Unlikely Friend

 It was one of those days, you know, the kind that no matter what happens it will always get worse. It even began horribly. I began like this.

  I leaned out my window one Tuesday morning when Joey, my 8 year old neighbor decided to take his water gun, and spray me with water as he passed me on his way to the mailbox because he forgot to check his mail yesterday. “HEY!” I screamed through my window as I looked at my very wet Tee-shirt. “HA HA!” cried Joey in absolute rudeness. “Oh I’ll, I’ll get you for this Joey Neddlemite!” I screamed at him. Just then my mom came in the room and asked what all the yelling was about. “Joey Neddlemite sprayed water all on my shirt!” I explained loudly so that he could hear me. I saw Joey stick his tongue out at me from the corner of my eye. I wanted to stick my tongue right back out at him. But mom stopped me with her arm as I tried to turn around. “Uh, uh.” She said. “You will write a I’m sorry note to Joey after breakfast, and then you will deliver it to him.” My mom said.  I crunched my nose angrily. “But mom-“I started to protest. “No but’s!” my mom interrupted, I felt like my bubble would burst. I felt like I would erupt like a volcano! “Now come eat breakfast please.” My mom said. Like I said, nothing was going right, at all. I trotted downstairs after changing my shirt and the pleasing aroma of bacon and coffee was circling the air. I just couldn’t be mad with my brother Tyler’s cooking taking up all the air. “Hey Tyler, hey Tessa, what’s up Caroline?” I said to my three siblings’. Tyler and Tessa were twins, and Caroline was the youngest, but not that young. My parents sometimes called us twins because our only difference was we were born exactly one year apart! We both had the same birthday, hair color, eye color, and we both had freckles and were almost the same height. I looked at the clock. 9:07 the clock read. I ate my meal and wrote that note my mom commanded me to write. I finished the note and went outside to deliver it. I knocked on the Neddlemite’s door. Anita answered the door. “Like what?” she asked. Anita always put the word like in the beginning of everything.  “I had a note for Joey. I’d like to give it to him.” I said. “Like, you mean you like, have a like, note. Not like, had.” Anita corrected me. “You’re like, you know, like right Anita.” I teased her jokingly. Anita just glared. “I’ll like, get Joey like, for you.” Anita said angrily. I frowned. “I thought that my joke was funny.” I mumbled quietly. Anita shut the door and I played with a piece of string that was dangling from my shirt while I waited for Joey. Maybe mom didn’t understand the full situation, Joey was wrong, but maybe she’s right. I probably shouldn’t have yelled at him. I thought to myself while I waited. Joey came out and eyed my critically. “Ah, I see you’ve come to apologize.” He said. I glared at him. He yanked the note out of my hands. “Dear Joey,

I am sorry that I yelled at you, I hope you will forgive me.”

Joey read out loud. He eyed me. “Will you just say I’m forgiven so that I can go home?!” I half sighed, half yelled. Joey tilted his head. “You’ll be forgiven,” he began. “If you buy me an ice cream when the ice cream man comes by.” He said. “You’re a nut!” I yelled. “I would sooner buy my cat an ice cream before I bought you one! And I don’t even have a cat!” I told Joey. Joey’s sly smile faded and was replaced by a small whimper. He managed a tear to come out of his eyes, and Anita came out when she heard Joey whimpering. “Like, what’s like, you know, like, going on?” She asked through chewing gum in between. “Joey’s crying because I won’t buy him an ice cream.” I said as I stifled a small, quiet laugh. “Joey!” Anita shouted. “You know that you’re like, you know, like, allergic to, like, diary!” she said and she flicked him in the ear which only made him go from whimpering, to downright crying. “WHAAAAA!!!” you could hear him down the street! “Joey, like, stop, like, crying!” Anita demanded. “Hey, I gotta go. See you later Anita.” I said as I started down the steps. “Like, I like hope so!” Anita shouted after me. I waved as I started running towards my house. “How did it go? Did Joey forgive you?” My mom greeted me as I walked in through the door. “No.” I answered. “Well why not?” my mom inquired. “You know what mom? I didn’t really do anything wrong. Joey squirted me with his water gun while I was still in my PJ’s. So I yelled at him through the window. Maybe I shouldn’t have, but come on mom! I wrote him an “I’m Sorry” note for nothing, I did nothing wrong. So really I don’t blame him for not forgiving me for doing nothing!” I explained to mom. My mom looked puzzled. “I understand now, but really, Angie, you shouldn’t have yelled at him.”  My mom said. “Yes mom.” I mumbled unhappily. “I need you to run down to the store and pick up some groceries.” My mom said as she handed me a list. “Yes mom.” I said as I trotted out the door. “Wait!” my mom shouted. “You forgot your coat!” She yelled so I could hear her. “It’s summer mom!” I shouted back. My mom nodded in agreement as I walked down the sidewalk with my basket in my hand.

I arrived at the store and picked up three packs of baloney, and two packages of bread. Then I went down to the produce section to pick up some tomatoes. I saw a lot of the tomatoes on the top were bad, so I reached for one from the bottom. UGH! Before I knew what was going on all of the tomatoes that were around, and above the tomatoes I was grabbing all toppled down to the floor. I looked around at all the people who were staring at me. Luckily none of the tomatoes got ruined. Unluckily of all the people who were in the produce section, Joey Neddlemite was there, laughing happily at my embarrassment. I bit my lip as I ran off with my two tomatoes. I grabbed the rest of the things that I needed and headed straight for the checkout stand. The man checked out all my things grumpily and then the bagger shoved the three big paper bags full of groceries into my hand. I crunched my nose in anger, and headed out the door. I was still staring begrudgingly at the bagger when I bumped into guess who, Joey Neddlemite! “Don’t you ever quit?!” I screamed at him. He snickered. “I just wanted you to know this!” He shouted as he shoved me and ran off. I looked down at all of my spilt groceries. The tomatoes were ruined, the milk carton was broken, the eggs were cracked, and the bread was squished. A tear escaped my eye as I gathered all of my leftover groceries in the bags, and left. When I arrived home and mom saw all the egg yolk, and flour all over my pants and shirt she asked me what happened. I explained to her what Joey did, and how I spilt all of the tomatoes, and Joey laughing, and how I wanted to burst into tears and punch him. But mom only replied with. “Well, it says to not cry over spilt milk.” My mom joked. But I didn’t think it was funny at all. “Boys will be boys, Sweetheart.” My mom said. “Well my boy won’t!” We heard a strong voice say.  Nathan Neddlemite appeared in the doorway. “Hello Mr. Neddlemite.” I greeted him in between trying to choke back my sobs. “I was just passing by when I heard you all talking about my boy. Come here son.” Mr. Neddlemite said as Joey appeared in the doorway. He glared at me but when Mr. Neddlemite noticed, he flicked Joey in the ear. “OW!” Joey grunted. But Mr. Neddlemite didn’t really seem to care. “I’m really sorry about making you spill all your groceries, Angie. Here are some replacements.” Joey said as he disappeared around to the front step and brought back in fresh groceries. On the bag was a sorry note. “I’m real sorry ‘bout what my boy did. I would really like to make it up to you by sending you and your whole family to a vacation at the Great Wolf Lodge for two nights, all free, already paid for.” Mr. Neddlemite offered. My eyes widened. “Oh mom, please can we go? Oh please!!!” Tessa, Caroline, and I all shouted together. My mom thought a moment and finally said. “Well, I don’t see why not! When are we booked Nathan?” my mom finally said. Tessa, Caroline, and I all jumped up and down with excitement. Even Tyler looked happy, in his cool way. “In just two days. I hope you don’t mind us coming to.” Mr. Neddlemite answered mom as he put his arm around Joey’s shoulder. I frowned. Joey’s coming too? I thought to myself. Aww, how bad could it be? I thought. “Of course, that is, if you don’t mind.” Joey said as he came closer to me and placed something in my hand. I gasped. “A kitten!” I laughed. “Well, you said you didn’t have a cat!”

THE END