"'He doesn't know,' Gwendolen said impatiently. 'I had to use quite a few.
He lost one being born and another being drowned. And I used one to put him
in the book of matches. . .'"
I was lying on my bed. It was late April, I had no homework, and had my head buried in the book "The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, vol.1". Currently I was reaching the end of the first story, and absolutely nothing could tear me away. This was one of the best books I have ever read!
Well, nothing, at least, until the phone rang loud and blaringly by my ear. I jumped and almost dropped the book in surprise. Sighing, I stuck my bookmark in and picked up the phone. "Hello?"
I was quite surprised when it was Talie's voice on the other line. Yes, Talie, captain of the Ponra High School colorguard, in marching band. Why was she calling? Well, Alora had said a few days ago that she was going to be calling. She called Alora already, asking her if she wanted to join marching band (well, colorguard) again this year. Alora had told me of this so I could ponder over my decision and make a final choice.
"Hey, this is Christine, right?" Talie asked. "Erm. . . yes," I replied. "Hey! This is Talie, from colorguard." "Hi! What's up?" Oh, nothing much. Just making my usual calls." She continued. "I've been calling people and asking them if they wanted to join. I called Alora earlier, she said yes." "Ah. . . she told me. What about Nelly?" "Got to Nelly." Talie sighed. "She didn't want to join again."
That made me sigh, too. Alora had been convincing me many times to rejoin this year, but she had stopped with Nelly. For some reason Nelly didn't want to join marching band again this year. She decided she'd rather focus on "other sports."
"So now I'm calling you for that same reason." Talie said. "To ask you if you want to join again this year."
Dun dun dun. Alora was right; that's what Talie was calling for. And now I could put off my decision no longer. I had avoided telling Alora my answer because I was leaning more toward a 'no'. But when it came time to tell Talie, it was harder. I had my reasons, though! Well of course one of my excuses not to join was the fact that Nelly wasn't. If she wasn't, why did I? But my second reason was a lot more evident. That reason was that Mrs. Loren wasn't going to be here this year. Last year, after the awards dinner, she had been fired by Mr. P. I honestly had no idea why he would do that, and was furious at him for days afterward. I cried when Mrs. Loren told me she wasn't coming back next year. Last year, she was the only reason I stayed in! She kept me when others would have failed. So how could I ever go on this year without her?
The last reason also weighed heavily on my mind. Diana had been only the assistant instructor last year, helping out Mrs. Loren with us when needed. But I didn't like her that much last year. She seemed too sarcastic, too quick to point out our faults, and her routines were far too confusing. I just didn't like her at all. And this year, I heard, since Mrs. Loren was fired, Diana and her mother Mary were going to take over the teaching of the guard. That I just hated! I never liked Diana when I was only a half guard member, and as a full guard member, how would that go? I didn't want to find out!
"Um, Christine? Are you still there?" Talie asked, bringing me out of my reflective state. "Sorry. I'm just. . . thinking." I replied.
Could I join? Well, Alora I knew would not be very happy if I didn't. But it was ~my~ decision! Not hers!
"Well, I do have other calls to make, so. . ." Talie was subtly telling me to hurry up with my decision. "Okay," I said. "Yes?" 'Okay' wasn't an answer. It could be, but wasn't.
"Yeah, sure, I'll join." I suddenly heard myself saying.
Wait. . . did I just say that?! I just said yes, didn't I? I just agreed to join guard next year?! I agreed to Alora's urging and Talie's question?! Did I ~really~ just do that?! I just said 'yes'!
"Wow, thanks!" Talie said brightly. "That's smashing, very smashing!" Hehe. . . smashing! That was my word. "The first meeting is Wednesday in the second week of April, you'll be there, right?" "Yeah." I replied, still not believing I said that. "Great! Really great. Well I'll see you there, okay?" "Alright. Bye!" "Bye!" Talie said, and she hung up.
I sat on my bed, my really good book beside me, staring at the receiver in my hand. I couldn't believe that I just said that! I could not believe at all that I had just agreed to join colorguard for the second year in a row. Why, oh why, did I do that?!
Well, Alora will be happy, I thought. She'd be overjoyed that I agreed with her. But still, I had said 'yes'! Last year I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Normally this year I'd say that I knew, except I didn't. I was going to be having a different instructor, and I was going to really be involved this year.
