Stories and glories

“Stories and glories” is for the times when you are bored or need a distraction.

It’s for when who are roaming around a website for something to do or to read.

Here is a short story called “Tina.”

By: 4BicycleCatstories

“Class, we have a new student with us today,” announces the teacher whose name I’ve already forgotten. The teacher looks at me. “Tell us your name and something about you, dear,” she sing-songs. Why did she call me ‘dear’? I don’t know her. Plus, being called ‘dear’ means teacher’s pet. I push up my glasses. I reluctantly rise from my seat in the far back. I stand next to my desk and look around. I see one boy who is doing something on his phone. I see a girl with an wide afro. A girl in the front row with hair in a pony tail and lots of make-up waves at me. She probably is doing that because the teacher is watching. I walk to the front of the room. The teacher smiles. “Would you like to tell us your name?” She repeats. ‘I’m not deaf,’ I want to shout. But I don’t. Instead I look down at my shoes. My old high-tops, my dad got me for my 10th birthday. It brings a small smile to my face remembering that great day. Then my face falls back into a frown, remembering I’m still in the the front of the class. “Um…” I mumble. “I am Tina,” I say. The teacher nods. The girl with the afro looks up. She smiles. I look at her. She raises her hand.

“Mrs. Baxter?” she calls. Her voice is powerful.

“Yes, Natalie?” says the teacher who I now know is Mrs. Baxter.

“I’d like to say something to Tina.” I look around. My cheeks become red. Natalie stands up.

Whoa! she is taller than I thought she would be. She walks up to me. She is wearing a pink t-shirt and skirt overalls. She wears yellow Nikes. Her earrings are shaped like birds.

“I like your earrings.” I blurt, thinking that if I compliment her, she might stop looking at me funny, and go back to her desk.

“Thanks, my Mom made them with me,” she says smiling a sad smile.

I take a breath. “What did you want to-? ” I get cut off by the boy on his phone who says, “BORING! MRS. BAXTER, CAN THEY TALK AFTER CLASS?”

I look at him. His face is red, like mad, mad red. Mrs. Baxter looks at Natalie. “Natalie, could you save it until the end of class?”

“I guess I could.” Natalie says, her voice disappointed.

“Girls, go back to your desks.” Mrs. Baxter says with a strong nod.

We go and as I walk past the ponytail girl, she hands me a note. I take the note, and keep moving. I sit at my desk as Mrs. Baxter talks about some kind of math. I sneak a look at the note. It reads:

Hi Tina — I am Vanessa. You are welcome to join my make-up club. There are already 20 members! I think you will be a great girl to join. Also, being friends with Natalie will be a big mistake. She does not wear cute clothing, and she plays basketball, which is NOT what girls in this school do, and worst of all she has no make -up and her hair, don’t get me started. Meet us in the cafeteria after school. Can’t wait to get you dolled up. Love, Vanessa

I read that note over so many times, I didn’t even hear the bell ring. I went to my locker. Natalie was five lockers away. She saw me and waved. “Tina, want to go to lunch together? ” I looked down at Vanessa’s note.

“What is that?” Natalie asked gravely.

“Um… nothing.” I say, looking away. I pull my lunch from my locker. My dad had packed me a salad with extra tomatoes and a strawberry-banana smoothie.

“That looks good.” Natalie says. “I’m just having a sandwich.”

She looks down at the green lunch bag she is holding. I start walking toward to lunch room, thinking Natalie will enter with me, but she races out into the courtyard instead. I try to catch up with her. She keeps walking, past some kids who turn their backs on her. She grips her green lunch bag tighter.

“What’s going on?” I ask. “Why is everyone at this school acting so mean?”

Natalie sighs. “I know you got a note from Vanessa and I’m guessing she is trying to make you her make-up buddy. She asks every new kid to join her club and they always says yes. Except me.” She gestures to a huddle of kids who are giving us side-eye and whispering. “You should probably know that saying ‘no’ to Vanessa is a very big deal.”

“Why?”

“All she cares about is make-up.”

I cross my eyes and stick out my tongue like a frog. Natalie laughs.

“Tina, you are better than some make-up. You are so much smarter than hanging out with the make-up kids. You could stick in, rather than stick out. But what would be the point?

When I looked into Natalie ‘s eyes, I knew it. I couldn’t forget it. I wouldn’t forget it.

“Natalie, you are my best friend!” I say gleefully. We sit on the floor telling jokes and eating lunch. After lunch, we play basketball. Natalie is awesome at it.

And that’s the story of how I met my best friend.

Hope you liked it! 🙂 😀 ;D