November 25, 2014
AP Language and Composition
8:51 A.M.
As the clock ticked closer and closer to the end of the period, Mr. Turner's first period class, including Dorothy Ann, Keesha, Tim, and Arnold, scribbled the final few words to their assigned essay on the value of a college education. After the last student had handed in their paper, Mr. Turner resumed his position at the front of the room.
"Congratulations! You're finished with your second practice essay of the year!" At the comment, the class erupted in cheers and high fives. The essays in AP Language and Composition were some of the most intense the students had had up to date; getting through one was always a cause for celebration. Mr. Turner smirked at the response. "Before you get too excited, you should know that the school has required each of the English classes to hand out an additional essay over the Thanksgiving Break." This news quickly brought an end to the applause.
"This essay should be simple enough: you are to write on something for which you are thankful. Essays must be 1500 words or more, double spaced, size twelve Times New Roman font—you all know the drill by now." As he spoke, Mr. Turner handed out a single sheet of paper detailing the instructions for the assignment to each student.
DA gazed upon the page before her miserably. She'd been looking forward to a break from her rigorous schedule. Besides, what did she have to write about?
Looking around the classroom, the rest of her classmates had begun discussing their own topics for the paper. Not in the mood to chat, DA shoved the paper into her folder and packed up her belongings, mind racing. Clearly, this break wasn't going to be as relaxing as she had hoped.
November 25, 2014
Walkerville High Cafeteria
11:38 A.M.
"Sucks to be you," Wanda remarked upon hearing about the essay assignment from her friends. "I told you taking AP Lang was a mistake."
"You know, all of the English classes have to write the essay," Tim remarked as he sat down at the table. "Including yours."
Wanda was horrified by the comment—having not had English yet, she hadn't been informed that she'd be required to write an essay as well. "That's bullshit!"
"Language, Wan," DA reminded with a sigh. "And yes, it is."
"Even DA is annoyed about the essay?" Carlos joked. "Never thought I'd see the day."
DA rolled her eyes. "Vacation is supposed to be a time to destress, not complete some meaningless essay. How is my future going to be improved because of this paper?"
"DA's just mad because she doesn't know what to write," Arnold guessed. Judging by DA's silence, he knew he was correct.
"I don't see what the big deal is," Ralphie commented through a mouthful of sandwich. "There's tons you can be thankful for!"
Keesha shook her head indignantly. "Maybe for us, but what if you were one of the native inhabitants of this country? Imagine being taken advantage of and murdered the way the Native Americans were!"
"You hate Thanksgiving now?" Ralphie moaned, resulting in an elbow to his gut. "Ouch! Okay, maybe you have a point," he conceded, appeasing his girlfriend. "But today, Thanksgiving is just about food and family. What's to complain about?"
"You realize you can't write your essay on food, right?" DA reminded shortly.
"I can't?"
DA pressed her lips together. "No! You're supposed to write about something inciteful!"
"Inciteful?" Ralphie thought for a second. "Maybe this'll be harder than I thought…"
The gang nodded in agreement, each unsure what they could write their essays on. Maybe Thanksgiving would hold some inspiration.
Wanda
November 27, 2014
Wanda's Bedroom
9:34 A.M.
Wanda was lying in bed, enjoying her time off from school, when a heavy mass land on top of her. "Oomph!"
"Wake up, Wanda!" William chanted, lying on top of her.
Wanda shoved the boy off of her bed. "What do you want?" She groaned, pulling the blankets over her head.
"Mom told me to wake you up so we could spend the day together!" William explained, pulling the comforter to the ground. Wanda rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. Of course, her mom was behind this—the woman never seemed to understand what break was all about: sleeping in. William stood up and tapped Wanda on the shoulder. "Hurry up!"
"Fine, I'm coming," Wanda grunted, pushing herself up off the bed. Satisfied, William scurried out of the bedroom, leaving Wanda to get dressed, brush her teeth, and throw on a quick coat of make-up. Once ready for the day, Wanda stomped down the stairs and into the living room.
From the kitchen, her mother called her name. "Wanda, is that you?"
Wanda crossed her arms impatiently. Obviously it was her—who else would it be? "Yes. Mom."
