I walked towards my first class, health. Room number, A-5, A-6, A-7, A-8, A-9,
A-10. Aha! A-11. I went in there and there was a kid talking to the health teacher. “And why are you so fat?” said one kid. So I said “ Johnny! Don’t be rude.” She said “Its true I try to teach health by telling kids how I got this way and how hard it is to keep track of your health. The class bell rang showing that health was over. Now I looked at my schedule and saw what was next. ART!!! Yes! Art is my favorite class. As I walked down the hall towards my class I knocked into my aunt Mildred. “hey” and kept walking. It felt kind of weird knocking into her in between classes and just saying hey. I felt kind of bad. She was probably expecting a hug or something. Oh well, here I am room B-12. “Good morning class. Today we will learn about pointillism. Now what is pointillism. Stephanie” “ Well pointillism is a picture made out of a bunch of dots.” “ That’s correct. Now every one just draw a picture. Then we will make a pointillism painting of your picture. I drew a hippie van. Then the school bell rang again. I walked towards my locker. I couldn’t find my lunch. I saw aunt Mildred. Thank god! “aunt Mildred do you have any money I can’t-” “honey don’t try that on me. You do this every first day of school, say you cant find your lunch and ask me for money. I’ll look in your locker for you. OK?” “OK”. She went over my locker and did the lock. She is the school director which she means knows the combo’s to every locker. I mean EVERY locker. “Hear it is. Oh how you are so…. Oh I don’t know nervous all the time.” “Aunt Mildred I’m not nervous. I’m positive.” She just laughed and said have a good lunch, then walked away. I made my way to the art classroom because I wanted to ask her if she could give me some drawing lessons during lunch and recess. When I got there she was sitting at her desk looking at the pictures we drew during class this morning. She then flipped to mine made a so-so face and marked it with a big fat B. I could trust her judgment so I simply acted as though I wasn’t there to see any of her markings then said “Excuse me, Mrs. Lisa? I was wondering if I could take some drawing lessons during lunch and recess?” “Sure, come on in.” She answered. She told me about how even famous artists started out feeling that they had average talents “Look at them now” She said after, then as if perfect timing, the bell rang. “see you tomorrow Stephanie.” She called after me as I went out the door. The rest of the day wasn’t that odd, math, reading, writing, and English literature went through, and then I took the bus home.

My aunt always tells us we must stand up for ourselves, and make other people accept who we really are. That night at the dinner table, I told my aunt what I wanted to do when I grow up…Which is owning a café/art gallery where I make and sell paintings and make and sell pastries and coffees. She said to figure something else out for my career because it was a ridiculous idea. That’s when I stood up for myself, and make my aunt accept who I really am. I kind of, maybe, just maybe went a little overboard. I stood up out of my chair, “You are always the one who tells me to be who I want to be, do what I want to do, and most importantly make other people accept the fact that I will be who I want to be and do what I want to do, when meanwhile you haven’t even accepted that. All these years I’ve lived with you, you probably thought I was quirky or odd, or like the other day you made an uncalled for judgment that I am nervous all the time. Well you know what, I think you’re just putting up with me so someday you can say to your friends that’s “Your” daughter up there on screen winning an Olympic Medal for soccer, or swimming, or all the things in those pan flits you dropped on my bed last summer. FYI your wrong to think I will put up with you for another oh like 20 years because I QUIT. I quit having to put up with you, your noisy son, and your disgusting husband. You’re all so weird and I hate my life right now!” I then ran to my room packed most of my clothes, 5 boxes of protein bars, 2 apples, my laptop and charger, 2 jars of reduced fat Skippy peanut butter, an unwritten in journal, 1 spoon, 2 pillows, 3 blankets, a tent set, all of my 2,000 dollars worth of birthday money, and of course my lucky stuffed monkey, Willard, into a suitcase and, luckily on the first floor, jumped out a window in my room. I ran over to the boarding house on the west side of town, went in and set up camp. Since I had already eaten dinner I was full, so I went to sleep.

I didn’t think this plan through, did I? But if I didn’t follow through with it, she would’ve taken over my life with sports or work or “sensible” things. You know what, maybe I made the right decision. I did, I did, I did. Life is different here though, at the boarding house. Things I have to get used to, like people asking me to actually play a game. What I think this place is, is a place for people who are poor and don’t have the money to pay for a house, but enough money to pay to stay here which is a fee of 50$ for one year. They have money, jobs, children, clothes, and a better home than the one they would’ve paid for. But I may be wrong, I am only 11. There are kids here in the same exact situation as me. They didn’t feel respected at their home so they ran away to a place their parents would never expect to find them, here. I made a friend here, her name is Jessica. We eat together, play together, and even moved our tents together. But what’s even better here, something I didn’t know, was that they serve three sort of meals on the table once every month. All the other meals you have the opportunity to make in their kitchen, you even get the ingredients. It has only been 4 days since I ran away, but I already know I’m never going back.

