The Park (first three chapters)

Chapter 1: Let’s Go!

I yell out for Mom. She takes a while. I beg her again to let me go by myself. I’m 9 ½—practically 10!—but I still have to go with a parent.

I can’t wait. Me and my friends—Ari, Charlotte (but I call her Char), Sam, and Scott—have big plans.

My mom finally comes downstairs. She layers me and herself up.

Oh SHOOT! I forgot—I need my notebook for our great adventure! As the leader, I must take notes.

I run back upstairs to my messy room. I search everywhere but can’t find it.

“EVE!” Mom calls me back down. I tell her to give me a minute or two.

A minute later, I go to the living room and see my brother drooling all over it. My brother won’t give up. He won’t budge. I NEED IT!

There’s only one solution for the notebook: a wrestle.

The match begins! Who will win—Drool Baby or E.V.E. (Extraordinary Vicious Eve)? EVE starts with a head slap! Drool Baby responds with a waterfall of drool! Who gets the notebook?! PEW PEW! Ohh Ohhhhh! Drool Baby gives up… to a nap.

EVE WINS. I win!

I head back down and we go. On the way to the park, I tell Mom about all my adventures. She says I might be a writer. But I wanna illustrate. I hate writing—it’s nothing but words, words, and more words.

She tells me I have no talent in art, but in imagination.

She’s wrong.

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Chapter 2: The Group

The group waits for me behind the park gates. I run up to them.

Sam asks where I’ve been. Ari can read my mind and tells him the possibilities. She really knows me.

A minute later, I show them our adventure plan:
Through the city tunnels that lead to the desert—filled with all sorts of fears! But we have to stay positive so nothing happens. Then, a decent journey to the jungle with hungry monkeys. As long as we’re in disguise, thanks to our magic watches, we can reach the volcano.

Over the grassy hills, we’ll walk—or take a detour to the Orbles, who will help us combine all our powers. That way, we can fly to the volcano where we battle all our enemies. Then we’ll be famous for defeating every single one!

The gang thinks it’s great. We all choose our parts:
I’m the leader. Ari is the mechanic (along with Sam). Char keeps track of everything. Scott knows all about poison to warn us.

We all hype each other up for the journey.

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Chapter 3: Gates

I open the gate. An invisible wave passes through us.

Char counts us to make sure we’re all here. I remind them—again and again—that this journey is our destiny. Our faith. Our parents have put their trust in us.

I open up my notebook, where the map has been drawn. We all start chattering loudly.

We talk about our bosses (parents), and how they’re unfair—giving us paperwork after bundles of work (school). They obviously don’t listen. We don’t want to be the worst employees (kids). If we were, that’d mean no more trips out as the friend-family.

I try to talk about the path, but no one listens. Then I say it louder—which finally gets their attention—but I forget what I was going to say.

By the time I remember, I’ll have to get their attention again.

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-Anisha Pradeep