Rain Lily (Small Section)

“And that’s the end.”
I looked over at my friend, Victoria. She was asleep.
I lay down and gazed up at the ceiling above. Thoughts swirled inside my head, answering questions of what we were going to do the next day, when we should wake up, and…
“KONICHIWA!” I jump half out of the bed with a squeal.
What was that? I searched wildly around the room, not seeing much due to the pitch black darkness of the room. Oh. It was Vicky’s stuffed animal that spoke Japanese at random times. She forgot to turn it off.
Vicky was spending the night at my house. We had been great friends ever since she had come into my school a quarter into the year.
I snapped out of my thoughts and argued with myself whether I should crawl out of bed at 2:00 in the early morning to turn off a stuffed animal.
A creepy giggling sound finally convinced me. I was going to turn that thing off.
I threw off the blankets that covered me and tiptoed across the room, carefully avoiding the many obstacles, including chests holding clothes, card decks, and pillows spread around on the floor.
Finally I reached the desk. Hmm, where’s the switch? I picked up the stuffed animal and turned it upside down. I felt with my fingers a Velcro opening in its back side. I ripped it open.
“KONICHIWA!”
I threw it down before picking it back up again and clicking it off.
Once I reached the bed, Vicky turned around and looked at me.
“Hi,” I said.
She blinked, and then turned around.
Ten minutes later I found myself staring up at the ceiling again.
Then I fell asleep.
*****
I was the first day of the fifth grade, and I was excited, excited with a capital E.
A wave of excitement rushed through me as I neared the crosswalk, where Vicky usually stood and called out my name in Pig Latin: “Ophie-say!” And I would, as always, reply, “Icky-vay!” Icky vase, I thought.
My name’s Sophie, short for Annasophie. I’ve been going to Redwood Christian School for as long as I could remember.
It wasn’t until 4th grade until Vicky came. Before that, I didn’t have any better friend, which should explain why I was so glad to see her.
But she wasn’t there on the corner. Maybe she was already at the door.
I dragged my backpack along and dropped it by the stone wall. I was the first one there. The air was full of tension, as the first day of school always began with.
I checked in my backpack for my supplies. Yes, they were all there: my orange, purple, and green folders, my packet of twelve colored pencils, my packet of index cards, two packs of light green construction paper, my twenty-four number 2 pencils, my pink eraser…
“Hi.”
I looked up, expecting Vicky. No, it wasn’t her. Instead stood Clarissa, with her flower backpack she’s had ever since kindergarten.
“Hey,” I replied. I guess I showed a bit too much disappointment, because Clarissa walked away.
The bell rang, indicating time to go inside. I threw my backpack over my shoulder and began to walk in. I reached my classroom easily. It was near the door.
But, I thought, Vicky’s in the other class this year. Maybe I’ll see her at recess.
I waited until the two and a half hours dragged by until I got to go to recess.
I raced to the playground. As always, I got there first, before all the boys.
I climbed up to the very top of the play set and looked around for Vicky.
There she was by the boat. I ran down to meet her.
“Hi, Vicky!”
“Hey, Sophie.” Then she turned around to talk to… Ashley. The girl that had a group of friends, always laughing, making me wonder if they were really having much fun or if they were just faking it all. But wasn’t she the opposite of Vicky and me?
Could this be happening?
Vicky and me… We’re best friends… right?
*****