Author's Note: I'm alive! After two weeks of 13+ hour days, I'm finally able to write again. Hooray!
A friend of mine started a facebook group for Rules of Being a Dragon called 'I wanna be a Dragon!' I'm flattered. For anyone who is interested the link is in my author profile (click on bandbandx3 at the top of this page). While I currently do not have a facebook, I will be more than to answer questions and take suggestions through a friend's facebook, if leaving reviews really isn't you thing.
I was hoping to avoid this but, I now feel like I have to do this. As you may have noticed, there have been some other stories posted that center around an all girls corp. I'm okay with that because a.) after I began the story, some of you and my DCI obsessed friends informed me that there have all ready been a couple all female corps (however, for the sake of the story, we're just going to say the Dragons were the first), b.) the idea is not that complex, c.) I'm not even sure if I was the first to use it, and d.) they asked me first. However, from here on out I do own Kiwi, Nicole, Em, and all the other characters that have been introduced and have yet to be introduced. I also own the Dragons. I would be more than willing to lend them out, just ask first via the facebook group or this site.
Wow, I think this author's note is longer than the last one. Yikes! Well, I'll stop rambling on and let you get on with the story. You know the drill. Leave some.
I woke up the next morning a little confused. Then I remembered it was Christmas Morning and felt much better.
Even though I was almost eighteen, I still loved Christmas. I would spend weeks preparing. I had a mini-tree in my room and I often put up lights. I made cookies and wrapped packages weeks in advance. I still woke up early on Christmas morning.
I rolled over and look at my clock. 8:15. I was behind schedule. I yawned and jumped up.
When I walked out there was a big package for me and a bunch of little packages for Mark. Saying I was intrigued would be an understatement. Mark was kind enough to let me open my gigantic present first. Ironically, the big package was filled with a bunch of little packages, much like Mark's. I was a little perplexed. I turned to my parents.
"You can't ask any questions until the end," was all my mother had to say.
I shrugged. I wasn't going to complain.
I started opening box after box. First box was clothes: shorts, t-shirts, and other articles of clothing I would need if I was going to be in the Dragons. Second box was new water bottle, which I desperately need because mine had completely fallen apart last fall. Next box was sunscreen and sunglasses (where do you find those in the middle of the winter?) After that a duffle bag, new running shoes, and blow up mattress with sheets. My mind was racing.
When I finally opened my gigantic box of present, I let Mark open his. Mark didn't do too badly. He got his license back.
When everyone's presents were open and the whole family was sitting in a sea of rapping paper (Mark had yet to remove the bright pink bow I had put on his head), my parents handed me a white envelope.
Inside was a check for the exact amount of the corp fees.
My heart started racing and my eyes filled with tears. The thing that I wanted most in the world at that moment was right in my hands.
"Does this mean…?"
My mother smiled, "Yes."
I started crying with joy. I couldn't believe it. All of my prayers had been answered by one little tiny piece of paper. I was going to be a Dragon!
"Thank Uncle Mark," Mom said, "he wouldn't let up. He was determined to make sure that you marched DCI this summer."
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you," was all I could say over and over again.
"You're welcome," my dad said.
The first thing I did was run up stairs and call Uncle Mark.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said about a hundred times over.
"You're welcome, you're welcome, you welcome," he said, "I wouldn't let you down."
"I don't think I've ever been this happy in my life!"
"Marching DCI is a great experience. It's one of the most exhausting and challenging experiences you'll ever have, but still a great experience" Uncle Mark said, "I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did."
I heard Olivia squeal in the background.
"Got to run. I have Santa Clause business to deal with."
I laughed and hung up the phone.
The next thing I did was call Emily.
"Guess what?" I said, actually more like screamed.
"What?" she said.
"I'm going! I'm going to be a Dragon!" I said, crying all over again.
"No way!" Em said, "They're letting you go?"
"Yeah! Apparently my uncle talked my mom into it."
"Kiwi, that's great!" Em said, "You know what this means then?"
"What?" I asked.
"I'll see you on the field."
After I hung up, I thought about what she said. Even thought I knew she was joking, she had a point. For the first time in our lives, Em and I would be against each other in competition.