We’ll See!

I don’t get some things. Hey I’m D’Aren. Still here huh? Well, nothing to see here. Yep. No objective in life. No epilogue. Nothing. Fine. Might as well talk. Well, my dad always says I’m like my grandpa who always said, “If you can’t make something new, don’t make something at all.” Yep. I like thinking up new stuff. Sadly most are unrealistic. My creativity also gets me into a lot of trouble. Like once in the second grade, a high school robotics team came to my school. Long story short – I did some upgrading. These days I don’t get in trouble as much, but sometimes trouble just follows me.

 “D’Aren, go pick up the groceries!” my mom says.

I get up and set my homework on the table. I’m currently two weeks into seventh grade. After I’m done shopping, I’m about to head out.

“Wait!” I turned around. It was a man. “Take a look at some of these.” He gestured to a stack of papers.

I saw advertisement flyers. Never any good. Not like my family could afford any of it. Money is tight. I grabbed one anyway. I decided to throw it away. I don’t know why, but I sort of felt like I had to keep it.

“As if it’s even worth it,” I muttered.

Why did I want to keep it? Once I got home I returned to my laptop to continue my math work. A minute had passed when my dad came home from work.

“Hey dad,” I said.

He nodded and headed over to the kitchen. Okay, I’m not that smart but I knew something was up. I didn’t have to wait to find out what was up.

That night at dinner my dad announced, “I lost my job.”

I lurched up, “What? Why? How?”

My mom peeked at him.

He sighed, “They gave me less than usual for my weekly pay, and when I tried to negotiate, they fired me.”

I said, “That’s not fair.”

He shook his head, “No, it isn’t, but that’s how it is.” Since dad lost his job, I knew that meant if he couldn’t find a new job, that meant we’d move.

The next day at school was nothing special. It’s now lunch time, and I’m hanging out with Jarvil and Marcel, my best friends.

“That was so lucky!” Jarvil and Marcel were arguing about a basketball game that was played the night before. One player, with two seconds remaining, took this off-balance shot and made it.

“Nah!” Marcel countered, “That was 100% skill!”

I laughed.

That day after school I was on my bed doing nothing in particular. I turned on my side and noticed that flier I’d got the day before. I grabbed it and read aloud, “Calling all writers! Arelkiv Inc. is holding their 65th contest of creativity! If you are creative, come sign up! Poems, Fiction, Personal Narratives are all accepted! Winners receive a selling spot in Arelkiv Inc. Please enter. Good luck!”

Selling spots, huh? If only I could enter! Suddenly a surge of realization came over me. I scanned the paper again. Yes! No entry fee. I could enter. But there was only one problem. I am a decent writer but I don’t want to write poetry, fiction, or a narrative. Just too boring. I need something original. Wait a sec … Who says I can’t do some upgrading? I got to work immediately. I woke up early the next morning. When my mom asked where I was going I said, ”Some homework I have requires material I don’t have, gonna pick some up from school.” I got out before she could start asking questions. I could hear her voice asking, “And does this have a price?”

I shook my head, smiling, and picked up speed. I was not going to get homework material. I had other objectives. I continued on until I arrived at the thrift store. I went to the copy machine, which was free to use, and put in my piece of paper. Now I had to wait. While looking out the window I spotted Jarvil. I ran out of the store and approached him.

“D’Aren?” He asked, “What are you up to?”

“Nothing,” I replied.

“Is that so? Tell me what’s really going on.”

I said, “The normal.”

“Why am I not convinced?” he asked. “Oh look. We better head off to school now,” he said, while looking at his watch.

“I’ll catch up with you soon,” I answered.

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

I went back into the shop. My copies were ready. I counted thirty.

“Thirty’s enough,” I decided. I then headed out to begin my plan. I decided to begin my plan at lunch. I pulled out two copies and handed them to Jarvil and Marcel.

“What’s this?” Marcel asked.

“Read.”

Pretty soon both of them were doubled over laughing.

“This is awesome!” Jarvil said.

“Funny too!” Marcel added. Marcel grabbed my entire stack. “Hey people! Come get D’Aren’s hilarious comic! Only a dollar!”

“Are you insane!?” I hissed.

He ignored me. People started crowding our table. Soon people all over were howling in laughter. “Give me two more for my siblings!” By then, the fliers had run out.

After school, on our walk home, I said to Jarvil and Marcel, “Thanks guys.”

