8

=Exposition/Inciting Incident=

Swinging like hyper monkeys from the marroon, metal monkey bars, Ashley, Vicki and Becca noticed a small group of girls gathering around someone on the black top. "What’s going on over there?" Becca said, motioning at the gathering. "I don't know, it looks like Janelle in the middle." Vicki mentioned. Janelle was one of Becca's good friends. Lately she and Lin, a mean girl in their class were fighting a lot. No one was sure when the feud started. One day they just woke up and started fighting. Janelle looked like she was being teased, and by the look on her face, she didn't like what she was hearing. "What are you guys talking about? I can't see anything!" Ashley groaned. "Maybe that’s because you’re upside down! Your as limber as a string!" Becca muttered. As she jumped off the bars, she heard yelling. "Uh-oh." Vicki saw the same thing Becca did, Janelle and Lin yelling at each other, like two monkeys fighting over the same banana. Ashley and Vicki both quicly and swiftly jumped off the monkey bars and watched from the ground instead. "What do we do?" Becca asked. "Go help?" Vicki suggested. "Fine, but don't run, my legs hurt from jumping off the monkey bars." Ashley groaned, massaging her calves. When they got there, Even though Janelle was crying her eyes out, Lin and her "posse" just ran the other way.

WHERE WAS THIS BLACK TOP? A PLAYGROUND? A SCHOOL YARD? WHAT DID THE GATHERING LOOK LIKE? DESCRIBE WHAT THE CHARACTERS LOOK LIKE? WHAT WAS THE DAY LIKE? WHY COULDN'T ASHLEY SEE ANYTHING (IT'S A LITTLE UNCLEAR)? WAS THIS DURING THE WEEK? ON THE WEEKEND? AT SCHOOL? WHAT WERE THE GIRLS SAYING TO HER? CAN YOU PROVIDE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE GIRLS AND WHY LIN HAD A REPUTATION AS A MEAN GIRL?

=Rising Action=

Three long days later, Vicki, ashley and Becca were on the crowded, dark and dirtyblack top playing hopscotch. The ground was wet and mushy, so the only place to pla was the black top. They about to go to P.E, when again they heard something screeching its heart out, Janelle and Lin. "Not again! I don't know how long I can take this!" Ashley complained. "Same here, we hardly get to play, and it’s getting louder everyday." Vicki agreed. Becca felt the same, but she didn't have time to say anything. Janelle ran towards them, crying. "What’s wrong?" Becca asked, she knew what was happening, but she didn't know if Ashley and Vicki did. "Lin is so mean! She said my dress was ugly!" Janelle stuttered between sobs. Becca couldn't disagree, the dress didn't seem too happy about itself either. It had a big, red butterfly on it, the back was a puke-ish yellow, and it seemed to frown as it was swished back and forth between steps. Becca had to keep herself before she cringed. Even though she didn't like the dress, she would never tell Janelle it was hideous, even though it was as true as she was standing there. The bell rang before Ashley or Vicki could say anything, and we all walked wordlessly through the mushy, brown grass to the gym. After gym, and after we all changed in the disquisting and smelly locker room, Ashley, Vicki and Becca were chatting silently, waiting for Mr. Todd (our gym teacher) to blow the whistle, so we can leave. The whistle blew, and all 9 girls broke for the door at the same time, Vicki's Pants caught on the nail that hides between the wooden cracks of the door, RRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP! There was a huge rip in the back of her pants. "No! These are brand new!" Vicki cried out. "Do you have a spare?" Ashley inquired. "No, these are all I have, except for my P.E. pants..." Vicki mentioned. "That’s your only choice, they aren't that bad." Becca said, trying to cheer her friend up, she knew it wouldn't help, since Vicki's P.E. pants were shorts. Becca scanned the room for Vicki's pants and handed them to her. "I'm afraid you have to wear you gym pants Vicki, you have 5 minutes to change back." Mr. Todd ordered, obviously not realizing that Vicki would freeze when she went outside. Mr, Todd had a red goatey wth black hair. He stroked his goaty whenever he was thinking. Vicki didn't say anything, Becca figured that she realized that teachers are rulers for the school grounds, and what they said goes. Lin started to laugh, Ashley and Becca rolled their eyes, hoping Lin would notice, she didn't. "Great, gym pants are an improvement compared to those disgusting jeans you had on Vicki." Lin laughed, but her voice was icy. Vicki just hung her head and hid behind Ashley. She didn't care, since she was tall enough to cover Vicki's head. Lin kept laughing all the way back to our classroom, Becca didn't say anything, but she was glad Lin didn't really bother messing with her. Becca wasn't too happy about her messing with Vicki and Janelle either.

