As promised here's the next installment of the written story thing's- wrote it at the beginning of the yr- I'm not sure if I like the writing style (if that makes sense), like the ending seems a little corny (I prob shouldn't tell u that b4 u read it!), but the teacher seemed to like it so I'm happy!
As it says it's kind of based on experience (not for sympathy or anything tho) - it's funny how when you try to write a fictional story it often seems to turn into a memory recount :P Or maybe it's just me! Anyhoo, it's a bit longer than the lasting one, but here it is for your reading pleasure... >>>
The Bold and the Beautiful
All children experience or witness social isolation in some form during their growing up years, whether it be on the sending or receiving end. In younger years this may come in the form of not sharing a toy with that annoying girl in your class, or perhaps not being included in a game of hopscotch in the yard. As you get older, schoolyard “bitchiness” and conflict can become subtler but by no means less harmful. The purpose of this story is to attempt to portray these sorts of behaviours and conflicts, and their impacts, partly drawing from personal experience.
Beginning of Year 8…
It was the time of year when long-ago fallen leaves lay crunched and dry in the gutter, and the sun seemed to breathe heavy heat into every last inch of air, making you want to just lie down and enjoy the beauty of doing nothing. It seemed out of place for students and teachers to start streaming back into the school to work. Julie’s long blonde hair was neatly tied up, regulation ankle-covering white socks peeking out from her polished shoes; she tried not to look awkward in her new uniform as the older, seasoned students eyed her at the back entrance to the school. Subconsciously she yet again readjusted the trainer bra her mother got her the weekend before. Her recent summer holiday seemed distant all of a sudden, as nerves and anticipation engulfed her.’ I can’t believe I’m starting high-school today,’ she thought.
“There before us lies our future,” the young girl said dramatically, her short raven-dark hair falling all over her flushed face as she flopped to the ground on the school oval.
“Just think Ash… In just a few short weeks we’ll actually be coming here as high-school students, not just to roller-blade. It’s freaking me out just a tad.” replied Julie.
“Yeah but we’ll be right- we’ll stick together ol’ buddy ol’ pal” Ashley said giggling.
OK, meeting at 8:15 at the Observatory on the back oval. Julie went over the details from her brief and strangely stiff conversation with her best friend the previous night in her head. She walked over the freshly cut grass and saw Ashley on the side of the observatory. “Ash! Hey, there you are! I was worried you had already…” she called out, but as she got closer she saw several other ‘popular’ girls from their old primary school, deep in animated discussion with her.
“Oh, hey Julie. Alright we can go now guys, I said we’d save a seat for Alex at the assembly as well.” Ash said flippantly.
“Alex? I didn’t know you were friends with her, when did that happen?” Julie asked remembering their once archrival from their younger years. But Ashley was already walking off with the other girls.
At the assembly Julie sat with her knees to her chin to try and fit on the end of the row. As the teachers up the front of the hall explained what they would be doing on their first day, she surveyed all the new faces and bodies around her, expressive with nervous energy. Every so often she’d hear Ash make a little comment or joke to Alex and they’d both laugh to themselves, unsuccessfully attempting to be quiet. Each giggle brought a pang of jealousy to Julie, but she tried to brush it off.
“So are you nervous about school?” Alex asked as they all walked along after the assembly.
“Yeah, kinda! How about you?” Julie replied, enthusiastic to try and make a good impression and fit in with Ashley’s new friends.
“Yeah, same here!” Alex responded politely, and they both smiled stiffly in the following awkward silence.
“I like your necklace” Julie offered to Alex, looking at the casual but obviously expensive looking shells around her neck.
“Oh thanks” she responded. “Yours is, uh… interesting too” she half smirked.
Julie suddenly regretted wearing her new necklace she got for $2 at a Kleins sale.
“Too bad we got different home groups Jules” Ashley said perkily. “I can’t believe we’re in the same one though Alex! How cool is that going to be? It’ll be so much fun” she continued, lacing her arm into Alex’s as they strode ahead. Feeling a little frozen, Julie looked at her map and tried to work out how to get to her new home group.
“Oh hey Mrs P. How are you? I was just wondering if Ash is home yet? Thanks.” Nervously jiggling her leg under her desk, Julie tried to make sense of what had happened during the week as she waited for the person she thought she knew so well to come to the phone. There was a muffled clicking sound as the phone was picked up on the other end.
