The sun beat down with the ferocity of a tiger. Mia strolled along the busy streets of Monroe to her father’s pediatric practice. It was the last day of summer, and she was enjoying one last ice cream cone. Tomorrow, she would be starting middle school at Monroe Middle.
Mia opened the door, crunching the last bit of the waffle cone. A blast of cool air greeted her sweaty face.
“Hi, Mrs. Bates,” she greeted the smiling receptionist. She grabbed a mint from the counter and put it in the pocket of her floral-patterned dress. She knocked on the door of her father’s office. No answer. He must be busy right now, Mia thought, and sat down on one of the cushy chairs. She picked up a book from the shelf nearby, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and began reading it. She loved to read. She especially loved the feeling of escape. Living in Monroe was pretty exciting most days, being the urban center of Union County, but sometimes she needed a change of scenery. She quickly dived into the intriguing story, with its tales of magic and mystery.
“Mia!” a voice boomed. She quickly looked up. Her father was standing next to a man and his daughter. The girl was wearing a colorful floral headwrap that matched Mia’s dress exactly. “Ready to go shopping? This is Ododo and her father. They’ve just moved here, and I thought we might like to show them around Harris Teeter? Maybe you can make a friend.”
“Okay,” Mia said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, but on the inside, she was excited. At Benton Heights Elementary, all the girls were either into TV or makeup or theater. She couldn’t find any other bookish classmates to befriend. Maybe Ododo would be different.
“Hi,” Ododo said nervously. Mia detected the hint of an accent in her quavering voice.
“Hey, I’m Mia! Not to be rude, but where are you from?”
“Yoruba State, Nigeria.” Ododo replied, and adjusted her large, round glasses.
“Oh, that’s cool! My dad took this ancestry test, and our ancestors are from Nigeria too!” Mia laughed, throwing her black plaits back.
Heading into the store, she grabbed two baskets and handed one to Ododo. “So, what books do you like to read?”
“I like to read Harry Potter books. I really really like book 4,” she answered excitedly, and Mia could sense her nervousness whooshing away. Maybe not all girls in America were what the TV portrayed them as: dollies with obscene amounts of makeup, Ododo thought. Her grandmother would faint if Ododo even came home with one of her toenails painted! Ododo chose a few notebooks off the shelf, only to realize Mia had chosen the exact same colors.
“Oh my gosh! I like Harry Potter too!” The girls chatted excitedly as they headed out of the checkout line. They walked together down the street, hand-in-hand. Finally, they reached Cranberry Street. “Wow, you live here too?” Ododo asked.
“Yup, we have a lot in common!” Mia laughed. A wave of comfort filled her heart. “I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
“Me too.”
“One last thing,” Mia said as they walked off to their respective houses. “Here’s a mint. I hope you like them as much as I do.”
“Mints are my favorite candy! Thanks a lot!” Ododo waved goodbye.
Middle school just got a lot more interesting, Mia thought as she followed her father into their cozy little house. The sun was beginning to set now, sending out rays of gold and crimson that blanketed Cranberry Street, giving the promise of a bright and beautiful tomorrow.
Mia opened the door, crunching the last bit of the waffle cone. A blast of cool air greeted her sweaty face.
“Hi, Mrs. Bates,” she greeted the smiling receptionist. She grabbed a mint from the counter and put it in the pocket of her floral-patterned dress. She knocked on the door of her father’s office. No answer. He must be busy right now, Mia thought, and sat down on one of the cushy chairs. She picked up a book from the shelf nearby, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and began reading it. She loved to read. She especially loved the feeling of escape. Living in Monroe was pretty exciting most days, being the urban center of Union County, but sometimes she needed a change of scenery. She quickly dived into the intriguing story, with its tales of magic and mystery.
“Mia!” a voice boomed. She quickly looked up. Her father was standing next to a man and his daughter. The girl was wearing a colorful floral headwrap that matched Mia’s dress exactly. “Ready to go shopping? This is Ododo and her father. They’ve just moved here, and I thought we might like to show them around Harris Teeter? Maybe you can make a friend.”
“Okay,” Mia said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, but on the inside, she was excited. At Benton Heights Elementary, all the girls were either into TV or makeup or theater. She couldn’t find any other bookish classmates to befriend. Maybe Ododo would be different.
“Hi,” Ododo said nervously. Mia detected the hint of an accent in her quavering voice.
“Hey, I’m Mia! Not to be rude, but where are you from?”
“Yoruba State, Nigeria.” Ododo replied, and adjusted her large, round glasses.
“Oh, that’s cool! My dad took this ancestry test, and our ancestors are from Nigeria too!” Mia laughed, throwing her black plaits back.
Heading into the store, she grabbed two baskets and handed one to Ododo. “So, what books do you like to read?”
“I like to read Harry Potter books. I really really like book 4,” she answered excitedly, and Mia could sense her nervousness whooshing away. Maybe not all girls in America were what the TV portrayed them as: dollies with obscene amounts of makeup, Ododo thought. Her grandmother would faint if Ododo even came home with one of her toenails painted! Ododo chose a few notebooks off the shelf, only to realize Mia had chosen the exact same colors.
“Oh my gosh! I like Harry Potter too!” The girls chatted excitedly as they headed out of the checkout line. They walked together down the street, hand-in-hand. Finally, they reached Cranberry Street. “Wow, you live here too?” Ododo asked.
“Yup, we have a lot in common!” Mia laughed. A wave of comfort filled her heart. “I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
“Me too.”
“One last thing,” Mia said as they walked off to their respective houses. “Here’s a mint. I hope you like them as much as I do.”
“Mints are my favorite candy! Thanks a lot!” Ododo waved goodbye.
Middle school just got a lot more interesting, Mia thought as she followed her father into their cozy little house. The sun was beginning to set now, sending out rays of gold and crimson that blanketed Cranberry Street, giving the promise of a bright and beautiful tomorrow.
Comments
Log in or register to post comments.