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The Twisted Tree Branch
“Rylee!” my dad called to me from downstairs. “Time for school, are you ready yet?”
“Yes dad!!” I screamed from upstairs to show him how frustrated I was.
“Sydni, could you help me with this please?” Sydni was my caretaker, she was always at my house to help me with anything. Since my mom died of cancer when I was 2, she's practically the mom I never had. Also, the reason I need a caretaker is because I had a seizure when I was 5. So now from the waist down is just a noodly, skinny mess. To me it looks like a twisted tree branch, which is why I'm in a wheelchair. I also have a caretaker because my little brother, Alex, is a hot mess for my dad to care of all by himself. Plus we live in a stinky, busy, overrated place called New York, if you hadn't guessed already, this stresses out Dad a lot. Plus being a single dad of two crazy kids. Anyways, no more stuff about my past life now. Back to the first day of eighth grade.
“Sydniiiiiii, where are you?!” After about 10 seconds, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I scooted out of my wheelchair and fell onto the ugly shag carpeting.
“Owwww,” I groaned and Boomer came rushing in. Boomer is my helper dog so he senses when I'm in trouble.
Alex runs past me, “Haha you aren’t gonna beat me to school!”
“Shut up Alex!” I scream in disbelief.
“It's okay Ry,” Sydni said as she lifted me into my wheelchair and hobbled me down the steps. Which was pretty hard for her to do. She rushed me over to the historic middle school just across the street from us, and I officially was an eighth grader at Chesnutt Middle School.
As I look back at my house and look up at the school, I realize they look good together. My house was a little yellow two story rickety house with a white picket fence. It had a happy look to it with the flowers blossoming ferociously everywhere. As for my school, it was also old and made of brick, it also had a happy look to it but it had no flowers like mine. The amount of flowers at my house took place for the emptiness of the school.
After staring at the two buildings, the bell rings as a warning that school will start soon. I rush inside and get ready to start my day.
As I wheeled into my classroom I realized everyone was crowded in a circle. I thought maybe someone was being bullied or something because in New York, it's very common here. But then I heard people saying.
“Wow!”
“I got superpowers this morning too!” For a second I thought I was still dreaming but then I saw the kid they were looking at. He turned himself invisible then became visible again.
“Amazing!”
“How did you do that?” But no one answered me because they too were showing their friends the new superpowers they got.
“I wonder if I got any?” I said to myself.
“Let me see yours, Rylee!” my friend Emma excitedly asked me as she levitated a pencil from one desk to another.
“I didn't get any,” I said glumly.
“Oh...well mayb-,” she was interrupted by a loud speaker.
“Everyone please call your parents to come pick you up, we will explain later.” Emma and I looked at each other then gathered our stuff and flew out the door calling our parents. I looked behind at my dark, rusty brick school.
“What is going on?”
“Why didn't I get any superpowers?”.
Sydni walked me home and had to listen to all my questions.
“I don't know Rylee,” she said for the billionth time.
“You need to go take a nap before lunch.” she lifted me up to take me upstairs.
“How is this so easy for you?” I say as she lifts me up swiftly.
“I just got super strength!!” she horrayed. I sighed as she lifted me upstairs very easily and set me in bed to take a nap like I was still a baby. I layed in my bed for a couple minutes then drifted off into a dream about me having super flying powers.
My dream quickly ends when my brother comes into my room getting home from the delayed school day, too.
“I beat ya home Alex!!” I say confidently.
“I can fly! I can fly!” he repeats not listening to my statement. I gesture my finger towards the door to show him I’m not interested from the already long day I’m having. He flies out in a heartbeat and I soon fall into another dream of me having super speed. I’m running through woods and through towns. I make it half way through the country in just a couple minutes! Then my dad awakened me for lunch.
“Why are people getting superpowers all of a sudden, Ry?”
“Don't ask me,” I groaned back.
“You know what I have?”
“Superspeed!”
“What?” I say back in disbelief as I remember my brother and now my dad getting the same superpowers as I dreamed of.
“It’s very hard to get used to,” he stated and set me in my wheelchair.
“This is strange…” I say to myself but also think.
“What a coincidence!” I choose to go with the coincidental side and brush it off my shoulder.
“So since we might have school tomorrow you both still need to got to bed early. Okay?” my dad states strictly.
“Okayyy,” Alex and I mumble back.
After lunch my dad and I go for a walk and Sydni stays home with Alex.
“Dad,” I say as I roll down the bumpy sidewalk.
“Will I ever be fixed?” I say.
“Why do you ask sweetie?” my dad answers knowing the chance is slim to none.
“Just wondering,” I mumble back. We stop at the store my mom used to work at. Cars are honking and people are yelling out their cars at each other. People are bumping into me rushing to get back to work after a lunch break. The smell of gas and fast food floods my nose. I can almost taste the McDonalds. But my dad and I just stare at mom’s old cupcake shop, which is now an ice cream shop.
“I miss her,” dad says.
“Me too,” I answer with a tear rolling down my cheek.
“The ice cream doesn't eat itself!” dad states as he opens the door for me. I chuckle and roll inside and immediately the cookie dough, strawberry cheesecake, and caramel swirl flavors fill my nose.
Dad and I get home later than expected and eat a small dinner because of all the ice cream we ate. Dad takes me to my room and helps me get ready for bed. The whole time we’re making jokes of how much food we consumed. He finally leaves to go put Alex to bed and has to listen to his whining about how he would’ve come if he knew there was ice cream involved. Then I drift off to bed and don’t dream this time, I’m not worried about stupid super powers anymore.
I wake up and hop out of bed.
“Wow I’m rested!”
“No school again kids!” my dad yells from downstairs.
“Sydni will be here soon.” I look down and see I’m standing on both my feet.
“I jumped out of bed!!” I scream and run downstairs to dad. Alex wakes up and goes downstairs.
“I lost my super flying powers!” he states angrily.
“Wow!” my dad says looking at my legs.
“I lost my superpowers too,”
“But I think since we lost our powers, Rylee is fixed!!”.
“That’s awesome!” Alex shouts and we all hug each other.
“Now go get dressed before Sydni comes!” he says and hugs us one last time. Alex and I run upstairs to get ready but I see a note on my wheelchair.
“Don’t worry, I’m always watching over you. Love, mom”. My mind freezes and the front door opens.
“I’ve missed you sweetie” my mom says and I run and hug her as tight as I can.
“I missed you too, Mom” I say crying. Then my mom slowly turns into my pillow. The dream soon turns into tears, and I wake up, still a twisted tree branch.
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