I had to let her be, that wild Stephanie. She needed her life to be the way I always told she needs to live it, her way. She was right to think I was just keeping her back from her life by a tightening leash, I was. Also, now we can use her room for a new bathroom for our darling boy, Connor. Oh no, I must think of sad things about Stephanie running away, not positive. Ok, um, oh, she took all of her new paintings, the house is dull and colorless now. She also pointed out a flaw in me, I was using her. Anyway, there was a wonderful new girl in school, her name is Kim, she is from England. She gave me one of the best scones I ever tasted. She also said she just moved here, how fascinating, I invited her over to dinner and dessert and she said sure, I made a pot roast, bacon green beans, and the Jones’ secret chocolate cake. She must be on her way right now, I can’t wait to ask her about England and what type of food they have. Oh and what time tea was, I hope it was after school, Otherwise I might not be able to have a tea time myself. I have nice tea every once in a while, but I want to convince Joe to have tea every day. I hear it is filled with anti-oxidants and calms the nerves. I wonder what they serve with tea, scones? Maybe they serve cookies with tea. I don’t know but she is here right now, I better answer the door.

Last night I went to my aunt’s house because she wanted to know about my life in England. She made her so-so pot roast, her Ok bacon green beans, and her somehow delicious JONES SECRET CHOCOLATE CAKE that wasn’t so secret because I taught Jessica how to make it, but she swore on her life that she wouldn’t tell anyone because when my aunt taught me how to make the cake, I made an oath. It was really a better dinner than the Italian from down the street I told Jessica I might’ve gotten. We only get it every once in a while, though, since it’s a sort of treat. But after the dinner, when she put out tea a nervous look spread across her face. I asked why……….that one question sparked a whole conversation about tea in England. Even after I answered one question, another one came, and another, and another. I got tired of answering her questions, so I told her my parents would like me home at the moment. “See you at school tomorrow Mrs. Jones” I called behind me as I left her house.

New Student

This week welcome new student Kim Sullivan from England. She loves cooking and is hosting a tasting of all her own recipes this Friday and hopes you all can make it. The tasting will be during 2nd and 3rd period and will consist of mostly peanut-free recipes but consider your allergy if necessary. She also is a wonderful artist and holding 6 art lessons during lunch and recess. She will hold it in the art room and can’t wait to see some of you there. Have a good week and welcome Kim to her new home.

Working for New Money

I did what I always wanted do, made it in the school newspaper! But anyway, I need to make food for the tasting on Friday. I have some ideas but I can’t make the Jones’ secret Chocolate Cake because, 1 I need to give out the recipes, and 2 my aunt will think it tastes identical to her Chocolate Cake. I also have to make sweet things, that’s what I promised. I want to make chocolate-chip scones, peanut butter chocolate cupcakes, Chocolate-Amaretto cheesecake, Chocolate Animal Flower Pops, and of course my all time famous, smile winning chocolate-chip, coconut, peanut, and walnut cookies. Also the art teacher is providing the supplies for the art lessons. Jessica thinks I have put a way too much food on my plate, a metaphor. We’ve been learning about similes and metaphors in writing, it’s part of the poetry unit. But I don’t think my poem is a poem.

My writing teacher thinks my poem is a work of a genius.

Cow
We call her Cow
But she’s not a cow
When you see her you’ll get why

We call her Cow
‘cause she filled with joy
And her smile will fill your soul

We call her Cow
‘cause of her bony hip
That sticks out of a crowd

We call her Cow
But she’s a cat
But to us
She’s just
Cow

This poem is about our cat, the one we had when you and pop were still around. She had spots, and the first time I saw her, when I was four years old, (remember that?) I looked at her and said “Cow” but after you and pop died aunt Mildred gave Cow away to the pound. Cow was filled with joy, she had a swing in her step and soul in her smile. I loved Cow like a bird loves to fly, like a rabbit loves to hop, I locked myself up in my room after Cow was sent away and cried, she was the last piece that was lost of our REAL family.

After I read the poem I wrote about Cow to Jessica, and told her the story, she cried and I sat down next to her and I cried too. After we wiped up the tears, Jessica asked what pound, and I answered, Jonas pound. Then Jessica told me she was going to go get Chinese food to eat tonight, she left and took a while to come back.







. . .


When she came through the doors with a cat identical to Cow and some Chinese Food I knew why it took her so long. Jessica let down the still young cat and the cat walked, than sniffed, then ran towards me. She leaped up in my lap and licked my face. I knew she was Cow. I hugged and Hugged Cow, then hugged and hugged Jessica. Then, we ate the Chinese food, and watched Cow eat her Cat Food.

