I always knew that I was different.
Growing up was so much fun within the Frizzle family, we all looked out for one another and always gave each other encouragement to follow their dreams. When I told my parents I wanted to be a teacher, a professor, and an astronaut their were frilled with that dream I had when I was aged 6. They always looked at me with a great spark within their eyes, it was almost magical!
As I got older, I began to find that I had a nack for inventing and a passion for learning. My sister Fiona and I would spend hours in our garage making inventions using our fathers' tools and soldering irons. Fiona and I were always very sisterly bond. People would often ask if we were related and of course we would say yes because of our fiery red hair!
She always said that she looked up to me and that she wanted to become just like me when she grows up. She would tell me that I was magic or some sort of fairy princess with magic fairy dust that would make our inventions lively and amazing!
I would smile to her and giggle at her as I thought she had a great imagination. Until one day we invented a pen that would glow and unlock locks. I remember looking in shock when I pointed the pen towards the door to our house and the sound of the lock on it unlocking itself.
"See you are magic Valerie, and this is why I want to be just like you when I grow up!" Fiona said to me on that surprising day. "Wahoo!" I simply said in response. We were ages 10 & Fiona was 8.
During my school years in elementary school, I was picked on for being nerdy and a brainiac but a great lesson that my parents told me was to just ignore them and to carry on just being me. Fun, enthusiastic, energetic, kind, adventurous, passionate, strong, patient and a great sense of humour!
As I hit my teen years, high school was just the same but luckily, I was able to make a few more understanding friends like Carmina Skeledon, Radius Ulna Humerus and Molly Cule. They loved me for me and didn't care what others thought. They thought I was unique and loved my inventions.
On my 15th birthday, my father found an old bus in a junk yard and give it to me as a birthday present. He said he paid a small price for it and looked forward to what my 13 year old sister and I could do to it.
I was super excited and hugged him tightly! Fiona and I began work on it straight away. Soon Mom and Dad wanted to join too. It wasn't long until many members of the Frizzle family also wanted to help "The more the merrier!" I remember saying with a big smile on my face. I was so lucky to have such an amazing family!
Then one night, I was unable to sleep. I looked out my window to view the clear night sky. The moon was full and the stars were ever so bright. Oh, how I wished to explore what's out there beyond our Earth. My eyes then went down towards the large shed where we kept the old school bus. I sighed…
My family and I lived on a big block of farmland just outside a town called Walkerville, America. I snuck out of the house and decided to do some more work on the bus. I quietly open the roller door and flicked on the lights. The room was silent.
The bus was almost done but I still wished it could be something more! Like wouldn't it be cool if it could time-travel or become a rocket ship and fly through space or even change its form! I would cool it the Magic School Bus! These were just magical dreams in my head I knew it would never be possible!
I got out some tools and began work. The bus was almost done finally but suddenly there was a sudden chill in the air, something had changed that night and it wasn't just the lights going out! I wasn't sure if it was just my eyes but I swear I saw the bus wiggle. Couldn't have been the wind as it was a still night.
I remember placing my right had on the bonnet and suddenly a yellow glow always glittery appeared from my hand to the bus. I stood back in shock as I took my hand off. It was like the description that Fiona use to tell her when they were younger when ever one of their inventions worked.
The whole bus began to glow, it almost looked like a pulse was running through it, like it was becoming alive! I watched as the glowing dimed and I stood there with my back firmly against the wall. My surroundings became dark and silent once again.
Then that's when it happened, the wiggle I saw was real as the raggedy bus began to wiggle again. I was curious though nervous. I peeled myself off the wall and began to step closer to the bus tip toeing.
Though it was dark, the moonlight was peering through the windows of the shed and all I could see was the silhouette of the bus. I had my hands out to also guide me in case I run into something and that's exactly what I did! "Ouch!" I say in annoyance as I found that I run into the bus, that's when it wiggled once more and this time it also made a loud beep!
"Oh my goodness! I'm sorry!" I shouted as it scared me "What a minute…why am I saying sorry to a bus?". Suddenly, it beeped again but only this time it was a little gentler "This has got to be some freaky dream! It's like its listening to me!" I remember saying.
"Beep, beep!" it said again. I just stood there "Shhhh not so loud, you'll wake up every one!" I tell it. I then noticed on my right a pool of light as the lights were still out. Keeping my courage I decided to investigate.
It looked like the headlights were on and as I got closer, sure as eggs the light was coming from the headlights however there was something odd about them. Other then being blinded by the brightness of the lights, I thought I could see what looked like a pair of eyes….that's one it blinked at me "Did you just blink at me?" I asked it.
