Victory at last!

• Tessa Przybylak, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2005

First, let me explain to you about Kelly. Unfortunately, she was not a popular girl at school. She was often teased about her weird dancing and her messy hair. But most of the time, the kids would call her a nerd, or a dork because she wore coke-bottled glasses, and was brainy.
Kelly lived in an ordinary world, but didn’t have any friends. One day, she had a strange thought; if she entered the Spelling Bee Competition, everyone might start liking her. So that is what she did.
“Hurry up, mum, we’re going to be late!” Kelly shouted to Mrs. Higgins, her mum.
“Alright, darling, I’m ready. Go hop into the car and let’s get moving.”
“Mum, I am so scared. Do I look OK? Hopefully, children from all over Victoria will want to greet me.”
“Darling, you look fantastic! In no time, all the boys and girls will be running after you, not only for that mega $5,000, but for who you are.”
“Thanks mum, you’re the greatest.”
They arrive at the place safe and sound, but didn’t have the welcoming ‘hello’ they hoped for. They bumped into the strictest teacher, Mrs. Potter. Most kids didn’t like her because she always growled at them, or maybe, kids were scared of her frizzy hair. They would joke behind her back and say that she is a ‘sticky peek’, and that her hair was so frizzy because she kept all her secrets in it.
But Kelly never made assumptions about other people, and right now, all she cared about was winning the competition. She studied her words over and over, every night, until the special day arrived. Today was the day. She wanted to give it all she had, and fight for the victory.
“Could all the competitors please step onto the stage.” Exclaimed Mr. Hoot, the principal.
Kelly hopped onto the stage, and the competition started. Her name was called out and she began to spell the first word, with butterflies in her stomach. The word was ELECTRIFYING.
“Correct!” Mr. Hoot yelled.
Yes! One down, 9 to go,” Kelly said loudly.
Children began to be eliminated which made Kelly happy, but she still got nervous each time she had another more difficult word to spell. Again her name was called, and again Kelly spelled the word correctly.
“If you spell this word correctly, Kelly, you will win the Spelling Bee Competition for 2005,” Mr. Hoot announced. Everyone cheered and clapped. When the crowd settled down, Kelly began to spell the word out slowly. R-E-C-O-N-S-O-L-I-D-A-T-E. For a moment there was silence.
“Congratulations, you are the winner!”
Kelly couldn’t believe it. Her mother was jumping and waving her arms in joy, proud of her daughter. Her mum was right; everyone did start running after her, like a stampede of buffalos. Kelly kissed and hugged her mother. She wanted this happy moment to last forever. For the first time, Kelly felt accepted, and, no one ever called her a nerd or a dork again.

I bet you couldn’t guess that Kelly was me.
By: Tessa Przybylak 5p