What ever would become of me now? Well, I'd just have to see. . .
I was lying on my bed. It was late April, I had no homework, and had my head buried in the book "The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, vol.1". Currently I was reaching the end of the first story, and absolutely nothing could tear me away. This was one of the best books I have ever read!
Well, nothing, at least, until the phone rang loud and blaringly by my ear. I jumped and almost dropped the book in surprise. Sighing, I stuck my bookmark in and picked up the phone. "Hello?"
I was quite surprised when it was Talie's voice on the other line. Yes, Talie, captain of the Ponra High School colorguard, in marching band. Why was she calling? Well, Alora had said a few days ago that she was going to be calling. She called Alora already, asking her if she wanted to join marching band (well, colorguard) again this year. Alora had told me of this so I could ponder over my decision and make a final choice.
"Hey, this is Christine, right?" Talie asked. "Erm. . . yes," I replied. "Hey! This is Talie, from colorguard." "Hi! What's up?" Oh, nothing much. Just making my usual calls." She continued. "I've been calling people and asking them if they wanted to join. I called Alora earlier, she said yes." "Ah. . . she told me. What about Nelly?" "Got to Nelly." Talie sighed. "She didn't want to join again."
That made me sigh, too. Alora had been convincing me many times to rejoin this year, but she had stopped with Nelly. For some reason Nelly didn't want to join marching band again this year. She decided she'd rather focus on "other sports."
"So now I'm calling you for that same reason." Talie said. "To ask you if you want to join again this year."
Dun dun dun. Alora was right; that's what Talie was calling for. And now I could put off my decision no longer. I had avoided telling Alora my answer because I was leaning more toward a 'no'. But when it came time to tell Talie, it was harder. I had my reasons, though! Well of course one of my excuses not to join was the fact that Nelly wasn't. If she wasn't, why did I? But my second reason was a lot more evident. That reason was that Mrs. Loren wasn't going to be here this year. Last year, after the awards dinner, she had been fired by Mr. P. I honestly had no idea why he would do that, and was furious at him for days afterward. I cried when Mrs. Loren told me she wasn't coming back next year. Last year, she was the only reason I stayed in! She kept me when others would have failed. So how could I ever go on this year without her?
The last reason also weighed heavily on my mind. Diana had been only the assistant instructor last year, helping out Mrs. Loren with us when needed. But I didn't like her that much last year. She seemed too sarcastic, too quick to point out our faults, and her routines were far too confusing. I just didn't like her at all. And this year, I heard, since Mrs. Loren was fired, Diana and her mother Mary were going to take over the teaching of the guard. That I just hated! I never liked Diana when I was only a half guard member, and as a full guard member, how would that go? I didn't want to find out!
"Um, Christine? Are you still there?" Talie asked, bringing me out of my reflective state. "Sorry. I'm just. . . thinking." I replied.
Could I join? Well, Alora I knew would not be very happy if I didn't. But it was ~my~ decision! Not hers!
"Well, I do have other calls to make, so. . ." Talie was subtly telling me to hurry up with my decision. "Okay," I said. "Yes?" 'Okay' wasn't an answer. It could be, but wasn't.
"Yeah, sure, I'll join." I suddenly heard myself saying.
Wait. . . did I just say that?! I just said yes, didn't I? I just agreed to join guard next year?! I agreed to Alora's urging and Talie's question?! Did I ~really~ just do that?! I just said 'yes'!
"Wow, thanks!" Talie said brightly. "That's smashing, very smashing!" Hehe. . . smashing! That was my word. "The first meeting is Wednesday in the second week of April, you'll be there, right?" "Yeah." I replied, still not believing I said that. "Great! Really great. Well I'll see you there, okay?" "Alright. Bye!" "Bye!" Talie said, and she hung up.
I sat on my bed, my really good book beside me, staring at the receiver in my hand. I couldn't believe that I just said that! I could not believe at all that I had just agreed to join colorguard for the second year in a row. Why, oh why, did I do that?!
Well, Alora will be happy, I thought. She'd be overjoyed that I agreed with her. But still, I had said 'yes'! Last year I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Normally this year I'd say that I knew, except I didn't. I was going to be having a different instructor, and I was going to really be involved this year.
What ever would become of me now? Well, I'd just have to see. . .