“Hey Jules.”
“Hey Ash… So how’d you like the first week?”
“Yeah pretty good thanks. How about you?”
“Yeah, not too bad, only got lost once!” Julie tried to bring some of the warm familiarity she was used to back into the conversation, but winced at the pregnant pause, which was happening increasingly often, that followed.
“So…how cool are Alex and the others? I’m so glad we’re hanging out with them now.”
“Yeah they seem alright. Hey, where were you at lunch the other day? I couldn’t find you.”
“Oh yeah, sorry about that. I forgot to tell you we decided to meet at the canteen instead.”
“Oh, right… I found Brianna in the end so I hung out with her.”
“Brianna?! Why’d you want to hang out with her? Did you see she actually wore a fluoro pink scrunchie the other day? I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!”
“That’s kind of mean Ash, she’s actually pretty nice. I thought you guys were friends last year anyway?
“Oh don’t be so self-righteous Jules, you so thought the same thing.”
“Well at least she wants to hang out with me, unlike someone else I know!”
“Geez Julie, what’s with you? It’s not my fault I’ve made some new friends, you should try it some time!”
“Excuse me? Where the hell did all this come from Ash? You totally ditched me this week!”
“So I spent some time with them in the holidays when you were away, what did you expect me to do? I was bored! It’s called being popular, but I guess you wouldn’t understand that.”
“So it’s my fault for going away for a couple of weeks? Oh I’m so sorry Ash, I should’ve realised that true friendship means entertaining you 24/7. For some reason I thought you wouldn’t make five-hundred new best friends while I was away!”
“OK, look, Alex and the others are good fun to hang out with, alright? I’m sorry if you don’t like them, but you don’t have to be such a bitch about it.”
“Me being the bitch?! You totally left me hanging at school this week Ash. I don’t know what to feel. What happened to all the ‘best buddies forever’ stuff?”
“Oh come on, you can be part of the group!”
“Yeah, well if you hadn’t noticed, I don’t exactly fit in Ash.”
“You could at least try.”
“You know I’ve tried. You hardly made an effort to help me fit in with your new best friends. If you’re going to ditch our friendship that easily, I don’t know if I want to try.”
“Well if that’s the way you want it to be then fine.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Julie slammed down the phone, and flung herself onto her bed feeling numb. ‘What did I do wrong?’ she asked herself. ‘This is Ash we’re talking about. How could our friendship be over just like that? We’ve been best friends since we were in nappies! I’m sure it’ll work out…’ She picked up her big old teddy bear Frank, and childishly wrapped her arms around him, giving him a big squeeze. All of a sudden she feeling overwhelmed, as if the tree branch she’d been sitting on had suddenly given way leaving her dangling from the branch above with one only hand. She buried her face in Frank's fur and burst into tears.
A year later…
It was the time of year when the dry leaves once again lay crushed in the gutter, baking in the heavy heat of the sun. Julie sat perched lazily on the wall at the bus stop. Her hair messily chucked up into a bun with pieces strategically falling out, and socks now much shorter and more colourful than they were supposed to be, she heaved herself up as the bus came into view. Scanning the faces in the windows, she spotted her friend and greeted her with a cheery smile and wave.
“Hey Bri!” she said, swinging herself into the bus seat after she had stepped on and registered her ticket.
“Hey hon! We’re meeting Jane and Ali at one at the Malls Balls.”
“Cool” Julie said, then froze when she saw Ash step onto the bus with Alex. How strange to see someone who was once so familiar, but now so detached from her world.
She caught her eye and smiled in recognition, and her gaze was for a moment held. But then Ashley kept chatting to Alex and walked straight past. Julie was lost in her thoughts of the loss of her once close friendship, but Bri interrupted them.
“So I hear they have a sale on at Kleins.”
“Let’s go” smiled Julie.
All children experience or witness social isolation in some form during their growing up years, whether it be on the sending or receiving end. In younger years this may come in the form of not sharing a toy with that annoying girl in your class, or perhaps not being included in a game of hopscotch in the yard. As you get older, schoolyard “bitchiness” and conflict can become subtler but by no means less harmful. The purpose of this story is to attempt to portray these sorts of behaviours and conflicts, and their impacts, partly drawing from personal experience.
