One Wish Chapter 8

Well, Jennifer accidentally posted chapter 7 as well, so here comes chapter 8. Be sure to read the chapters in order please.

Chapter Eight: Penelope

"Penelope, all you do lately is hang out with Mark! You don't even sit on the bus with us anymore! What's gotten into you?" Megan exclaimed.

"Pen, I know you like him, but you're spending all your time with him. And all you talk about is, guess what, him. You should think about getting a life." Kate said matter of factly.

"Gosh, Sparrow, you don't have to go on and on about your stupid boyfriend, we all know. You don't have to tell us again."

This was what I heard almost all the time now. My life was stuck between a living hell and a living heaven. Mark hadn't kissed me yet, but I kept thinking it would be soon. My life was perfect with him, but when I was on my own, I couldn't stop talking about him. And then that was what I heard. One day Mark was sick, so he wasn't at school. That was the first time in a very long time I sat with Megan, Kate and Rachel. Rachel seemed calm, and Kate had a cold, so she wasn't talking much. But Megan had been very clear about what she had thought. It disturbed me a bit. But when I was with Mark, I didn't care.

"I know, but, well, you'd understand if you had a boyfriend," was my lame excuse almost every time. Kate rarely talked to me on AIM anymore, and I suspected Megan had blocked me. But Rachel just seemed, well, watchful, it looked like. It looked like she was just waiting for me to slip up, so she could help pick up the pieces. It bothered me, because I didn't think I would fall apart. And besides, how could I slip up? Mark liked me just as much as I liked him.

So I didn't realize when someone began to spread rumors about me. I wasn't listening, that was it. But slowly, people began to avoid me, as if I had a contagious disease. Megan seemed smugger than usual, but I never thought something was up. One day, though, it seemed like Megan had had enough.

"Hey, Pen." She said to me. We were getting on the bus. Mark was playing with my hair, and I was giggling.

"Hi, Meg." I said back. Mark said a quick hi to Megan.

"I was wondering, can you sit with me on the bus today? I need to talk to you for a bit." She said, biting her lower lip. I wondered what was up. Mark looked down at me questioningly.

"Okay." I said slowly. Mark frowned, then nodded, walking over to Gregory. I twirled a piece of my hair nervously. I hadn't worn any jewelry today to fuss with, what I normally did when I was nervous. I sat down with Megan in the way back, where we had sat when we all sat together. Kate and Rachel sat in the opposite seats. Rachel looked out the window, while Kate leaned in.

"I have some gossip to dish, and you need to hear it." Megan said firmly. I nodded. The sooner I got this over with, the sooner I could get back to Mark.

"Okay. Tell." I said.

"Well, it's about..." She said, stalling. I frowned at her.

"You never stall. Tell." I said. "I don't care who it's about."

"Oh yes you do. It's about you." She said quickly. My frown deepened. There was always gossip about me. "No, not the normal gossip." She said, as if she read my mind. "It's different." She paused again.

"Dish." I said.

"Well, I don't know who said it," she began. Her face turned into a grimace when she said that, so I knew something was up. She always knew. "But I've heard that people heard that you--, that Mark is going out with someone else, and you didn't care." she sort of finished.

"What?" I said, and then realized what she had just said. I had been thinking about other things. "OH. No way! Where did you hear that? That is so wrong!" I growled. "Who said it, Megan. I don't care who, I want to make sure they never say it again."

"I don't know!" She said, annoyed. I thought there was something behind that, but I ignored it. "I'll try to find out, promise." She said without an ounce of fervor in her voice that there usually was surrounding gossip. I frowned, then turned to look out the window. It was my stop.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." I said, as I picked up my bag and got off the bus, blowing Mark a kiss as I ran off. The whole bus filled with kissy noises, but I ignored them.

*****

The next day, I ran over to Megan at lunch.

"Did you find out who said it?" I said quickly.

"No, sorry. But I heard something else..." She said. She seemed very excited to tell this piece of gossip, like her normal self. But she had never seemed so excited about it when it was about me. It made me wonder who exactly was making this gossip.

"Spill." I said, plopping down on the bench besides her.

"Well, they're saying that first thing. But they're also saying that you're going out with someone else behind Mark's back, that you're a double cheater." She said. She looked mischievous. I growled, she grinned. That made no sense. Why would she grin at some bad gossip about me? Unless she knew who was making it. Then something clicked in my brain.

"Megan! Why you dirty little b****! Double cheater, am I? What can you say to that?!" I shouted. The whole area turned to look. Mark, his mouth half full, looked over with concern in his eyes.

"Why would you spread that about me!? Your best friend!" I screamed.

"Best friend? I've been better friends with a turtle!" She screamed back at me. "You spend all your time with your stupid boyfriend, and we're supposed to understand? 'If you had a boyfriend, you'd understand,' you say. Well, I don't think so! Especially since you're not the only person with a boyfriend around here and they don't spend every waking moment with them!" Megan shouted. She was on her feet now, and so was I. We were both red in the face, and furious. Rachel was half out of her seat, looking like she was trying to keep peace, but not sure where to begin.

"Oh, so I spend every waking moment with Mark, do I?" I screamed, past caring that half the cafeteria was listening in. "What about you, spreading rumors about me behind my back? Rumors that are not even close to true! I think that is worse!"

"Yea, right." Megan snorted. "You don't care, as long as you're with Mark. You don't give a damn."

"You think that, don't you. Well, it's not true! It's not--" I began, but then I broke off. I realized that I was wrong. I had spent all my time with Mark, not even caring about my friends.

"See?" Megan saw my moment of hesitation. "You don't care. Why should you? You have Mark." She turned and walked away. Slowly, everyone turned their attention back to each other, talking in whispers. I ran out after Megan.

"Meg! Megan!" I shouted. I looked for her, but didn't find her. I slumped on the side of the hallway.

"Penny?" It was Mark, walking down the hall.

