Flora

I watched as Ruby continuously opened and closed the front door. The sound of the slam was getting annoying, and so was the draft of freezing cold air. I put down my book and yelled at her.

"Ruby Ann Northrop, stop opening and closing that door this instant! If Min were here, you'd be in major trouble!" I yelled to her. She closed the door for the last time and sighed.

"I'm mad because the snow is still outside! The stupid weather man said that it would be 60 degrees today! I really wanted to go to school! Today after school we were supposed to have auditions for the musical, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and I was trying out for Sally! I was ready with my audition song and everything! Why did it have to snow?" Ruby asked with her head down. She's obsessed with plays and musicals. Not me. I'd die of embarrassment if I had to go up on stage in front of everyone. I'm naturally shy that way. I'd much rather read a good book or sew a scarf with Min, our grandmother. Ruby and I are exact opposites. She's always been the outgoing one in the family, while I hide in the shadows. Sometimes, I think it should be the other way around, since I'm 2 years older than her in the first place.

"And you really think that opening and closing the door like a maniac would make the snow magically disappear?" I said while flashing my hands at the word "disappear".

"Yes." Said Ruby as she plopped down next to me on the couch. Sometimes Ruby can be a little too naïve.

I checked my watch and it read 9:23. Min said she would be back by 11:00. I couldn't wait that long. She said she was going to take Ruby, Olivia, and I over to Nikki's house. She also said that she had "big news" to tell us. Every time Min says that she's got "big news" it never disappoints, so I'm excited. Out of my impatience, I pick up the phone on the coffee table in front of me, and call one of my best friends, Olivia Walter, who lived next door to me in one of the Row Houses. The Row Houses were the set of attached houses that were over a hundred years old. We've had the honor to live in one of them, thanks to Min. My mom used to live here when she was my age. That was until, she and my dad died in a car accident on an icy December night a couple of years ago. Ruby and I were okay, but not when we realized what had happened to our parents.

"Hello?" a groggy sounding Olivia uttered through the phone.

"Hey Olivia! Why do you sound so awful?" I asked out of concern.

"Long day yesterday. Remember, that hovercraft experiment we get to do in science?" she asked

"Yeah…" I said, thinking of my hovercraft group, which were Andrew Harrison and Sarah Miller.

"Yeah, well my group is Melody Becker and Tanya Rhodes!" she yelled into the phone. Oops, that's not good.

"Tanya and Melody? Wow Olivia, you should switch groups. You'll get murdered!"

"Thanks, but I already asked Mr. Stevens. He said you can't switch groups." She solemnly sighed. I understood completely. Tanya and Melody always teased Olivia because she was not only the youngest person in the entire school, but she was also one of the smartest, and the smallest. She had skipped a grade and she had a late birthday. She always tried to look older, but to no avail. Melody and Tanya were the meanest people in our grade, and never let go the fact that Olivia's a little different.

"Look, um just try to ignore them when they call you names. I'm sure they won't, since teamwork is a part of your grade." I reassured her and then she continued to vent.

"And after school, I had to work for 5 hours at Cinnamon (*I forgot the name of the place ha-ha sorry*)! 5 whole hours! The longest I work there is 3! And then, I had to watch Jack and Henry. As usual, that was awful." Olivia complained. I began to fumble around with a decorative rock on Min's coffee table. I love Olivia like a sister, but sometimes, her conversations can get a little boring.

"…right Flora?" apparently, Olivia had said something, and I had dazed off, oops. I contemplated what to say until Ruby yelled something.

"OH NO! It's snowing even more outside! I'll never have school!" she yelled dramatically. She then collapsed on the floor with a hand on her forehead.

"Uh, Olivia, Ruby's having another drama attack. I'll call you back okay?" I said, glad for an excuse to get off the phone.

"Okay, talk to you soon!" she said and then hung up. I ran over to Ruby after putting down the phone and told her to get up.

"You'll have school eventually, and then you can have your little play audition. Until then, you should go uh practice." I said. At that, she got up and went upstairs to her room. I sighed and shook my head. I got back to my book instead of calling back Olivia. It's not that I didn't want to talk to her, but I was at a really interesting part in the book. I was reading Jolted, a book about a boy who's family is cursed with lightning. Everyone in his family has died of getting struck by lightning but him, and now he's out in the wilderness all by himself. Well, he also has a pet pig, but still somewhat by himself.