Mrs. Li poked her head into the room. "Could you entertain William for me? I'm cooking dinner."
"Why can't William help you?"
"I'm on the phone with Annette." Annette was her mother's new publicist. The two seemed to constantly be on the phone to one another, and Wanda wondered what the two could possibly be talking about on Thanksgiving that was so important.
Wanda brushed a piece of hair away from her face. "Aren't we supposed to be doing something together?" It was a weak argument; Wanda was hardly interested in a family day at home. But watching her brother meant playing one of his dumb games, and that was even worse than whatever a family day might entail.
Mrs. Li shot Wanda a pleading look. "It's an important call, Wanda. Just play with William for a bit, please?"
"Fine." As if on cue, William appeared down the stairs. Mrs. Li grinned at Wanda, mouthed a quick thank you, and resumed her work in the kitchen.
Wanda looked down at William, frowning. "What do you want to do, squirt?"
"You want to do something with me?"
"Sure." Wanda decided not to enthrall William with the details of the conversation she'd just had with their mother. "So, what do you do for fun these days? Video games, right?" Wanda walked over to the TV and picked up a controller.
William nodded a grabbed a controller of his own. "I'm in the middle of Lego Star Wars," William answered, turning on the system.
Wanda moaned internally. She'd hoped that her brother might be playing something remotely cool, but clearly she was mistaken. Still, she didn't feel like getting lectured by her mother, so obligingly, she sat down on the sofa and began playing the game with William.
A few minutes later, Wanda heard her mother hang up the phone. If only she had a good excuse to leave the house, she could get away from William and this Lego madness. It was then that the phone rang again.
Mrs. Li picked up the phone and chatted with the person on the other end for a little while. Wanda figured it was just Annette, with some other information about her mom's most recent article, but when the call finished, Mrs. Li walked into the living room. "Wanda, Mrs. Ramon was wondering if you'd like to join Mikey and Carlos at their house for Thanksgiving."
Wanda's head shot up at the invitation. "Can I go?"
"I told her it was okay with me," Mrs. Li replied. She hadn't had much planned for the day anyway, and really, she was happy that Wanda and William wouldn't be bickering all through dinner.
Wanda leapt up from the couch and raced for the door. "See you later!" She called, slipping on a pair of flats.
"Be home by 10:00!"
"Okay!" Wanda slipped out of the front door and hurried to the Ramon's house.
I'm so thankful that my boyfriend's family likes house guests.
Keesha
November 27, 2014
Franklin House
12:13 P.M.
Keesha sat in front of her computer, browsing the internet disinterestedly. She didn't feel like writing her essay just yet, and her friends all had their own celebrations going on, meaning she was forced to entertain herself. She was mindlessly watching the umpteenth cat video on YouTube when there was a knock at the front door.
Confused, Keesha shut down the browser. Her grandmother hadn't mentioned any guests would be coming over, and the two didn't have a large feast planned. Keesha walked to the front door and swung it open, revealing a friendly face on the other side.
"Phoebe?"
Sure enough, Phoebe stood on the front porch, a grocery bag in hand. Phoebe grinned and pulled Keesha into a hug. "Happy Thanksgiving!"
"Uh… Happy Thanksgiving…" Keesha returned the gesture unsurely.
Sensing her hesitation, Phoebe quickly explained herself. "I know you were feeling down about Thanksgiving yesterday, and since you didn't have anything planned, I thought I'd check up on you."
"Won't your dad miss you?"
Phoebe shook her head. "He won't be home until late tonight. Can I come in?"
"Of course!" Keesha stepped aside, letting her friend into the house. As Phoebe took off her jacket, Keesha cocked her head at the bag Phoebe was carrying. "What's in there?"
"Well, I thought I'd bring you a bit of Thanksgiving, even if you don't particularly like the holiday," Phoebe answered. She opened up the bag, revealing two sandwiches, drinks, and a portion of chips. "Yours is turkey."
Keesha laughed at the makeshift turkey feast Phoebe had brought over. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble."
"I wanted to," Phoebe insisted, still grinning. "Sorry I couldn't bring over an actual feast, but I thought that might be a bit excessive for the two of us. Especially when one of us doesn't do turkey."
