Disclaimers: There is a vignette in here regarding the terrorist attacks so if you can't handle it please either skip it or go back to the forum. Thank you for reading, sit back and enjoy the story and if you have something wonderful to say about it write to me at femalespielburg@yahoo.com.
I want to thank my betas for correcting this for me. Jen, Dede, Dana thanks you are all awesome!!!.
This one is dedicated to T. You are the inspiration for all the words I write and all the wonderful thoughts I have. Thank you for being the Best Friend a girl could have!
Thanks to all of you that read the stories and write me. I appreciate you taking these journeys with me and for letting me know how much you like them.
Copyright © 2006 by Athenian Bard . All Rights Reserved.
Bus yard fight
Riding the bus home from school is fun, especially when you're a fourth grader! You can try and sit in the back of the bus, where you get to hit all the good bumps and you go into the air! In the back me and my friends talk about last weeks episode of Moesha, and whether we can come out and play. Well today it wasn't fun to be on the back of the bus, Tiara, a bully was making comments about me, like I couldn't hear her. Well I wasn't just gonna sit there and not say nothin so I started talkin bout her too. That's why you got a big ole' peanut head and you look like a shrimp. You need to shut up before I kick yo ass. Man I ain't bout to fight you. When she said this I was actually getting a little nervous I never been in a fight before, I mean except wit my cousins, and then we was only playing. We get to our stop and get off the bus, everyone runnin off the bus to see if we was gone fight, big crowd of everybody jus standing there lookin. What not gone fight? Naw I ain't bout to fight you, you ain't worth my time. Turnin and goin home because mama would be mad if I got into a fight, especially in my school clothes. I see Tiara go across the street and her mom is standing there, so it definitely would have been bad to fight her. That would mean I woulda got yelled at by her mama and mine too! I drop my bookbag cuz my shoelaces come not tied no mo, and I hear Tiara mama yell at me, that's right you better go home and tell yo mama you big mama's girl! Grabbin my bag and runnin the way home, tears jus start fallin. I see mama's big black purse the one that usually she keeps the gum in, so I know she's home. I run all da way up stairs, remembering to knock first so I don't get in no mo trouble. Come in, hey baby how was school. I tell my mama everything, she looked so mad I knew fo sho I was in trouble. She quickly put on her outside clothes and grab her coat then looks at me and tells me to take her to Tiara's house. Aww man, what was mama gone do, this cain't be good. We leave the house wit daddy yellin fo us to wait, but we don't I take her to Tiara's house across from Alyse's who is my third best friend. Mama knocks on the door and Tiara mama look so shocked, and then she look at me and I grab mama hand. Mama ask to speak wit her and Tiara, we go inside I never been in Tiara house before so I wanna look around but mama hold tight to my hand. We go in there livin room where mama yells at the lady, I couldn't believe it! Mama was yellin at Tiara mama, wow my mama must be cooler. When mama's done yellin Tiara and her mama say sorry. Haha, now if she bothers me again I will jus tell mama.
Upside down and all around
Cedar point has great bumper cars and water rides, where you can ram your friends forever or on the rafting ride, ooh you get to go under waterfalls, its really good when its hot. When we go I ride the bumper cars for hours, it makes me sad that they make you get off. I can't wait to drive a real car like mami; although Papa says it not like bumper cars you can't hit the other people. But papa people hit each otha all da time. He looks at me and laughs, its not the same baby, its bad when they hit each other. Oh, well then I like bumper cars better. All my friends from church are here, this will be so much fun! I can get LaRiche to ride on the bumper cars with me! Papa I wanna ride the bumper cars with Richee can I? No, I pay all this money for you to come here and you just get on bumper cars. We are going to get on three rollercoasters and then you can go play on the bumper cars. Buhhh Papa I don't wanna pleeez. Mama will help me. Mama tell Papa I don't have to get on the rollercoaster's pleez. Ught oh they do that parent share look, the conferencing kind-that's never good for me, dang. Baby I don't think it will hurt to give them a try, just for today? Go on it will make your Papa happy. Yes Mami. My feet feel like lead as Papa and I walk across the park to the Mantis. Its so big, all green and yellow-oh no it has two loop de loops, I just know we are gonna get stuck upside down- then will fall and die!! Papa I don't wanna get on this pleeze don't make me! Come on baby for me? It will only last for two minutes tops, think of how brave it will make you. I don't wanna be brave I wanna be scared, and go on the bumper cars. I know but whether you like it or not, we are getting on the rollercoaster. I poke my lip out in hopes of making him feel guilty-doesn't work. Oh no we're next, I taste salt on my lips-I hadn't realized I was crying. Swoosh, twank twank Swoosh-and its over. Was