What seemed to be an hour had passed, so I put down the book and checked my watch. It was actually 10:46. Good, I can take up the rest of the time by talking to Olivia. I picked up the phone and dialed her number. She picked up on the 3rd ring, like she always did.

"Hey, what happened to you? Ruby didn't go berserk, did she?' she asked referring to the time where Ruby had sprained her ankle and overreacted a bit only because she couldn't perform in a play.

"No, but it took a lot of coaxing. And I kinda got caught up reading a book." I said, I couldn't really lie, no matter what.

"Oh, okay. Hey, didn't you say that Min was taking us to Nikki's house?" she asked. I replied with a yes and we continued to talk for a few more minutes until I heard the door unlock and open.

"Ooh, Min's here. Are you ready?"

"Yep, I just have to calm down Jack and Henry; of course they're fighting again. See you in a few!" she said

"Bye!" I said and then hung up. I ran over to Min as Ruby came charging down the stairs. She was already in her coat, snow boots, and gloves.

"Min! Are we ready to go and hear the big, big news?" she asked excitedly. I rolled my eyes and waited for Min's reply.

"Yes, but I need to rest for a minute. You can wait outside if you like. But Ruby, I would recommend that you put on a hat and scarf first." She said and Ruby huffed and walked back upstairs. I followed and got my winter gear. We came back down to the sight of Min on the phone.

"I bet she's talking to Mr. Pennington!" whispered Ruby in an immature tone. We recently found out that Min was dating Mr. Pennington, another one of our neighbors, and Min's long time friend. Well, used to be friend. Now he's her boyfriend. It's kind of strange referring to an old man as someone's boyfriend.

She got off the phone only to turn around and see us on the staircase watching. "Spying on me again, huh? No I was not talking to Mr. Pennington." She said as if reading our minds.

"Uh, then who were you talking to?" asked Ruby. She is so nosy!

Min laughed. "You'll find out soon." She said mysteriously. She then opened the door, letting in the frigid air, and we walked down the stairs. We went to Olivia's house, which was right next door. I rang the door bell, but Ruby knocked the door 3 times until Mr. Walter came out.

"Ruby, I guessed it was you knocking. Olivia, your friends are here!" he called. I could hear Olivia's small footsteps coming down the stairs and then she came up to the door.

"Thanks Dad. Bye everybody!" she called and we all said goodbye. We went inside of Min's car and went down the path in the street that was clear of snow. We eventually reached Nikki's house which was on the outskirts of town. Min turned off the car and we all hopped out.

"Be good you three." She said as she started to go back into the car.

"Wait! You said you had big news! What is it?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot. We should wait for Nikki to come out." She said as she motioned to the house where we saw Nikki and her little sister Mae peaking out of the bedroom window. We laughed as they soon darted down. We looked at the ramshackle of a house surrounded by stray cats and dogs and dry, snow covered grass. Nikki, clad in a large winter coat with a few rips in it and faded jeans ran out of the door and towards us.

"Hey guys! Hello Min." she said as she yanked at something in her blonde, short hair.

"Ew, what's that?" Ruby asked in disgust.

"It's a noodle. Mae must've put in my hair. I'm gonna get you Mae!" she yelled back at the house. Nikki's 8 year-old sister, who was watching us through the screen door, stuck her tongue out at us and we laughed. We then turned our attention back to Min.

"Well, I have big news like was stated earlier." Said Min, referring to Ruby's outburst.

"Yeah, yeah?" Ruby begged impatiently. I nudged her. "Ouch!"

"Well, my good friend and 'student' of sorts is coming to Camden Falls over the weekend with her friends and family for the annual Camden Falls Reading Festival!" she said to us. We all 'ooed" at this, except for Ruby.

"That's it?" she asked with genuine confusion.

"Yes, she's bringing her Mother-Daughter Book Club. You guys have a book club, don't you?" she asked

"Yes..." we replied.

"Well, the girls just so happen to be around your age! They could make the perfect pen pals!" she said in excitement.

"That's cool and all, but Camden Falls doesn't have an annual Reading Festival." Olivia pointed out.

"It does now! Gigi and I overheard some people talking about it." She said. There goes Min Reed, and Gigi Walter. The town gossips.

We all "ooed" again, even Ruby, although she hates reading.

"So, we not only get new friends, but an awesome reading festival? This is going to be awesome!" I said and everyone agreed. We all said goodbye to Min and went inside of Nikki's house.