Balloons!

• Emily Connor, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2022

Ray narrowed her eyes. Footprints. Muddy footprints. Trailing away from the spot where Ray now stood, next to the spot where the balloons should have been…
It was her Aunt’s party in two days, and it had to be perfect. Every tiny thing. Every little balloon.
Ray crept forwards following the footprints, across the room, past the hallway, into the backyard...
Then they disappeared.
Ray let her breath out in a whoosh, and looked around helplessly. There it was. A red ribbon, shining in the sunlight, smooth as velvet, snagged on a thorny branch. There was only one person in town who wore ribbons that colour. Ellalise. Such a sweet girl, always smiling to the adults…
And sneering at the other girls. This was her opponent. But why would she want to steal the balloons? And more importantly, where was she taking them? There were no more footprints, but Ray knew where to find Ellalise. It was the last day of the village fair; Ellalise would never pass up the chance to show off. Ray set off towards the village square. Once she had reached the noisy bustling fair, she hastened towards the middle of the action, where she knew Ellalise would be. She spotted a flash of red. Red ribbon. Smooth as velvet, shining in the sunlight. Ray chased after Ellalise and caught up to her gasping for breath.
“Ellalise,” she puffed, “where are the balloons?” Ellalise looked down at her with a sneer, and flicked a piece of dust off her stunning red dress. “Balloons?” she said innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” And she flounced off. Too innocently.
“It’s definitely her,” Ray said out loud.
“What’s her?” said a voice in Ray’s ear, and she jerked around. Her brother John grinned at her. “What’s up, sis? Ellalise again?”
“Yes,” Ray sighed. “She stole the balloons.”
“Oh well. Not my problem. I’m in charge of the chairs, not balloons. See ya!” John walked off again to his friends.
Ray shook her head. “Younger brother’s,” she muttered under her breath contemptuously. She turned around the way she had come. And spotted something. A balloon stall. Selling balloons.
“Problem solved,” she said to herself. She walked over and bought five packets of balloons, then wandered back home.

Two days later, Ray looked around her. Everything was perfect, just as it should be. As the guests slowly milled in, she spotted Ellalise in a corner, smirking with her friends. Her hair was brightly colored today, plaited with a new ribbon. Then Ray realised what it was. Balloons, strung together into a ribbon. “Of all the cheek!” she fumed. She thought of going over and telling Ellalise just what she thought of it, but she forced herself to calm down. She had solved the problem. They had balloons. She needn’t give Ellalise the satisfaction of seeing her glower. What was the point of getting Ellalise in trouble when they had balloons anyway? She would stay calm, and enjoy the party.