"Hi, Mark." I said, but not with my normal enthusiasm. He noticed, and sat down next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"Penny, you don't care about those rumors, do you? I mean, we both know they're not true." He said softly. I turned away.

"I care. I care that they aren't true, and they were spread by my best friend. That's not right." I said. He pulled my face up, so he could see it. I blinked back tears.

"You don't need to. Ignore her. You deserve better friends than her." He said firmly.

"But that's not the same." I turned my head back away. "I love you, but some times I just wish you didn't love me." I said softly, holding his hands. Then the strangest thing happened. My heart seemed to split in two. Mark frowned, and stood up. Gently, he took my head, and he kissed my forehead. Then he walked away. Half of my heart went with him.

"Mark!" I said, starting to stand up. But he didn't even hear me. He just walked away. It was as if my only wish was coming undone at the seams, just when it had been sewed together. I stopped walking and looked down sadly.

"I should have known that was coming." A perk voice said. I turned. It was Megan. She grinned maliciously. "I guess now you'll be wanting to hang out with us again, right? Well, you're wrong. Because we wont hang out with you." She walked away from me. I took one step towards her, and then I ran. I ran into the bathroom. I didn't make it any further. I fell, slumped on the floor, and started to cry.

One Wish Chapter 6

Here is chapter six. Sorry for the long wait for it. Please read chapter five first, at Jennifer's blog. Then you can read this.

Chapter Six: Penelope

I ran to the bus the next morning, wanting to hear what Rachel had found out. I was so antsy and excited, I was barely myself. I generally hid this kind of behavior, but today I didn't care. I ran onto the bus when it pulled up and ran to the back, not sparing anyone a glance on either side. Everyone turned their attention to me. I ignored it.

"Hey Meg. Have you heard from Rachel?" I asked in a breath.

"No..." Megan said slowly. "Are you alright, Pen?" She looked concerned.

"I'm fine, why?" I asked, confused.

"Because you aren't dressed at all like normal, for one. You are wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. So uncool, as you would say. Secondly, you ran down the bus aisle, like nobody was looking at you, which was an understatement, everyone was staring at you. Thirdly, you're all flushed and antsy, not at all yourself. What's the matter with you?" Megan demanded. I looked at myself. All of that she had said was true. But I was spared answering because Rachel came walking towards us.

"Hi Rach!" I said quickly. "Did you manage to get anything out of Gregory yesterday?" I asked. Megan looked amazed, then annoyed, then curious, and then annoyed again.

"Yes, I did." Rachel said decidedly.

"Then tell!" I said impatiently.

"Not until Kate gets here." She replied firmly. And nothing I said or did would persuade her otherwise.

It seemed like forever until Kate finally got on the bus. When she did, she seemed down, not her usual self either.

"What's wrong, Kate?" Rachel asked her kindly. I cared for Kate, and took care of her along with the rest, but I didn't feel like putting up with it today, not when I was desperate to hear Rachel's news.

"Nothing." She said morosely. Then, with some obvious effort, she smiled. "So, do I get to hear about Mark?" She said perkily.

"Rachel was going to tell us when you got here." I said. And then I turned to Rachel. "Tell, please." I was almost out of patience.

"Well..." She began, a grin lighting up her face. We all waited with baited breath. "I'm not telling you right now. You'll find out at lunch." She grinned at us and opened her bag to look for a book. It took all my efforts to keep me from shaking her and making her tell. I scowled at her and turned away to look out the window. I wondered why she felt like keeping me in so much suspense. It was irritating.

*****

At lunch, I sat at my table with my friends. I was to antsy to eat. I grabbed Rachel's arm when she sat down.

"Come on, Rach, tell us!" I begged. She looked slightly surprised, but that
expression was soon covered by one of sympathy and regret. I wondered at that, but ignored it.

"Okay. You have to wait a bit though, I want to finish my lunch." She said firmly, and I let it at that. I didn't want to loose my friends. That was something I wouldn't do. I ate my lunch in silence. We all did. Rachel had a knowing smile on her face while the rest of us were antsy and agitated. Megan was annoyed because I wasn't being proper and cool. Kate was antsy and angry, though none of us knew why. I was antsy, agitated, and waiting for Rachel to finish her lunch already.

Megan picked up her burrito wrap, and took a bite. I was fidgeting so much, I almost dropped my Jello. She smirked at me. I didn't understand it. Why would she be smirking at me, and being so smug? Had Rachel told her already? Or was she just jealous, that I might have a boyfriend, when she didn't even like anyone. Although half the boys in our grade had a crush on her. Maybe it was just that. Or maybe not.

I was done with my lunch and waiting for Rachel to stop eating so slowly when I heard someone walking towards us. I felt a soft tap on my shoulder. I looked up.

It was Mark, looking down at me with a smile on his face.

I almost fainted.

"Hey, Penelope." He said softly. My friends had all looked up at me now. At us.

"Hi." I said quickly. I was wondering at this. What had happened? What was happening? What would happen now?

"I was wondering, would you like to sit with me, on the bus home?" He said fast, as if slightly scared, a bit excited, and a bit of something I couldn't recognize. He looked at me with hope in his eyes, hoping that I would say--

"Umm, sure." I said, my voice higher than usual. He smiled at me again, and I smiled back. He patted my shoulder and turned to go back to his table. I watched him go. Rachel tapped me on the shoulder.

"I did say I'd tell you at lunch." She said. It took me a second for that to sink in. Then I hugged Rachel.

"Thank you so much, Rach. I owe you millions." I said. And I meant it. "If you ever need me to do something for you, just ask."

"Sure, sure. I get it. Now let me finish my lunch." She grinned and punched me lightly on the shoulder.

Those two minutes at the lunch table made my day. I went through the rest of the day with a smile on my face. It felt like a glow of happiness floated around me, as if everyone could see how happy I was. I knew that wasn't true, but I was so happy, I didn't care.

*****

My last class of the day was music. This was my one class with Megan, who played the clarinet. She happened to be the best clarinet player in the whole class, something that I was envious of. But today I didn't care that she sat at the front of her section, and that I sat in the back of mine. I was happy.

