Jay Appleton rang my bell this morning. I slid the shed door open and looked down at him in surprise.
"I know it's early, but Dad needs you right away. He said for me to wake you."
"I wake up at five every morning for the cows," I reminded him. "I've already been to my farm and back."
"Yeah, whatever." He studied my face for a long moment before adding, "You should probably go easy on the lipstick and eye gunk."
"But your mom said--"
"It's okay on her because she's a mom, but nobody our age wears that much makeup unless it's Halloween. Just ease up a little and you'll look nice."
"I'll look nice? Really?" It didn't seem normal for Jay Appleton to pay me a compliment, so I squinted at him with my clown-painted eyes until he broke a sweat and turned away.
"Melly, seriously. If you're going to be my foster sister, you're going to have to try a little harder to fit in. As well as you can, I mean, considering your size." Even though he wasn't looking at me I could hear the blush in his voice. "Aw hell, you know what I mean."
"I know what you mean but I don't know why you'd care."
"Survival," he told me. "I'll get beat up bad enough for having a carnival sideshow for a sister, but I can't imagine how much worse it'll be if you're made up like a circus clown!"
"Oh, come on! If somebody has a problem with me, why would they take it out on you?"
"Which one of us is the easier target? Think about it, Melly!"
I did think about what Jay had said for all the time I followed him around the house to where Mr. Appleton was waiting for us. Of course I'm worried about school and how the other kids will treat me. I'm worried they'll call me names, hurt my feelings, and refuse to talk to me--but I'm not worried about anyone causing me real physical pain. How could they, when everyone is so much smaller than me? But Jay is so short and weak that he could get beaten up by a ten-year-old. Or by a girl. Or by a ten-year-old girl. It's tough to be me sometimes, but it must be really tough to be Jay Appleton. When I realized that it made me want to scoop him up, give him a big hug, and tell him everything was going to be all right--but of course I didn't. I just kept walking behind him until we reached the front of the house.
Mr. Appleton was standing on the porch with a very anxious FedEx delivery guy. He looked up, and up, and up at me, swallowed hard, and asked, "Are you Melinda Mills?"
I nodded.
"Rush delivery for you. Sign here, please." He handed me an electronic pad and a stylus that was almost as small as one of my eyelashes.
I've never signed for a package before. Heck, I've never gotten any packages or mail or postcards from anyone in my life!!! I pressed down hard enough to break the first stylus and pad and had to try again, more carefully, with a second set. It took three FedEx workers to wheel the package--a large wooden crate--from the back of their truck, 'tho I was able to carry it back to the shed by myself cuz it only weighed about half as much as a cow.
You'll never guess what it was or who it was from, but go on and try. Go on, guess!!! I'll give you the weekend, and then I'll tell you all about it on Monday.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Results Are In!
My makeover is done and Mrs. Appleton is crowing about how beautiful I am. I have to admit, I do see a difference when I look in the full-length mirror she gave me--well, it's full-length for her but smaller for me, of course. My cheeks are pink and my lips are red, and all the stuff around my eyes will take some getting used to. My hair is trimmed but also puffed up and out. It's hard to describe but it looks really good. My own cows will hardly recognize me!!!
I look a bit like Mrs. Appleton now. I knew she wore a lot of makeup, but I never guessed how much time it took to look like that. The beauty women gave me lessons on how to use the little brushes and the whole shelf full of jars and bottles they left behind. It's going to take hours for me to get "made up" like this every day!!! I can't take that time away from caring for my cows so what do I give up, studying or basketball practice???
"I only wish Mrs. Johansson had your new clothes made by now," Mrs. Appleton said.
That made Mr. Appleton smile for the first time all day. "We'll see to that tomorrow," he said. Mrs. Appleton looked at me like didn't know what he meant by that, and neither did I.
I look a bit like Mrs. Appleton now. I knew she wore a lot of makeup, but I never guessed how much time it took to look like that. The beauty women gave me lessons on how to use the little brushes and the whole shelf full of jars and bottles they left behind. It's going to take hours for me to get "made up" like this every day!!! I can't take that time away from caring for my cows so what do I give up, studying or basketball practice???
"I only wish Mrs. Johansson had your new clothes made by now," Mrs. Appleton said.
That made Mr. Appleton smile for the first time all day. "We'll see to that tomorrow," he said. Mrs. Appleton looked at me like didn't know what he meant by that, and neither did I.
