Joke and Mistake | Teen Ink

Joke and Mistake

June 13, 2008
By Anonymous

Sydney Destiny Hope Truett, Sid for short, a girl who lives in a town called P.F.D. On gravity

street number twenty-three. She loves her town, and everything in it. Well, almost everything. The

one thing she doesn’t like--wait, doesn’t like is an understatement. The one thing she despises about

her town, is this yearly tradition that the town has, and has had for forty years. Every year the

town volunteers to adopt orphans who, were abandoned, disowned, kicked out of an orphanage, or all

of the above, and more. Sid had no problem with the adoption part of this, but she knows first hand

how this town treats orphans. She knows all about it. Why? Well because she was one of them. She

was an orphan tossed around by the town like a hot potato since she first arrived. Sid could still

remember when the people were auctioning her off like some antique vase. She hated it, like anyone

would hate going from house to house cleaning basements, toilets, and every little nasty, disgusting,

dark, ugly, crevice that you could think of in someone’s house. You name it, Sid cleaned it. She was

like a portable janitor. Every time someone ate to much cake she was the one with the disinfect, or the

plunger if someone ate to much barbecue.


“Ugh, those were the hardest days of my life , I think I have permanent calluses.”

Sid told her diary.


Now Sid has a new family, and new friends, and she only has to clean a portion of her new

house, everything worked out for her. Well, almost everything. Sid is now trying to help another girl

her age that is in the same situation as she once was. Her name is Aubrey. Sid has known her for

about two weeks, and Sid has already figured out that Aubrey is a foster child. Sid just keeps thinking

about how great it will be when she helps a fellow foster child as she waits in front of Aubrey's locker.

As Aubrey approaches Sid gets more conscious of what she is about to do, and therefore less confident.

She began to fidget, and shake, her palms got sweaty, and her mouth goes dry. Aubrey storms down

the hallway, stops just before her locker, looks at Sid, and then crocked her head to one side.



“Hey, welcoming committee girl, this is my locker, move!” Aubrey shoved Sid out of the way.



“Uh, sorry, by the way my name is Sydney, Sid for short.” Sid was still shaking when Aubrey

looked back at her.


“That's great, so what do you want Sydney- Sid for short?” Aubrey said rolling her eyes.


“Well I was just, thinking, and I noticed you didn't have any friends, and uh, I want to be your

friend because your just like me, and...”


“Wait a minute, you want to be my friend 'cause I'm just like you?”

At that moment Sid knew she had said too much.


“Well, uh yeah, see I'm a- well I used to be a-”


“A what? An obnoxious brat? Well you'd better wake up girl friend, 'cause you still are. And


what kinda nerve do have coming over here assuming I don't have any friends?”

Sid knew her plan was going to backfire, but not this badly.


“I, just thought that you wanted a friend that was like you. That knew what you were going


through.”


“Ha!” Aubrey laughed even though she looked like she was going to cry.


“You have no idea what I'm going through, and how do you know I”m going through


anything?”


“I know your a foster child...and so...”


“Who told you I was a foster kid? That principal, I knew he was up to no good, why did I ever


come here anyway I was doing just fine in River Heights...ugh! Why am I telling you this


anyway!? Just get away from me you freak! Leave me alone!”

Aubrey slammed her looker shut, and started to walk away


“Wait! I want to help you!”

Help her with what? Sid thought. Sid didn't know what she was doing. She approached Aubrey all

wrong. Why didn't she think about what she was doing before she did it? Sid knew that if someone

came up to her like that a year ago she would have done the same thing. If she had thought this

out more then she wouldn't have been standing there wide eyed with her tail between her legs.


“Help! Ha I don't need your help, you have no idea what you getting into girlie.”

Sid could her tears in Aubrey's voice, and felt her heart get heavy. The truth was she knew exactly

what she was getting into, but she didn't know what she had done. Sid watched as Aubrey stormed

down the hall into her class. She watched as someone just like her, slip through her fingers.

Sid stood, alone in the hallway. She had made a big mistake, a huge mistake. She pushed Aubrey

father away than she ever knew she could push anyone. Sid wondered if Aubrey would ever come

back. If she would ever have the chance to tell Aubrey the truth. Would she ever tell her she knew

exactly what she was going through. Would she ever get to tell Aubrey that all she needed was trust,

and a real friend to put that trust in? Sid stood, and thought about what Mr Loudwind had said, She

did do something she was going to regret. And know she knew she wasn't worth it. Sid walked toward

her class that she was obviously late for, and left the failed conversation alone in the vacant hallway. So

many things unsaid, and misunderstood.


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This article has 1 comment.


FAMILY said...
on Sep. 5 2008 at 11:19 am
This is an AWESOME opportunity Laura!!! I am so proud of you and prouder of your work. Continue to keep up the motivation and determination to go far.