Chapter 62

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"And today class, you will be assigned a pen pal. Everyone will have their own pen pal. It will be randomized. The pen pals will all be fro a different school. Some will be in Portland, some a little further away. You will exchange letters with this pen pal and then, once the assignment is over you may stop speaking to them if you so wish," Mrs. Talbot says. What's the point of this whole pen pal thing anyway? Mrs. Talbot starts handing out slips of paper with pen pals names and information on them.

My slip reads:
Partner: Malachai Parker
Age: 18
Address: 798 Parker Drive, Portland, Oregon

"Now class, you may not trade slips of paper with your friends because as you got their information, their teacher gave them yours as well," Mrs. Talbot explains. What if they're a stalker? What if they hunt us down? "Begin formulating a rough draft of a letter with the following questions and information," she begins writing on the board.

• Introduce yourself
• Ask questions about them
• Don't use contractions

Really? Is that all we have to do?

"Over the next school year, you will turn in one of your letter either to or from your pen pal every Friday for a test grade," she says and I begin writing to Malachai. I grab an envelope from Mrs. Talbot's desk and write down his address.

Mr. Malachai Parker,

I am Bianca Jenson, your pen pal. As we will communicate for the next year, I hope we can get along- I strike through all of what I just wrote. Why soul I say that? It makes me sound snobbish. I start again.

Mr. Malachai Parker,

I am your new pen pal, Bianca Jenson. It is nice to meet you- figuratively, of course. I have a few questions to ask you, as per request by my teacher. I strike through everything again. I run my hands through my hair and sigh in annoyance.

"If you're having trouble with the beginning of the letter, start off by saying something along the lines about being their pen pal. Then ask questions about themselves. For example: what's their favorite color, what's their favorite food," she lists other examples. So, I begin again, halfway down the paper.

Mr. Malachai Parker,

I am your pen pal, Bianca Jenson. I hope you are having a good day. I have some questions: What is your favorite food? Mine is spaghetti. What is your favorite color? Mine is purple. If you could be any supernatural creature, what would you be? I would be a witch.

Signed,
Bianca Jenson

I sigh. I stare at that piece of paper for seemingly two hours and then I write it neatly on stationary and put it in the envelope. When I get home I put it in the mail box and pull up the flag.

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I go out early before school and check the mail. An envelope is waiting at the bottom. I grab it and open it eagerly.

Ms. Bianca Jenson,

Do not call me Malachai. My name is Kai. As for my favorite  food, I also enjoy spaghetti. My favorite color is red, like blood. If I had to choose to be any supernatural creature I would choose to be a witch as well. Maybe we should meet up sometime.
Signed,
Kai

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It's been three months since we've started the whole pen pal thing and Kai an I have become closer. We see each other almost every weekend. He takes his parents car and he drives to my house. At first my parents weren't really too thrilled about it, but Kai has managed to charm them.

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