Blue River
Walking home from school that day, the river seemed colder than usual. He couldn’t pinpoint it but something was very different, not just the river being unusually cold but something more. "I’m David Oliver Griggs and I’m somebody" he chanted as he splashed through the shallow water that ran along the dirt road leading from the school.
As he neared the bend where the "river" curved toward his house he heard the children behind him "David Oliver Griggs." "D.O.G." "WOOF WOOF WOOF!" He ignored them as usual and began to walk faster hoping they would not catch up.
Today he was lucky; he reached the old front porch of his family’s farmhouse before they had a chance to say anything else to him. Tomorrow was a different story but he could deal with that later.
As he walked through the front door his mother was sitting at the sewing machine as she always did. This was her job; she mended and altered clothing for the people in town. David ran upstairs to his room, which he shared with his younger brother Kyle. It seemed like he had a ton of homework this evening. "How will I ever get it done in time to go out and play?" he thought to himself. If only he had a computer like everyone else in his class had. He could go to the homework help site and get it finished in no time. But there was no chance of him getting one of those anytime soon since his mom only made a small fee for her sewing and his father, although he worked long and hard hours, only made enough to pay the bills.
David was just getting the first math page finished when he heard his brother come up the steps. "Whatchya doin?" he said looking through the crack in the door. "Get out!" David shouted. "I’m trying to do my homework!" "It’s my room too!" boasted Kyle as he flung the door open. "You better get out and leave me alone right now before I tell mom!" "I’m just getting my cars and I’ll be out of your hair." Kyle whispered as he tiptoed across the room.
David tried to go back to his homework but he couldn’t concentrate. He wanted to go play in the Blue River. Today he was going to build a fort so he and Andy could play army. David packed up his books, grabbed his toolbox that his dad gave to him with some old tools he no longer needed, and ran down the stairs. "Where are you going?’ his mother asked barely looking up from her machine. "I was just going to play outside" he mumbled. "Are you finished with your homework?" "Yes I did it all." "Can I go out now?" "I suppose," she said. "But you have to be back before dark to do your chores." "Ok mom, I will".
Off he ran down the lane to the end of the blue river. There stood the large apple tree. David had plans for this tree since the day they moved in. It was just perfect for a fort. He gathered some large branches from the edge of the woods and started building the best fort ever made. At least that’s what Andy would think. Andy was the perfect friend; he was nothing like those kids at school. Andy thought that everything David did was just the greatest thing in the world. Andy was somewhat different though. He was home schooled, which means he didn’t go to school like everyone else in the neighborhood. "Boy was he lucky" David thought. Andy didn’t have to deal with all the kids at school who picked and made fun of everyone who was not in their group.
David had been working for nearly three hours when he realized it was starting to get dark. He packed up his tools and ran back to the house. His mother was in the kitchen making dinner. Probably meatloaf again.
David set his tools in front of the door and went in the living room to watch T.V. "David!" his mother called. "Are your chores done?" "Yes mom" he said knowing that he didn’t do them. "Where is your dirty laundry then?" "Oh I forgot to bring them," he said thinking he could get by with that response. "I’ll get them right now". David brought his dirty laundry to the kitchen where the washing machine was. His mother was just standing there looking at him as if she were waiting for him to say something. "What?" He snapped knowing exactly what she was going to say. "Have you done your chores?" "Yes I told you I did" "What about the table." she said. "Oh I forgot" replied David. "You seem to be forgetting a lot of things these days David" "How about your bedroom? Is that done?" "I just have to put my books away then it will be" "David, Why do you want to lie to me like that? I was just up there and you can’t even walk through that room. You know it wasn’t done." David, not knowing how he was going to get out of this one shouted, "Well I didn’t mess it up! Kyle did! Why don’t he have to help?" "He does." Said his mother. "But you have to help him too. You both have 15 minutes to get it done or you are going to live in the mess!" "What about Amy and Susan? They didn’t do their chores! Why do I have to do everything while they sit in there and watch T.V." "They did do their chores, you are the only one who hasn’t done anything at all" shouted his mother. He could tell that she was not going to put up with much more before he would pay the consequences and he stomped off to his room. "Kyle!" he screamed. "Get in here and help me! Mom said now!" Kyle let out a loud whale. "Don’t make me come up there!" His mother called from the kitchen.
That night after dinner …..
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