"This is perfect!" Keesha led Phoebe to the kitchen and pulled out two plates for the food and glasses for the drinks. As she poured the sugary drinks into the cups, Phoebe set out the food. The two then sat down at Keesha's kitchen table and dug into their food, all the while telling stories and laughing about the past antics of their friends.
In that moment, Keesha knew she was thankful to have a best friend like Phoebe.
Tim
November 27, 2014
Hudson House
1:12 P.M.
"What do toddlers like to do?" Tim murmured, watching his sister crawl around the living room. Tim was in charge of keeping an eye on Andrea while his parents worked in the kitchen, preparing the Thanksgiving feast. Later, his grandparents would be coming to visit, but for now, Tim and his sister were left to amuse themselves.
Andrea simply gurgled back at Tim. While she could say few words by now, she was hardly forming coherent sentences. Tim couldn't help but smile at the attempt at conversation. The two "chatted" for a few more minutes as Tim attempted to come up with some form of entertainment.
"You like TV, don't you?" While Tim's parents tried not to expose Andrea to too much television, from time to time they had caught the toddler staring at the screen, fixated by the colors and sounds. "Do you want to see some of my projects from Multimedia last year?" Tim took the loud cooing as a yes.
He pulled out his laptop and opened some of the files from the previous year to show his sister. His favorite had been a short episode that he had animated the previous year, all about the gang's first trip to space. Of course, when Mr. Harmon had asked about the idea, Tim insisted that it was a fictional account.
As Andrea watched the episode with enthusiasm, Tim felt his heart warm up. Maybe he would make more episodes of he and his friend's escapades in Ms. Frizzle's class for the kid to enjoy. It could be a fun project for him, even though he was no longer taking Multimedia.
One thing Tim knew for certain, though, was how thankful he was for his little sister.
Carlos
November 27, 2014
Ramon House
5:02 P.M.
As the Ramon's sat down at the dinner table, it occurred to Carlos just how large his family was. Of course, he and his parents and Mikey were present, as well as Wanda, but also at the table were aunts, uncles, cousins, and his abuela. Most of the kids sat in the kitchen at a makeshift kids table, but somehow Carlos, Mikey, and Wanda had been lucky enough to make it to the adult's table. Weird – since when did anyone consider Wanda an adult?
As the food started to get passed around the table, conversation was in full swing. His Uncle Diego was talking about his new girlfriend and their one year old, a sweet niña named Angelina. His father then recounted the story of how he'd met Mrs. Ramon, and soon the conversation was on little Mikey and his new girlfriend.
"How did you two meet?" Aunt Camila questioned interestedly.
Mikey recounted the project he and Wanda had been assigned together, as well as their brief encounters in third grade. The table whistled at the mention that Wanda was Carlos's friend, each member having heard hundreds of stories about Carlos's group of friends. It was no secret that Wanda was in fact the instigator of many of the gang's hijinks, and Uncle Diego was in stitches at the thought that this would be the girl for Mikey.
"She's a wild one, no?" Uncle Diego chortled.
Mikey grew flush at the comment, but Wanda seemed to have no problem with her reputation. "I do my best!"
"She does her worst is more like it," Carlos deadpanned, provoking more laughter from the table.
"Atta, girl!" Wanda beamed at the praise, happy to be appreciated for once.
As conversation drifted, attention turned away from the younger generation. Still, it didn't slip by Carlos's attention when Mikey began holding Wanda's hand under the table, or when Wanda leaned over to Mikey to whisper to him a joke. Seeing how cozy the two appeared, Carlos was, for the first time, glad that Wanda had asked out his brother. While Wanda wasn't the kind of girl Carlos had imagined for Mikey, she seemed to make him happy.
And if there was one thing that Carlos was grateful for, it was his brother's happiness.
Arnold
November 27, 2014
Perlstein House
6:34 P.M.
Once again, Arnold hit the play button on the answering machine. The familiar voice of his mother reached his ears. "Arnold, your father and I will be at work late. You'll have to find something for dinner yourself. Have a good Thanksgiving!"