that so bad? I can't say what I wanna say so I settle for- yes. Only two more to go. Oh boy! Rushing and whizzing are my thoughts, how can I get out of this; how can I get Papa to realize that this is bad he doesn't really wanna make me do this. At least this one is smaller than the Mantis, the Gemini. We lean further back in our seats going up, up and up-PAPA IT'S CREAKING! His deep hearty laugh, baby don't worry they test these rides everyday, I promise it will be okay, just relax and enjoy the ride. Easy for him to say. Clank crick swoosh clink. See that wasn't so bad now was it-again I couldn't tell him what I really thought! Ok baby I know, but just one more. No Papa pleez ain't two good nough? Come on this one is easy compared to the others. Looking at me feet and twisting my braids I walk slowly beside him, Papa points at a humongous wooden structure. Chills creeping up my back I point at the pile of splinters my Papa calls a ride-that? You want me to get on that? It's a hundred years old, and it's wooden rollercoaster, who rides wooden rollercoasters? Nooooooooooooooooooo! Tugging, and dragging we get closer as the shadow washes over me. I gotta think fast what can get me out of this-if I'm hurt! I still got that scab from fallin off my bike last week. I make quick work of it-seeing as how I pick at it everyday. Papa I'm bleedin I can't go on the ride now. He looks at me, the guilty bad girl look. Yanking my arm pulls me over grabs napkins and shoves them in my hands. Put this on that and let's go. NO I DON'T WANNA- I try to get the attention of the people in the park by crying and screamin, the people walk by like we aren't even there. Papa shoves me into a bench seat. Whispering, you cut that out right now, wipe the blood away and your tears and let's go. I do it, I'm already in trouble and no one helped might as well. We stand in line, Papa is big, not the teddy that tucks me in at bed time, but like the monster under my bed big-I cry. We get on the ride-Click click clank clank spoosh, clack click clank voosh. Walking back towards Mama-was it so bad? Looking up at the monster- it was gone, now back was my teddy-no not so bad Papa.
Girls and Friends and the in between.
Driving down the street in mommas rusty and dingy Chevrolet that we called Bessie, we were on our way to the supermarket. Passin a Neutrogena billboard, I gathered the courage to ask mama the question on my mind, and had been awhile now. I'm twelve, but unlike all my friends I don't notice the cute boys, I look at them. Which is a little scary, I mean this can't be normal right. There has to be something wrong with me, this is scary. I mean I know what a lesbian is but is it okay to be one? Mama can I ask you something? Yeah baby. Is it natural to have a crush on a girl? Ught oh mama has that scary thinking look, the one that is never good, usually followed by bad news. Glancing my way, yes, but it is usually just a phase and passes. Why? Ummmm, I was just wondering is all. She cut a look at me out of the corner of her eye, I can tell she doesn't believe me. But at least I know this will pass....won't it?
Friends Sisters and Liars
The seventh grade is easy, not a lot of school work even math is fun, but for some reasons the friendships gets harder. I don't know what happens. It's lunchtime there's Tiffany at our table, walking over to her I sit down. I did it. Did what? I wrote LaRiche a note, I'm tired of her treatin me like shit. I mean she is my godsister she ain't sposed to act like that. Oh, I hope it goes over well I know y'all was close. Yeah well here she come, I'm gonna go to the library fo lunch today, I have to finish my essay for lit, you know how Mr. Logan is, we laugh. Ok, we still goin to the movies Friday? Heck yeah, momma said she drop us off if yo mom pick us up. Aight. Later. Later. I pick up my book bag and as I leave the lunch room LaRiche hands me a note and keeps walkin. I continue to go upstairs I don't want to get hassled by the hall monitors- the wardens of the school. Upstairs in the library I finish my essay, once that' done I remember LaRiche handed me a note, pulling it out and reading it. I began to cry. The words sting and bite like wasps. The hate and wrath flows from the note like Niagra Falls. Tears continue to stream down my face, I read it again this can't be right, my god-sister/best friend of the last four years couldn't hate me this much. The rest of the day goes by in a blur until I get home. Walkin through the living room I see a picture of LaRiche and I together, and I start crying all over again. Mama comes and asks me why I am crying I shove the note at her and run to my room. Laying on my bed I hear mama walk over to me, feeling the bed move from her sitting down. Baby sometimes people move in and out of your life. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong it just means their time with you has passed. Buuhhuh...tt that note was jus so mean, I didn'et do nothing to her. I mean we wasn't talkin but tha...I wouldn't have expected her to say she hated me! Ma she basically said she wanted me to go to hell! I know baby, I am so sorry that I couldn't protect you from this. But Iiiii, things will work out. You rest and I will get you when dinner is ready. Mama left and the sadness and despair enveloped me once again like a blanket.