I grabbed my flute out of the case, and the top piece fell out. Megan snorted as she walked by with her own clarinet. She didn't even bother to help out. I felt a small bit of irritation at that. Normally, she would have helped me. I wondered what was up with her. She wasn't acting as friendly as normal. In fact, she was almost ignoring me. It made me wonder.

Today we were combining the whole band. Every section. So I would see Mark. I took a deep breath and grasped my flute. I was nervous about seeing him, especially with what he had said at lunch. But I figured if I just smiled at him, everything would be fine.

When the trumpet players stepped onto the stage, I saw Mark near the front. He looked like he was looking for someone. Oh, right. Me. I smiled at him. He saw me and smiled back. I turned back to my music and lifted my flute to practice. A horrible squeak came out of my flute. I flinched, and put it down quickly, hoping Mark hadn't realized it was me who had squeaked so badly. I peeked out of the corner of my eye, hiding behind my music stand. I saw him grinning, laughing with Gregory. He probably had heard it.

*****

I got out of music quickly and ran to my locker. I dropped off my music and grabbed my math homework. Stuffing it in my bag, I shut the locker and ran to where the bus stopped. I sat down on the sidewalk, my bag in my lap. I waited.

A few minutes later, I heard the big rush of kids coming out of Emerald High School. I got up to avoid being trampled, but I still got smashed into. I fell over with the rush of oncoming kids. I rolled onto my back, struggling to get up.

"Need a hand?" I heard a voice say. It was Mark. He held out a hand and I took it, using it to pull myself up.

"Thanks." I said. He grinned. We began walking to avoid getting trampled again. We were at the bus stop before I realized we were still holding hands. I quickly let go. He noticed. I grinned sheepishly, and he understood. I held back a sigh of relief.

The bus pulled up to the stop, and I raced on, trying to keep up with Mark. We raced to the back of the bus and into a seat. He grabbed the window seat, so I perched on the edge. I grinned up at him, and he smiled back.

"I heard you playing your flute today." He said, grinning. "You sounded good."

"Yea, right. I sounded like there was an elephant in my flute." I said, grimacing. He had heard.

"That's okay, practice makes perfect. You didn't hear me squeak." He replied.

"You? Squeak?" I asked, not believing it.

"Yep. Louder than you, too, but at least it was during the piece. No wonder you didn't hear it." He said laughingly. "You were so absorbed in that piece, it looked like you were in love with it." He laughed. I laughed too, ignoring his jibe at my musicality. Our talk about music lead to other discussions, and I was sad when my stop arrived. I sighed and got up.

"Hey, don't look sad. I'll save you a seat on the bus tomorrow. And, do you want to sit with me at lunch?" He asked quickly.

"Sure!" I said cheerily. I got off the bus and walked to my house. I had a boyfriend! And it was none other than Mark Briant, the boy who I had a crush on. My wish was coming true!

With The Tide

Some of my friends were going to Coney Island today, and the ocean there gave me inspiration for this poem.

With The Tide

I'm just here
Crying
My tears splashing down
Into the ocean
My body lain
Across the sand
My tears
Flowing away
With the tide
I can only cry
Because I tried
I tried so many times
So many times
Not to cry
To be strong
As if it would only work
To keep you here
But I failed
You still went away
Slowly, softly
With an imprint left on the world
But still
Flowing away
With the tide

One Wish

This is the fourth chapter of One Wish. Go here, to read all the odd chapters. Go now, read chapter three, then come back here and read chapter four.

One Wish

Chapter Four: Penelope

BRING BRING BRING!!! My alarm clock rang loudly, waking me up.

"Stupid alarm clock." I muttered, looking for the snooze button. Somehow, I realized that it wasn't stupid, it was doing what it was supposed to do, but that really didn't matter about anything. I rolled out of bed and sleepily walked over to my mirror. I was a mess. I took a quick shower, ate a bowl of cheerios for breakfast, and grabbed my backpack. The bus would be pulling up in a few minutes. I ran out the door and waited at the corner of Cherry Lane and Browning Road.

I heard the bus before I saw it, the stinky loud cheese bus rumbling down Cherry Lane. The bus pulled up to the curb and I got on. I walked to the back of the bus, swinging my wavy hair behind me. In the third to last row of seats, I saw Mark sitting next to his friend Gregory Ravee. He looked up as I walked by, and his eyes followed me to my seat. I wondered at that for a moment. The second of wondering caught me, as the bus took a sudden swerve. I fell off balance and landed in the seat across from Mark. There was a girl sitting there, the same grade as me. I had never seen her before. She had long hair as black as a raven, and bright purple eyes. She looked at me, surprised. I muttered an apology, and got to my seat next to Megan. She was suppressing laughter, I knew it, so I frowned at her. It put her face straight immediately.

As I turned in my seat to face away from her, I saw Mark looking at me, his eyes full of suppressed laughter. I smiled ruefully, and he smiled back. I wondered briefly if my wish had come true, but then I dispersed of that thought. How? Wishes never came true. I turned back to Megan.

"How did you do that?" Megan asked.

"Do what?" I wondered.

"Act like a total fool. You never fall on the bus." She said. Her eyes narrowed.

"Yea, well the bus never swerves like that." I said. I frowned again, and took out my hair clip. I turned to the window and used the bad reflection to fix my hair. Then I settled down and looked out the window. I began to contemplate what had happened, but then Rachel got on the bus, so I gave it up.

*****

At lunch, I sat at table 14 with Rachel, Kate and Megan. I picked up my turkey sandwich and prepared to take a bite.

"Pen, Mark's staring at you." Kate said. She was ultra observant, and was good at picking up gossip. But she had never picked up gossip about me before.

"He is!" Megan said. I put down my sandwich.

"Seriously?" I asked incredulously. I didn't look his way.

