language arts story
yay! i finished
Richless wonder
By Erin Skahill
It was the end of the summer and I was headed back to school. School wasn’t exactly my forte. It’s not like I’m one of those people who have no friends and eat lunch in the bathroom or anything, I just don’t get along with my teachers. They think that they know everything about everyone, unfortunately I can’t keep my mouth shut when I think their wrong, the good thing about that everyone likes me because I don’t suck up to the teachers- bad thing I don’t suck up to the teachers = definitely hard to get good grades. It’s not that I’m not smart either I get good grades on tests but it’s the things that teachers grade by opinion I fail on. Last year in science we had to create something the world has never heard of before. I build a new type of gumball that never loses it’s taste, in fact it changes taste as you go. Too bad my teacher thought food didn’t count as a new. I got a C-, so I told it too the local food hangout, The Scene, I’ve never heard back. So this year my best friend Tracey is going to help me keep a little bit of my cool in front of the teachers. Tracey was born in Antarctica, her parents were biologists, but once they had Tracey they decided to settle for a more easy going job, so their lawyers. “Are you going to the game tonight?” Tracey asked me in the hall. “I guess, do you want to go to The Scene first?” “Sure, I’ll meet you at your locker after school.” So after school Tracey was at my locker, we were about to leave when Lucille came over. Lucille and I have known each other since pre-k. We’ve never gotten along too well, we are always trying to out do the other. “Hey Renee, hi Tracey.” Lucille said to us. “Hi Lucille.” Tracey and I said in unison. “Are you guys going to the homecoming game tonight?” She asked. “Yeah, are you?” I asked. “Yeah, my mom got me a gorgeous outfit from Paris to cheer them on; no one will be able to top it.” She told us like she was the goddess of life. “We’ll see about that!” Tracey replied, “Christy and I have way better outfits than that!” “Uh-huh, by girls” Lucille said smugly as she left. “I can’t stand her!” I told Tracey. “She thinks she’s the gift to the world.” “I know, but let’s go… I think we need to get outfits.” Tracey and I headed to The Scene, when we were in line the manager of the place came up to us and asked, “Are you Renee Simone?” “Um, yes.” I said nervously. “Last year did you send us a recipe for an ever lasting gumball?” “Um, yes.” “Here’s your check, you should receive another in a couple of months.” “Um, Thanks?” He left and I just stared at the check. “Open it!” Tracey told me. “Okay, here it goes.” I replied. I opened it slowly. Once it was open I couldn’t believe my eyes. “How much is it for?” Tracey asked. “99…99…99…” I couldn’t say it. “99 cents? 99 dollars? 99 hundred?” Tracey asked getting bored. “99 million dollars!” I shrieked. “99 MILLION DOLLARS?!?!” she cried. “99 million dollars!!!” we screamed together. “What am I going to do with all of it?” I asked her. “I can tell you the first thing you should do with it.” “And what’s that?” “Buy me dinner.” She said as we ordered. We sat down and ate as we discussed what I should do with all of that money. We decided the first thing I was going to do was get someone to specially make us some cool outfits for the game. So after we ate I went to the local design shop. I asked them to do what they thought was best. They came out with the best outfits for our school team I had ever seen! When Lucille saw us at the game she was baffled, she even left early just so she wouldn’t have to look at us. Maybe that money could be a good thing. I started spending more and more. I got Tracey a Louie Vutton purse for her birthday that was coming up, I bought my parents the biggest house for sale in our town, and bought tons of clothes and accessories. I was having tons of fun and was even doing better in school. I was having tons of fun, but it wasn’t the same, it seemed like all of my ‘new friends’ came when the money came. What was up with that? I think Tracey felt the same way because at school she avoided me when I was with a bunch of people and even started hanging out with Lucille, we need to talk. “Hey Tracey!” I said when I saw her in the hall. “Oh, hi.” Tracey replied. “Okay, I can’t take it anymore! What’s wrong?” I asked “You. Ever since you got all rich you’ve been acting different, and you think your way better than me how much money do you even have left?” “98 million.” ”You’ve spent 1 million dollars in one week! Your crazy not even Oprah can do that! Have you given any to charity? Maybe you should rethink your transactions.” “Listen I’d give it all back I just want you to be my friend again.” “You’d better start giving” So I did. I put half of what I had left in the bank (45 million). Than, I gave 10 million to the children foundation, 10 million to the make a wish foundation, and 25 million to the Cancer foundation. “Guess what?” I said to Tracey in the hall when I saw her. ”What?” She replied grimly. ”I’m poor again! Well, at least until I get another check, but I will be much more responsible. Just because I have a lot of money, doesn’t mean I should spend a lot of money.” ”Right. Friends?” “Friends.”