Middle School

Chapter 4

Two weeks passed of school, and Mary's popularity was through the roof. Edith, Julie, and most of the other girls did what she said. If Mary asked them to get her an extra bagel at lunch, and then handed them a dollar to pay, they'd say no to the money and buy it with their own. It made Mary feel sort of guilty.

Mary's master plan was working. Her mother didn't know about the quiz or the failing grade.

On one particular Monday morning, Mary woke up to streaks of pink light dancing on her bedspread. A cool breeze drifted in through her cracked window, fluttering the curtains. The morning felt happy.

Mary felt great, mostly about how she and Wren were pretty much all patched up. They talked on the phone every few days, and they waved in the halls. Once, they even passed notes during one of their homeroom teacher's lectures. They were both trying out for student council. Mary found her cell and called Wren.

"Greetings, you've reached the faboo Wren McCoy. Just kidding, hey, Mary!" Wren giggled. It was almost like normal.

"Uh, hey. So, I've got something to tell you." Wren asked what she needed to tell her, and Mary retold the story from about a week and a half ago.

"So you know James, right? Well, I heard he had a crush on me from one of his friends. I realized I like him too, right, and so I told him that I was going to see the It movie Friday. He was, too, and so he invited me to sit next him. I was like, heck yeah! But of course I didn't physically say that. I just said okay."

"Oh, my, gosh! He really did?" Wren asked.

"Yep!" Mary continued, "and the movie rocked. I almost kissed him when he walked me out, but my lips were like, NOPE, and so I never did." Wren sighed, then laughed. She said goodbye, and they both hung up.

Mary slid on some black leggings, a hot pink shoulderless tunic, and her Converse. She slipped a headband into her hair and a bow choker necklace onto her neck. She looked in the mirror. Mary liked the new choker necklace she had gotten, and this was her first chance to wear it.

Mary smiled to herself and decided to walk to school. She slipped her backpack onto her shoulder and texted her mom she was leaving. Her mom never replied, but of course, Mary knew she was hard at work and didn't have time to reply to each microscopic message from a twelve year old.

When Mary opened her door, the cool, early October air hit her. The thin leggings pressed against her legs, shivering with the wind. The sidewalk was littered with red and orange leaves, and Mary caught a glimpse of blue. She craned her neck to see what it was, but she couldn't find that obscure blue vision she had seen a fraction of a second ago.

Mary softly planted her foot onto the concrete steps, and heard a soft crinkling noise under foot. She glanced down to see a deep red leaf. Mary looked at the wine red leaf in awe. She had never seen one that color before.

Mary bent down and unconsciously swiped up the leaf before continuing to search for the blue. Mary found a golden yellow leaf, very close to the glimpse of blue. Mary picked up the golden leaf and added it to her red wine leaf.

Finally, Mary saw a faded blue leaf. Mary raised her eyebrows and had to clench her jaw to keep her mouth from hanging open. The unique ashen cobalt blue leaf was added to her assortment.

Mary hurried back inside and slipped the leaves into a large Ziploc bag. She closed the bag with a pop! and slipped it into her backpack. Mary thought it would be cool to start a trend; collecting mind-blowingly colored leaves.

Mary checked the clock; school started in a half hour. Maybe she and Wren could walk to school together? Mary texted Wren, and Wren replied she was walking with Spencer, but she could join them at Leading Corner.