JANUARY 8, 2009 UNITED FRIENDS WRITING GROUP CHALLENGE NUMBER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT FOR EVERY NEW BEGINNING... ANOTHER BEGINNING ENDS

JANUARY 8, 2009

UNITED FRIENDS
 WRITING GROUP
 CHALLENGE NUMBER
 ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT

FOR EVERY NEW BEGINNING...
 ANOTHER BEGINNING ENDS

Lockerridge's Challenge
Write a story about a young girl or boy going on their first date.
Keep it light and sweet if at all possible

FOR EVERY NEW BEGINNING... ANOTHER BEGINNING ENDS...

 Rachel sat on the edge of her bed, hugging her stuffed Pink Panther she had received the year before last, on her 14th birthday. She had a small smile on her lips… the kind young girls get when they are on the verge of a new adventure. The kind of smile that can either turn into a full blown hormone induced hysteria... or the kind of smile that can turn into a giggle that never ends. Such is the personality of the typical 16 year old young woman on the afternoon of her very first date...
With a boy!
 In a car!
 By themselves!
She grabbed the telephone from its cradle and hit the number 1 on its speed dial and got a busy signal... she sighed loudly and placed the receiver back into its place thinking... “Sissy you are always on the phone!” (Usually with her… but that part of equation didn't click right then)  He had actually called her... Right there on that phone! She was never washing that phone again!  Brian had called her and asked her to go out to eat a hamburger at the local Sonic Drive In and see a movie  this very evening... and her Dad had said…
 YES!  Then a thought raced across her mind… making a complete and total attack of panic set in...  WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?  Rachel flew across the room to her closet and jerked open the door. Inside were literally dozens of shirts, jeans, slacks, dresses, and more shoes than 3 girls her age could ever wear. But at the moment it seemed to Rachel that there was absolutely nothing in there that she could possibly wear on an actual factual DATE!
What in the world could she possibly come up that would wow Brian and yet her father would let her out of the house wearing?  Back to the phone…
 No. 1 on the speed dial…
beep beep beep beep…
 sigh…
Then her brain kicked back into gear....
She hung up and immediately dialed... 0…
" Hello operator this number is busy and I have an emergency phone call to this number, that has to go through... please... oh please… break into the line and let me get through!"  Within seconds her best friends voice was heard telling the operator she would take the emergency call … and then the words flew out of Rachel’s mouth and the squeals of  pure joy vibrated over the line to the beat of young womens' hearts… spreading the joyous good news of a first date.
She needed Sissies help right away on the issue of what to wear and of course the only way this could be handled correctly, was with hands on help.
 Sissies brother was given the chore of delivering her to Rachel’s house in the family station wagon.
 This was accomplished by taking all back streets, with her brother wearing his father’s hat and coat, and Sissy placed into the back floor board with the threat of brotherly retribution if she allowed herself to be seen above the seat at any time during the drive.
Brothers are such buttheads at times... but it got the job done so she was not put out with him… much...  Sissy opened the car door and did a kind of jump as her brother slowed down in front of Rachel’s house.
 He didn't completely stop you understand.
Brothers...
 Whomever survived living with them without permanent scaring before they left home, was a miracle walking according to the book,
 " SURVIVAL TIPS FOR THE LITTLE SISTER"
  she had received as a gift at Christmas.
 This book spoke volumes in truth, and gave her much insight in how to get what she wanted out of the jerk
 To her brothers’ total confusion usually, which also delighted the young girl to no end!  She bounded up the porch steps of Rachels’ house and rapped on the front door with a happy knock.
 Rachel’s father yelled from the back of the house to come on in, and  dragging her suitcase full of clothes, shoes, and makeup behind her she bounced into the living room.

 Rachels’ Mom had passed away when she was just a little girl and so the house didn't have much of the "Be Careful In Here", feel and look of her own home, which Sissy preferred hands down. 
That and the big screen television and pizza delivery at least three times a week, were some of the greatest advantages of having Rachel for a best friend  .“She’s upstairs Sissy, having a full blown panic attack.”  Rachels’ Dad yelled out at her.
“Okay, thanks Mr. Biggers!” Sissy yelled back.  Once upstairs the trail of clothes started at the bathroom door and led the way to Rachels’ room. Sissy chuckled to herself as she picked them up on her way to her best friends’ room.
 She opened the door and there stood Rachel...
 Hair up in a towel...
 Too much makeup on her eyes
 Wearing a plaid sweater over a polka dot turtle neck,
 and a  pair of the worst looking purple silk pajama bottoms she had ever seen in her life.
 She grinned at her friend, and began singing ...
 “Here I Am To Save the Day”
in her best Mighty Mouse imitation.
 Rachel collapsed on the bed in giggles and said,
 “If anyone needed saving, it’s me right now!”  Two hours later and enough clothes changes to chap skin, the door bell rang. Standing on the other side of the screen door was the object that had caused all this need for panic and help.
Brian McAvery.
The dream of any young woman in her 16th year. He was blonde, blue eyed, and had a dimple in his left cheek when he smiled, and above all these excellent physical attributes... he was nice too!
 The fact that he had his own pickup truck and a job at the local supermarket as a grocery sacker, went a long way in making him the upper most sought after male, of the upper mostest sought after males, in her grade at school.  Sissy hid behind a plant on the upstairs landing and watched her friend descend the staircase much as Scarlet 'O Hara in "Gone with the Wind" must have done on her first date with Rhett Butler.
 Tears sprang to her eyes and it was all she could do not to sob her love for her friend out loud right there behind the ficus tree.
 It was just so, so, so...
Oh! It was just sooo fantastic!  Brian and Mr. Biggers had shook hands and were discussing when it would be the best time for Rachel to return home. Brian looked as red in the face as a shiny apple, and Rachel had the biggest stars in her eyes anyone had ever seen.
Brian looked at her, and caught his breath… she was so pretty tonight.
Heck, she was pretty all the time, but tonight she looked extra special for sure! He still couldn't believe his good luck, when she had wanted to go with him tonight. Brian and Rachel walked out to the truck and Brian opened her door for her and tucked her inside before going to his side of the truck and climbing in. He started the motor and suddenly they were nothing more than a puff of dust in the evening sunshine.  Sissy came down the staircase with a sniffle and Mr. Biggers wiped a moist eye. Then he and Sissy hugged each other and Mr. Biggers said,” Well I knew the day was coming, when she would stop being a little girl, but it sneaked up on me, and now I just can't believe that you girls are almost grown up ladies.”
Sissy smiled and said,” Would you have wanted it any other way Mr. Biggers?”
He smiled a misty smile, and looked over Sissies’ shoulder, where on the mantle sat the photograph of his late wife, and said,” No, I sure would not have it any other way Sissy... I surely would not.”  They walked into the living room and turned on the big screen TV, and he ordered a pizza delivered.

Neither saw the spark of light that bounced from the mantle, nor did they see the wink ,that momentarily appeared on the lovely young womans' image that was held in the frame there.
EVERY NEW BEGINNING
COMES FROM
SOME OTHER BEGINNINGS END.

THE END
  Terri McCain/lockerridge
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