends so you may or may not be in a story with some other Reedsy Friends or At least mentioned :) how do ya wanna act in it if you are?

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Avery G.
18:11 Sep 10, 2020

Oh cool! I don't know. I really like sports!

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B. W.
18:12 Sep 10, 2020

Yep ^^ well anything else? if i add ya i don't want the only thing for you is just everything about sports

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I loved this!! The ending was perfect...awesome job. Keep writing, Avery! ~Aerin P. S. Would you mind checking out my new story, “Dear Mimi”? Thanks!

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Avery G.
00:48 Sep 07, 2020

Thank you so much! I think I did already. But still, I really loved your stories! Thanks again Aerin!

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Jonathan Blaauw
13:09 Aug 25, 2020

Like your other stories, this one is easy to read. You've got such a clear, simple style which is something you must try keep as you develop, because many writers, myself included, fall into the trap of writing long, complicated sentences which aren't always easy to follow (see what I mean? This sentence is was way too long). Your style really works so hang onto it. I think Juliet as already given you great advice (if you check out her stories you'll see she knows what she's talking about!) so I won't repeat it here and bore you to death....

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Avery G.
20:16 Aug 25, 2020

Thank you so much!!!!

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Megan Sutherland
22:17 Aug 24, 2020

Great story Avery! I agree with Sarah Noel that I liked how we learned the past between Natalie and Emma. You have some issues with your tense. Were you aiming for past or present tense? I got bits of both in places. Well done overall!

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Avery G.
00:16 Aug 25, 2020

Thank you so much! Uhh...I don't know. I still have to work on my past and present tense. But thank you again!

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Sia S
04:50 Aug 24, 2020

Hey Avery, I liked this a lot!! Part 2 ?

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Avery G.
19:18 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you so much! Uhh...maybe? I don't know.

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Sia S
05:24 Aug 25, 2020

Welcome!

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Rhondalise Mitza
01:43 Aug 24, 2020

Hi! Thank you again for commenting on my stories. :) I wanted to stop by and read some of yours for a change! One thing that really stands out to be is how you manage to capture the essence of your characters, who are more often than not, young teens or preteens, very well without losing your own personal narrative style. Your writing style reminds me a little of Rachel Vail, if you know who that is. If not, I strongly encourage you to check out her books! Thanks again, Avery.

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Avery G.
02:07 Aug 24, 2020

You are so welcome! Wow, thank you so much! No, I haven't heard of Rachel Vail, but I'll check out her books! Thank you so commenting! :)

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17:13 Dec 05, 2020

This was short and sweet, but I enjoyed it. This American, Muggle writing was interesting to read; definitely not something I'm used to. Despite that, I thought that you did a great job with how everything played out. This was brilliant! -Hermione Granger

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Avery G.
20:23 Dec 05, 2020

Thank you so much, Hermione!!!

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21:39 Dec 05, 2020

You're so welcome, Avery!

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B. W.
21:36 Oct 22, 2020

heyyy

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Raquel Rodriguez
21:35 Oct 22, 2020

I don't normally like happy endings, but this was nice! I like how you actually explain why the MC dislikes Natalie, unlike other stories that I've read (not on here, of course) I was reading your bio, and I loved it! 'I am a writer, artist, and lover of the outdoors. I also love reading and doing embroidery in my free time.' I love reading, writing, and the outdoors, but in my free time, I knit and draw (although I'm not that good at it) 'I have many books that I have started to write and not finished. I am looking to improve my...

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Avery G.
22:23 Oct 22, 2020

Aww, thanks soooo much!!!! Ooh, you knit? I've never tried, because I think it's too complicated. I LOVE HAMILTON SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!! IT'S THE BEST!!!!!! Ooh, Wonder! No, I haven't read 365 days of Wonder, but I've heard of it. Bye!!!

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Raquel Rodriguez
22:34 Oct 22, 2020

Lol, yeah, I knit. I finished a scarf today, surprisingly, but it's my first one and it's pretty short, lol. I know, right?! Yesssss. I love, 'Aaron Burr, sir' I have both in my library, and I've skimmed through it. It's like, all the kids journal entries over the summer for Mr. Brown.

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Maya Zauberman
22:53 Sep 30, 2020

Dear Avery, I was reading your story, and there were several points that stuck out to me. I’ll split them into positives and negatives. Positives- The voice was very realistic, and the writing was concise and efficient in telling the story. Negatives- The ending felt rushed and out of left field. Also, if Tamara and the sister don’t push the plot, then why are they there? Suggestions- Think about how you want each character to play in the plot, and what role they currently serve— what is their purpose? Also, introduce Natali...

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Avery G.
00:32 Oct 01, 2020

Thanks so much! I can't edit the story anymore, but I'll keep that in mind.

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Ariadne .
21:23 Sep 21, 2020

The tenses of some words do not agree. If you're going to write in past tense, all the words should be in past tense. Here are some of them: "She is seven, but she acts like a three-year-old." "Today is my first day of school." "Today, I’m going to wear a new shirt and jean shorts." There's more but I didn't want this comment to be too long. Make sure to focus on that in future stories. Other than that, great job! It's a great story. ~Adrienne P.S. I'd appreciate it if you check out my stories! Thanks!

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Avery G.
00:30 Sep 22, 2020

Thanks so much! I'll remember that in future stories. I have a hard time with tenses. I can't edit it anymore, but of course I'll check out your stories!

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Ariadne .
00:39 Sep 22, 2020

Anytime! I totally get it! Especially when writing flashbacks and memories. It gets really tricky then. Thank you for reading my stories!

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19:43 Sep 17, 2020

I wanted check out your story one day since you always comment on mine! I liked this it was really calm, and it really fit into the 'kids' description. I also like how it was just a normal like you know like the beginning how you described how she was awoken and how she ate breakfast you made it seem really normal I liked that! This was really good keep on writing!!

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Avery G.
19:44 Sep 17, 2020

Wow, thanks so much!

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19:52 Sep 17, 2020

Of course!

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Amaya .
00:02 Sep 15, 2020

I like your writing style! And I like this story! It really drew me in as soon as I started reading.

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Avery G.
01:05 Sep 15, 2020

Wow, thank you so much!

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Anshika Goyal
19:34 Sep 11, 2020

I loved your story, Avery!! Congrats on the concept. The story is well-written and oh- those dialogue tags make me feel like an observer. I hope I can write like You T_T I am a newbie here, and I would love it if you check out two of my recent stories;)

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Avery G.
19:34 Sep 11, 2020

Thank you so much! Of course I'll check out your stories!

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Corey Melin
05:22 Sep 10, 2020

Very well done. The lovely days of school. Glad they are done for me. Similar scenarios took place at my school. Glad that it looks to have worked out, but I can see a sequel, if wanting to. Becoming best friends or Natalie is lying and commences with the torture?

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Avery G.
15:03 Sep 10, 2020

Thank you so much!

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Amogh Kasat
08:01 Sep 07, 2020

It's a wonderful story! Please read my latest story

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