One Friend, One Hobby

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Dedicated to Tucker

Copyright 2015

Maple Leaf Writing Project

Brattleboro, Vermont

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Sam is in the 5th grade at Silver Lake Elementary School and is very shy and self conscious. Sam is an only child. Charles has been his best friend since he transferred into their school. Sam isn’t one of the kids who gets picked on. None of his classmates really notice him at all. Sam is really quiet and does not socialize very much with anyone except with Charles.

RRRRIIINNNGGG went the bell to start recess-- Sam hated the sound. Unlike most of the kids in his class, Sam didn’t like recess. He’d rather be doing something else.

Sam’s class was relatively small and the majority played football, soccer, capture the flag or other physical games. Sam spent his recess reading with Charlie. He was reading because he was in a book club, and he was in a contest to see who could read the most books.

After school on Mondays they both went to their book club. One day coming back inside from recess they were discussing a book that both of them had just finished. In the middle of their discussion their librarian came up to them and asked them if they liked it. They both said they liked it very much. She said “I’m glad you liked it, so did I.” A second later the bell rang and they both ran off to their classes. Later in that day the librarian ran into Sam and told him that she was going to put together a play and perform it in front of the whole school. She wanted Sam to try out for the main role. What she didn’t tell Sam was that if she couldn’t get enough people for the play to perform she might lose her job. She told him the tryouts were after school in the gym. Without asking Sam, she said, “So I will see you there, great! See you then.” Sam didn't mind the idea of being in a play because he thought he might meet some new people, but performing it in front of the whole school made him nervous.

Sam realized that if he tried out for the play without telling Charlie, he would be ballistic because they never kept secrets from each other. Sam thought that if Charles found out it could ruin their friendship. Sam wanted to be in the play but also didn’t want to hurt his best and only friend’s feelings. Sams final decision came down to the fact that he wanted more friends he just didn’t know how to make them. When he and Charles became friends, Charles had came to him and they had connections through science and writing and it was clear that no one in his class initiate a friendship. Maybe, if he did the play, he could have at least one more friend.

Yet after school when it was time for tryouts he felt like he was going to throw up. When his mom picked him up from the nurse’s office he told her about his day. She told him that he should ask Charlie if he wanted to try out for the play with him. He told her that he didn't think Charlie would want to do it. His mom said, “It doesn't hurt to ask.”

The next day he went to school and asked Charlie if he wanted to tryout for the play. Charlie said, “No way, I would never want to go up on stage and perform a play plus then I wouldn't have enough time to read and do the rocket building contest that we do together.” Sam said he was thinking about trying out for the main role in the school play. Charlie told him he was crazy and that he should not try out for the play, especially for the main role.

Without thinking Sam said, “You're right I won’t.”

Sam went to the librarian and said he was sick yesterday and couldn’t try out. He asked if there was any way he could still make the play. From that moment on he was committed to the play. But he kept it secret from Charlie and didn’t know what he was going to do about the rocket building contest or about school performance. Ms. Shellburg, the librarian, told him that today was the last day of tryouts so he had to be there. Sam reassured her that he would not miss it. Then he went to the office to sign up for the late bus. They would practice every Wednesday after school for an hour and a half.

Sam went the rest of the day thinking about what to tell Charlie when he invited him to do the rocket building contest that they usually they did on Wednesdays. He decided that he would have to make excuses until he could think of a better plan.

When he got to the tryouts there was about 10 other people there that had been sick or couldn’t make it to the first one and Mr. Hamilton, the principal, was watching everyone with his weird smile. Everyone was in a conversation except Sam. Then a kid walked over to him and said “Hey I’m Morgan.” Sam said “Hi”.

Morgan asked him which character he was trying out for and Sam said “I’m trying out for the elephant’s child, which part are you trying out for?”

Morgan said “I’m trying out for the Baboon. I’m pretty sure I’m going to make my part. I’m a great actor I’ve been told.” Sam felt more comfortable around Morgan. He told Sam that there wasn’t a lot of people trying out for the main roll but Sam would still have to be really good to get it.

Ms. Shellburg arrived and told everyone to take a seat in a circle and quiet down. First, she apologized for being late. Then she told everyone all of the roles, saying, “Not everyone will make the part you want, but almost all of you will get a role.”

The tryouts began and everyone got into a line according to their parts and went to different rooms with their instructor. Sam was with the first grade para educator, Sara. In the library she handed everyone script’s to. She told everyone to get in a line and to read the script as if it were actually being performed.

