Good News

I was eleven years old at the time that my book was released. I didn't think it was going to get too much traction because the book was called "Relationship Advice from an 11 Year Old." I've had my fair share of things, and I really didn't want to write the book but my older brother said I'd be helping a lot of people. So I wrote it. It took me seven painfully long months, but I did it. For the first few days, nothing happened. I continued to walk to school, learn, eat, and go to sleep. And then one day, a Friday I believe...

"Oh my god! Your book is on the news!" my brother shouts from the stairwell. I dash out of my room and down the stairs. I run into the living room with my brother.

"And this book called 'Relationship Advice from an 11 Year Old' is now the #1 Bestseller throughout the nation, with over 6 million copies in four days!" the person on T.V. says, holding up my book. My brother and I start to jump around. He grabs my shoulders and shakes me happily.

"6 million copies!" he shouts, and then starts to run around the living room.

"Now let's hear from some of the people who have already read this book," the person on T.V. says. The screen cuts to another person.

"Hi! My name is Lindsey! I had a friend recommend this book to me, and I decided to check it out," she says, the book resting in her lap.

"Before I got this book, I was struggling with my boyfriend." She looks down at the book and then holds it up.

"After reading this book, my boyfriend and I are now closer than we ever were," she says, tearing up. Another figure walks into the room and sits down next to her. He had tears in his eyes also, and had his own copy of my book. He looks down, and then back up at the camera.

"I know you're out there somewhere buddy," he says.

"I want to thank you for writing this, um, it really did help me a lot and saved us," he says meaningfully while looking at Lindsey. I could tell both of them were about to lose it and break down. Thankfully, the camera cuts back to the news station. I didn't realize it, but I had tears in my own eyes. I helped people, my goal for over half my life.

"What a powerful story," the news person says. She starts to talk again, but suddenly stops and looks in the other direction. Then she recovers and looks back at the camera.

"More good news! New stats from the reporters on ground zero of this whole thing say that the proposal rate for marriage has increased by 30%! According to them, the amount of books sold have also been increased to 9 million! 2 million of those are going international!" she exclaims, slowly tearing up.

At this point, my family were all watching, completely bewildered. The news person continues to talk, but at that moment I've stopped listening. "...proposal rate for marriage has increased by 30%... amount of books sold have also been increased to 9 million... 2 million of those are going international!" I kept repeating that within my soul, as I lay down to go to bed.

I wake up the next morning to lots of talking. I heard rapid clicking and saw multiple lights outside out the window.

"The media is here!" my dad yells, literally jumping into his pants and darting down the stairs. I get dressed into some real clothes as well, slowly heading down stairs. With my family ready, we open the door and step out into the bright lights. My brother slightly pushes me forward into the spotlight.

The reporters start to talk, all at once. My head started to hurt and I hold up my hand. The reporters go silent.

"Thank you," I say. I look at the hundreds of reporters across our lawn and into the road, some not even from this country.

"I wrote this book to help people," I say to the reporters, not knowing what else to say. The reporters stay silent, hoping I'd say something else.

"I wanted to enhance the experience of people's lives, showing them that they can have a positive, healthy relationship and be happy," I tell them.

"Any questions?" I ask them. The reporters shift and then look at each other. All of a sudden, noise erupts. The questions start flying at me. The one question I did pick up on though was, "Did you have any inspirations to write this book?" I hold up my hand again, and the reporters fall silent.

"Yes I did indeed have inspirations," I say to them, wiping a tear from my eye as I think of her, thinking of all the happy times we once had. The night we went to Kopps, the day I got to watch her play basketball, and the day we met. I started to feel overwhelmed. My dad noticed and we ushered me inside of the house, while the reporters continue to shout questions, hoping I'd turn around and answer all of them. I collapse on the couch and stare up at the ceiling.

"This is way too much," I tell my dad, who smiles.

"You've done a wonderful thing," he says to me.

"You've done something that no one has ever accomplished," he tells me again, and sits down on the couch with me. He gets up again to go talk to the reporters, something that I probably won't ever do again. The media kept coming to our house throughout the day and asking me questions. Unfortunately, my family did have me go back out there. I got a massive sunburn and too much media exposure. The media people started to thin out at 7 pm.

"Good night," I tell my parents at 8. I was going to bed early tonight. Today was taxing on my mind and all I needed was a good night's rest.

I take off my glasses and set them on my nightstand. I look over to a picture of her and I. Below the picture, a quote was written: "To the world you are one person, but to one person you are the world." I smile at that, reminiscing in all those happy times we had together.

"Good night Lanna," I whisper, hoping that I hear her voice somewhere in my head. I kiss the image like how I do every night, and hold it to my chest as I fall asleep.