Here is my entry to Friday’s Flash Foto Fiction – trying something new again…
Whew, it’s been a long week – and year for that matter. I should be happy school is almost over. Wow…it’s the last week of school before summer starts.
Summer…ah…summer…
I won the race today. It felt great – the crowd cheered, my classmates smiled and hugged me, and I fit in for once.
If only I didn’t have to say goodbye to 6th grade. I’m finally at the top of the world, and now that stage in life is ending. I guess I have grown up some, I should be ready.
But I’m still a kid. Who likes to day-dream. Will I have to stop day-dreaming when I start 7th grade?
I’m scared of going to a different school. I’m afraid of so many things. I wish I could just stay here and float away to a place where I’ll always fit in.
Wouldn’t that be nice? To always fit in. Like I do right now. Even with these skinny legs, and my black, “my mom got them on sale” shoes, I fit in. I run fast in them, and that helped me win the 50-yard dash.
No wonder my legs hurt. This feels so good to prop them up and let them rest.
Ah…the sound of the waves hitting the boat is comforting. And relaxing. I could stay here all day. I don’t need to go fishing to relax, like my dad. Wonder if he’ll be mad? Mad at me for hiding out here in his boat.
They have no idea where I went after I got home from school. Mom and Dad will worry, no doubt. But, I don’t care, I’m going to stay here. For a while longer.
To day-dream…a girl’s gotta day-dream.
Where will I find the courage to go to 7th grade? There’s so much to learn, so much to do to fit in. It scares the heck out of me. I want to swear and say, “Hell”. But I don’t want to be a bad girl, I want to just fit in.
When will I have to shave my legs? Look at ’em, they stand out enough already. When will I get my period? I heard the other girls talking about it. I’m a late bloomer, I guess. When will I understand boys? Tommy is kind of cute…wonder if he’ll notice me before summer starts?
When will I be ready for any of this grown-up stuff?
Oh, crap…I hear Mom calling…”Abby…Abby…Abby!”
I guess I better go – It’s a good thing I’ve got all summer to find the answers to my questions.
Post Inspiration – Friday Foto Flash Fiction – Check out the rules and link here.
PS – What are your favorite memories of childhood and the end of a school year? What do you have planned for summer? Can you believe it is May 31st already?
Wow, Shelley, something new & different from our beloved Quaint Revival! I love this short story. The Girl is moving on to 8th grade, and these are exactly the types of thoughts that she has shared with me & The Boss after 6th & now 7th grades. She puts so much pressure on herself and has, in my opinion, a bit more anxiety about her future than I think is healthy. But of course, we do our best to help her deal. Great job!
Thank you, Denny. Having been a teenager girl, and raising two, this stage is real and scary and fun all at the same time. I do think girls put too much pressure on themselves. You and The Boss are wise to stay in touch with The Girl during this stage – it takes a different approach to parenting – LISTEN lots and don’t give too much parental advice. Good luck! You’ll survive this stage, too, we all do! 😉
Great writing, Shelley! I finished High Skrewel, that was enough school for me…
Thank you, John. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that :-)!
Thanks! Life has worked out well… ❤️
You’re welcome – Retired and doing what you want before your 60 – yes, life has worked out for you!
Shelley,this was lovely. It took me back to that time in my life. I was an awkward too-tall tomboyish child so I rarely felt like I fit in with with the crowd. I was always excited for summer, not so much for school to start again.
This reminded me of how Judy Blume approaches her writing. What a nice short story to read this morning.
Thank you, Maggie. It is indeed an awkward time. I went through it with Judy’s Are You There God It’s Me Margaret ;-)!
Oh my, you brought back so many memories of that age. I felt her emotions – I shared them. Well done!! So glad you continue to join in the Friday Flash!!
DB McNicol
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I think the answer to the questions are…we are never really ready, we just deal with it and try to smile. Oh, to stay in the boat and daydream…
Yes, you’re right, Anita. That longing we have as humans to continue finding the answers is the perfect reason to stay in a boat and daydream!
I liked this – something different from you Shelley. I don’t want to sound like a Debbie Downer but going from elementary school to middle school was welcome as I was bullied in 6th grade by classmates and the teacher because I just moved here from Canada and spoke Oxford English (very precise and had a Canadian accent) – it continued and was worse at Huff Junior High. The teacher I had for multiple subjects, Study Hall and Homeroom paddled me on a daily basis as my classmates would report me throwing spit balls, chewing gum or talking when the teacher went to the lounge for a smoke break. The day she accused me of making obscene phonecalls to her home on Easter Sunday, I had enough and marched to the 7th Grade Principal’s office and asked them to call my parents … my mom didn’t drive and my father had a horrible temper and that is why I never said anything. He came home from work and they came to the school together … the teacher was suspended the rest of the year – a new teacher was brought in for English, History, Home Room, and Study Hall and this teacher whipped the classroom into order and I was never abused verbally or physically again. I loved school when we lived in Canada and hated the school year to end though I had friends which I played outside with all Summer at our houses or the end of the street in the meadow.
Thank you, Linda. Aw, I’m saddened to read of your struggles in school here in the US. Way to speak up for yourself and to finally get it to stop. How horrible, simply horrible it must have been.
Reading your words, I wondered, have we really gotten better as a society – cyber bullying is rampant – and it appeared from your story that bullying was then too. I’d hate to think it is ‘normal’ part of life?! Yikes. I’m glad you have some fond memories of that time in life. Thank you for sharing. xx
You’re welcome Shelley. I knew if I told my parents that my hot-headed father would go to the school and make it even worse – more taunting by the teacher and classmates. I wrote a post about how my first year here, in sixth grade, my teacher would make me stand up and read aloud to the class while everyone tittered over my pronunciation of words. If I attend the anti-bullying event this Fall, I’ll link to that post which I wrote several years ago. I hate to think it is “normal” too but kids probably see the lure of social media from their parents to begin with, then grow up drawn to it like a magnet … the more the merrier – how do they keep up with FB posts by the hundreds? Peer pressure is a horrible thing – worse than when we were in school.
Insightful thoughts of a middle schooler. It is so hard to understand what could be in their thoughts!
Thank you. I agree, and I wondered that often both as a pre-teen/teen and raising two of them!