Arnold frowned at the message, even though he'd heard it several times before. He'd been hoping that his parents might have found some way to get out of the office early, but evidently, they would be late, just as promised. He didn't know why it bothered him to spend the night alone; his parents stayed at the firm late several nights a week. Occasionally, Arnold would go to bed before they even got home. Still, they normally made it home in time for dinner on holidays. Arnold couldn't remember the last time he spent Thanksgiving by himself.
Arnold's phone buzzed, signaling that he had received a text message. He looked down at the phone, expecting a quick 'Happy Thanksgiving' from one of his friends. However, to his surprise, a text from his cousin popped up on the screen. 'Having a party tonight. Come if you want.'
Hmm. Janet's parents must be stuck working late, too. The Perlstein's shared a law firm, inherited from Arnold's grandfather, so it was no surprise that Janet had free reign of the house. What was a surprise was that she had invited Arnold over. She must have felt bad that he'd be home all alone.
Arnold typed a brief 'No, thank you' message back, but for some reason, he hesitated over the send button. Janet's parties really weren't Arnold's kind of scene, and he'd probably be an outcast without his friends. Then again, he really didn't want to face an evening on his own. Maybe the party wouldn't be that bad?
With his mind set, Arnold slipped on his jacket and left the house, making sure to turn off the lights and lock the door behind him. The walk to Janet's house wasn't too bad, only ten minutes or so. Once there, he paused for only a second before pushing open the familiar door and entering the house.
All of the guests, presumably Janet's friends, sat around the luxurious living room, talking about boring gossip from school. As expected, Arnold didn't really know any of them, apart from the occasional passing in the school hallway. However, they all seemed to grin at Arnold as he came in.
"Arnold Perlstein, didn't expect to see you," one girl commented before taking a sip from what appeared to be a bottle of gin.
Arnold rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, I didn't have anywhere else to go…"
"Glad to know I'm your last resort," Janet remarked casually. Arnold winced, wondering if his cousin was really upset about the comment. "Well, come on and sit down." Apparently, she wasn't too hurt by the statement.
The first girl offered the bottle to Arnold, who after some persuading, accepted it. Seeing all eyes on him, Arnold wondered if he really had to drink the foul-smelling liquid. Not wanting to stand out any more than he already did, he took a small sip—enough to please the party guests, apparently, who all hooped and hollered as he drank.
The boy beside him patted him on the back. "Didn't think you had it in you."
Arnold shrugged, passing the bottle along. He didn't see what the big deal was; the drink had only been okay, and he felt the same afterwards. Still, if his parents knew that he had had something to drink, they might not feel the same way.
"So, where's you little group of friends?" another boy taunted, prompting snickers from the rest of the group.
"Probably at home," Arnold answered shortly, not wanting to think about the lovely evenings his friends must be having with their families.
The first girl, who had clearly been at the gin for a while, grabbed Arnold's hand. "Well, we'll be your friends for tonight." Arnold pulled his hand away; the gesture felt wrong when Phoebe wasn't on the other end. He gave the girl a nod, though, to show he appreciated the words.
And, to Arnold's astonishment, the group stood true to those words. The conversation reverted back to high school gossip, but Arnold was actually included in the discussion. He even contributed a few times, much to the enjoyment of the group. Arnold could only imagine how he looked to Janet's guests—the regularly straight-laced student council president, sipping gin and laughing about the school's other students. For that night, though, he didn't care about appearances or standing out.
How thankful he was that he didn't stay home today.
Ralphie
November 27, 2014
Tenelli House
7:28 P.M.
All day, Ralphie had been thinking hard, trying to come up with a topic for his essay. He'd even asked Jake what he should write about a few times. He hadn't been much help, besides further asserting that Ralphie couldn't just write about food. He'd suggested something cheesy, like being grateful for access to water or education, but Ralphie didn't feel strongly about any of the suggested topics. After that, he'd left Jake to his work in the kitchen, probably preparing something for dinner since his mom was at work.
Ralphie texted the group, asking what they were writing about, but nobody responded. 'Probably eating,' Ralphie moped, thoughts on his own rumbling stomach. He wished his mom would get home so they could start dinner. Peering at the clock, Ralphie sighed. 'She should be here by now.'
