America's Next Top Author: Challenge 1

by Gabriella in Math Class, Doodling

The Drama of Summer

Kyra Janice Meyer walked down her street laughing and smiling and talking with her friends about their plans for summer.
“Abby! How dare you leave us! You’re going to be in Italy the whole summer just to visit your relatives?! How could you be so selfish?!” Kyra's friend Renee Johnson exclaimed sarcastically.
“Renee! It’s only two months! I’ll be back by the first week of August! Don’t be such a drama queen!” Kyra's other friend Abby Grenicci replied, laughing.
“Hey! Who you calling a ‘drama queen’?” Renee shot back. She moved her brown hair away from her shoulders and pretended to roll up her sleeves with her blue painted nails against her chestnut colored skin.
Kyra threw her head back and laughed. “Renee, don’t be so surprised. You are such a drama queen!” She took out the rubber band that held her blonde hair in a pony tail and redid her hair.
“Oh Kyra!” Abby said trying to change the subject, her blue eyes shining bright. “Lenny Atkinson! Asked you out? Have you told anyone else about this?”
Kyra shrugged. “So what? I haven’t told anyone else. I mean, he didn’t want me to tell anyone. Especially Cindy. I mean, Cindy would rip me apart bone by bone. Eyelash by eyelash. Booger by booger…”
Cindy Hanson was another one of Kyra’s friends. They were best friends. Almost like sisters they were. It’s just that...they both liked this one guy. And Kyra hadn’t told Cindy that she did even though Cindy asked her A LOT. But it was pretty obvious that Cindy liked him. She would gaze at him dreamily as he walked down the hall. Kyra would just mind her own business.
“…Blood vessel by blood ves-”
Renee held up a hand to make Kyra stop. “Okay! Okay! Don’t need to get through the whole body! My head still hurts from the summer packet Mrs. Dreary gave us for science! I read only one page then quit.”
Kyra laughed again. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ve only gotten through a few math problems for Mrs. Lamsley.”
“My mom made me do all the packets so I didn’t have to do them in Italy,” Abby said. “It was just terrible.”
The girls had stopped in front of a big house.
“Well,” Kyra said, running down the driveway of the house, “I’ll see you guys tomorrow! Thank God our sixth grade year is finished! Finally! We can chilax!”
Her friends waved to her as she opened her front door. “See you tomorrow, Kyra!” Renee called.
“I’ll e-mail you!” Abby said. And then they were gone.
Kyra entered her quiet house. Since she had just gotten home from a summer class she was doing at the community center, her parents or her brothers were not home.
Kyra had two brothers: Kyle and Kevin. Kyle was 15, and attending his last day of being a sophomore at Elliot Gravel High. Kevin was only 6 and he was at a special day-care at the community center. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer picked him up when they were done work.
Kyra stared around at the empty house and dropped her bag on the counter in the kitchen and threw herself onto the couch in the living room. She picked up the remote from under one of the cushions in the sofa and turned the TV on. It immediately tuned onto Disney Channel.
“OMG! It’s Phineas and Ferb!” she said with delight.
She and her friends were really crazy. Abby had downloaded some of the episodes on her I-pod and they all watched it on the bus when they went to New York City for their field trip. They had even made themselves the characters on the TV show. Renee was Candace, Cindy was Ferb, Abby was Phineas, and Kyra was Isabella.
Kyra laughed as Phineas and Ferb’s platypus, Perry, had stuck stinky cheese down his nemesis’s pants.
*********************************
The next day, Kyra was at the pool. Right across from where she and her friends had placed their towels was…Lenny!
He shook his blonde shaggy hair and water splattered all over the cement. He looked up and across at Kyra. His blue eyes shined and he smiled. Kyra blushed and looked away, showing Cindy she had no interest in him.
“Omigod! Lenny is looking this way!” Cindy said with delight. “I think he’s looking at me! Yes, he is!” Cindy flashed a smile at Lenny and waved at him.
“Er…let’s go into the pool,” Kyra suggested. She took off her shorts and shirt to reveal a pink bikini. She walked over to the steps and walked into the pool. She shivered as she was half submerged into the water. “I-it’s r-really c-c-cold!” Kyra said, her teeth chattering.
“Watch out! I’m comin’ in!” Cindy exclaimed. She jumped off the edge of the pool and made a splash into the shallow end.