"Yea! Didn't you have a crush on him for like, forever?" Kate gushed. Rachel kept quiet. That was what I liked about her. She was smart, she had good ideas, but she didn't blab like the others.
"Yea, I did." I sighed. Then I tensed up. "Stop staring at him, it isn't cool." I ordered. Kate and Megan immediately looked back at their lunch. I took a bite of my sandwich. Perhaps my wish was coming true. Stranger things had happened. I put my sandwich down again and wiped my mouth. Crumbs were not cool. Then I turned around and saw that Mark was still staring at me. He smiled. I smiled back, and then turned back to my table.
"See? You don't stare, you just make brief glances." I said. They nodded, and we finished our lunch in silence.

*****

Later, on the bus ride back, when Kate had gotten off the bus, Megan leaned in towards me.

"Why do you think Mark was staring at you during lunch?" She whispered. Rachel leaned in to hear.

"I don't know. I mean, yea, I really just don't know." I said honestly, twirling a lock of my hair on my finger, something I always did when I was confused.

"Maybe he likes you." Rachel said. This was what I loved about her. She kept to herself, but she noticed the best in people.

And the worst.

"Do you really think so?" I said skeptically. I didn't believe it, no matter how much I wanted it.

"I think so. He keeps staring at you, and whispering to Gregory. I don't know what else it could be." She replied.

"Do you want me to ask him?" Megan asked enthusiastically. I frowned at her.

"So uncool. I'll try to find out another way. But if anyone's going to ask him if he likes me, it's not you. You're to obvious. Either Rachel or Kate will do it." I said firmly.

"Awww, come on." She begged.

"I can ask Gregory when I get off the bus. He gets off at the same stop as me." Rachel said quietly.

"Good. Thanks a lot, Rach. Tell me how it goes tomorrow." I said. Just then the bus pulled up.

"Rachel Wilder, Gregory Ravee, Michelle Golderman!" The bus driver shouted.

"Get off the bus now, or never!" Not wanting to face the wrath of the bus driver, Rachel ran, shouting goodbye's to Megan and me.

*****

When I got into my room after dinner, I looked out the window again. Once again, the sky was full of stars, shining brightly. It seemed so full of promise, so full of hope. I began to believe that my wish was coming true after all. I saw a star streak across the sky. But for some reason, when I saw the star falling, a shadow fell over my heart. I wasn't sure what to make of it, so I ignored it.

One Wish

I am making a story with my friend Jennifer. It is called One Wish. We are each writing individual chapters. For the odd chapters, go to Jennifer's blog: http://xd3vilxgrlx.blogspot.com/. I will be posting the even chapters here. Read chapter one before coming back here to read chapter two please. :)


One Wish

Chapter Two: Penelope

"Hey, Penelope!"

"What's up, Sparrow?"

"Love the shoes, Pen."

That was what I heard as I walked to the back of the school bus. Everyone was saying hi to me, Penelope Sparrow. I smiled, waved, and said "Hi!" in response.

"Hi Penny." Megan Goldberg said. She was one of my best friends at school. She patted the seat beside her. "I saved you a seat."

"I see." I responded jokingly. "Thanks, Meg." I shoved my bag beneath the seat and sat down. Megan grinned at me, her blue eyes sparkling. I noticed immediately. "Oh my god, your hair!" I exclaimed.

"Now you notice." She said mockingly.

"It's great! I love it!" I said. She laughed, and reached up to touch it. Her beautiful blond hair was cropped to her chin. "It really looks awesome! I might have to cut my hair now."

"No way!" Megan exclaimed. It was well known that all the girls in Emerald High loved and envied my hair. It was long, thick, wavy, and a dark brown, to match my eyes.

"Yea. You're right." I agreed. "So, how was your spring break?"

"You would never believe it! Wait, let me tell it when Kate and Rachel get here." She promised. Kate Minera and Rachel Wilder were my other two friends. Together, the four of us made up the most popular group in Emerald High. I was the leader, in a way. Megan was second in command, you could say, and Kate and Rachel were in our group. Just then, the bus stopped. Rachel got on the bus. She got pretty much the same welcome as me. She sped to the back of the bus to join me and Megan.

"Hey Meg, hey Pen." She said. She sat in the seat across from us and put her bag next to her to save a seat for Kate.

*****

Soon, the bus pulled up to the school and we got off. We were all in different classes. This was something that made me sad. We could only talk during lunch and after school. But the sooner lunch came, the better. So I ran off to class, shouting good-bye's to my friends. My teacher had written a Do Now on the board: Stand around the room and wait for your new seats. I was annoyed at this, but what could I do. I dropped my bag on the floor and waited.

Half an hour later, I was in my new seat, right next to Mark Briant, who I had a huge crush on. He was tall and had bright red hair and freckles. He played the trumpet in our school band, something which I thought was extremely hot. I played the flute, so I only saw him play in the concerts, though. I quietly moved my pencil case over to the right side of my desk and got out my notebook. I watched Mark out of the corner of my eye. He didn't seem to care at all that I sat beside him. Me, Penelope Sparrow, the most popular girl of the grade. The girl who liked him so much. Why wouldn't he just like her back?

"Now, everyone, I want you to take out your notebooks. Today we will be talking about wishes." Mr Friedner said. Mr Friedner taught literature, and every Monday we discussed something that you might find in books. Some of the topics were interesting, but this one just seemed stupid. I sighed, and began to doodle in my notebook.

"Yes, Harriet." Mr Friedner called on the red headed girl in the front row.

"Well, I know about a few types of wishes. Should I list them?" She asked tentetivly.

"Yes, go ahead." Mr Friedner replied.

"Well, I know that you can wish upon a coin, if you drop it in a well. And I've heard you can wish on a rainbow. And then there's wishing on a falling star, of course. You see the falling star and you say the rhyme and your wish should come true." Harriet babbled. "The rhyme is 'Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.'"