WAHT IS P.E? IS THIS DURING SCHOOL? TELL ABOUT THE SETTING. WHAT WERE THEY PLAYING ON THE BLACKTOP? DID LIN JUST WALK UP TO JANELLE? WHAT DID THE LOCKER ROOM LOOK LIKE? DID YOU HAVE TO WEAR A UNIFORM? IF YOU DO WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? INSTEAD OF "MESSING" CHOOSE A BETTER WORD, REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT WRITING A NOTE....

=Climax=

By Lunch everyone in primary (grades kindergarten-fifth) had heard about Vicki’s “incident.” Becca let Vicki use her coat, because it was long enough to cover more than half of her bare leg. “I don’t see the point in putting that on, you’re going to have to take it off as soon as we get inside…” Ashley reminded Vicki. “Well, I don’t exactly want hypothermia, I’d rather not turn purple.” We all laughed at Vicki’s bad comeback and waltzed to our favorite table.. Just then, Janelle came towards us and sat down. “Wow, I hardly reconised her without all the crying” Ashley whispered. Becca gave her the evil eye. She knew Ashley was kidding, but she didn’t like being reminded of the fight. “Hi guys!” Janelle seemed more cheerful than usual, her short blonde hair was slicked back into an annoyingly high pony tail, and her patching shirt/pants combo didn’t look like it was dragged out of a garbage can and sewed together. Becca knew it wasn’t Janelle’s choice to wear those clothes, her mom picked out her outfits, and bought them. Once in a while, she would even make them, and they were even more ugly then. Becca liked Mrs. Toennies (Janelle’s mom), but she was stuck in a HUGE fashion rut, and she was dragging her daughter with her down her trail of the gross “fashion” trends! Vicki snapped Becca back into reality by poking her with a fork. “Here comes Lin!” Vicki “whispered.” She was the kind of person who couldn’t whisper, she “yell-whispered.” She was right, Lin was walking towards us (sadly), her copycats with her. Ashley looked like she was fully absorbed with cutting her chicken with a spoon, and was completely oblivious to the outside world. Becca rolled her eyes as her friend broke the spoon. Janelle didn’t even notice Lin till they were face-to-face. Janelle didn’t say anything, Becca didn’t think she was able to. “What’s wrong J? Cat got your tongue?” Lin and the linnets laughed so hard that milk could have blasted out all their noses. Becca was sick of this, so she jumped up and confronted Lin herself. “She just doesn’t answer stupid questions.” Becca was surprised at herself, but she was glad she stood up for her friend. “Well she might as well, instead of having you stand up for her. What are you? A babysitter? Her clothes are the ugliest things I have ever seen! How can you stand up for clothes like THAT?!” Even the Linnets were surprised at that one. By this time, Becca was inflammatory, she was tired of this fight and wanted it to end once and for all. “Just back off Lin! There are three-hundred other kids in primary that actually CARE about your opinion!” Becca was knew she was making a scene, but she didn’t even care anymore. She just wanted this to end all ready. Lin just walked away with that one. Becca was out of breathe, and Vicki was jumping up and down she was so excited. “You did it Becca! She’ll never talk to us AGAIN!” Vicki exclaimed. “Yeah, if we’re lucky!” Ashley laughed, and finally, we could all eat in peace (except for the angry lunch ladies, but they don’t count.)

