CT

    I groaned as I got out of my bed and got ready for school. That word school made me a bit more sad then I already was. Why did I have to go to school today? Why did I have to go back to a place where my best friend hates me? Yeah, that's right. My best friend Laura was starting to hate me for no reason. Me and Laura had been friends since kindergarten and since then nothing got in the way of our friendship. But now something had. 

    The fight started like it was a normal day. Me and Laura would walk to school together and would enter class together. We were still friends in the beginning of the day, but at recess things started to change. We were playing four square with a few other kids who also wanted to play. Laura went to the bathroom and when she came back she said she didn't want to play four square anymore. I asked her why but she just went full sized mad at me as if I was supposed to know the reason why. That was how the fight started. Not lying. 

    Because of this I didn't want to go to school. If I did then I would get more hurt by Laura and the fight would get worse. So even when my alarm rang I stayed in my bed and closed my eyes pretending to sleep. My mom entered my room and gaped when she saw me still in bed.

        "Olivia! What are you still doing in bed? You're going to be late for school" Mom said as she took off my blanket. I looked at her and started fake coughing and sneezing. 

        "I'm getting sick. My head hurts so bad I don't think I can go to school" I said and continued to be"sick ". Mom left the room and for a second I thought that my acting had worked. Wow. I never thought I was good at acting! Maybe I should become an actor when I grow up. My mom came back into my room with a thermometer and checked my temperature. Maybe I should let go of that acting idea. My mom said I was good to go to school. I had no choice but to get out of my bed and get ready for school. 

    After eating my breakfast I put on my backpack and walked outside in the nice spring weather. A weather I would have enjoyed if it weren't for me going to school. I turned back to my mom.

    "Mom, I have a sore throat and I'm coughing a lot. I don't want to spread my germs and make other people sick" I said. I could see mom thinking for a second. Finally it looked as if she got an idea and she went to get something. I could hear water pouring in the kitchen so I suspected something. Mom hurried toward me and handed me my water bottle.

    "Trust me you don't have a fever. If you do have a sore throat then drink some of this water. It's hot and will make you feel better" Mom said. My shoulders sagged as I put the water bottle in my backpack. Mom waved goodbye to me and I waved back. I did one last cough to see if mom would change her mind but she just reminded me to drink some water. I sighed as I walked to school. 

    I saw little kids also walking to school with their friends and I started to feel lonely. I saw a blonde girl in front of me walking alone also. It didn't look as if she was talking with someone or doing anything. Just walking like me. Maybe I could talk with this girl. I was about to say something when the girl turned around and I saw who she was.

    "Laura!" I said surprised. Laura rolled her eyes and turned around. I had to talk with her. It was either make the fight worse or make it better so I might as well just make it better. I thought of what to do when I remembered I had something for her in my backpack. I stopped walking and went to the side of the road to open my backpack and get a box out. The box had friendship necklaces for each of us that I got from Claires yesterday. It meant to show that even if Laura was mad at me I always thought of her as a best friend. 

    I looked back at the direction Laura was going so I could give her the necklace but I couldn't find her. I decided to give her the necklace when I get to the classroom. I continued to walk alone inside the school and to the classroom. When I got inside I went to my cubby to put my backpack away. I was only in fourth grade and we still have cubby's. Next year in fifth grade I will be in middle school and have a locker. Lockers sound fun. I brought my stuff and put them on my desk along with the box for Laura. I was about to give the box to Laura when Sydney came in front of me. 

    Sydney was one of the bullies in my class and when she comes up to you then you know that she will be mean to you. Unless she is one of your friends then she will just push you around. 

    "Hey Olivia! I heard yesterday you and Laura got into a fight. Poor you!" Sydney said. 

    "Yeah, we did. But we will be friends again. Nothing gets in the way of our friendship" I said. 

    "Well, I just wanted to say that if you ever feel lonely during recess and need a friend to play whatever games you want, don't ask to play with me," Sydney said. She smirked and walked away. I rolled my eyes. Sydney was just a jerk, she never cared about how others felt. 

    I turned back to my desk to where the box should have been but it was gone. The only thing left in the place it should have been, was a post it note that said CT. Ugh! I should have kept the box safe! Everyone in my class knows that CT means class thief. No one knows who CT is. CT always takes something special from others without others noticing. I should have known to keep the box safe! Now I can't give Laura the box. 

***

    I sat on the buddy bench while others were playing happily with their friends. I had other friends to play with but they were all playing games I didn't want to play. Me and Laura liked the same kind of games and would play them together but now we can't. But maybe we can. I sat up straight. Laura may have been avoiding me but I can still try to talk with her. I searched around the playground. We were at recess so it was hard to find Laura with all the other kids running around. 

