By: CNJ
PG-13
4: Athletics, Acne and Other Affects of Adolescence
Stacey:
All of us BSC came on Saturday
to Stoneybrook High's first soccer game to cheer Abby and Kristy on. The
fall weather was perfect for a game; it was cool and crisp now and the
trees were definitely starting to change. On our way to the game, we pointed
out colorful trees and since it was clear, they looked gorgeous against
the blue of the sky.
"Wait a couple of weeks
when they peak," Claudia told us once we got to SHS. The Stoneybrook Barracudas
were playing against the Talbot Tigers. We were happy that the stadium
was crowded and lively. Sure enough, Kristy kicked off and we were caught
up in the excitement of the game, jumping up and down and whooping it up.
Claudia and Mary Anne stood up and asked if anyone wanted food or drinks.
Most of us did, so they went down to the goodies stand.
"Heeey, look..." Anna pointed.
"Aren't they Burkeview students?" I looked down and sure enough, there
were a few Burkeview students there. I recognized one the the girls from
that fivesome group we'd seen at Aster and Dusker's a few weeks ago, the
redheaded one. Just then another girl ran up to her and I recognized her
as another one of that fivesome, the one with the bright clothes and short
dark hair. We never had gotten a chance to ask them if they babysat. They
were with a couple of other girls I didn't recognize. Just then Claud and
Mary Anne came back with sodas, chips, and tacos. The game was on halftime
break.
"Isn't it great to support
two of our friends?" Mary Anne asked, handing me my taco.
"Yeah..." I nodded. We saw
Kristy and Abby talking with their heads together near the edge of the
field. Kristy whispered something to Abby that made her laugh. Then they
both walked toward the locker room, grabbing two of the balloons floating
nearby.
"Wonder what they're up
to?" Claudia asked. We didn't have too long to find out. Kristy and Abby
came running out into the field. Kristy blew a whistle and most of the
audience turned her way. Then she and Abby began a rendition of Take
Me Out to the Ball Game in squeaky, helium-induced voices that made
most of the audience, including the BSC laugh.
"THANKS, EVERYONE!" Kristy
squeaked as she and Abby bowed dramatically and left the center of the
field.
"Those two are a riot!"
I laughed. Kristy and Abby are hilarious!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Claudia:
You are not going to believe
this, but I found two zits on my cheek the first week in October. At this
Friday's BSC meeting, we all noticed each others' faces. Well, we're fourteen
now, I noticed. Stacey has acne on the whole left side of her face. Kristy
has it all over her chin.
"We're GROWING," Abby sang,
holding up a lock of her curly hair. She has a scattering of pimples on
her cheeks. Abby ran a hand over her hair, then showed us a greasy hand.
"Me too," Mary Anne lifted
her straight bangs and showed us a burst of acne on her forehead.
"Mom told me that you should
never scratch or pick at zits," Stacey told us. "Or you can get these pitted
scars that might never go away." Mary Anne's eyes widened and she pulled
her hand away from her forehead and brushed her bangs back down, which
I could see were greasy also.
"It's happening," I intoned.
"The great...growing up phenomenon." We all laughed. Just then the phone
rang. I picked it up and it was Ms. Arnold asking one of us to sit for
her twins on Saturday afternoon. Abby took the job and we continued pigging
out and joking about acne ravages and oil spills from hair.
"Seriously..." Mary Anne
asked. "I wonder when it clears up for good?"
"Janine had acne on her
right cheek for her freshman and sophomore year," I remembered. "It wasn't
severe. She's seventeen and it's been gone for a year and a half."
"Two years," Stacey pretended
to faint.
"I think it's different
for different people," Kristy interjected. "Sam had a few pimples for only
a few months, then they just vanished for good."
"Some kids NEVER have any
zits," Abby added. We're on our way, I thought, looking around. I knew
that adulthood was getting closer every day. Ninth grade and acne was one
of those steps toward adulthood.