The lifeguard’s whistle blew. “Hey you!” he said, pointing at Cindy. “No jumping into the shallow end!”
Kyra rolled her eyes. “Let her go, Frankie!” she called to her brother’s friend, Frankie.
Frankie blew his whistle again. “Hey, little lady! I can write you up for that! ‘Talking back to the lifeguard.’”
“But I-”
Frankie blew his whistle again. “Do you really want me to? I think Kyle would be okay with it.”
Kyra sighed and dove into the water, swimming under the rope that separated the shallow end from the deep end.
Frankie blew his whistle again. “Kyra! You sure you’re allowed in the deep end?”
“Yes, Frankie! I took the test three summers ago!”
Frankie picked up a clipboard on the side of his high, white lifeguard chair. He flipped through the pages of names of kids who were allowed in the deep end. “Fine. You’re cleared. But your friend here-” he pointed to Cindy, who was talking to Renee and Abby by the rope, “-needs to take the test.”
“She’s not in the deep end Frankie! Plus, she took it twice; last year and the year before that!” Kyra replied. She dove back into the water and swam away from Frankie. She popped her head back up a little while later and turned to the shallow end. Renee and Abby and Cindy were still in the shallow end, Renee and Abby blocking Cindy’s vision of the deep end. A hand touched Kyra’s right arm. Her heart skipped a beat and she turned around to find Lenny treading water right behind her.
“Hey,” he said, smoothing his shaggy hair with his hand.
“Oh…er...uh…hi…” was all Kyra managed to say.
“Hey, uh, do you want to get an ice cream? It’s on me.” Lenny pointed to the pool’s gates where an ice cream truck was parked. Kids in bathing suits were lined up at the truck waiting for their turn to buy some ice cream.
Kyra smiled. “I like vanilla ice cream cups with chocolate syrup.”
***********************
The way home was simply terrifying. It was only Kyra and Cindy. Renee had agreed to babysit her neighbor’s kids and Abby was leaving the next day for Italy.
Somehow, Cindy had found out about Lenny asking Kyra out and she was just positively furious.
“How could you say yes? I thought you were my friend!” Cindy exclaimed as they were finally a block away from the pool.
“I don’t know!” Kyra protested. “He asked me and I took a chance! Is there anything wrong with that?”
Cindy became silent. Her face quickly turned red. “I thought you were my friend!” she repeated, completely ignoring Kyra’s question. Cindy ran ahead.
Kyra sighed and ran after Cindy. “I am your friend,” she said. She put her hands in the pockets of her red, orange, and pink plaid shorts.
Cindy walked faster. “Well, my friends don’t lie to me, and go out with a guy they know I like,” she grumbled.
“Look, I’m sorry!” Kyra tried to keep up with Cindy’s pace.
Cindy turned around, her brown curls almost hitting Kyra in the face. “Sorry isn’t enough.” She put her hands on her heart. “I really liked this guy,” she flung her hands away from her heart, “but what d’ya know? Ms. Kyra the Perfect gets him first!” She stomped off again.
“Cindy! I-”
Cindy turned to Kyra again. She put her hand out in a “stop talking” way. “No, I’ve heard enough. I’m done waiting for Lenny’s call.” She turned away and started for her driveway. “Have fun with your ‘boyfriend’!” She ran inside her house and began to cry.
Kyra stood there in front of Hansons’ house trying to absorb what had just happened. Cindy wasn't her friend anymore. Check. Cindy hated Lenny and her guts. Check. Cindy was probably never ever going to talk to Lenny or her again. Check.
Kyra took one last look at Cindy’s house and walked away.
***At Cindy’s house***
“Did you have fun at the pool?” Cindy’s mom asked.
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Cindy said, wiping a tear from her face.
“Okay, but when you are ready, I’m always here to talk to you. But if it’s a boy problem, talk to Claire. She’s better at that than me.” Her mom gave a small laugh then continued to cut vegetables. “Don’t forget to take a shower.”
“Okay Mom,” Cindy replied as she ran up the stairs. How do Moms always know when you’ve got a problem? Cindy thought as she pushed open the door to her room. Her laptop was on her desk. A note flashed on the screen.
She threw her yellow swimming bag on her bed and sat at her desk.
She had two emails waiting for her. She put her elbow on her desk and rested her chin on her hand. Probably from Kyra trying to ask for forgiveness. She growled at the thought of Kyra. I really shouldn’t have said those things to her. But then again, look at what she did to me! But I was really mean. I should be happy that Kyra got that chance with Lenny. But Lenny was supposed to be my boyfriend. I’m so confused!