Everyone got into a line and the first person went. The room was silent and slowly the line moved forward and most of them mest-up a couple of times. Sam was worried that he wouldn’t be good enough and that if he messed up everyone would laugh at him. He started taking deep breaths to calm down. Soon it was his turn he said, “Why do your tailfeathers grow just so? What make your skin so spotty?” Next he said, “What makes your eyes so red?” He got more and more confident as he went on.

Finally he said “My father, my mother, all my aunts and uncles, have spanked me and I still want to know what the crocodile has for dinner!” After he was done he was relieved and hoped for the best. When everyone had finished, Sara told them they would be told next week if we got their desired roles.

The next Wednesday he told Charlie that he had a dentist appointment and he couldn’t make it back in time to work on their project. When he woke up that morning he had a bad feeling. He didn't want to lie but he didn’t have a choice. When he got to school he told him that he couldn’t go to his house after school because he had a dentist appointment and wouldn’t be back until four thirty. Charlie said, “Ok, but you can come over next Wednesday right?”

Sam said, “Um… maybe, I don’t know I’ll ask my parents.” After school he headed straight for practice in the gym. He was especially excited to hear who made which part and who didn’t. When he got there he was early and he spotted Morgan. He walked over to him and asked him how his tryouts went last week.

Morgan said, “mine went great. I think I might have the part of the Baboon.”

Morgan asked how his tryout went and Sam said, “It went great I think I might have the role of the Elephant. Wouldn’t it be great if we both got the roles we wanted.”

“Yea,” said Morgan. “It would be awesome if we both had lead roles. Aren’t you so excited and nervous to see if you made the role you wanted?”

“Yea,” replied Sam. “I’m super excited to find out.”

“Everyone take a seat I have some big news to tell you,” said Ms. Shellburg. “I have made the decisions about who gets what role. We’ll start with the Elephant’s child which goes to Sam. Everyone clapped and Sam high fived his new friend Morgan.

Morgan congratulated him, “this is so awesome!”

“Yea” said Sam, “It really is. I hope you get your part too.”

“Next we’ll be announcing the part of the Baboon,” said Ms. Shellburg. “Drum roll please, the part of the Baboon goes to Morgan.” Everyone clapped for Morgan.

Sam said, “This is going to be great, me and you got lead roles in the school play.” The rest of the day went great. When Sam got home he told his mom about his day, how he made a new friend and how he and his friend both got lead roles in the play.

That same day Charlie walked home with his head down feeling angry and confused. He knew Sam was lying. What he didn’t know was why Sam was lying and what he was lying about. When he got home he went straight to his room. He layed in bed wondering why Sam would lie and what to do about the rocket contest. He knew that Sam would keep making excuses to keep doing whatever he was doing but he didn’t know what to do about it.

Then it hit him! He could get a new partner! A better partner! Someone that knew more about rocket building and didn’t lie. In fact, Charlie wouldn’t even have to tell Sam about it. He could just let Sam keep telling his lies and making excuses while he continued to work on the project that mattered. But who did he know that liked rockets? His mom came into his room and said, “Oh...I didn’t hear you come in. I want to tell you that your Aunt Clarissa is having knee surgery soon and I offered to take care of your cousins while she recuperates.”

“What,” Charlie said, “wait...where are they staying?”

“That is why I wanted to talk to you”, his mom said. “One of them, Parker, will share your room. Lisa, his younger sister, will stay with me.”

“Have I ever met Parker,” asked Charlie.

“Not that you’d remember. You haven’t seen him since you were both two years old.”

“Really Mom? Why can’t he sleep on the couch? Why does he have to sleep in my room?”

His mom said, “Yes, he has to sleep in your room. He can have the inflatable mattress. It’s only for a couple of weeks.”

Charlie asked, “What does Parker like to do?”

“I don’t know. You’ll just have to find out,” his mom said.

The following Wednesday Charlie didn’t bother asking Sam if he could come over because he knew Sam would say no. Besides, this was the day his cousins were coming to visit. Charlie raced home to meet his cousin. He was eager to see if Parker was into rocket building or science or if he was just another kid that wanted to be a professional football player. Charlie threw open the front door and quickly asked his mom if his cousins were there yet. “No, she said. “I am leaving in 20 minutes to pick them up. Do you want to come?”

Charlie thought to himself, I don't want to risk being in a car with someone that I have nothing in common with. “No thanks,” he said. “I’ve got homework to do.”

