Sixth Grade

The sun peered through her basement window and illuminated the twin-sized bed where Frankie slept. As her consciousness slowly surfaced, she clung to the images swirling behind her eyes: thick tree trunks, an underground bunker, and a folded piece of parchment. Was it a map? Noticing a chill crawl up her bare arms, Frankie instinctively felt around for cover. Her fingers found her bedsheet bunched around her feet and pulled it up over her head. When she turned her attention back towards the dream, she realized it was no longer in reach.

Before all trace of the adventure could disappear, she consulted her memory. Tilly and Abigail were there. She smiled. Were they undercover spies? Or maybe code-breakers? She could still feel the residual adrenaline from their recent mission. It reminded her of the stories they used to create together on the playground. For as long as she'd known them, it was their vivid imaginations that always seemed to bond them. She made mental notes of each detail so she could share it with them at school.

Three sharp beeps erupted from her bedside table. An equally loud groan erupted from Frankie as her hand flew out from the covers to silence the bulky alarm clock. She lifted herself into a sitting position and flung her legs over the side of the bed. With a big stretch, her eyes opened to the organized chaos contained within the blue-walled room. Remnants of postponed projects were scattered across the carpet in the form of gel pens, open CD cases, and shin guards. Next to the closet door, she spotted a pale pink box with the lid slightly ajar.

With a buzz of excitement, she hopped to her feet and booked it to the bathroom. Quickly brushing her teeth, Frankie let her mind drift to the coming school day. It’s gonna be good, she thought. No gym class on Tuesdays, the spelling test re-scheduled, and to top it off, she had new clothes to wear. She had almost forgotten! A stack of hand-me-downs had appeared at their door from the house across the street. Among the pile, Frankie had found some pieces that fit her fine, including a pair of long brown boots that made her feel like a superhero.

She bounced back to her room and reached for the blue t-shirt and skinny jeans hanging from the closet door that she had picked out the night before. Frankie grabbed the pale pink shoebox from the floor and sat down with it on the side of her bed - right foot, then left foot - she laced up each boot. The faux fur-lined cuffs fit snug around her calves. She strode over to the mirror and smiled at the reflection.

It's gonna be a good day.

...

“Did you see what Frankie was wearing today?”

Tilly stood near Abigail as she worked on her locker combination. The sound of bustling students echoed around them.

Abigail looked back at her before flinging the door open. “Oh, you mean her new boots?”

Tilly nodded as she watched Abigail fill her bag with doodle-filled notebooks and lip gloss.

“Yeah.. not my favorite. It’s like she’s trying to be one of the preppy kids”, she admitted, zipping up her backpack.

“Exactly! She’s like a whole new person," Tilly agreed, relieved that Abigail was on the same page. "Like when did she start caring so much about her clothes?”

“I don’t know..." Abigail swung the locker shut and faced Tilly. "Probably when she started hanging out with her soccer friends.”

With wide eyes, Tilly exclaimed, “You’re so right! That why we didn’t see her after fourth period. I bet she was with them." Her voice lowered to an urgent whisper, "Abbey, what if she stops hanging out with us?”

The question hung over them as they continued down the hall. They had never considered what life would be like without their comfortable trio. Images popped into their head that made their stomach churn. Frankie choosing a new table at lunch. Frankie ignoring their calls. Frankie laughing in the halls with her new and improved friends. An unnamed fear bubbled and buzzed through their bodies.

Tilly broke the silence in a defensive frenzy, "Well, if she's gonna be like that, I don't want her around."

"Me either," Abigail nodded, her fear disguising as anger. "Two can play that game".

“Hey guys!” Frankie pranced up behind them in her new fur-lined boots. She wore a big smile as if nothing were wrong. “I’ve been meaning to-”

The two girls picked up their pace and pretended not to notice her.

Tilly leaned in close and whispered, "Let's see how long we can keep this up." Feeling a jolt of adrenaline, Abigail giggled in return.

Frankie's smile fell. She stood frozen in the hall, staring at her friends’ backs as they walked away from her.

...

Dragging her feet down the stairs, Frankie finally reached her room. She sat on the side of her bed and untied her laces - left foot, then right foot. Frankie placed her boots back in their pale pink box, shut the lid, and pushed it far back into the closet.

She did not understand why her friends would act that way, but that did not stop her mind from spinning it's own stories. She crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her head.

The boots were forgotten along with her dream from the night before.