Time to Make a Difference

Thanksgiving Extra

Author's Note: Hey, long time no see. I know Thanksgiving was ages ago, but I came up with a cute short story. It's from Keefe's POV and it takes place when he's seven years old in first grade. This is basically some Keefe backstory. And it IS part of Time to Make a Difference (lol I really need to come up with a better title). Warning, it is sort of a cringy story...I mean they ARE seven. Anyways, please enjoy and also really sorry for not updating in forever. I just have some writers block. :( Also, if you'd prefer I put his short-story in a separate spot so it doesn't disrupt the flow of the main story, let me know. Thanks

Around Thanksgiving, teachers always made you do an activity saying all the things you were thankful for. And students always put the same things: family and friends.

Keefe's first grade class was no different. Mrs. Miller was handing out pieces of colored paper shaped like a feather to every student.

"Remember, be creative," she said, "Decorate your feather however you'd like as long as it is school appropriate. The only requirement is that you have at least five things written down that you are thankful for. You have the whole remaining hour to work on this and then we will tape the feathers on the turkey tail."

Keefe glanced to his right and saw the huge paper turkey stuck on the wall. It had large googly eyes and an unnatural smile. Keefe thought it was strange that the turkey would be smiling considering that it would probably be eaten for Thanksgiving.

A girl raised her hand and the teacher called on her.

"Can we sit with our friends?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes," said Mrs Miller, "As long as you behave."

This got everyone excited, except for Keefe since he didn't have anyone to sit by. He was alone as usual. He'd tried making a friend once back in kindergarten with a boy named Jack Maine. But it turned out that Jack Maine was a total butt-face and picked on whoever he felt like. Long story short, Jack got a bloody nose and Keefe ended up suspended for a week.

Keefe watched silently from his desk while everyone else laughed and talked with their friend groups. He felt a growing pressure in his heart. He couldn't put a name to the feeling, but he hated it.

Instead he tried to focus on his paper. Keefe jotted down the numbers one to five, then began to think of what to write for each number. He put "food and water" for number one. Then changed his mind and put "food and water" for number two and "my hair" in the place of number one.

Keefe began tapping his pencil against the desk, his leg bouncing up and down. He stared at number three and then finally wrote "I'm grateful for having a home house to live in". He ended up scratching out " home" and replaced it with "house". 

Two more to go.

After minutes of sitting there with no ideas Keefe finally just crossed out "water" from number two and put that for number four.

"This shouldn't be that hard," Keefe whispered to himself.

He remembered something his mom had said a few weeks ago when they got in an argument. "You are an ungrateful child. You have two parents and a warm home to live in, what else do you need? I could have easily gotten rid of you when you were born, but I didn't. Maybe I should have."

Keefe looked down at his shoes. She was right. He was ungrateful, not only that, he was selfish too. He had plenty of things to be grateful for and yet he found it difficult to think of any. He had more than other kids in the world: food, water, a house, two living parents, so he should have more things to be grateful for...right?

Keefe looked over at the other kids in the room. They were happy with their friends. He was sure that most of them also had kind and loving parents. The one thing Keefe didn't have and the one thing he wanted.

"Hey, can I sit by you?" Keefe looked up to see a boy with black hair and teal eyes.

Keefe wasn't sure what to say so he nodded. The boy dragged a chair over and placed his feather on the desk by Keefe's.

"Your name is Keefe, right? Mine's Fitz. I'm new, I used to live in Los Angeles, but moved here 'cause of my mom and dad's job," Fitz said. He looked nervous, which was strange because he looked like the kind of person everyone would think was cool and immediately try to be friends with. You know, one of the popular boys.

"That's cool! I'm Keefe! I mean you already knew that but whatever," Keefe mentally slapped himself. Great, his first impression was totally wrecked.

Fitz began combing his hand through his hair. Keefe guessed it was a nervous habit. Maybe Fitz wasn't the best at making friends either.

"Um, so... What have you got on your feather so far?" Keefe asked, attempting to rekindle the conversation.

"I have that 'I'm thankful for my sister, parents, older brother, TV and Mr.Snu-" he stopped, his face heating up, "Uh, actually I'm missing the fifth one."

"Oh, ok...So, you have two siblings."

"Yeah. I'm the middle child. My little sister is soooo annoying though. Do you have a sibling?" Fitz said.

"Nah, only child..."

Then there was more awkward silence. Keefe felt responsible for keeping the conversation going for some reason. He didn't want to mess up the opportunity of making a friend.

"Actually I still need one more idea for my feather, you got any?" Keefe asked, his leg still bouncing up and down.

Fitz took Keefe's feather, inspecting it.

"You could write 'family'," he handed the paper back.

"Oh..." Keefe forced a fake smile, "Yeah, I guess."

Fitz seemed to realize that that idea didn't appeal to Keefe and said, "Or you could put friends!"

Keefe nodded, "Right, yeah." He tried to sound excited about the idea for Fitz's sake. He didn't want to be one of those people who shut down every single suggestion someone gave them. Plus, what's the big deal if he didn't have any friends or wasn't grateful for his messed up family, that didn't mean he couldn't write it down on a piece of paper and say that he was. Even though it wasn't true.

But for some reason writing it down felt like Keefe would be lying to himself. He did that all the time, so why was it such a big deal now?

The pressure in his heart was weighing down on him. Soon it would create a hole that couldn't be fixed.

Keefe sighed, "I don't really have any friends. Sorry, I'm a loser." He couldn't meet Fitz's eyes.

"You, a loser? No way. You're literally so cool. I was kinda hoping we could be friends... If you want?" Fitz said. Keefe smiled.

"YEAH, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING!!" Keefe exclaimed.

"Boys, keep it down!" Mrs. Miller said from her desk.

"Sorry!" Keefe said, blushing slightly. Kids were looking at him with a confused look. It didn't last long. Pretty soon they returned to their previous conversations.

Keefe looked at Fitz and for some reason the both of them burst out laughing. The teacher once again told them to be quiet. After they'd calmed down, Fitz grabbed his feather and erased whatever was written down for his number five. He began writing something new down and then showed it to Keefe.

"I'm thankful for my new amazing cool friend, Keefe! :)"

Keefe smiled and finally knew what to write for his missing number.

I'm grateful for Fitz, my first friend.