In My World

Chapter 1:

                I sprawled out on a blanket next to my best friend, Rose. I listened to all the noises; the train passing, the cars rumbling, the crickets chirping, the squirrels chattering, the birds singing, the lawn mowers buzzing in the distance, the tornado siren going off. I thought about the newest noise, the tornado siren went off! I kept thinking. I was outside! And quite a long run from the house.

            I looked over to Rose, who was already packing up. I started helping her as I rambled on in my head. Every time! I can’t be outside for five freakin’ minutes without something going on! Gos- I started running. The alarm had been ringing for the last ten minutes, which was how long it took us to realize it was going off, pack our stuff, and get to the porch.

            We looked up at mom, who just laughed.

“What?” We both screeched.

“That was a drill,” she laughed. “It goes off every Saturday."

Our jaws dropped in sync with our materials.

“Now go play or something. Lunch will be ready in a half-hour.”

             I raced to the clubhouse, Rose not far behind. I grabbed the broom, which was placed just so I could grab the splintered end, before I stumbled into the huge tin door. Rose crashed into me, sending my body to crash aginst the hardwood floor. We laughed and Rose helped me up. She plugged her IPod into the small speaker that we kept in the back corner and instantly Call Me Maybe came on. We sang and danced and laughed and cleaned and talked, the same as we do every time we clean the clubhouse together, which was often because the little place needed a LOT of work.

            We cleaned until mom came outside and told us we had five more minutes. She sat down in a lawn chair and lit a cigarette. Rose and I jumped on the neighbor's trampoline until she finished her death-in-a-stick. We dashed to the house as if we were being chased by a bull and we made it onto the porch just in time for mom to go inside to get our food. We sat outside at the glass table and waited to be served.

            Mom came out with four plates of food, two on her arms and two on her hands. The plates were full of taco salads, each one personalized for the consumer. She placed the plates accordingly to who sat where. Rose and I waited until mom and Ed sat down, and as soon as they did we stuffed our faces. The hot cheese burnt our faces and the sharp chips stabbed us but that didn't stop us. Rose finished first, then me, then Ed, and mom was last.

            Rose and I dashed down to the broken-down bridge and Eddy chased us. We all stopped at the foot of the bridge and Ed crawled into the creek to search for useless creatures. Rose crossed first, safely making it to the end with the speakers and IPod drier then I was when I finished. My entire left leg was soaked because it just had to slip and crash through the molded wood. We both ran to the thicker grass area and we halted. I walked in front of her, pulling the plants out of her way. I let a few of the plants hit her, just for the laughes.

            I lead us through the thorns and twigs that invaded the passageway and triumphantly staggered into The Clearing, leaving enough space for Rose to get through.  We walked side by side to our area. We sat and talked and listened to  music, much like in the clubhouse. A turtle came over from the bushes and slowly crept over to us. We stoked his beautiful shell and he walked on.