Cindy opened up the internet and checked her email. One was from her cousin, the other was from Kyra. She opened up Kyra’s. It said:
Cindy! Pls 4give me! I’m so totally sorry! Can’t rite much more! I’m emailing u with my NV, and I don’t hav enough room! :-)
Kyra<3
Cindy sighed. She supposed she could forgive Kyra…this one time. Anyway, they were best friends. But how could she write that in an email?
Forget her! A voice said in her head. Look at what she did to you! Now she’s asking for forgiveness! Four get it! She makes me sick!
Now, now. A kinder voice said. Kyra’s been your friend for a long time. Friend fight, friends forgive. Forgive and forget is what I say!
Cindy pondered on what her angel conscience said, and what the little devil guy said. She could stay mad at Kyra or forgive her. She was still confused and unsure of what she should do. So she decided to do nothing.
**************************
For a few weeks the friends stayed mad at each other. Whenever Kyra saw Cindy at the mall, she would drop whatever she had in her hands and go to American Eagle. Kyra knew Cindy hated the clothes at American Eagle.
Whenever Kyra asked Cindy for paint during the art classes they took at the community center, Cindy would turn the volume on her I-pod up and pretend not to hear Kyra.
But finally one day, Kyra and Cindy became tired of fighting…
Kyra knocked on the door of the Hansons’ house. Mrs. Hanson answered the door.
“I-uh-um…” Kyra looked down at her shoes and kicked a stone on the porch.
Mrs. Hanson nodded. “Cindy’s here. She’s in her room.”
Kyra nodded. “Thanks Mrs. Hanson.” She entered the house and ran up the stairs. She pushed open the familiar yellow and white door.
Cindy turned to the door. Her green eyes seemed hopeful for a moment, but then they turned bored and solemn. “What do you want?” she asked, bored.
“I…I want to say I’m sorry.”
Cindy sat upright in her bed. “Didn’t I already tell you? Sorry isn’t gonna cut it. You’ve broken my heart, and I’ve lost interest in Lenny.”
“Oh…well…that’s too bad ‘cause I broke up with him. I broke up with him after I realized I really broke and hurt you,” Kyra replied. Her blue eyes started tearing up.
“You…you did?” Cindy asked with hurt in her voice. She cleared her throat. “When did you dump him? Just now? Just for my forgiveness?”
Kyra looked down at her feet again. “Actually, I broke up with him a few weeks ago. The day after you got mad at me. He was really heart broken, but now he’s yours.”
“I told you, I’m not interested in him anymore!” Cindy exclaimed.
Kyra sighed. She grabbed the bedroom door handle. “I shouldn’t have come.”
She was just about to leave when Cindy said, “Wait!”
“What now?” Kyra said grumpily.
“That was a nice thing you did for me. I forgive you.” Cindy ran over to Kyra and hugged her. Kyra hugged her back.
“Look, you really didn’t have to dump him for me,” Cindy said after she released Kyra from their hug.
Kyra sighed. “Yes…yes I had to. I hurt you. I couldn’t help having that hanging over me so I dumped him. It was hard, but worth it.”
“Look, I’m really not interested in him anymore.” She wiped a tear from her face. “Go have fun with Lenny. It’s okay.”
“No. It’s not okay. You should have a boyfriend too,” Kyra said. “Just hold up a sec.” She disappeared.
Kyra returned an hour later with two guys: Lenny and………Lenny’s cousin Michael.
“Cindy, I’d like you to meet Michael. He’s Lenny’s cousin.” Kyra smiled as Michael walked up to Cindy. He had shaggy brown hair, playful brown eyes, and a warm smile.
“Hi, I’m Michael.” He put out his hand.
Cindy stood up from her bed and shook Michael’s hand. She gazed into his eyes. “Uh….I….you’re eyes are so dreamy….”
Kyra leaned onto Lenny. “Our work here is done.”
Lenny smiled. “Not just yet.” He winked at Kyra. “So, do you guys want to go catch a movie? I think Narnia is still playing.”
Cindy gazed back into Michael’s eyes. “Sure. Why not?”
So, Cindy and Kyra both got the guys they wanted and were friends again. It was kinda wacky in the time the girls were mad at each other, but hey, it was a drama of summer.