Beginning of Year 8…
It was the time of year when long-ago fallen leaves lay crunched and dry in the gutter, and the sun seemed to breathe heavy heat into every last inch of air, making you want to just lie down and enjoy the beauty of doing nothing. It seemed out of place for students and teachers to start streaming back into the school to work. Julie’s long blonde hair was neatly tied up, regulation ankle-covering white socks peeking out from her polished shoes; she tried not to look awkward in her new uniform as the older, seasoned students eyed her at the back entrance to the school. Subconsciously she yet again readjusted the trainer bra her mother got her the weekend before. Her recent summer holiday seemed distant all of a sudden, as nerves and anticipation engulfed her.’ I can’t believe I’m starting high-school today,’ she thought.
“There before us lies our future,” the young girl said dramatically, her short raven-dark hair falling all over her flushed face as she flopped to the ground on the school oval.
“Just think Ash… In just a few short weeks we’ll actually be coming here as high-school students, not just to roller-blade. It’s freaking me out just a tad.” replied Julie.
“Yeah but we’ll be right- we’ll stick together ol’ buddy ol’ pal” Ashley said giggling.
OK, meeting at 8:15 at the Observatory on the back oval. Julie went over the details from her brief and strangely stiff conversation with her best friend the previous night in her head. She walked over the freshly cut grass and saw Ashley on the side of the observatory. “Ash! Hey, there you are! I was worried you had already…” she called out, but as she got closer she saw several other ‘popular’ girls from their old primary school, deep in animated discussion with her.
“Oh, hey Julie. Alright we can go now guys, I said we’d save a seat for Alex at the assembly as well.” Ash said flippantly.
“Alex? I didn’t know you were friends with her, when did that happen?” Julie asked remembering their once archrival from their younger years. But Ashley was already walking off with the other girls.
At the assembly Julie sat with her knees to her chin to try and fit on the end of the row. As the teachers up the front of the hall explained what they would be doing on their first day, she surveyed all the new faces and bodies around her, expressive with nervous energy. Every so often she’d hear Ash make a little comment or joke to Alex and they’d both laugh to themselves, unsuccessfully attempting to be quiet. Each giggle brought a pang of jealousy to Julie, but she tried to brush it off.
“So are you nervous about school?” Alex asked as they all walked along after the assembly.
“Yeah, kinda! How about you?” Julie replied, enthusiastic to try and make a good impression and fit in with Ashley’s new friends.
“Yeah, same here!” Alex responded politely, and they both smiled stiffly in the following awkward silence.
“I like your necklace” Julie offered to Alex, looking at the casual but obviously expensive looking shells around her neck.
“Oh thanks” she responded. “Yours is, uh… interesting too” she half smirked.
Julie suddenly regretted wearing her new necklace she got for $2 at a Kleins sale.
“Too bad we got different home groups Jules” Ashley said perkily. “I can’t believe we’re in the same one though Alex! How cool is that going to be? It’ll be so much fun” she continued, lacing her arm into Alex’s as they strode ahead. Feeling a little frozen, Julie looked at her map and tried to work out how to get to her new home group.
“Oh hey Mrs P. How are you? I was just wondering if Ash is home yet? Thanks.” Nervously jiggling her leg under her desk, Julie tried to make sense of what had happened during the week as she waited for the person she thought she knew so well to come to the phone. There was a muffled clicking sound as the phone was picked up on the other end.
“Hey Jules.”
“Hey Ash… So how’d you like the first week?”
“Yeah pretty good thanks. How about you?”
“Yeah, not too bad, only got lost once!” Julie tried to bring some of the warm familiarity she was used to back into the conversation, but winced at the pregnant pause, which was happening increasingly often, that followed.
“So…how cool are Alex and the others? I’m so glad we’re hanging out with them now.”
“Yeah they seem alright. Hey, where were you at lunch the other day? I couldn’t find you.”
“Oh yeah, sorry about that. I forgot to tell you we decided to meet at the canteen instead.”
“Oh, right… I found Brianna in the end so I hung out with her.”
“Brianna?! Why’d you want to hang out with her? Did you see she actually wore a fluoro pink scrunchie the other day? I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!”