Pearl Harbor, Kennedy assassination, MLK & Malcolm X assassination, the fall of the Berlin Wall, death of Princess Di, Columbine...........
8:52 am: Oh crap I'm gonna be late for history, Mr. Stoh is gonna take off points! Crap, crap, crap. Running in and quickly sitting down, whew-only a minute to spare. Ok class today we are going to finish covering what led up to the Revolutionary War. Your test will be next week, make sure your binders are in order or you will get a big fat goose egg. Now take out your text books and open to page two hundred and thirty. Christy if you will begin reading...I tap my pencil against the fading text book, what do I still have to do today? We go over in elementary school, gosh we know about the Boston Tea party, I don't understand why we continue to go over the same stuff I mean how many times can you go over it. 9:00 am-One of the office assistants rushes in interrupting what Mr. Stoh was getting ready to say-he is getting paler, I sit up further in my chair- his eyes glazed over. Something is wrong. What could possibly be wrong to fighten one of the toughest teachers in the school? Bumbabumbabumbabum, my heart beats picking up speed, this can't be good. My eyes follow him as he walks over to the television, turns it on. He finally turns around, he looks so haunted, like our whole world was gonna end- my stomach clenched up. I don't mean to interrupt but what's going on Mr. Stoh? Well, your generation now unfortunately has its own Boston Tea Party or Pearl Harbor a day you'll remember for the rest of your lives; just as I can remember exactly what I was doing the moment President Kennedy was assassinated you will never forget where you were and what you were doing the day a plane crashed into the Twin Towers. You are now living History-history, no history is when something important happens this is just an accident, something we will laugh about right? The kid behind me raises his hand-what do you mean, what towers? The Twin Towers in New York have been crashed into by a plane. He moved away from the television so we could see the horror and destruction with our own eyes. OH God what the hell is going on? This can't be happening, I will wake up and this will be like the dream where I was naked- right? I look at the TV, then rub my eyes, that will make me wake up, glancing at the TV again no the gaping hole in one of the towers is still there, smoke coming out of it, people on the television running and screaming for cover. Someone just jumped out of one of the windows- I wanna scream, this just can't be happening, it can't! This isn't real its not the worst I was ever gonna have to live through was Columbine. 9:03 am- OH MY GOD ANOTHER PLANE JUST FLEW INTO THE OTHER TOWER! All those people-the teachers are saying something but I can't listen, I just focus on the people-the scared people. 9:45 am-News- This just in, a plane has crashed on the pentagon. Oh my god oh my god! How could this happen! I can't see my tears shield me from the horror although the screams of the people in the background, they will haunt my dreams. KATIE! Her brother Eric is a fight attendant! God is my shepherd, I can't remember, I can't remember the last prayer, I can't remember! Tears and constant prayer make the rest of the day go by- running quickly into the house, I have to see Papa he will know what to do. He always knows what to say, walking into my parents bedroom Papa is just sitting there, still in his pajamas-sitting there. My big strong Papa, his eyes are wide and tears run down his face. Papa never cries not even at Mario Junior's and John's funerals. I walk slowly toward him-I saw it. I had a dream about crashing planes. And then I woke up, see I know I woke up because the phone rang. I saw it. All those people, the people...they were ja..ja..jumpin out of windows to avoid the flames. To die any other way than by the flames. I saw it. I woke up to fire and brimstone. I wrap my arms around my strong Papa and he cries into my shoulder-he cries.
The Kiss
All the lights were turned off while me and Brea sat in the basement on the lumpy grey and pink couch, watching some movie that I wasn't even paying attention to. I kept lookin at Brea, she is so beautiful, I can't help lookin at her. I really want to kiss her, but I don't know if ....I don't want her to tell everyone and be labeled a lez at school. I would never hear the end of it, crap what do I do? I look at her and she is lookin right at me. Wha? Nothin I was jus lookin atchu? Oh, ok. I slowly reach my hand out and grab hers to hold it. She doesn't pull her hand back, hooray! She leans over and lays her head on my shoulder. My heart is beating double time at the contact, her breasts are right next to my hand. She looks at me, and I can't breathe. I kiss her ...oh crap what did I jus do, she'll never want to be my friend again! Uhmm I'm so sorry Brea, I don ... I didn't mean...I'm sorry. Lookin at me she kisses me again, I kiss her back, she feels soft, and smells sweet...like strawberries...thunk thump twank...we quickly break apart.
The End
Thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you. I want to thank my beta readers again. Athenian Bard