Saturday, April 4, 2009

Saturday Prompt

According to astrology, we are romantically doomed. According to my little sister's Magic 8 Ball, All Signs Point To Yes.

8 comments:

  1. Meghan, Arminda, Tanja, Cindy, Gina and Barb sat around in a circle on the basement’s old flowered area rug.

    Meghan glanced around the circle. In her most mysterious voice, she said, “We are all doomed. It’s in the cards and it’s in the stars. Romance will pass us by in this lifetime. Do not even try.”

    Tanja rolled her eyes. “Well, guess what? I checked my little sister’s Magic 8 Ball, and it says all signs pointed to yes. And I’m good with that.”

    “You actually asked it about CJ?” asked Barb, “Wow!”

    “Uh huh. So I don’t care if this is your slumber party, Meghan - and I also don’t care if the stars or cards or any other fortune telling junk says it’s a no-go. I’m totally crushed on CJ. And I’m going to ask him to go with me to the Sadie Hawkins Day Dance.” Tanja crossed her arms in front of her chest. So there.

    A couple of the girls giggled. Cindy looked surprised and Meghan looked annoyed.

    “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Meghan roughly pulled the chip bowl over to her and tried to maintain her ticked-off face while she inspected it. At last, she shrugged and reached into the bowl, taking what was probably the biggest potato chip in there.

    “Did your stars tell you that you’d find that gigunda chip, too?” asked Tanja.

    Meghan threw her an evil look. “Shut up.”

    Trying to defuse the tenseness in the room, Cindy said, “Come on you guys. We’re all friends, right? So, how about we do a séance instead of this astrology and boy stuff? It’s still otherworldly, but we can – you know...” Meghan and Tanja both glared at Cindy, whose voice dropped off straight away. To cover, Cindy awkwardly grabbed at another bowl in the middle of the circle and scooped up a handful of popcorn.

    Arminda said, “If you ask me, I’d rather do a two-finger lift, if we’re staying with this spooky theme.”

    “What time is it?” asked Gina.

    Meghan looked at her wrist watch. “Eleven thirty three. Why? Is it past your bedtime, sweetie?”

    The other girls giggled.

    Gina smiled sweetly. “Nope, but the Jonas Brothers are on SNL tonight. I don’t know about you, but I want to see them!”

    “Oh my God! I totally forgot!” Meghan jumped up and turned on the TV.

    “Okay. It’s just a commercial on. We didn't miss them,” said Barb, “But I can’t wait ‘til they’re on. I just love Nick Jonas!”

    “Well, if you think you have a chance with him, then I can tell you right here and now, Meghan’s astrology prediction is completely on the money, and Tanja’s little sister’s Magic 8 Ball got it totally wrong! Okay? Like you have a chance!” Arminda wiggled her pointer finger back and forth.

    “A girl can dream, can’t she?” Barb sighed.

    With that, all the other girls threw pillows at Barb and after completely covering her, they settled down to watch the show.

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  2. "I got it." Sophie waves her little sister's Magic 8 Ball over her head. "She had it hidden in a hat wrapped in a t-shirt stuffed under a pile of sweaters in her bottom dresser drawer. Piece of cake."

    "Soph, I don't think we should be trusting our romantic fates to a toy," I say.

    She rolls her eyes. "The trouble with you, Bree, is that you take things too seriously. It's just for fun."

    We hop up on the wall outside Devlin Park. Sophie holds the black sphere to her heart and closes her eyes.

    "Does Cam Foster like me? Does Cam Foster like me?"

    I'm not sure why she asks the question twice. Maybe so the cosmos doesn't confuse Cam Foster with creepy Sam Pfister who collects snakes.

    Sophie cracks one eye open to see the results. "My sources say no."

    She sighs and hands me the Magic 8 Ball. "You're probably right. It's just a toy."

    I give the ball a little shake to erase her answer. "Does--I can't say it out loud. It's too embarrassing."

    "You have to," Sophie insists. "It makes the question more permanent. And hold it close to your heart, so the ball can feel your intent."

    "And you think I'M taking this too seriously?" I laugh, but put the ball up to my chest and close my eyes. Sophie leans against me so she can see the answer.

    I picture Nick Murphy with his hair like a new buckeye, all shiny and deep reddish brown, and the way his green eyes squinch up when he smiles. And those light sun freckles splashed across his nose.

    "Does Nick Murphy like me? Does Nick Murphy like me?"

    Sophie gasps and I open my eyes.

    Nick Murphy is standing in front of us. He takes the Magic 8 Ball from my hands, reads the result, then tosses it over his shoulder. As the blue liquid inside leaks out all over the sidewalk, he smiles. "All signs point to yes."

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  3. "It's a sign!" Kim pointed excitedly at the faded linoleum floor.

    "Your yearbook 'accidentally' falling open to Troy's picture is NOT a sign." Jane insisted as she slammed her locker door shut. "The poor thing's spine has snapped from overexposure to page 59, aka the Troy Duncan pictorial. Geez."

    Kim smiled sheepishly as she hurried to keep up with her best friend, heading to Mr. Carter's biology class.

    "You just wait," Kim warned smugly, "Troy is on the verge of asking me to prom. It's meant to be...our signs are compatible."

    "What signs would those be - Dork and Dweeb?" Jane launched her now flavorless gum into the metal trash can outside the classroom.

    "Very funny." Kim pursed her lips, irritated. "Troy is very attracted to me. Remember, your sister's Magic 8 Ball said,'All Signs Point To Yes'. He just hasn't acted on it yet."

    "Oh, but he has, Kimmie." Jane dumped her books on the lab table. "After all, he did rear-end your car in the parking lot. Then his ginormous Puma's sent you flying down the aisle in English." Jane snorted.

    "Har, har, har," Kim emphasized each word with venom.

    "Oh yea," Jane continued with enthusiasm, "Then there was the time..."

    "Shush!" Kim whispered harshly. "Here he comes!"

    Troy loped into class, giving Kim a wink as he approached her lab table. Kim felt her heart pick up speed when Troy stopped next to her seat.

    "Can I talk to you?" His blue eyes were positively penetrating. "Out in the hall?"

    "Sure," Kim whispered, rising up out of her seat.

    At precisely the same instant, Troy turned. The force of the backpack swinging from his shoulder knocked Kim to the floor.

    Jane exploded in laughter. She was wiping the tears from her eyes when Kim and Troy returned to class.

    Kim slid into her seat and turned dreamy eyes to Jane. "Going to prom...with Troy!" she mouthed silently.

    Jane shook her head in disbelief. "You wouldn't happen to know Jamie Todd's sign, would you?"

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  4. Trish, AWESOME post!!! Loved it!!!!

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  5. Trish - that was such a fun read! Very cool! =D

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  6. Oooops - sorry. I meant Deb. Duh! I loved it, Deb! (I already said how much I liked Trish's story!) Blush Blush!

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