ON Thursday night Jessica and Cow helped me make the Chocolate-Chip Scones, my Chocolate Animal Flower Pops, Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes, and my all time favorite, smile winning chocolate-chip, coconut, peanut, and walnut cookies. I made 3 batches of each, one for Jessica and I, and 2 for the tasting. After we all went to bed awaiting the day before us.





. . .


The next day a boy walked by our table and asked us if he could help, “ It looks like a lot of work ahead of you” he said “Sure, thank you. Um you can cut the Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake, make sure to make rather small slices because there are supposed to be a lot of kids coming today.” I replied. He went and banged through the task I assigned him. “Well, now you can help your teacher and tell her I said you can stay here and help for the day.” Then he banged through that assignment, right in time. The principal went on the loudspeaker, “Attention teachers and students you may now make your way to the cafeteria and make a line outside and wait for further instructions” the principal also made his way down to the cafeteria and took control. The tasting finished right on time for us to go home. But Tim, the helper boy, stopped me on my way out, “You want to do something tonight, Stephanie, and I want it to be you not Kim.” “Sure” I said and flustered all the way back home.

That afternoon on the bus I told Jessica about what Tim asked me. Then when we got there Jessica had one question to ask me, the same question I had asked myself many times before “How did he know you’re Stephanie?” we both thought about the answer while I got ready for the date. “Maybe you knew him while you were still Stephanie and even with the make-up he saw your face” she suggested “No, I thought that, know him.” I replied, “Maybe you were missing some make-up and he recognized you, or maybe you forgot that wig!” “No, It can’t be, see he told me he wanted Stephanie not Kim he acted like he knew me, I recognized him, like we used to be the best of friends, but I can’t remember who he is or where I know him from” Cow somehow, like cats sometimes can do, sensed my emotion and jumped up on my lap and kissed me and licked me. I suddenly remember, it was a timeline of events, it just flashed before my eyes, like a slideshow. First slide, kindergarten, dance partner, Tim. Second slide, first grade, chorus solo partner, Tim. Third slide, second grade, field day three-legged race, partner Tim. It kept going ‘till it got to fourth grade, fifth slide, school play kiss, Tim. Then it went off and just showed Tim doing things alone. Fourth grade was when my mom and dad died, on their way to the play, some driver slammed right into the front of your car killing you and pop. Then tears formed in my eyes I fell to my knees and burst into tears, through my sobs I managed to babble “I was his best friend ever, we did everything together, it’s Tim. After my parents died I totally shut myself off from the world, which meant forgetting him, Tim, my best friend. Leaving him alone, with nobody.

After my tears were gone and I pulled myself together, Tim knocked on the window of our boarding house window. I ran to the door in my high heel shoes, opened the door, and hugged him so hard. In a cartoon I would’ve squeezed his eyes out and they would pop back in his head and he‘d make that weird noise that most cartoon characters say when their eyes have bulged out of their heads. “I’m so sorry, Tim. I remember you, all the things we did together. I’m so sorry in fourth grade after the play, I planned to say something to you, I love you.” I said, he said the thing I hoped he would say back, “I love you too.” Then we went to Pizzeria Uno for dinner, shared a chocolate milkshake, had spaghetti and had the scene of Lady and the Tramp when they got the same strand of pasta and it lead to a kiss, then shared the most delicious chocolate lava cake and shared the last bite. When it was over, we kissed outside of the door, I kissed him goodbye on the cheek and said “Monday, 6:00, my place”, said goodbye and shut the door. When I got inside Jessica was brushing Cow on a cushy blanket on the floor. Cow ran over to me and scratched my shiny shoes. I know that means she wants me to pick her up, so I did. She licked my face and I let her down. Jessica went into her bag and got a jar of peanut butter and two spoons and patted the ground next to her, I went over to the place she patted and told her about the date while we ate peanut butter. After I described every word it was about 11:49 so we went to bed.

Our first date lead to another, and another, and another. I love him so much. Cow has also found her soul mate and had kittens, three to be exact. We named them Cookie, Oreo, and my favorite one (I named him) Yoko. I just like that name. My grades have gone up to all A’s and I have a new favorite art teacher, Mrs. Jacklynn. I assist her with younger classes and she gives me jobs to go copy this or type up that, I’m like an intern. But I am in College now mom and I bought a strip of building and Mrs. Jacklynn is helping me make a sign for my café/ art gallery that I have always wanted to open. It’s called “Sweet Miranda” after you, mom. I have lots of recipes for sweets and lots of paintings to sell. I’ve made a business card and am almost ready to open. I would make you a cupcake, but I can only make you a drawing. It looks like I do belong in this world after all.