"Yes, Harriet. Good job." Mr Friedner said. I thought about this. I had always wished on coins in wells, but it never had worked. I was a big believer in wishes, though. I wrote the rhyme on the back of my notebook with a picture of a falling star. I saw Mark peering over my shoulder out of the corner of my eye, and I blushed, turning my notebook back over to the front, but then seeing what I had written there, I opened it to a blank page. Mark snorted, and turned away. Why had I written 'Penelope Sparrow + Mark Briant' on the front cover of my notebook in visible red sharpie? Because I liked him, so much. And now, with a sinking feeling in my gut, I realized he would never like me back.

*****

I made it through the day without incident. I hugged my friends as I got off the bus. I ran up the steps of my house and opened the door. My mother was inside, cooking dinner. I ran over, hugged her, and ran up to my room to wait for dinner.

After dinner, it was just dark. I walked up to my room and opened the curtains above my window. I sat on the windowsill and looked outside. I saw the starry sky, illuminated. For once, I thought that wishing upon a star might come true. And just as I thought that, I saw a star, streaking downwards through the sky. I stared at it.

"Star light, star bright. First star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might. Have the wish I wish tonight." I whispered upon the star. And then, with only a moment's hesitation, I said my wish.

"I wish Mark Briant would like me."

Poetry

I know I haven't posted in a while. So here are some random poems.

As Time Goes On

A hour
A day
A month
A year
The longer your away from me
The more I miss you
But as time goes on
It gets easier

Harder
As your voice drifts away
On the breeze


Immortality

Every day
Just a passing moment
You sit
Watching time go by

That might be immortality
In reality
But in truth
It's not

If you jump
Into the chasm of nothingness
And make it out alive
You are truly immortal

June!

Hooray, it's finally June! And now for a poem totally unrelated to June. =)

Now
Now
Is not then or soon
It is always now
It is never before
Or after
Never to come
Never to go
Not a memory
Not an imagination
Never the past
Never the future
Always now

Random Poem

I wrote this poem in the beginning of the year. The sky was so blue, I just had to write a poem.

Blueness
Obliterating
Goes on forever
So deep
So blue
The color
So bright
Yet dark
With depth
No colors
Against that blue
So deep
It could be
An ocean
Space
An endless line
So full
It could be
The night sky
Empty
With all the stars
Blinking out
Into darkness

Another Poem

I noticed I haven't posted in a while. Well, it's because I don't have a story to post. But I do have this poem. Tell me what you think.

What Is Love?

What is love?

Is it the sweetness
Of fresh blackberries
Right off the bush?

Is it the pain
Of a thorn in your thumb
When you try to pick a rose?

Is it the calm
Of the sea
On a warm summers day?

Is it the ferocity
Of the ocean
In a mid-winter storm?

Is it as easy
As opening a book?
Or is it as hard
As admitting a mistake?

New Poem

My mind has drawn a blank lately, so here is the first in a while.

Sunrise
I love to watch
The sun rise
Its a new day
A new beginning
A new start
I love it when
The sun sets
Its an ending
A way to say
Goodbye to
All that happened
That day
And watch it
Go down
With the sun
Into the horizon
Into the sea

Sunrise

Okay, here is another poem. I'm writing another story, but I'm not done yet, so it might be a while before it is posted.

Sunrise

Red
Orange
Pink
Purple
Yellow
Blue
Sunrise

Freedom

Okay, so last night started Passover. Passover is all about freedom, so I decided to write a small freedom poem. It doesn't have a title. Any suggestions?

Held Free

Held
With the stars
And sun
Circling around

Free
As a butterfly
When it breaks free
From its cocoon

The Epilogue

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Epilogue

As I stood on the grass, I knew that I had done the right thing. I had learned all I could about Joanna before, well, before. And I knew that what I was doing now would change what would happen in my life.

"We are gathered here tonight to mourn the life and death of a young girl." I said. "She was brave and daring, but her life might have ended long before now if it wasn't for one person here tonight. The moon." I said, waiting until the gasps had died away. I told Joanna's story to the crowd. Every word of it. I even told them what I had learned from her. I felt the tears drip down my face. I turned and grasped the sheet. I pulled it.

It was covering a headstone. But not an ordinary headstone. This one was a normal ovular rock. On the smooth face it read:

'Joanna Heather. Birth 1994, Death 2007. Child of Mary and David Heather.'

Underneath those words, I had carved something in myself with a chisel lent to me by one of the carvers. I had carefully carved in six words. The penmanship was a bit hard to read, but it was legible. I smiled when I read it out loud.

"The girl who loved the moon."

Part Eight

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Part Eight

It was Wednesday afternoon. I was ungrounded, and Joanna was showing me how she lived. I thought it was good training. It was cool how she survived. She had slept in a hollowed out tree, and she kept her stuff stored under a root. It was amazing.

"And that's how you make a fire." Joanna finished. I smiled at her. She grinned back, and stamped out the fire she and made with two twigs.

"Hey, I was wondering, you want to come over for dinner tonight? My parents said you could. They don't know that you don't have parents or anything. It'll be fun." I invited. I wanted her to come over. I wanted her to have a real meal. She smiled at me, and nodded.

"Sure. What time?" She asked me.

"At about 6." I proclaimed. "See you then."

"See you then." She replied. I walked back across the street and I went into the house. I was hoping to keep her inside long enough to keep her from seeing it, but I wasn't sure it would work. And I didn't know how she would react if she did see it.

At 6 o'clock, she was on the door step. I dragged her inside and sat her down on the table next to me. We had dinner. it wasn't a fancy dinner, but Joanna looked at every cooked slice of meat with awe. I nudged her when it got to be to much. At around 8, my Mom turned to look at her.

"You should be getting home now, shouldn't you?" She asked her.

"Yes. Thank you for the wonderful meal." Joanna replied. She stood up. I
followed her to the door. Inwardly, I winced. It wasn't dark out yet, and tonight was the full moon.

"See you tomorrow, Joanna." I said.