“That’s kind of mean Ash, she’s actually pretty nice. I thought you guys were friends last year anyway?
“Oh don’t be so self-righteous Jules, you so thought the same thing.”
“Well at least she wants to hang out with me, unlike someone else I know!”
“Geez Julie, what’s with you? It’s not my fault I’ve made some new friends, you should try it some time!”
“Excuse me? Where the hell did all this come from Ash? You totally ditched me this week!”
“So I spent some time with them in the holidays when you were away, what did you expect me to do? I was bored! It’s called being popular, but I guess you wouldn’t understand that.”
“So it’s my fault for going away for a couple of weeks? Oh I’m so sorry Ash, I should’ve realised that true friendship means entertaining you 24/7. For some reason I thought you wouldn’t make five-hundred new best friends while I was away!”
“OK, look, Alex and the others are good fun to hang out with, alright? I’m sorry if you don’t like them, but you don’t have to be such a bitch about it.”
“Me being the bitch?! You totally left me hanging at school this week Ash. I don’t know what to feel. What happened to all the ‘best buddies forever’ stuff?”
“Oh come on, you can be part of the group!”
“Yeah, well if you hadn’t noticed, I don’t exactly fit in Ash.”
“You could at least try.”
“You know I’ve tried. You hardly made an effort to help me fit in with your new best friends. If you’re going to ditch our friendship that easily, I don’t know if I want to try.”
“Well if that’s the way you want it to be then fine.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
Julie slammed down the phone, and flung herself onto her bed feeling numb. ‘What did I do wrong?’ she asked herself. ‘This is Ash we’re talking about. How could our friendship be over just like that? We’ve been best friends since we were in nappies! I’m sure it’ll work out…’ She picked up her big old teddy bear Frank, and childishly wrapped her arms around him, giving him a big squeeze. All of a sudden she feeling overwhelmed, as if the tree branch she’d been sitting on had suddenly given way leaving her dangling from the branch above with one only hand. She buried her face in Frank's fur and burst into tears.
A year later…
It was the time of year when the dry leaves once again lay crushed in the gutter, baking in the heavy heat of the sun. Julie sat perched lazily on the wall at the bus stop. Her hair messily chucked up into a bun with pieces strategically falling out, and socks now much shorter and more colourful than they were supposed to be, she heaved herself up as the bus came into view. Scanning the faces in the windows, she spotted her friend and greeted her with a cheery smile and wave.
“Hey Bri!” she said, swinging herself into the bus seat after she had stepped on and registered her ticket.
“Hey hon! We’re meeting Jane and Ali at one at the Malls Balls.”
“Cool” Julie said, then froze when she saw Ash step onto the bus with Alex. How strange to see someone who was once so familiar, but now so detached from her world.
She caught her eye and smiled in recognition, and her gaze was for a moment held. But then Ashley kept chatting to Alex and walked straight past. Julie was lost in her thoughts of the loss of her once close friendship, but Bri interrupted them.
“So I hear they have a sale on at Kleins.”
“Let’s go” smiled Julie.
5 comments:
that was REALLY good jess! i have to say i throughly enjoyed it- can't deny that you have talent! lol.
i esp liked the bit "It was the time of year when long-ago fallen leaves... etc" very good imagery!
it also brought up some memories too.. mmm some not so good ones but thats life, you gotta live it.
i'd have to agree that most of my stories often come from personal experience, even the one about the schizophrenic girl, that one came partly from a dream and i reckon it's got a lot of symbolism of what i felt like in my life for awhile even if it doesn't seem readily apparent.
thats really good, rly sad that that happened...but i guess that's life... :( but hooray for Bri :) hmm can't really think of much else to say... good writing, little ms talent ;o) haha
Almost too real. You are a great story-teller - I can feel as if I were there (but in this case it almost makes me want to cry - people can be so mean!!)
haha i remember how we ALWAYS met at one at the malls balls. so that bit is an undeniably true part of your life..
thats awesome, i have such trouble writing storys, making them descriptive, entertaining an realistic, but u hit all three on the head. nice work jess, LOVED IT! keep them coming! But yeh its true, how much friendships change from primary school to highschool...Altho I find that now, as yr 12's, everyone just sorta seems to get on with everyone.. which is nice.
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