“No problem,” they replied.

You know what? This might work after all. A week later, the real plan began. I would make a trip to Arelkiv Inc. Lucky for me, it was in our city. I would make the trip alone. How, you ask? By bike.

Today when I was supposed to pick up the groceries I detoured. There were plenty of times I needed to stop, but I had to make the journey, quick too. I smiled once I saw the word Arelkiv Inc. Here I am. I locked my bike at the lock area and looked around. A man approached me.

“Follow me,” he said. I had no Idea who this was but judging from the clip on his shirt, which read Arelkiv, I assumed he didn’t mean harm.

I followed him. Once we entered, I could see this place was a real big deal. There were people all over. We stopped at a door.

“Go in.”

I opened the door and was greeted by another man. He grabbed a stack of papers. “I’ve heard of your series. I’m Jiller Arelkiv.”

I nodded along.

“Well. Well. Well. Ready for your interview?”

Three weeks later my days were restless. Going to sleep late and waking up early. Every day once I woke up, I ran to the post office. Today was the same. The mailman, who by now knew why I always went there said, “Oh I checked, but it’s not here.”

I hung my head and said, “Oh thanks anyways.” Then I walked home.

Two days later, it finally arrived. I was walking to the grocery store when the mailman suddenly appeared. “It arrived!” he shouted.

“What? When?” I asked.

“Just twenty minutes ago.”

I ran to the post office, leaving him behind. When I arrived, I saw him standing there.

“How are you here before me?”

“Ran,” he replied. Wow! For an old man he surely could run. “Here.” He tossed an envelope at me.

I quickly unwrapped it and read aloud, “Congrats. You have been selected for another interview of consideration. Final interviews are next week.” I smiled. Who knew what was coming for me.

When I ran out of the post office, the mailman called out, “Good Luck!”

I smiled again. After coming so far, I would really need that luck. Really. The next day at school, Jarvil was out sick. Marcel and I were on our own for the day.

“Hey,” he said. “What about #3 of your series?”

I wagged my finger at him, “Coming soon.” My series was now a hit among the school. I couldn’t walk around freely these days. That gave me hope of winning. But only time would tell. In three days, I will have my final interview.

Today is the day. The day of the interview. Same route to Arelkiv as before. On a bike. I was guided to the interviewing room. It was Jiller Arelkiv. I sat down. The interview was now on.

“So what’s the purpose of this series?”

I inhaled, “I made it out of creativity. Also, to support my family.”

He wrote that down. “If you win, what will you do with the money?” He raised both eyebrows. “Be honest.”

I looked straight into his eyes, “I would use it to support my family.” I then added, “But it sure wouldn’t hurt getting some extra stuff for myself.”

He laughed and wrote that down. We went back and forth kind of like a game, then after his final question he said, “This comic is one of its kind. We have held this competition for sixty-five years but have never seen anything like this. A lot of my workers didn’t think it should be eligible, but I did. It’s funny, creative, and real. You did a good job on this. You innovated.”

I left. Now I had to wait to find out the results. I looked up at the sky, “Only a month and we’ll know. Only a month.” I smiled all the way home.

A month later I was running to the post office at top gear. The mailman greeted me smiling, “Guess what?”

I didn’t have to. “I did it!” I said quietly. “I really did it!”

He handed me the envelope, and my eyes wound up with tears. I, D’Aren, had made it. “You know. I didn’t think I had it in me.”

The mailman smiled. “If I had known you, I wouldn’t have either.”

Two weeks later was the award ceremony day. By now I had told my parents. They were a bit mad at me for not telling them earlier, but they were mostly proud. My friends, classmates, family, and the mailman were there.

Jiller Arelkiv was at the podium speaking into the mic, “Julia Silver, Renaylea Herandez, Courage Kyles, Dany Wils, and D’Aren James. Come up to the stage.” We all got awarded. Then Jiller Arelkiv gave a sermon about how we all excelled in all areas of creativity. After we all got released. My family, friends, classmates, and let’s not forget the mailman went out and celebrated.

A month later my spot in Arelkiv inc. was finally opened. By now the school year had ended. I was at the clerk desk checking people out. Jarvil and Marcel were bugging me.

“Hey,” Jarvil said while tossing up a baseball, “You gonna go full time with this stuff? Because just for your info, we’re your friends.”

I laughed, “We’ll see!” I looked up, “We’ll see.”