In article <Grant-me-that-1608101@Grant.Grant>, +Grant.
<+Grant@grant.grant> wrote:
> The Adventures of Stevie #29
>
> These stories were told to me by friends and other people. Some of them
> are true. Some of them are only partly true. Some of them should have
> been true. LOL
>
> My first post about Stevie ("Call me Stephen!") was when he was 12 and
> in summer camp and was told by another camper. This was from a time
> before computers would fit on a desk and when people communicated with
> friends in other countries by actual letters sent through the postal
> service. When children did this those friends were called "penpals".
> Carlos is Stevie's penpal in Argentina and knows English. This is a
> fictional contrivance to enable Stevie to tell us his stories because
> he isn't here in person. I think.
> All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
> that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
> Stevie's school is for gifted children who don't fit in regular schools.
> The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
> Stevie is 11 in this story, and it happens at the start of year 2 of
> special school.
>
>
> The Adventures of Stevie #29 "Start of Year 2 at Special School"
>
>
> Dear Carlos,
>
>
> School started. That's why I went to it. Ha ha. There are some
> changes. Kit is teaching here part time. There are two new students.
> One of them is CHAD!!! I didn't know he was going to be there. Neither
> did he. I was there first. When he came in I didn't turn around to look
> because I heard his walk, so I knew it was him. I was very surprised,
> but didn't want to be the first to scream this time. What I did at camp
> taught me that. He saw me and screamed my name and ran over to smother
> me in hugs. I had a big smile while I was trying to breathe. When he
> finally let go I stood up and said, "Hello, nice to meet you." He
> looked confused. I laughed at his look and then he laughed too.
>
> The other new student I don't know if she should be called that. She
> is 16 or 17, and her name is Victoria. I can ask her more about herself
> but it won't work. She doesn't talk. She doesn't move much, either.
> When she does it's very slow. Even her eyes blink slow, like maybe once
> every two minutes, and they don't look at anything. I don't know if she
> hears anything. She acts like she doesn't. If you want her to do
> something, you have to touch her and move her to do it like a puppet
> with no strings. People have to feed her like a baby, or she won't eat.
> She only does one thing by herself, if she has help, and that is with a
> pen and paper. You put paper in front of her, and a pen in her hand,
> and she writes or draws. What happens with that is amazing! I think
> that's why she is here. She must be real smart somewhere inside her, to
> write and draw what she does.
>
> Victoria writes stories. Beautiful fairy stories, about castles and
> princesses, and things like that. She draws them too, the best I ever
> saw with a pen. Her writing looks beautiful too, with perfectly
> straight lines. I don't know how she can do all that without ever
> looking at the paper. Sometimes she draws real places she has never
> been to or seen before, and so real it's like she is a camera.
> Sometimes she draws people she never saw before, and before they come
> to our school. I know this very well, because she just finished drawing
> ME when I went into the room she was in and saw her the first time.
> That is weird!
>
> Victoria is weird in a different way too. Sometimes she sparkles. I
> asked the other kids if they saw anything strange about her, and they
> said they didn't. It can't be just me who is weird because the other
> kids don't sparkle. One more thing about that. She doesn't sparkle in a
> mirror. She looks regular then. Something else happened which is more
> weird when I touched her hand. It was like it bit me. Like some kind if
> static electric spark, but not exactly, because it made me tingle all
> over for a second. After that happened I saw more sparkles around her
> head, and she moved a little by herself. I don't know what that means,
> but I'm going to try to find out. I like her drawing of Chad.
>
> I don't know what I want to do about Chad, but I have to do
> something. I have been put in charge of getting him used to our school.
> I'm very glad he is so smart and special he can be here, but I don't
> know how his feelings for me will work when we see each other every
> day, in front of very smart people we can't hide anything from. There
> are 2 more things about him I have to think about. Sensei made me
> Chad's fighting teacher. He said I had to teach somebody to learn more
> about fighting, and Chad and I were the same size so that made it
> easier for us to practice together. I never taught anybody something
> serious like fighting. I don't know if I can do it well and not hurt
> him. I really really really want to do a good job for him, but I don't
> know if I can.
>
> The other thing which changed when Chad came to our school which
> effects me, is I am not the youngest smallest and cutest kid in the
> school anymore. That could be good and bad for me. He will get more
> attention and hugs, and I will get more time for myself and studies. I
> mean I would, if I didn't have to help Chad. You see what I mean? I'm
> still a little confused and worried about the change this year, but
> when I look at Chad, all I think about is how nice he is and how can I
> help him. I think that might be how some of the other kids thought
> about me. It's strange to be the one who thinks that now about somebody
> else. I don't know if I like it.
>
> Except for all that, everything is normal, if anything is really
> normal here. That's it! "Normal" is for other people. I get to have
> "interesting".
>
>
> Your friend,
>
> Stephen
This one has a lot in it I like. One thing in particular, is his true
confessions, just like a child who isn't holding anything back.
Another, is how well you're describing his advancing maturity, and what
is causing it. Well done. There are a lot of subtle lessons here.
I look forward to seeing where you are going with Victoria and Chad. I
suspect when you name a character, you're never really done with him,
or her.
Mover, in appreciation
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