• “Remind me again why you can’t go to the movies Friday?”
    Laura’s voice was annoyed, even over the phone.
    Kate sighed to herself and explained again.
    “My mom says I can’t go anywhere until I finish that book report Miss Moore assigned us.”
    “SO. FINISH. IT.” Laura was working herself into a rage. Unnecessary, but entertaining. With a failed attempt at keeping the laughter out of her voice, Kate said,
    “You know it’s going to take me hours. Ok, now I have to go- Lena and Daniel will want a snack now that I’m back. See you.”
    “Or not.” grumbled Laura, and hung up.
    Kate giggled to herself. Talking with Laura always put her in a good mood.
    Now, for a snack. Her sister, Lena, was two and at her sweetest stage. Kate’s brother, Daniel, was four and at the stage where it made your head hurt just to imagine his tantrums.
    But, at 12, it fell to her to be in charge. This included watching them after school, so that her mother didn’t have to pay a babysitter full time.
    Kate went downstairs, said “Hey kiddo!” to Lena, and put Lena in her highchair.
    “Kay!” yelled Lena, while Kate pulled Daniel off the counter where he had been attempting to reach a pack of Kate’s gum off the top shelf.
    “Hey guys! Do you want a snack?”
    “Yeah!” both kids screamed.
    Kate busied herself making chicken and juice for the kiddies, made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and fed Lena while calling two of her best friends, Ron and Emmett.
    “Hi guys! Can you come over?” she asked hopefully. Daniel loved Emmett, and Emmett did not always appreciate this.
    Of course, Emmett asked warily,
    “Is Daniel there?”
    “PLEASE come over anyway! I’ll go nuts without you here! We’ll lock him in a closet!” Kate said desperately. The boys, as she sometimes called Ron and Emmett, did in fact keep her sane when her duties as a big sister made her kooky.
    “Ok, ok” they said.
    “Thanks.” She hung up.
    About five minutes later, Ron and Emmett walked in.
    Ron was pale, of medium height, and had a fairly wild temper. Emmett was very tall, olive skinned, and very funny and smart.
    “So, about locking Daniel in a closet…” said Emmett, laughing, as Daniel came screaming to meet him.
    Kate lowered her voice.
    “Do you guys want to go grab some food?”
    “Sure.” said Ron eagerly.
    Kate went to Daniel and said,
    “ Hey Dani, do you want to watch some TV? I’m going to go to the store really quick, and if you can keep out of any trouble for ten minutes, I’ll bring you some gum.”
    Daniel’s face lit up. He loved gum more than any candy or cake.
    “Ya!”
    “‘Kay, be right back.”
    Lena was not allowed to stay without Kate, which Kate thought was stupid, because of course Lena was mostly more mature than Daniel, but it was her mom’s rule, and so it had to be followed.
    Kate put on Lena’s jacket, then put on her own, and ushered the boys outside.
    They walked to the store quickly and bought Daniel’s gum, some salt and vinegar chips, and two bottles of ginger ale.
    As they were checking out, in walked the two people they least wanted to see- Ruby Walker was fat, stupid, and rude. Her sidekick, Kelsey Day, was just as ugly and stupid, but much smaller.
    Kate smiled coldly, but said nothing. This was her and her friends’ way of insulting anyone who disliked them—they acted indifferently. Their philosophy came from Kate’s mother—she always said the best way to insult anyone was to act like you absolutely did not care about them. They rarely slipped and let out comebacks, because they considered it hitting below the belt. All the people in Kate’s group of friends were smart enough to produce a comeback or insult that could reduce someone to tears.
    They checked out and left without a backward glance.
    When they had arrived home, given Daniel his gum, and put Lena down for her afternoon nap, they went to Kate’s room, opened their snacks, and laughed at the look on Ruby and Kelsey’s faces when the friends had ignored them.
    Ron and Emmett were some of Kate’s best friends. One reason many people her age disliked Kate was that Kate got along with boys just as well, if not better, as girls. This jealousy resulted about many rumors about Kate’s “boyfriends.” This, the friends shook off and laughed about.
    “You’d think that they’d get bored of something that isn’t true. But I suppose they have nothing better to do than spread rumors.” Said Kate, smiling, as the subject changed to the newest rumor at their middle school- that Ron and Kate were going out.
    “Yeah, honestly, I feel sorry for those people. Imagine having nothing better to do than spread rumors that have been used thirty times this year already.” Said Kate’s mother, walking in.
    “Hey Mom!” said Kate, standing up and hugging her mother- Kate and her mother had a great relationship that was not so much mother/daughter, as much as closest friends.
    “Hi Julia.” Ron and Emmett said, “Do you want us to go home now?”
    The boys always were extremely polite to Kate’s mother, for one thing because she tolerated no disrespect, and second, because Julia was easy to like.
    “No, no, of course you can stay for dinner.”
    They boys promptly took out their cell phones and called their parents.
    When both had give the ok, they went upstairs.
    Kate’s father was never home during the week, because he worked far away, so he rented an apartment near his office. He came home Friday nights.
    When dinner was finished, Ron and Emmett both got picked up, and Kate, after a quick talk with her mother about homework, went down to bed.

    The next day, Kate got on the bus and rode to school.
    Her first class was her favorite- language with Miss Moore was great.
    Miss Moore was young, pretty, fun, and laughed readily.






    This is actually a writing project that my real "Miss Moore" assigned me. Not finished, though.