Carla & Abby

Exchange Student

It was Wednesday, only a few days after the squirrel dilemma.  I didn't think it was anything to brag about at all, but Carla kept on telling people about how she stopped the  "goblins."

     Everytime she started gathering people to tell about the  "goblins"  I just walked straight past her, pretending I knew nothing about it.

     I was kind of glad about Carla's ego, because she didn't mention me being involved in anything about the squirrels.

     But this one time, when she had her biggest crowd, she pulled me inside the ring of people and presented me to everyone.  I shyly waved.

     "And this is--  Abby Cars--  Abby Carl--  Abby--  What's your last name?"  She finally whispered after many attempts.  For some reason I told her, I don't know why  though.  "Carson,"  I whispered.

     "Abby Carlstein!"  She said.  At least she completely ignored what I had told her.  Now nobody would know my real name.  Carla went back to the story after kindly introducing me to the whole school, and I slipped away.

     My face must have been bright red as I made my way to the class that half the kids circled around Carla were supposed to be in.

     Only five other people were in class when I came in.  Mr. Steb probably didn't even care that most of his students weren't there though.  He never cares about anything.

     Science used to be my favorite subject until I got Mr. Steb as a teacher.  Now it was one of my least favorite classes.

     After science it was time for lunch.  Me and Carla always sit together....  No matter what.  Even if I don't want to.

     Me and Carla were walking to our usual table, right by the lunch line.  Carla said that she gets all the gossip that way.  Which proves that she's not listening to me when I talk, but to the people in the lunch line.

     Me and Carla were eating when we heard a horrible static sound.  People were complaining all over the cafeteria.  "Ow, my ears!"  I said.

     "Ow!"  Two people behind us said.  Carla stood up on the bench and yelled at the top of her lungs,  "Shut up you stupid thing!"

     Everyone was looking at her, I felt like hiding under the table.  "Carla, Carla, get down."  I said.  Sometimes it's like I'm her mom or something.

     Carla didn't listen to me, but kept on complaining.  Carla started to teeter-totter on the bench.  "Carla!  Watch out!"  I screamed.

     But it was too late, a poor kid walking by fell victim to Carla's stupidity.  Carla fell backwards on the kid.

     I got up.  I pulled Carla up off of the kid.  "Are you okay?"  I asked him.  He was a couple years younger than me.

     He ended up having to go to the nurse, but it wasn't too serious.  Carla complained about her  "aching back,"  though.

     "Oh!  My achin', crackin' back!"  She said in an old lady voice.  The PA system finally cleared out. 

     "Hello, students,"  Principal Harold said.  "Foreign Exchange student week is next Thursday!  If you want to house a foreign exchange student, than come to my office after lunch!"

     I thought it sounded interesting, so I called my mom and asked her.  She said that it would be okay.

     So after lunch was over, I headed towards Principal Harold's office.  "Hi Principal Harold."  I said.  Something about him was intimidating, but at the same time he was just a jolly, plump man.

     "Yes,"  He looked down at his clipboard,  "Abby Carson?  Would you like to house a foreign exchange student?"  I nodded.  "Great!"  He put a check mark in a box on the clipboard.

     "You're the second person to sign up for this."  He said.  I smiled.  He told me to wait in his office for a few minutes while he did some paperwork.

     "Okay, all done!"  He said, putting another check mark on a peice of paper attached to his clipboard and spinning around in his chair.

     "You will be housing Klugh Van Scoff.  She is a foreign exchange student from....  Germany!"  I smiled.  I thought it would be fun having a foreign exchange student live at my house for a little while.

     "She'll come next week!"  He said.  "I'll send you an e-mail with more information."  After that I thanked him and left.