"See you." She replied as she walked out the door. I ran upstairs. I looked out my window. She was playing in the park, disguising herself until the last person left. Then I saw her go over to her tree and fish out some soap. There was a pond in the park. She took a towel and disappeared behind some trees, and then she slipped into the far end of the pond where no one could see her. I knew she was washing. After a while, I saw the sky begin to darken. The moon was disappearing.

I saw Joanna slip out of the shadows wrapped in a towel, when she stood still and looked up. The sky was black. The moon was hidden. I saw Joanna's hands slip from her towel to her throat. She screamed. It was a heart breaking scream. I saw her fall to her knees. She was screaming, and crying, I could tell. I slipped on my shoes, when I heard the screaming suddenly stop. I got scared. I ran downstairs, gave my parents some lame excuse of forgetting something in the park as I ran outside. I ran across the park to where Joanna lay. I felt for her pulse, just as in hospital movies. I felt something small. Joanna was lying on her back. The moon was still gone from sky. Her face was as white as a sheet. Her eyes were fixed on the sky where the moon should be. Her pulse was slow beneath my fingers.

"Joanna. Joanna. Joanna! Listen to me! The moon will come back! Listen to me! Joanna!" I said, my voice increasing every time I said her name. Her face turned to me.

"If the moon died, I would have no reason to live." She said faintly. Her pulse slowed, and slowed, until I could no longer feel it. I tried to do the breathing thing, where you breathe for the injured, but she didn't respond. I stood up, shaking. I walked across the street, but just as I got ready to open the front door, I looked back. I saw the sky. I saw the moon. All that had happened was a Lunar Eclipse. I realized that I would never see the sky the same way. It had seemed such a peaceful place, but now, not anymore. It had killed an innocent girl. A girl who had suffered beyond all others. I realized that I had just seen someone die. I turned, and walked back to the park. I slowly lowered myself besides Joanna's body. I looked at her face. Her eyes were open, and her face seemed peaceful. I realized that her eyes were fixed on the moon, which was shining so brightly in the sky, so innocently. Her face seemed peaceful, even in death. I took the towel she had used and I placed it over her naked body. I gently took her face and held it between my hands. Then I closed her eyes for the last time. She would never see the moon again, I thought.

I walked back home, grateful that I had one to go to. I told my parents everything, even about the dead girl in the park. They called the police, who determined that she had died from a shock too great to measure. I told the police her story. I shook with the wind. As they picked her up, I touched her hand. It was cold with death. I placed it between mine for a split second, and then I let go. I held my mother tightly.

When I went to bed that night, I lay in bed with my eyes open. I couldn't sleep. But I knew what I had to do.

Part Seven

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Part Seven

I sat on the stoop of my house. It was Monday. Mom and Dad didn't punish me too much, they just grounded me for a few days. I was more disappointed than I normally would. Brian went away to sleep away camp, Mom and Dad worked, and Jenni had pre-school. I was alone at home in the summer. I didn't want to go to camp. But now I wished I had.

"Hey Caroline." I heard. I jumped. It was Joanna. She had sat down beside me. With my preoccupied mind, I hadn't noticed her.

"Oh, hi Joanna." I said. She smiled at me. She was holding a pen. I realized that it was my pen, the pen I had taken with me when I decided to try to go out of my home, and travel. I looked at it curiously. "Where did you find that?"

"It was on the side of the street." Joanna said innocently. I had a feeling she knew more than she was telling. Well, two could play that game.

"Oh, okay. What are you doing over the summer?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all?"

"What can I do?"

"Oh, right. But, don't you work?"

"Yea, but I'm off for today."

"Oh."

"So, where were you yesterday? I didn't see you?" There she went, off where I didn't want her to go. Oh well. I told her where I had gone, what I had done.

"Oh." She said. "But why? You have a place to live."

"Yea, I realized that, thats why I came back."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead." I said, bracing myself for whatever it might be.

"What do you have to live for?" I had not been expecting that.

"Well, my family, I guess. My mother and father, my brother and sister. They
would be so sad without me." I answered as honestly as I could.

"Would they die if you did? Like my parents?" She asked. Her face was turned towards mine. Her expression was flawless. I could not tell what she was feeling right now.

"No. They would keep living for my siblings, and each other. They would know that I am gone, and even if they would want to join me, they would wait until it was their turn." I didn't know how I knew that, but I did. I told her exactly what I thought.

"Have you ever loved someone enough to die for them?" She asked.

"Well, I don't think so. My life has been pretty simple. No one I know has died, and if they did, I would be pretty sad, but I wouldn't die just because of that."

"The only thing I love enough to die for is the moon. I do not know much about the moon. I don't know if it can die, even if it is really alive. I don't know if it can disappear. I only know that it has been there every night I have been alive. Every night, I was able to see it. But if it died, I would die too." Joanna spoke with such sincerity, it almost made me cry. I knew more about the moon than her, but I didn't think she would want to hear that. But what would happen in two days?

Poem In Your Pocket

Today is Poem in your Pocket day. Do you have a poem in your pocket? I walked around with this one that I wrote this morning.

Last Hope

Wishing
A single hope left
Held
As if to keep from
Flying away
And vanishing

Part Six

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Part Six

"I knew it all. I knew she would try. I knew that she would fail, I thought to myself as I saw her walking back down the street, bag in hand and head down. She couldn't see me. She shouldn't see me. It would make her wonder more, make her want to try again. But why? She has no reason to wander. Actually, she has no true reason to keep living. Does she?" Joanna thought.

Part Five

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Part Five

I walked down highway 15, towards Kentucky. There was a town there, near an aquarium. I had bought a map in the first rest stop I found. It was cheap, but it showed all of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. As the sun went down, I began looking for a place to stay. I saw a rest stop on the side of the road. I walked down to the McDonalds. It was bad food, but it was cheap. I bought a burger and ate it. I used the restroom, and when I came back outside, it was dark. I saw a hill and a small group of trees. But there were signs saying to stay away from them. Instead, I went around back of the McDonalds and found a patch of grass that ran up to the building. I took my blanket and unfolded it. I crept under the blanket and lay on the grass. I would sleep until the sun came up, and then I would keep going. took out my cell phone. I had charged it the night before, but I knew it wouldn't last forever. I had packed my charger, determined to throw it away if i needed to. I plugged my cellphone into an outlet in the wall. I curled up and tried to sleep. This scenery was so different from at home. There was no bed, only blanket, grass, and wall. There was no door, just a parking lot. I had crept into an ally so as to not be seen. I closed my eyes.

