Young Writers Society

Andy

January eighth, 2006. In Saint Richard’s hospital, at two thirty in the morning, a baby with an upside-down side was born. Well, at least that’s what I call it. Melody calls it the freak side, Phillip calls it the flip curse, Nora likes to call it the magical side. I must admit that Nora is the best five year old in Flippen, especially when it comes to making things sound perfect.

Anyway, Mrs. Tiffany Harris was in the middle of having a baby. Mr. Harris was there too, and saw the upside down baby born. Now, the lovely Harris couple did not know that the curse struck their sweet little baby boy until…

“Wha, Wha, Whaaa-Graaaaa!” The baby grew twice its size and grew muscles like a Hulkbaby. Hair came off him in a furry purple layer. The baby’s dark blue eyes turned yellow, and his head grew twisted, wicked black horns.

“Ahhh!” shrieked the nurse, who was holding the baby, dropping the baby into his mother’s arms. That lovely couple fell in love with their purple demon baby.

“Hi, my sweet baby boy!” Mrs. Harris cooed, with as much love and even more than as if she was looking at a normal baby. Instantly the baby stopped crying, and slowly, the purple fur faded away, and the horns vanished, and before her lay a perfectly normal looking little baby, babbling and burbling at his mother. “You are the cutest thing ever, Andy,” she cooed.

I was still pondering that moment of my strange way of coming to this world. Until the bell rang to go home. Oh, what joy that loud ringing gave to me!

I looked around me, suddenly realizing I had wandered outside somehow. Huh, how am I outside already? I wondered absentmindedly. I must have wandered outside while I was daydreaming about my own birth.

“Hey! Andy!” I turned around and saw Melody waving me over. Melody wore a large grey sweatshirt, worn blue jeans, a bright red beanie, and some tinted, pale blue, square glasses. Most girls would think she doesn't look cute in her casual fashion. But I think she looks gorgeous, no matter what. I admit it, I have a tiny (Cough, cough, HUGE) crush on Melody. I raced over, my loose fitting sneakers flapping against my feet. My favorite noise may be a school bell, but this is my favorite thing to do. Walking home with Phillip and Melody. It’s the only time things are just the three of us.

We lined up, shoulder to shoulder on the sidewalk, my left foot stepping in the grass, Phillip’s right. “Guys, guess what Nora learned yesterday.” Melody squealed.

“What?” Philip and I said at the same time, making Melody laugh.

We quickly looked at each other and yelled “Jinx!” pointing at each other. Melody bent over, laughing and wheezing. Philip and I grinned at each other.

“She learned her first chord on the acoustic!” Melody choked out, barely finding enough breath to say it.

“Aww, how boring, Fang Face!” A familiar voice cut her off. We turned to find Alyssa Callister standing on the sidewalk. The most popular girl in Burrygrate middle school, right there. She had brought her squad with her, about 6 of her cheerleader pals, tall, and probably unhealthily underweight. Looming by them was Alyssa's boyfriend Rider. They all stood behind her with their arms crossed, ready for anything Alyssa said.

“What do you want, Alyssa?” Melody snarled, her earlier joyfulness gone with the wind. Alyssa stepped forward. Alyssa’s clothing made her look like a high-school popular girl who dreams of being a movie star. Short white skirt over black tights, a yellow tank top under a dark purple crop top jacket, and long black shiny hair with neon purple tips.

“If this Nora looks like you, I would feel bad for the poor kid,” Alyssa said, ignoring Melody’s less than warm welcome. She stepped menacingly closer to Melody’s face. “You know, fang face,” she sneered, “I always wanted to do this!” Quicker than snapping her fingers, Alyssa yanked off Melody’s beanie. Melody reached for it as Alyssa pulled it away, but it was too late.

”Schschsch!” Off of Melody’s scalp, coils and coils of acid green vipers rose up and hissed their joy for that hat to be off. Melody’s up-side-down side made her a real-life Medusa.

Rider screamed, turned tail, and shoved past Alyssa's friends, coward that he is. Alyssa gawked at the snakes for a split second, her mouth drooping open, before dropping the beanie and sprinting off. Within all the pandemonium and the sudden surge of motion on her head, Melody’s glasses slipped off one of her ears, turning a bird flying by to stone. I'd seen her without her hat, but turning things to stone? That’s new!