Merry-Sue: The Girl From BC

How To Be A 21st Century Girl (in practise)

Tensions were high leading up to the weekend, as both Rachel and Becky were biting their nails in anticipation of a call from their parents which would announce their early arrival and would mean, more so for Rachel than Becky, a whole lot of explaining and a whole lot of trouble. Additionally, there was Merry-Sue, with her childlike curiosity and tireless tongue, her thirst for knowledge prominent now more than ever, rather than substantially quenched as the sisters had hoped after their miniture "teaching session". The cave girl construed school a completely foreign and intriguing concept and all its inhabitants a curious spectre of specimins, walking around, waiting to be observed by her doting, sharp eyes and have their each action wedged into her memory. At first, this was amusing to Becky, to watch as her friend commented on and inquired about things like why girls always seemed to go to the bathroom in groups (to shield from predators, surely, the cave girl wondered, strength in numbers) or how some guys had to broaden their shoulders and sway them as they walked by a group of girls headed to the bathroom (some sort of odd mating ritual. . . perhaps this is what the females are protecting therselves from). But there came a point at which it was no longer amusing. Like that time Merry-Sue stopped a small, first year girl, innocently trying to sip some water from one of the taps in the hallways and tried to confront her about whether there was a reason she'd chosen this specific method on quenching her thirst. It was at this point that a new lesson had to be introduced. Never yell at frightened by-standers.

"I just wanted to study the thought process behind her behaviour," Merry-Sue said sheepishly, "I didn't mean for her to have a panic attack."

"Merry-Sue, people are not your school project or a science experiment," Rachel scolded, "I understand you want to learn about how our society works, but just because we've agreed to tutor you doesn't give you the okay to try to 'interview' unsuspecting pedestrians. As you've just seen, some of them could have anxiety or PTSD and get seriously freaked out."

"Fineee," the cave girl groaned, "In that case, I'm ready for my next lesson."

"Alright," Rachel rolled her eyes, "After school, we are taking you to the amusement park, you won't be the only freakshow and we can teach you how to socialize with strangers."

Merry-Sue didn't seem to catch the insult and jumped at the idea.

It was a bright and warm saturday morning. The sun had not been this perky since the very beginning of term. The weather was beautiful, cloudless, with just the right amount of October breeze. Becky went to bed late the previous night. Becky planned on sleeping in. Becky did not plan on having a derranged cave girl scare the living daylights out of her at the crack of dawn.

"WHAT THE F-" Becky started, leaping out of her bed and clutching her chest where her heart was pounding against her ribcage perilously fast, "MERRY-SUE, WHAT ON EARTH?"

Merry-Sue had somehow gotten her hands on a trumpet and was going all out, bootcamp style. She stopped when Becky yanked the instrument out of her hands.

"Curse the day I begged my mom to get me trumpet lessons!"

Morosely, and muttering about how she should've asked for piano lessons instead, Becky threw on a pair of comfy old jeans and a jet black T-shirt with the logo of a famous rock band engraved on it in silvery grey letters. She trotted down the stairs behind an overly excited cave girl and followed her into the kitchen, where Rachel was already working on breakfast.

"Smells delicious," Becky felt her stomach rumble in anticipation, "You rarely make pancakes!"

Rachel's back was turned on the two girls seated at the table as she poured another batch of the thick mixture into a frying pan, "Well it's the end of a long and. . . interesting week. I thought it'd be nice to celebrate before mom and dad revoke all my life privelages," she flipped another pancake, "By the way, what was that noise a while ago? I thought I heard a trumpet."