I couldn't sleep. I slept very little, and that made me think about how I could make it. I packed my stuff and bought a small french fries from McDonalds. I ate them as I walked up the highway. I had gone six miles yesterday. It wasn't enough. I needed to keep going, but I didn't know why. Something was pushing me, but it wasn't pushing hard enough. My courage was failing fast. I took a deep breath, and turned back the way I came. I couldn't go on. I had no reason to. I had a home, a family, food to eat, a bed to sleep in, I didn't need this. I got home by nightfall. My parents let me inside without a word. I hugged them and went up to bed.

As I lay in bed, I wondered at myself. How could I just go out, but come crawling back home? Because I have a home, I answered myself. I have what I need. I fell asleep in an instant.

Part Four

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Part Four

I woke at dawn. It was a Saturday, but I didn't want to sleep in. I wanted to know what Joanna's life was like. I wanted to wander, to leave home and travel far and wide. But what about my parents? Or, my brother? My baby sister? I wasn't sure. But I wanted to feel how Joanna did, to know what had happened to her. And, well, I had always wanted to travel. I emptied out my book bag, school was over for the year, and I began to pack. I emptied out my piggy bank, even though it only had $200. I took a thick blanket, a small pillow, and two changes of clothes. I took some food from the fridge, and a notebook and a pencil. I would have to record what I did. I took a sheet of printer paper and began to write a note to my parents.

'Dear Mom, Dad, Brian, and Jenni. I want to go see the world this summer. I am going off to travel. I will see Aunt Mabel and Aunt Christi on the way. Don't worry about me. I have my cellphone. I will see you when I get back. Caroline.'

I put my cellphone into my jean pocket. I took another pen, and I opened the door. I left my keys on the table by the door. I closed the door behind me. I took a look around me. I wasn't good at traveling, but I had to try. I began walking east, towards where the sun was rising steadily up, lighting my way. I walked to the end of the block and turned the corner without a backwards glance.

Part Three

Here comes what you've all been waiting for, part three.

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Part Three

"I was born in Indiana in a small town. We lived in a small house. Me, my mother and father. We were poor, I knew that. When my father got sick with pneumonia, my mother panicked. She tended him herself, as we were too poor to go to the hospital. She stayed by his side till the end. She wouldn't leave him, even to eat. I brought her food, but she wouldn't eat. She left it on the floor. Eventually, she died in her sleep. And I was alone. I was only five

"I took all the money I could find, but it wasn't much. I left the house, my only home. I hadn't learned letters or numbers, any reading or writing. I was all alone with myself and my stuff. I had a bag with the money, some food, a change of clothes, and a blanket and small pillow. That was all I took when I left my home. I walked until I found a city. We had lived not far from Indianapolis, I knew that much. I went into the big city. I looked for kids my age, or adults who looked nice. But I found on one. The first night, I slept on the side of the road. Then, after a few days of wandering, I found a book shop. A library. I went inside. The lady there helped me. She gave me food and water and a place to stay. She taught me letters. I slept on a couch in the back of the library. It was the closest thing I had to a home.

"But then the library shut down. By then, I was 7, and I could read and write. I wasn't old enough to make good money, but I could make something. I worked my way over from Indianapolis to here, in Ohio. It took me a long, long time. I slept on roadsides and in parks. I worked where I could and bought food and clothes when I outgrew what I wore. I lost my blanket, but I bought a strip of fabric and used that. I kept going. But since I was 5, I haven't had a real home or family. I only have one family. Only one constant in my troubled life.

"The moon. Every night, in the parks or on the roadsides, I saw the moon. When I was still at home, still small, I looked out my window every night to see the moon. The moon was my only reason to keep living. My father was dead, my mother loving him so much, even more than me, so she would die with him. That library, closed. Gone in a wink. The moon was the only thing that has lasted forever. Its my motivation. My reason to keep going, keep living, keep trying." Joanna told me the whole story. I closed my eyes. I couldn't imagine it. Her own mother died for her father without a backwards glance to her only child. I opened my eyes, and I realized that I was crying.

"When I got here, I went to the school. They let me in. I stayed with a family for a year, and then I had to go. I live on my own now. But the school still lets me in. They give me breakfast and lunch. I get my own dinner. I work in a diner as a garbage person. It's so hard to keep going, but I see the moon and I realize I cannot stop." Joanna stopped talking. Her own face was wet with tears. "I should go now."

"What?" I wondered, but then I saw the clock. It was 5. My parents would be home soon. "Where do you stay?"

"I can't tell you. But I think you will find me. See you at school." Joanna said. She stood up. I gave her a bag to put her stuff in and I fished a blanket out of my closet. I handed it to her, knowing that she might need it. She smiled, took it, and walked out the door.

Later that night, I realized what Joanna meant by saying that I would find out. I looked out my window. It was 9 pm, and it was dark out. I saw the park from my window. I saw a figure standing in the darkness, looking at the moon. Tears leaked from my eyes. Joanna's story was so sad, yet so real. I cried for her. For the girl who loved the moon.

Part Two

Okay, I just can't wait to post the rest of the story. For now, though, all you get is part two. Enjoy!

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Part Two

"Caroline?" It was Joanna. I had been thinking about her a lot since showed her to the office. I looked at her. Her clothes looked ragged. Her shirt looked like she had worn it too many times without a wash, and her pants were in tatters at the knees. I hadn't noticed that yesterday.

"Hey." I smiled. She smiled back.

What's up?" She asked me. It sounded like she didn't say that much, and her tongue had trouble with the words.

