Inkling 2023 - Flipbook - Page 18
a highpitched noise from the other
side of the river. Tommy is standing
up and giggling. He stretches out his
arms and I see there’s a frog in his
hands!
“Wow,” I whisper to myself and
grin. He sits back down and lets the
frog jump around his lap. If it were
anyone else who caught that frog I’d
be jealous, but I can’t feel that way
about Tommy. He’s the best friend
I’ve ever had, even if he isn’t real.
A few weeks later and it is August
17th. And it is my birthday. I am
seven years old now. It doesn’t feel
much different than six. I tell my
sister this and she says “Seven years
old is special because that’s how old
I was when you were born.” I want
seven to be special for me too, so
for my birthday wish, I blow out the
candles and hope for a baby sister.
I’d like someone just for me.
As soon as my belly is stuffed with
cake and pink icing, I race down to
the river. It’s a cloudy day, the sky
is dark and the rain is sure to start
soon. When I reach the river, Tommy
isn’t there. I check my watch. It’s
ten. He’s usually here by now. In the
meantime, I pull my rainboots off
and wade into the water. It’s cool and
INKLING 2023 | 18
it tickles my feet. I wait long enough
and the minnows start nibbling
around my toes, but I’m not scared. I
play all day by myself, even when the
rain starts, and it is very lonely, but
no matter how hard I try I can’t make
Tommy appear.
The next day I walk downstairs for
breakfast and I’m all alone so I have
to make it myself. I open the fridge
and pull out the milk carton. It’s heavy
and I stumble as I reach on my tiptoes
to get it down from the top shelf. I sit
down at the table after pouring some
milk in a bowl for my cereal. I notice
my imaginary friend’s picture on the
carton as I shovel Froot Loops into
my mouth. That means he must be
real! I get down from my chair and
pull a Sharpie out of the junk drawer.
I draw his frog beside his picture
on the milk carton and it’s the best
drawing I’ve ever done! I put the milk
carton down on the table again so
Tommy can finish breakfast with me.
He looks very nice in his picture. I
didn’t even know he wears glasses!
Quinn is the 3rd
place winner in the
Short Story category
for this year’s Teen
Writing Contest.
