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.
"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.
"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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment