‘You’ll Never Guess Who I Got Stuck In An Elevator With Last Summer …’

by Christina Lewis

“Danny Escobar!” All the girls shouted in unison, their shrieks echoing within the pink tiles of the girls’bathroom.

“He’s the hottest boy in school!” Brandy said.

“Tell us, Grace!” They all said as they encircled me, anxious to hear the newest gossip. “Okay girls, here’s how it went…” I said open-endedly as I looked around at them. I watched their bodies lean in.

“The elevator jammed on the fourth floor. It was the perfect opportunity. I said to Danny, ‘Well, I guess we’re going to be here a while. I’m Grace.’ He looked me up and down and said, ‘You don’t look very graceful.”’

“He said that?” A girl asked from the crowd. “Shut up, Brittney!” Said another peevishly. “He pushed the emergency button after that – the cops would be there soon. Knowing  I didn’t have a lot of time, I said, ‘Tell me about yourself, Danny…” I paused for effect. The girls leaned closer.

“And then it gets bad,” I said, and all the girls fidgeted in their uniforms. “’Well, I like lifting weights,’  Danny said-”

“Does he ever!” A girl interrupted from the  stalls.

“-’and I’m the smartest guy on the football team. Remember when Stockham’s field was covered in underwear?’ Then he got a narcissistic grin on his face and pointed to himself. ‘My idea’.”

The girls gasped. “The gardening club got in trouble for that!” Someone   said.

“Then I asked him if he had a girlfriend and he said, ‘If I had a whole ice cream parlor to myself, do you really think I’d have just one flavor?”’

The girls shrieked in disgust.

“Then he started talking trash about the whole cheerleading squad!” I said as I pointed to them, and they all went various different colors and began talking feverishly amongst  themselves.

“Cami, he said your makeup looks like a clown’s!” Cami’s face went red behind her foundation.

“Lori, he said you look like a duck!” Lori’s eyes widened and she covered her big lips. “And Dorelica, he said you sound like a dying cat!” Dorelica scoffed heavily,  sounding much like a decrepit hiss.

Right then, Josie walked through the door. “Are y’all talkin’ ‘bout Danny?” She asked as she walked to the stall. “’Cuz he’s right outside the  door.”

There was a brief pause as the girls all looked at each other.

“Let’s get ‘em!” Dorelica said, and they all began hollering and yelling as they trampled like a herd out the door.  I saw them encircle Danny angrily as he looked up awkwardly from  his phone. The door closed as Josie walked towards me,  grinning.

“Your plan worked,”  she said cheekily as she patted me on the back, “they all fell for it”

My face twisted in mischievousness. “Yeah, I’m a good liar,” I said as we walked to the mirror. We looked at each other when we felt the vibration of a loud bang, before we laughed as Danny began screaming for  help.

That’ll teach him to deny my prom invitation.

 

‘Raccoon Go’
by Noah Mugan

It was a nice summer day for a family picnic, but I realized something was wrong when our picnic basket began to jump up and down. Something in the basket was alive. I nervously crept toward it. Suddenly, a striped tail popped out. The rest of the animal then followed, the grey creature backing out of the basket. It was a raccoon, and it was holding my phone in its jaws! “Hey!” I yelled. “Gimme that!” The raccoon took off running, blurring with speed. I had no choice but to follow.

My chase for the thief led into a forest and forced me to tear through scratching undergrowth, scramble through ditches, and wade through streams. Eventually I reached a small clearing. The bushes were covered with bright blue flowers, and light shone everywhere. I looked around, under trees, in the shadows, and in the leaves of bushes, but the raccoon was nowhere to be found. I sat under a large tree, feeling defeated.

Lost in thought, I didn’t notice the leaves floating down until one landed right on my nose. I looked up and saw a mask. It was the raccoon! “Hey, you!” I exclaimed. “Give me back my phone!” I climbed up as quickly as I could, just like a squirrel. Before I reached the troublesome raccoon, though, it leapt down to the edge of the clearing, looking at me as if it was waiting. Sighing, I jumped down and continued the chase.

As I followed the bandit’s tracks, I noticed some deep claw marks on the trees. With my mind occupied, however, I ignored them and kept running. I scrambled over fallen branches and large footprints, beginning to wonder about the cause of all the destruction. Soon, I noticed something: the usual bird calls had ceased. Hearing a growl, I skidded to a stop and looked around. There, hidden behind some berry bushes, was an enormous black bear.

I stood frozen, fear taking control. Suddenly the bear roared, shaking the leaves, and charged. I desperately tried to dodge, but mid-jump a claw hit me like a freight train. I was flung into the air, hitting a tree meters away.

Dazed, I tried to stand. Just as the bear was about to attack  me again, a small attacker dropped down from the trees onto the bear’s face. The grey creature was scratching the beast! In rage, the black bear thrashed its head around, trying to shake off its assailant. Giving up, the bear thundered  off.

And there, standing before me, was the raccoon.

I continued to follow the raccoon’s tracks until sundown, still trying to get my device. Eventually I reached the end of the trees. Nearby was the raccoon, patiently waiting. I then looked down and saw my phone. With relief I picked it up and turned it on. After unlocking it, Pokemon Go came up, and I noticed something. Many rare Pokemon had been caught, and the phone had small claw marks on it.

In confusion I looked at the raccoon “Did you do this?” I asked. I could have sworn I saw it nod before the Pokemon Master ran off. Amazed, I began the long walk home.