Once Upon a Time: True Stories of an Aspiring Writer

Childhood Writings: A Tire Swing Smoothie Story

This is one of the few smoothie stories that I wrote. It was never completed, but I have fond memories of keeping a journal in the car at all times so I could work on the story during drives. I was ten when I wrote this. Please enjoy my superb storytelling and my sadistic revenge.

At the tire swing, Crazy Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, and Mint Swirl had gathered. Crazy Chocolate liked pushing. Mint Swirl could push, but preferred riding. Chocolate Chip was fond of both.

"I want to push," said Chocolate Chip. "You two get on."
"Ok," the others replied. 
"Crazy Chocolate can push next, and then Mint Swirl," said Chocolate Chip.
"But I hate pushing!" Mint Swirl cried.
"Too bad," said Crazy Chocolate. So Chocolate Chip pushed them until it was time to go inside.

At school the next day, the first thing Crazy Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, and Mint Swirl noticed was the school bulletin board:

Attention all smoothies! The tire swing has to be shut down. Sorry.

"WHAT?" yelled Mint Swirl. "I will go ask the teacher why it's closed."

"But the bright side is-" began Chocolate Chip." 

"There is no bright side!"

"Ask her why it's closed," said Crazy Chocolate.

A few minutes later, Mint Swirl came back. "It will be shut down next week," she said. "And it will be shut down because of the 4th graders. They demand pushes." "Thanks a lot, 4th grade!" said Crazy Chocolate. "It's torture," said Chocolate Chip.

It was time for recess. "The 4th graders will be sorry," said Mint Swirl.

Crazy Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, and Mint Swirl would not push the 4th graders. Instead, Large Vanilla came to the tire swing. "Who wants to be pushed?" she asked. "I do," said Mint Swirl and Chocolate Chip. So Large Vanilla pushed them until...PLOP.A small bomb was dropped by the tire swing.

"Who did that?" Large Vanilla asked. "The 4th graders," said Mint Swirl. "Hey, guys!" called Chocolate Chip. "You would not go on anymore, either!" Peppermint Twist and her group of 4th grade tire swing lovers took the bomb away. 

But then...BAM!!!! The smoothies looked back at the spot where the 4th graders had been. The 4th graders were shattered into pieces on the ground. The bomb had exploded. "Wow," whispered Mint Swirl. All the smoothies smiled.

The following day, Miss Madam Smoothie stated that there would be a funeral for the 4th grade tire swing lovers. It would be on Saturday. "All school students at this school are expected to come," she said. But Crazy Chocolate had gotten a new tire swing over the weekend. So Crazy Chocolate passed a note to Mint Swirl, Large and Small Vanilla, and Chocolate Chip. It said: Come to my house on Saturday. I got a new tire swing!

So on Saturday, all the smoothies who got the note went to Crazy Chocolate's house instead of the funeral. "This is so exciting!" Small Vanilla said in a quiet voice. Everyone there had to agree. Even Mint Swirl agreed to push. "I have an idea!" cried Chocolate Chip. "Let's come here every Saturday!" "Yeah!" chorused the other smoothies.

Meanwhile, at the funeral, Miss Madam Smoothie noticed that some smoothies were not there. "Anybody not here?" asked another teacher. "Yes," she said. "Large Vanilla, Small Vanilla, Mint Swirl, Crazy Chocolate, and Chocolate Chip. They will get a punishment on Monday."

On Monday, since the 4th graders were gone, the tire swing would be open. So when the smoothies went to the tire swing the next day, they were so happy! "I will push!" said Crazy Chocolate. Just then, Miss Madam Smoothie came over to the tire swing. "Hey!" she cried. The smoothies looked at her. "For not going to the funeral, you can't go on here anymore." "But...but...we can go on mine!" sputtered Crazy Chocolate. "I've asked your mom to take it out!" said Miss Madam Smoothie. "Aw, MAAAANNNN!"* whined Crazy Chocolate. 

 Lemon Lunatic** was the most popular smoothie in school. When the other smoothies were forced off the tire swing, Lemon Lunatic and her almost-as-popular friends, Orange Sherbet Swirl, Butter Pecan, and Strawberry, headed over. 

"I'll ride," announced Lemon Lunatic. "If I push, I'll get dirty, and I have to model after school. Then, I have voice lessons." 

"Hey, look at them!" cried Strawberry, pointing to Crazy Chocolate, Mint Swirl, and Chocolate Chip. "They can't go on!" They snickered. Mint Swirl sighed. They have had way too much of Lemon Lunatic. For example, she had always won the school's Best Dressed contest. And she proved she was always the best. Mint Swirl thought that Lemon Lunatic really was a lunatic. 

  After recess was lunch. "We need to consult my old friend, Peppermint Swirl. She is good at solving problems. She went to my old school," said Crazy Chocolate. The smoothies looked around to see if Lemon Lunatic was listening. They didn't see them. It turned out they were sitting at the cool table!

"Who is this?" said Lemon Lunatic. 

"Them," said Butter Pecan. 

"The dork tables are the other tables," stated Strawberry. Orange Sherbet Swirl forced them over. 

"Oops," said Chocolate Chip. 

The next day, Lemon Lunatic was leading the girls in a song she had written. It went like this: 

  Oh tire swing, oh tire swing, we love you!  You let us push us every single day,.. Except for Mint Swirl, and all her little friends. Let us be on forevermore, we love you! 

 Because of this song, they devised a plan. The next day, Crazy Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, and Mint Swirl posted this note:

 Had too much of Lemon Lunatic? Join us! –Crazy Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Mint Swirl

After school, three smoothies had joined them for The E-mail Club. They were Berry Blast, Blueberry, and Strawberry Banana. "Ok, here's the plan," said Mint Swirl. They had created rules and plans the day before. "But first, we have to show you the rules," informed Butter Pecan (Author's note: I'm not sure who Butter Pecan is. Can't help you there—sorry!). 

 They were:1. All must join in when creating an email.2. The club meets every Friday after school.3. Don't send messages to two or more smoothies unless necessary. Then the 3 smoothies told them the plan.

Ultimately, the smoothies were going to send an email to Lemon Lunatic that was supposedly from the principal telling her she wasn't allowed to use the tire swing. I'm not sure where they were going from there. Lemon Lunatic wasn't going to fall for it---she'd get the smoothies in trouble, giving them a further punishment, until they ended up doing her bidding until they got the tire swing back. Lesson learned? Breaking the rules sucks, but following them does too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inspirations of note:

*A common phrase used in Captain Underpants books, particularly by the main characters.

**Lemon Lunatic's name was derived from a Judy Blume novel in which the main character was coming up with names for an ice cream flavor naming contest. I think I derived another smoothie, Crazy Chocolate, the same way.