"Not much. Hey, I was wondering, you want to come over to my house after school?" I wanted to find out what was so different about her.

"Umm, I'm not sure......." She said hesitantly. She looked scared again.

"You want to call home and ask?" I asked her gently. She started at the word 'home,' and she looked at the floor. I wondered what was so different about her life that made her like this. "I noticed your pants were in tatters, and well, I have some pants that don't fit me. Do you want to come over and try them on?"

"Okay." She said. I wasn't sure, but I thought she only said it to make me feel better. I left the topic.

"Lets meet outside the school after the bell rings." I suggested. She nodded and continued to eat her lunch.

After school, I went outside. There she was, sitting on the floor with an armful of books. She looked up when I came over.

"Hey." She said. She sounded tired. I bent over and sat next to her.

"Its a beautiful day." I said. She nodded. I turned to look at her. "Ready to go?"

"To your home, you mean?" The word 'home' sounded odd on her lips. I wondered at it, but then let it be.

"Yes. Come on, it's only a few blocks away from here. It's right across the street from the park." I told her. I stood up and hefted my schoolbag. She just stood, holding her books. I led the way. We got there, and I unlocked the door. As we stepped inside, Joanna looked so out of place, I wondered at it. Her skin was pale as a glass of milk, and her eyes were big inside her face. She looked around quickly. I wondered what it was to make her so astonished. It was an average home, even below average. I led her to my room. "Drop your books on the bed. I'll just get the clothes." I opened my closet. Toys and books came tumbling out. Two toys landed at Joanna's feet. A toy bear and a stuffed penguin. She picked up the penguin and marveled at it. I grabbed the bear and threw it back into the mess. I took out a few pairs of jeans and a few shirts.

"Here. Try these on." I said, tossing them onto the bed. She took a soft red sweater. I had outgrown it, but it seemed like it might fit her. She pulled it over her head. It fit.

"Thank you." She said softly. She tried on the pants. All but one pair fit. I gave her all of them. Then she picked up the penguin again. She fiddled with it between her hands.

"Do you want it" I asked quietly.

"I shouldn't. You've given me so much already."

"It's nothing. Take it, and the penguin." I said. She gave a small sniff, and I realized that she was crying. I went over to the bed and pulled her onto it. I sat next to her. I put my arm around her shoulder. "What's wrong?" She kept crying. But then she turned to look at me through her tear stained eyes.

"Caroline, do you know why I am like this?" She gestured to her ragged shirt and pants.

"No." I said quietly.

"I wasn't going to tell you. I don't want to have it happen again. I don't want to loose another....." She began crying again. I held her until she stopped. Then she looked at me. "Caroline, I want to trust you. I want to be your friend. Can that happen?"

"Of course! Joanna, I am open to you. Tell me whatever." I said with full honesty.

"Okay." She said. "I will tell you my story."

Part One

I know that the prologue is short, so here comes part one!

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Part One

"Hi." The whisper was so quiet, I barely heard it, but it was there. I looked around. A girl my age was looking at me. She was average height, and she had mousy brown hair and piercing blue eyes. She was standing behind me in the lunch line. I had never seen her before, so I realized she must be new to the school.

"Hi. I'm Caroline. Who are you?" I asked her. She blushed, and looked down.

"I'm Joanna." She said in a small voice. Her voice sounded pretty, like a singers. I scrutinized her carefully, but she kept her gaze lowered. We moved up in the lunch line.

"You just moved here? You new in the area?" I asked her. She looked lonely, so I figured it couldn't hurt to keep her company. My friends had already left for camp for the summer.

"Kind of." She said. We got to the front of the line. I took a slice of pizza and an orange juice. She only took a sandwich. I wondered at that. She looked very thin, and her clothes looked worn.

"Hey, you want to sit with me?" I asked. She looked at me, surprised, and then she smiled. It was a tentative smile, but it lit up her face and, for a second, she looked almost pretty. I smiled back, and we sat down at a table. I was starving, and I bit into my pizza with happiness. Pizza was the only good food the cafeteria made. Joanna only took a small bite out of her sandwich. I looked at her curiously. "Aren't you hungry?" I wondered.

"Not really."

"You nervous?"

"About what?"

"Well, you look scared a bit, if you don't mind me saying."

"Oh." She said. She blushed again. "Well, guess I am, a bit."

"Why?"

"I'm not ready to tell...."

"Okay." I backed off. I took another bite of pizza. "What class are you in?"

"I don't know." She looked even more scared now. I must have frightened her with my questions. I didn't say anything else. When the bell rang, Joanna looked around like a lost dog. I felt sorry for her.

"Do you want me to show you to the office? They will know what class you're in." I suggested softly.

"Okay. Thanks." I heard the gratitude in her voice. It sang out like a voice in an empty room. I smiled at her and showed her the way to the office. After making sure she was in good hands, I went to my next class. But all throughout the afternoon, through music and math, I thought about her.

Prologue

I began to write a story yesterday, and I'm going to post it part by part. Tell me what you think.

The Girl Who Loved The Moon
Prologue

I saw her. It was a cloudless night, and I saw her, just standing there, looking at the moon. The sight just about broke my heart. She didn't move a muscle, she just stood there, in the middle of the park in the darkness of night, just looking at the moon.

Part One, soon to follow.

A poem from the past

I was looking in an old notebook of mine, and I found a poem there that I had written when I was 9 years old.

Moonless Sky

I look at the sky
A clash of lightning
A crash of thunder
No moon

I wait for it to fly
A splash of rain
A whistle of wind
No moon

I lay my head and cry
Clouds go away
A bright light comes to say
No moon

I think that it's pretty good for one I wrote at age 9. What do you think?

First Post

This is a blog of my writings. I write poetry and stories, but right now I can't think of good stories, so poetry it is. Tell me what you think.

As The Sun Goes Down

The sky
So blue
A deep, deep blue
As if
It went on forever

As the sun goes down
The sky goes dark
The sun sinks
Into fluffy pink clouds
And disappears into the sea