AT SCHOOL? WHAT DID THE COAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT TABLE? WHERE WAS IT? WHY DIDN'T JANELLE EVER SAY ANYTHING TO HER MOM IF SHE DID NOT LIKE THE CLOTHES SHE HAD TO WEAR? WHAT WAS LIN WEARING AND WHAT WAS HER EXPRESSION? WHO WERE HER COPYCATS? AND WHAT WERE THEY ALL DOING AS THEY WALKED TOWARDS YOUR TABLE? WHY WAS ASHLEY IN A REVERIE? AND WHY DIDN'T JANELLE STAND UP TO LIN AND HER FRIENDS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN ABOUT THE ANGRY LUNCH LADIES?

=Falling Action=

Plip, Plop, Plip, Plop, went the rain gutter one cloudy morning at ISHR, Becca's school in Germany. The brick walls were turning brown from the rain, and the roof was turning as drak green as the grass. Everyone was huddled under the roof part of the Gazebo. "When do you think the rain will stop, Ashley whined, "I hate indoor break!" At ISHR they had a black top for the kids to play on. Whenever it rained, the kids would go back to their classrooms for "indoor break". Everyone hated indoor break, because it meant you had to use your "indoor vooices" and the only games you could play were board games. Usually the principal would usually tell them to tough it out and that we need fresh air. She had to pick the day after Becca stood up to Lin to make it indoor break, so they would all be convientantly smooshed inside their classroom. It was torture. Well, practically. "Oh, stop complaining Ash, it won't be that bad." "Yeah, for you guys, you didn't stand up to Lin, she's gonna kill me!" Becca cried. "Becca, relax, she won't do anything. She's been laying off all morning, and I think it will stick," Janelle must have been listening to our conversation, becca thought. "Things are going to calm down." Becca knew she was serious, so she relaxed. She was in her one little world. "Holy Moly Becca, you didnt even moan when they announced indoor break! Are you alive?" Ashley was joking, bu tshe had a point. Lin did lay off, she didnt even talk to them the entire time. Even the classroom seemed cheerful. With its yellow walls covered with "earning posters" and all the cubbies to the side of the classroom. Life can be so randomly beautiful.

WERE WE IN GERMANY THIS WHOLE TIME? THAT IS NOT CONVEYED IN THE STORY UNTIL NOW....YOU MAY NEED TO GO BACK. WHAT KIND OF GAMES DID YOU PLAY? WHAT AND WERE IS THE GAZEBO AT THE SCHOOL? WHAT DID EACH OF THE CHARACTERS THINK COULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH LIN WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THEY HAD TO HAVE INDOOR RECES? DESCRIBE YOUR SETTING.

=Resolution=

“Hey guys!” Lin yelled in Becca’s ear. It wasn’t mean either, it was real, like two old-time friends. Janelle stared in aw at Lin, none of us were used to her being nice. “Uh, hi Lin…” Becca said. She wasn’t sure how to respond. She figured Lin had something evil planned, so she braced herself. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry I’ve been mean the last few…years…but I couldn’t help but be mean. I’ll try to be nicer in the future, I promise.” Lin’s expression was so apoligetic, Becca had to believe her. Even Lin’s brown hair was limp, just like her. She looked so pained, Becca decided to forgive her. Evne though she wanted to make Lin wait longer she wanted to be the bigger person. “Its ok, I’m not going to say I understand why you were so mean, but I forgive you.” “Thanks.” Lin seemed to have a huge load off her shoulder. Becca couldn’t help but be sorry for her. Janelle, Vicki, and Ashley seemed amazed at Becca, they must of thought she would tell Lin off. They weren't about to forgive Lin, but they gave in a little. Friendship can be like a war sometimes, but if your good friends, it shouldn’t matter what you look or dress like, friendship is about your personality.

WHAT BROUGHT ON THE CHANGE FOR LIN? DESCRIBE THIER FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. WHERE WERE YOU GUYS? DESCRIBE THE SETTING?