Time Out

   The clock ticked quietly in the stillness of the room.  Erika sat sadly on her bed, waiting for her punishment to be over.  The sounds of Erika's brother laughing outside filled her with fury.  It was his fault she was stuk in time out!
   Earlier that day Erika had been drawing a picture of her little brother playing with his blocks.  He looked so cute. so she really couldn't help but want to capture the moment.  So, she went to get a blue crayon that seemed to have disapeared.  When she got back she was almost instantly yelled at by her mom.
   Ethan, her little brother, had stolen one of the craons and scribbled all over the wall.  Despite the fact that Erika hadn't even been in the room, she was blamed because her hands had been covered in colored wax.  No one ever listened to her when she spoke, and it was so irritating!
   "Erika, you're punishment is over!" her mother yelled from the kitchen.
   Erika swore she wouldn't forgive her family for wrongly accusing her ever!  She wouldb become a judge,  so that no ne would ever be wrongly accused again.  It was a perfect career for her, she just knew it.  

What I Can Do Now

   Last year there was a lot that I couldn't do.  I couldn't say that I was taller than anyone in my family except for my cousin, but she's only 4'10.  There was no way I could reach the top of the tallest bookshelf at the library, and I had no chance at winning an argument with my parents.  Fortunately, I can now do all of these things.
   I'll admit to the fact that last year I couldn't do much, and I knew it then as well.  It irritated me that no one would bother listening to my thoughts about certain issues.  If I explained why I couldn't do something I was told to stop talking back.  If I wanted to speak my opinions about an "adult" topic, such as politics or world problems,  I was told to go play, and that I wasn't old enough to talk about these things.
   This year, adults seem to see me more as an equal, and less as an inferior being.  Despite that fat that my opinion and reasoning has basically remained the same,  adults listen more.  I do appreciate people actually considering my opinions, but it irritates me that my age had gotten in the way of that before.  I hadn't changed other than my age, so I don't get what makes this year so different.

Hotel of Horror

   It was our annual trip to Myrtle Beach.  It was also the first time my younger brother had joined us for the long trip.  In a moment of brilliance my parents decided they'd stop three-quarters of the way way there, spend the night, and continuue drving in the morning.  That way we wouldn't have to deal with a cranky infant.
   The plan was pretty well thought out.  The only issue was how absolutely awful the hotel was.  The beds were uncomfortable and stained with God knows what.  The pool was green with a layer of insects floating on top.  I was very concerned that there were cockroaches crawling around.
   "I'm not sleeping in that...that thing!" Matt, my older brother, whined.
   "He does have a point..." I shifted nervously, avoiding the large rust colored stain on the floor.
   "Well, what do you want us to do about it?" my dad said crankily.
   Obviously, he couldn't really do anything about it.  As we all settled into the crusty bed,  I prayed that I wouldn't end up in a hotel like this ever again.
   

Invisible

   "An invisibility potion? You can't expect me to believe that."  I said skeptically.
   "Don't be such a downer.  Just let me take it.  What can it hurt?"  Mina said, irritated at my realistic outlook.
   "Who knows what's in it?  Are you going to take the risk of it being something like slug intestines?" I asked slyly.
   Mina's face grew pale with disgust.  She almost instantly gave the liquid to me, and ran away in her haste to get away from the possible slug guts.  Such a scaredy-cat.
   I grinned at my own cleverness.  I now had a real invisibility potion.  Despite the fact it would only last one day, I knew it was worth tricking my friend.  Some opportunities are too important to let it pass by.  Even if it resulted in betraying a friend.
   I had so many plans.  I went to the president's office, and undermined his plan to cancel summer vacation.  He wasn't thrilled, but I was never caught.  I just know that Mina would be greatful if she knew. All she planned to do was peek on her boyfriend.  My plan was so much more productive.

Laugh

   Her laughter broke the silence of the library.  A wrinkled librarian scowled at her, grumpily making a shhh-ing gesture.  The formerly laughing girl solemnly nodded back.

   This girl's name was Tally Greyel, and she was only four years-old, despite the fact that she was curled up with a book of Edgar Allen Poe's short stories.  One could call her the mascot of the library.  All the librarians knew who she was.  All the people who regularly visited called her "the little genius girl."

   Tally's mother was a shrewish woman that didn't allow her daughter to do anything but read.  Because of this, the girl taught herself to read by the time she was one year-old.  If her mother wasn't so disagreeable this never would have happened.

   I was a librarian that genuinely cared for Tally, and I'd like to think that I was almost like a substitute mother.  

   "Tally, aren't you going home?  Your mother will be wondering where you are?"  I asked her one day.

   "But Ms. Macyll I don't want to go home.  My mommy doesn't remember to feed me like you do."  Tally pouted.

   I saw red.  How dare that horrible shrew forget about her own child!  It was disgusting!  

  "Tally, I think we should go to the police right now." I said.

   "Why?" 

   "If we go there you won't have to live with your mommy.  You'll get food."  I smiled tightly.

   "O-okay!" she beamed up at me.

   Even if I hated her mother, Tally was probbly the sweetest girl I had ever met, and I wasn't going to let anyone change that.