I Told Him My Name...

• Tara Whitney, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2018

A cry of happiness runs down my eye, I knew I will not see my parents for the next two years or so. If anything, bad happens I’ll be 1,423 miles away and there’s nothing I can do. Inside I know this is an opportunity of a life time and I am not going to bail now. I put my arms out for a hug before I walk off. Pushing away a tear in my eye, in my hand I am holding the ticket to my dreams. I have been waiting this since I was 9 years old. I’m now 18 years old now, with my own suitcase, on a plane to New Zealand where the best cliff divers are. In 3 hours, 21 mins I will be at the cliff diver’s hotel when I can finally be myself…
“only for boys what do you mean only for boys?!” I scream in the nice man’s ear. “I mean there’s a law put in place, so no woman can cliff dive…” he says Rudely “what the heck am I supposed to do now? I saved over 14’000 dollars so that I could came for a 2-year holiday!” I say in sarcasm. I am so mad at him, at myself but I think I have an idea. I could dress up as a man, I could wear a mask and a beard, and I know exactly where to go, and then I can finally be a cliff diver! I run as fast as my tiny little legs can run and bought everything I needed. I am walking around this big ginormous place, I don’t know where to go and what to do. I look like I’m in my 60’s on the streets acting like a 20-year-old man. It’s not ok. I go to my apartment to cut my hair, while calling my mum. I tell her everything, okay, maybe not everything but I thought she didn’t need to know. I am just skimming the truth because, knowing my mum she would send me straight home.
It’s the next day and my dream carried on so long today that I am late for my diving lesson. I run and run as my tiny legs can run but… I’ve never been a fast runner, to be honest I am an awesome diver though! Stay focused Anya you need to get to your cliff diving lesson.
I started to do my cliff diving and strength conditioning drills the coach gave us and hoped for the best. After a couple of dives my makeup was flaking off. I knew someone was going to find out soon. Well… at least I got a chance…
“You were great out there, how about you become our team caption? What’s your name?” says the coach I have never met before. In excitement I decide I need to take a stand.
“My name is Anya,”