    I saw a girl sitting on another buddy bench alone. Laura! I ran as fast as I could to the bench she was sitting on. When she saw me she crossed her arms and looked away.

    "What are you mad at me?" I asked. 

    "You seriously don't know? Come one Olivia. We have been friends since kindergarten and you know that I hated people who steal and cheat others. Now that I know the truth, how can we ever be friends again?" Laura said, still looking away from me. I was confused. I never stole or cheated anyone! The only person who would do that was CT! Wait, Laura doesn't think I am CT does she?

    "You think I am CT don't you!" I said. 

    "I don't think your CT, I know your CT" she said. I felt something fall down inside me. Something that felt like sadness. Something that pulled me down and made me feel little. Laura does think I am CT. That's why she was mad at me. 

    "I'm not CT. And I know you would never think that so someone told you that. Who told you?" I asked, crossing my arms. 

    "Yesterday when I went to the bathroom, Sydney was also there and she told me that you were CT. That's how I know" Laura said. Sydney! I can't believe it. Sydney was the reason why Laura was being mean to me.

    "How could you trust the bully who has been mean to us since second grade? Sydney's just trying to break our friendship. I swear on my life that I am not CT" I said as I sat down next to Laura. She thought for a second and finally sighed. 

    "I'm so sorry. How could I trust Sydney? How could I think that you are CT?" Laura asked herself. Laura finally turned to me and hugged me. I could tell that we were friends again. 

    "Well, looks like the besties are friends again" A voice said behind us. Me and Laura turned around to see Sydney staring at us with a smug smile. Me and Laura stood up from the bench.

    "Yeah, we're still friends. And neither of us will ever get a lie in the way of our friendship again" Laura said. Sydney looked as if she didn't know what we were talking about. 

    "We know what you did," I said. Suddenly Sydney looked worried. She looked a bit nervous and took a step back. 

    "Um...nice to know your friends again! See you later losers!" Sydney said as she started running away. I looked at Laura and she looked back at me as if she knew what I was thinking. We both ran after Sydney and finally caught up with her. Sydney looked back at us and knew that she was caught. She fell and started crying. I was a bit confused. Since when does Sydney cry?

    "Go. Just tell the teacher, I don't care if I am in trouble. How did you guys figure out I am CT? How could I not keep it a secret when I'm good at keeping them?" Sydney sobbed. I gaped. Wait, Sydney was CT? No wonder!

    "We weren't chasing you down because we knew you were CT. We chased you down because you tried to break our friendship by saying I was CT" I said as I went down next to her. Sydney wiped her eyes and cried harder. 

    "It doesn't matter now. You guys know I am CT and now you're going to tell on me!" Sydney said. For the rest of the recess me and Laura started comforting Sydney which I never thought I would do. The three of us came up with a plan. 

    After recess we settled in our classroom. I saw Laura mouthing something to Sydney. I saw Sydney nod and she went to the teacher and asked something. The teacher nodded and clapped her hands loudly together.

    "Sydney would like to say something" The teacher said. Everyone looked at Sydney. She bit her lip and I could see she was looking scared. Sydney looked at me and Laura and we both nodded our heads. Sydney took a deep breath and walked up to her backpack and took out a giant bag that looked almost overfilled. Wow. How did Sydney manage to steal so many things without getting caught? Sydney dragged the bag around the room and started handing the things inside the bag to everyone in the classroom. Everyone looked shocked when they got their things back. Sydney took out a box and handed it to me.

    "Sorry for making you and Laura fight" Sydney said as she handed me the box. I smiled and gave it to Laura. Sydney continued to hand the things from the bag to everyone in the room. When the bag was empty she went in front of the room.

    "You all might seem a bit confused and surprised. I revealed myself as CT and it can be shocking. I am sorry I took all your stuff from you. I honestly don't know why I did it. I just wanted to do something fun and maybe stealing sounded fun to me, but it really isn't. Once again i'll say sorry and I hope you'll all forgive me soon" Sydney said. For some time it was awkward silence. Then me and Laura started to clap our hands. Soon the rest of the class started to clap their hands, including the teacher! Sydney smiled.

   ***

    I told my parents about everything that happened today. I told them how me and Laura fought and then we became friends again. I told them how I pretended to be sick. I told them about how me and Laura discovered that Sydney was CT and how we helped her tell everyone that. In the end Sydney did get in trouble but not in deep trouble since she did the right thing. My parents were proud of me and I was proud of myself also. Since that day Sydney has been nicer to me and Laura and now I think of her as a friend and not a bully. It's a win-win for everyone!