Ralphie settled for watching TV, a struggle considering the strange noises coming from the kitchen. He wondered if Jake had ever cooked a meal before; judging by the cursing, probably not. On that note, it did smell like something was burning. Ralphie considered getting up and offering his help to his mom's fiancé, but then again, what did Ralphie know about cooking?
Fortunately, Dr. Tenelli arrived home before anything caught fire. She said hello to Ralphie before trekking into the kitchen, curious about the smell. Ralphie turned off the TV and followed his mom, hoping her arrival meant dinner would be starting soon.
In the kitchen, Dr. Tenelli and Jake were in the middle of a passionate kiss, something Ralphie would never get used to seeing. Looking around, he could see the cause of the romantic gesture—it was clear Jake had been doing his best to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for the family. While most of the food appeared inedible, Ralphie could appreciate all the work he had put into the meal. Apparently, so could his mom.
Since the feast was a bust, Jake ordered a pizza (with no anchovies, thank goodness), and the three sat around the TV, watching football together until the food arrived. While Jake and Dr. Tenelli seemed fixated on the game, Ralphie couldn't help but notice the way the two were curled up together, fingers intertwined.
Ralphie grinned. He was thankful his mom had met Jake. And that he hadn't interfered in their first date too much. Besides the laxatives…
He still regretted the use of laxatives.
Phoebe
November 27, 2017
Terese House
8:09 P.M.
Phoebe arrived home from Keesha's house after a long day of reminiscing, only to find that her house was still empty. Frowning, she peered out the front window. Where was her dad? She'd expected him to be home by now. Worried, she tried to figure out a plan of action. She could always go next door and ask Stevie for help, but she wasn't sure what he could reasonably do. She didn't have a phone number to call her dad at, and she had no idea where he might have gone off to. Still, it would be nice to have somebody to by her side.
Before she could go and get the neighbors involved though, the front door opened and Mr. Terese entered, a large grin on his face. Relieved, Phoebe pulled her dad into a tight hug, a gesture that caught the man off-guard.
"Phoebe! Is everything okay?"
"You're so late!" Phoebe exclaimed, still holding her father. "I was worried about you!"
Mr. Terese nodded in understanding and let his daughter finish her hug. Once Phoebe had calmed down enough to let go, he smiled at her. "Phoebe, the reason I was so late is… Well, I got offered a job down at the business office!"
"Really?" Phoebe's mouth fell open. "That's great!" she cried, pulling him into another hug.
Laughing, Mr. Terese returned the gesture. "It doesn't pay too much, but it's better than the temp jobs I've been working. I meant to get home sooner, but the manager insisted on giving me a tour of the building, and afterwards, I wanted to get something to celebrate…" Pulling away from Phoebe, Mr. Terese turned around and picked up a grocery bag.
"You didn't have to get anything…"
"No, but I did!" Mr. Terese opened the bag and pulled out a bright pink box. Inside the box were 6 perfectly frosted cupcakes, each a different flavor. Phoebe clapped her hands in delight, and the two sat down at the kitchen table, sharing cupcakes while Mr. Terese recalled every detail of his new job.
As she listened, Phoebe was thankful that her dad was able to find a job, and that she could share in his happiness that evening.
Dorothy Ann
November 27, 2014
DA's Bedroom
9:02 P.M.
Sighing, DA scrolled through her Facebook news feed for what felt like the hundredth time. She'd sat down at her computer to begin work on her essay for AP Lang, but she still had no inspiration. Thusly, she was reduced to browsing the internet mindlessly, hoping something came to her.
As she refreshed the page, DA saw familiar pictures that she'd scrolled through a dozen times already. Still, it was nice to see her friend's smiling faces, even if it was through a screen. Keesha had posted a picture of her and Phoebe, laughing in her living room. Apparently, the two had spent the day together. She saw an image Carlos's mom had posted, featuring her sons and Wanda amongst a crowd at the dining room table. Tim had written about introducing his sister to a cartoon he had made. Janet had taken a selfie at some party she threw with a group of kids from school, including, to her surprise, Arnold. Ralphie had taken a picture of a clearly-burnt meal, with Jake tagged.
DA grinned at the images and posts. Maybe she didn't have much going on in her life, but she was thankful that her friends had reasons for happiness in their own.