Grades 3-5 Prose 3rd Place "Rights and Ridicules" by Elizabeth Hsu The Village School Grade 5 Teacher: Lauren Attaway "Hey! Wonder what we're going to do now," she asked as her friends chorused, "Yeah." We were on the sidewalk heading to the bus. There was fresh dew on the grass, a bright sun, and everything seemed fine. But the weather definitely didn't match the mood. Everything's fine. They don't mean it. You're not what they're saying you are, I thought, trying to calm myself down. Their cunning remarks, still kept blasting at me as every second passed. Minutes. Maybe even an hour. Probably not, but a minute still felt like an hour. Why can't things just be simple? My perfect year has turned into a nightmare. Why couldn't it be fine now? The the flashbacks started: Every whisper. Every conversation. Every action. Then I realized it: I didn't enjoy being around them, but I also didn't have anyone else. Why did I have to forgive them? Why did it have to happen? I silently scolded myself. And then, I just walked away ignoring whatever other threats they decided to let flow out of their mouths. Next day... "Loser! You're so prying sometimes! You just want to know everything about everyone! What's wrong with you?" she openly denounced me. Ignore them, the tiny voice in the back of my head said, It's okay. But I couldn't listen to it. I just stared at the rubber stoles on my shoes. Instinctively, my head turned towards them. Their bright, cheery faces were lit up as if they had never been so ecstatic in their lives. "Why don't you speak? I wonder if she can!" she muttered to her "minions." All they ever do is agree with every. Single. Thing. She. Says! They giggled and paid their agreement. Their high-pitched voices sounded like airplanes buzzing in the back of my 11
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