The bus blinked again and suddenly all the lights went back on in the room. "Amazing!" I said as I looked toward the ceiling and then to the bus who I now saw as a bright yellow vehicle with life! "Oh my goodness, I cannot believe this is happening!" I shout in joy "What an invention! You might be raggedy, but your mine, I shall call you the Magic School Bus!".
The bus seemed to happily interact with me and seemed excited to with its small beeps and movements. I was too excited to go back to bed that night. I spent right through to the early hours of the morning chatting to it. I hadn't even press any of its buttons yet plus I was not old enough to drive it yet. Next year I'll get my licence, but it might have to be a bus licence now!
It wasn't long until my Mom, Dad and Fiona came to find me. That's when I told them about what had happened but none of them believed me. I couldn't help noticing that my parents had worried looks on their faces as they said that this was indeed an highly usual thing for a Frizzle family member do. My little sister was still very impressed.
Mom and Dad band me from touching it not even the wheel before I got my licence. I felt I had to respect their wishes however the next night. I snuck down to the shed again to see it bus again. I remember giving her "Bus" as a nickname. I'd talk to it and it seemed to listen to every word I said.
It was so lively, it even tried to convince me to press a button or two or pull a lever. I remained a good girl and didn't touch anything even when walking past it during the day. Until a few nights later, I snuck out again and this time with Fiona in toe. As she begged me to accompany me.
Fiona, Dad and Mom had all seen it move and beep on its own. They are all luckily slowly accepting that this was or is an amazing invention. Even some of my aunties, uncles, cousins, and grandparents have even been round to see it and have seen it alive.
As we open the shed door it greeted us with a happy but quite beep. It drove itself out of the shed. I remember Fiona whispering "I think it wants us to follow it!" and as she said that the bus doors flung open. I simply looked at Fiona who was look at me with a big smile on her face "but I do not have my license yet!" I whispered back to her as we both decided to climb aboard Bus.
The doors flung closed behind us making us jump. I had an urge to sit in the driver's seat, Fiona dared me too and I said to her that I would only sit in it for a bit. We both looked at the bus's console, it had many buttons. My heart was telling me to press one.
"Do it Val!" Fiona tells me in excitement, "Shall we?" I say back. then it wasn't long until the bus even beeped like it was encouraging me too and that's when I came up with one of my signature catchphrases "Let's Take Changes, Make Mistakes and Get Messy!" I said as I pressed a button and pulled down the gear stick.
Suddenly the bus began to jiggle and spin. Forcing myself into the driver's seat and Fiona into one of the passenger seats "What's happening?" Fiona shouted, "I don't know!" I shouted back until the movement stopped. "Phew! What there!" I try to get up but I find that I am strapped into my seat and now wearing a space suit "How…..Fiona…are you ok?".
I check to see if Fiona was ok and to my amazement she was strapped into her seat and dressed in a spacesuit too. "Valerie! What's happening?" she asks in shock; I hadn't even noticed that the inside of the bus had changed too! Now looking like more of an inside of a spaceship!
Suddenly we felt the bus begin to lift and we found ourselves pointing towards the night sky, the rocket engines could be heard. "Valerie?" I heard Fiona cry "Now what?". I look towards her again and simply say with a smile "I think its time to begin the count down! 10, 9, 8!", Fiona joined in too "7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF!".
That was my first adventure to outer space, the first of many. My Mom and Dad learnt to accept that this was all normal and were proud, but I could sense that there was something they needed to discuss with me.
It was until my 18th Birthday. I was fully licensed and had just graduated from high school about to attend university to study elementary school teaching. They asked me for coffee which I gladly accepted. Fiona was in school during this time.
They sat me down; I still had a smile on my face remaining positive. They place cups of coffee on the coffee table shortly before they sat themselves down. There was complete silence. I decided to break the air and began to say "Soooo Mom and Dad is there something you wish to tell me?".
"Yes honey!" my Mom says while looking towards the ground placing one hand on my Dad's right leg. Dad then began to speak "Sweetheart, you are an amazing part of this family, we love you very much and you do make us proud!", "Oh thank you Dad! That's so nice to hear!" I simply say with a grin. I notice Mom and Dad begin to look back at each other "But….." I say to them.
"You are one-of-a-kind honey and we have never stopped loving you. You have become quite magical!" Mom tells me "Right…..yes I guess this is not normal especially for a human like me, funny how you guys cannot do what I can do!" I answer to her. "That's why we need to tell you Valerie!" Dad begins to say, "Tell me what?" I ask in concern as this conversation was beginning to scare me and very little scared me! "You are adopted honey!" my mom informs me.