“Ok. We’ll be back around 5:30”, she said.

Charlie did his homework while listening for the front door to open. When it did, he came running out of his room to see a tall, blond kid with a basketball in one hand and luggage in the other. Pushing her way past Charlie’s mom and her older brother was a short, curly-haired girl blowing a huge bubble. “Charlie, this is Jack and Becky. Why don’t you show Jack to your room. I cleared out the top two drawers of your dresser.” Charlie didn’t mind sharing his dresser with Jack but he really didn’t like a jock for a cousin. He worried he’d never find someone to help build his rocket. He was pretty sure that it wasn’t going to be Jack.

Looking around his room, Jack asked, “Dude, what do you like to do in your free time?”

“I like to read and lately I have been working on a rocket building contest that’s due in one month.”

“What do you like to do,” asked Charlie who was assuming that Jack liked to play basketball and listen to music.

Jack said, “I like to play basketball and listen to music.”

“Oh great, now I’ll never get someone to help me with my rocket building contest,” Charlie thought.

After his mom had brought in the blow up mattress and Jack had gone to sleep Charlie thought about how he could get a partner for the rocket contest. It seemed there had to be other options but he couldn’t think of one so he decided he would have to ask Jack.

In the morning he asked Jack where he was going to go to school for the next couple of weeks. Jack said “ I packed all of the homework and I’m going to Skype the teacher. He’ll set his iPad where i usually sit so it will be like I’m right there.”

Charlie got to school late and went straight to class. When he got there a lot of the class, including Sam, was missing. He asked Cheryl, a classmate, where the rest of the class was and she told him that the drama club was costume fitting and wouldn’t be back until lunch.

Suddenly it all made sense. Sam had been making excuses to go to rehearsals! He was furious at Sam for keeping a secret from him. When Sam got back from costume fitting he sat down and nervously glanced at Charlie. Sam knew that Charlie knew about his secret. When the lunch bell rang Sam and Charlie both headed to lunch alone. This continued for the next day or two.

When Charlie got home he went straight to his room where Jack was still skyping his teacher. Charlie went into the kitchen to get a snack.

After Jack was finished skyping he surprised Charlie by asking how his day went. Charlie told him all about how Sam had lied and how he wasn’t sure what he would do about the rocket contest and if he would ever be friends with Sam again. After he was done talking, Jack said, “that sucks but I know you’ll get over it. Good friends get into fights once in a while. Also I could help you on your rocket if you wanted.”

“Sure”, said Charlie, “but do you know anything about rockets?”

“Actually I know a thing or two about rockets”, Jack replied. “Me and my dad used to build rockets all the time but now I can’t build them with him because he passed away last year. I would love to build one with you right now if you want.”

“I’d love to,” said Sam. They went to his room got out the materials and Jack had a lightbulb moment.

He said, “These look just like the materials of the last rocket we ever built together and it was the best rocket ever. It ran on water and pressure building up.” So they got to work cutting and pasting and glueing and all sorts of stuff. When they finished their rocket looked amazing. It was the best rocket Charlie had ever seen. “Let’s try it out,” said Jack.

“Great,” Charlie replied. They went into Charlie’s backyard and got the air pump. Charlie started pumping and it got harder and harder to pump. At one point Charlie couldn’t pump anymore so Jack took over. Then Charlie heard the WHOOSH of the rocket blasting into the air. It went so high that they lost sight of it for a second.

When the rocket hit the ground, Jack immediately high-fived Charlie and said, “That was the best rocket I’ve ever seen. I think that we should enter it in the rocket contest.”

“Great,” said Charlie.

In the morning Jack woke up before Charlie and got breakfast. When Charlie woke up he went to the kitchen and sat down next to Jack. Jack told him to make up with Sam. Charlie asked what he should say. Jack said, “You’ll know what to say when the time is right”.

When Charlie got to school he saw Sam waiting for the bell to ring with his head down. Carlie walked over, took a deep breath and began to talk. He said, “ Listen Sam, I know that you have been going to drama club every Wednesday. You don’t have to lie anymore. But I’ve also been keeping secrets. I have a cousin that’s been staying with me and helping me finish my rocket.”

“I know you knew about my drama club,” Sam stuttered.

Charlie said, “I think we can have different friends and still be friends.”

RRRIIINNNGGG the bell rang.

“Come on we have to get to class,” said Sam.

The End