The Jeans
At one time I took courses in children’s literature. I actually graduated and have a degree! The following story was for one of the lessons. I recently found a bunch of them and thought I would share them. This story, The Jeans, was for a magazine and was written in 950 words for a younger audience.
Here is The Jeans
The Jeans
by tlwhitaker
“Sandy! Wait up!” Sandy looked behind her. Alexis was running towards her waving an envelope in the air.
“Here this is for you” Alexis handed the envelope to Sandy. “It’s an invitation to my birthday party on Saturday. I hope you will come.”
Sandy took the envelope and looked at it. It had her name written on it with glitter. She looked up at Alexis. “Really? You want me to come to your party?”
Alexis smiled, “Of course, you are only the sweetest girl in the school. Why wouldn’t I want you to come to my party?”
“Really?” Sandy couldn’t believe it. Alexis was the most popular girl in the school and Sandy was, well, not exactly in the same club.
“Really! See ya Saturday” Alexis yelled over Sandy’s shoulder “Hey Jojo!”
Sandy watched as Alexis gave Jojo a big hug and walked away with her best friend. Sandy looked down at the envelope. Could she really have been invited to Alexis’ birthday? Was it a trick? Why would Alexis invite her? Sandy thought about all the way home. Sandy thought about while fixing her snack. She thought about so much she couldn’t even concentrate on her favorite TV Show. Finally Sandy decided to call the only person she could in situations like these, Henry.
“Yeah?” Henry always answered the phone like that. “Whadya want?”
“Henry, Sandy. I got invited to Alexis’ Birthday party this next Saturday. I don’t know what to do?”
“You’re going to go. What you mean you don’t know what to do? You get dressed up. You buy a present. You go to the party. You sing Happy Birthday. You eat cake. Geez what you call me for?”
“Henry! Why would she invite me? Do you think it’s a trick? Do you think someone is making her invite me?”
Henry sighed. “Look, you think too much. She invited you. You go or you don’t go. You got to stop worrying so much. Now what are you going to wear?”
Wear? Sandy had nothing to wear to a party. The only dress she owned was two sizes too big and she only wore it to church. Her only pair of pants in the whole world had so many patches on it, only the pockets were recognizable as belonging to jeans. And she wore those everyday to school!
“I got to go Henry.” Sandy hung up the phone. Well that was that. She couldn’t possibly go to the party with nothing to wear.
The next day when Sandy got home from school she was surprised to see her mother standing in the kitchen.
“Why are you here?” she asked her mother.
“I live here, you goof!”
Her mother took some cookies out of the cookie jar and handed some to Sandy.
“Were you fired or something?”
“No. There was a fire alarm and the fire department closed down the building. Mr. Spalding sent everyone home early.”
Sandy’s mom set a glass of milk on the table.
“By the way, Mrs. Nino called and wanted me to know that Alexis’ had invited you to her birthday party. She said to remind you that it was at 1:00 pm on Saturday. You must be very excited!”
“I guess so” Sandy took a drink of milk.
Sandy’s mom looked at her. “You guess so? What does that mean?”
“Well I really can’t go, mom. I barely know Alexis. Besides I have nothing to wear.”
“Of course you have something to wear. You can wear your Sunday dress or you can wear your jeans. And I think a party is a wonderful way to get to know someone. Anyways, I have already arranged to have Mrs. Nino pick you. I will be at work at I but I’ll pick you up after the party.”
Sandy was horrified. Now what? There was no way she was going to the party in her Sunday dress! She was going to have to wear her jeans. How embarrassing.
The next day during lunch, Henry shoveled another bite of mystery meat into his mouth. “What’s wrong with you Sandy?”
“Well, my mom already told Alexis’ mom that I would be at the party. Mrs. Nino is even going to pick me up!”
“So?”
“So! I have to wear these jeans! I’m going to be so embarrassed!”
“What’s wrong with those jeans” Henry finished his lunch.
“What’s wrong with these jeans? Henry you’re an idiot. Look at all these patches! And how can you eat that stuff anyway?”
Sandy walked out of the lunchroom, not seeing Alexis, who was sitting right behind her listening to the conversation.
Saturday arrived and Sandy spent the morning trying on different shirts. She had just decided on a pink shirt that looked okay when the phone rang.
“Hello? Oh hi mom. Where? Oh, okay, thanks. Love you too.”
Sandy hung up the phone and looked on the kitchen counter. There was the bag her mother had told her to look in. Sandy opened the bag and pulled out a brand new pair of jeans! Sandy ran to her room and put them on. They fit perfectly! She put on the pink shirt and twirled around her room. She looked in the mirror. Perfect!
Sandy ran down the stairs when she heard the car honk.
“You look nice” said Mrs. Nino.
Sandy stared at her pants all the way to the party. They were a beautiful deep blue color. She felt like a princess.
“Sandy! Sandy”
Sandy looked up to see Alexis and all the other guests standing on the front porch.
Sandy couldn’t believe her eyes. All the girls were wearing old jeans with lots and lots of patches on them!
Alexis smiled at Sandy, “nice jeans Sandy.”
“You too!” Sandy grinned at Alexis.
Laughing, Sandy and Alexis walked arm and arm into the house.
The End
