The Original

• Tayla Werchon, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2013

This story is about an individual. His name is Albert. Albert is himself, and always has been. Yet thirteen has hit Albert like a rocket and he is dying for a change. In this story is a teaching, a teaching on how to overcome a fear that not even the bravest can ignore. Albert is going to be pushed to unfamiliar limits, places and things he doesn’t want to do and go. We all have to sometimes learn that this is how the individual works; nothing beats the human body except the human mind. Peer pressure, will haunt this, for years to come.

Albert was enjoying his everyday routine, except, today was a special day. It was Alberts thirteenth birthday. He knew this was his last day alone. For twelve is a big and scary number and he knew that all his dreams would be granted by tomorrow. Albert has always wanted friends, but Albert just doesn’t understand the consequences and benefits of having a true friend. He just doesn’t. Albert will have soon know, that with everything good in life, comes a very dark patch crammed with the name bad.

Albert pushed the pale yellow corridors open, a whoosh of air suffocated his face and the shriek of laughter and talking hit him like a rocket. His bag touched his bottom and bounced up and down like a big, heavy ball. Although Albert had never been here, he knew this would make a wonderful new environment to explore and play in, of course, with someone else to do this with. This was the one reason Albert had been so keen to start high school, to make a new friend. Albert was hoping his friend would be a nice, kind, loving and playful friend. He also wished he liked Star Wars. First period went by like a blur with Alberts favourite subjects already over for the day. “Science and maths were really quite fun” he thought. Albert was so excited. The next bit of the day was his favourite. Recess. Where he knew that friends were made. He skipped out to the fresh smelling air with the playground right in front of him. He ran as quick as he could and jumped over the boundary of wood and sprinted to the slide. He slid down and skidded to a stop. Why was this person making him stop, and what was this person doing at the bottom of the slide.
This person had a black, mysterious t-shirt, his face did not look welcoming to talk to and he smelt as if he was the worst person smelling ever, and had way too much deodorant on to cover that. He told Albert his name, before Albert had even questioned it. Of course, his name was bad, it was written all over him.
Albert realizes that he only wants to play with his own, who are nicely clothed, with inviting looks, and, who don’t peer pressure him. Albert will never be peer pressured.