Popping Bubbles, Chapter 15

by Red in Hogwarts or Forks...you pick

*AN* Just so u know, i am not in love with this chappie AT ALL. It's long and boring but kinda mandatory. I might rewrite it later, but anyways....thanks again to Zoe, Gabriella, (ocasionally) Julia, Maryam and Cass for commenting. It keeps me going!

Naturally, after the presentation Avery became school-wide famous. Looks of admiration and near reverence followed her as faithfully as a lap dog. She gained stares and whispers and shy smiles in the halls from people she'd never seemed to notice before.

Somehow, the students of Roseburn Middle could sense, as a collective group, that something was changing, for the better.

Something big.

***

Time passed, and Project Wishlist grew and grew, evolving beyond anything Laura, Macey or Avery had ever hoped of. The town bank and the supermarket had become sponsers, and money just kept pouring into the savings account Macey had opened.

Laura knew the project wasn't hers anymore--it belonged to the whole town and everybody in it.

And it was spreading.

Like some infectionus disease, the tale of Aery Crawford, Project Wishlist and the town of Roseburn seeped slowly over more and more surrounding towns, then the state. City newspapers wrote arcticles about the whole thing in the 'Human Interest' sections. Her name was being tossed out by newscasts and talkshow hosts more and more.

She got letters and phone calls from cancer survivors, kids who's parents had cancer, and vice versa. She dutifully answered every last one, sending thanks or consolations.

But the other phone calls paled in comparison to the one she received the day after Thanksgiving.

"Avery, phone for you."

"Not another one," Avery groaned. It wasn't that she disliked getting all these phone calls--it was just that she was tired and sore and still full of turkey. She wished she could turn her 'fame' on and off sometimes; Avery Crawford and The-Remarkable-Thirteen-Year-Old-Cancer-Battling-Avery Crawford were starting to form distinctly seperate personalities.

"I think you should take this one, dear."

Mrs. Crawford handed her the phone.

"Hello?" The-Remarkable-Thirteen-Year-Old-Cancer-Battling-Avery Crawford was talking with a perky edge to her tone.

"Hello, this is Helen Gilmore from The Today Show."

"Hi." Avery's heart started to beat faster.

"Well, we heard that on your wishlist you wanted to appear on our show, and you do make a fine Human Interest piece, so we'd like you to make an appearence on our show."

The-Remarkable-Thirteen-Year-Old-Cancer-Battling-Avery Crawford vanished and Avery Crawford screamed so loudher cat fell off the window sill where he had been dozing.

She ran out into her front yard, screaming and laughing and turning cartwheels. Her little neighbor, Bella, stared at her from her front steps, holding a bottle of bubble soap.

Avery ran over, winked at Bella and held out her hand. Bella gave her the bottle and Avery blew all the bubbles she could, watching them lift into the sky and lazily drift over the trees.