Attack of the Beauty Women
Mrs. Appleton insisted on giving me a makeover before I meet the school board, and today's the day. It seems a makeover is when somebody points out all your faults before plastering over them with bottles of slimy gunk.
Mrs. Appleton said my hair was scraggly and misshapen, so I shouldn't use Pa's old hedge shears to trim it anymore, or shampoo with the same soap I use to scrub the cows. Also, my skin tone is blotchy cuz I spend so much time outdoors and my nails are "calling out" to be buffed and polished. Mrs. Appleton hired three women from the beauty parlor to come to my shed and help her--and right now Mr. Appleton is breathing hard into a paper bag cuz it costs a whole bunch of money for three beauty women to make an all-day house call.
Mrs. Appleton and the beauty women spent the morning combing out my hair and covering my face with green goop. Right now the beauty women are on their lunch break and Mrs. Appleton is at the drug store buying more gunk, so I have a few minutes for this blog entry. The only reason I can see at all right now is cuz they don't grow cucumber slices large enough to cover my eyes!!!
Mrs. Appleton said my hair was scraggly and misshapen, so I shouldn't use Pa's old hedge shears to trim it anymore, or shampoo with the same soap I use to scrub the cows. Also, my skin tone is blotchy cuz I spend so much time outdoors and my nails are "calling out" to be buffed and polished. Mrs. Appleton hired three women from the beauty parlor to come to my shed and help her--and right now Mr. Appleton is breathing hard into a paper bag cuz it costs a whole bunch of money for three beauty women to make an all-day house call.
Mrs. Appleton and the beauty women spent the morning combing out my hair and covering my face with green goop. Right now the beauty women are on their lunch break and Mrs. Appleton is at the drug store buying more gunk, so I have a few minutes for this blog entry. The only reason I can see at all right now is cuz they don't grow cucumber slices large enough to cover my eyes!!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Giant High
I had a dream the school board voted to rebuild the high school so everything would be my size. It was great for me, but nobody else could open any of the doors. I was the only one who could reach the latch on my locker, and all the other kids had to struggle to push bags of oversized textbooks down the halls. And the teachers were all shorter than their desks, so nobody could see them!!!
The best part was the basketball court. They put an oversized basket 32 feet high and made the balls almost three feet across, so I had to use two hands to shoot them, and I had to jump to get rebounds like the players on TV. I couldn't dunk the ball on that court but that was okay cuz I was the only person in the world who could make a free-throw!!!
They probably won't do all that just for me, but wouldn't it be nice?
The best part was the basketball court. They put an oversized basket 32 feet high and made the balls almost three feet across, so I had to use two hands to shoot them, and I had to jump to get rebounds like the players on TV. I couldn't dunk the ball on that court but that was okay cuz I was the only person in the world who could make a free-throw!!!
They probably won't do all that just for me, but wouldn't it be nice?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Know Your Enemy
Here's what I've been able to find out about the people on our town's school board:
Dr. Crisp - He's my doctor and my tutor, and I'm sure he'll fight as hard as he can to do what's best for me. Of all the adults in my life, Doc is the one I trust the most--but don't tell Mr. and Mrs. Appleton I said that!!!
Mrs. Rodriguez - Doc says she's been on the school board for-ev-er. She was one of Doc's teachers when he was in school, and Doc's not exactly young. Doc says I should be respectful to her cuz she comes from another time, like maybe the age of dinosaurs!!!
Coach Saunders - He's the coach of the high school football team, which Doc says is a big deal in our town. I told Doc I'd try to learn how to play if that would help, but It seems the team is just for boys. That doesn't seem fair to me, but I'm not supposed to tell that to Coach Saunders.
Mrs. Lee - Her family has money. Lots of money. They own a good part of the town, and control a lot of the rest. Take the school, for example. You can't own a public school, normally, except that Mrs. Lee joined the school board and so now she kind of does.
And finally...
Mr. Peterson - He's the president of the board and Mayor Peterson's son. Mr. Peterson also wants to be mayor someday, and Doc says sometimes he acts like he's already taken over.
They're going to come by the orchard one at a time over the next two weeks, when they have time in their busy schedules, and then they'll get together for a big important meeting. Doc says they'll be discussing lots of stuff other than just me, and it's all routine, but I'm still very nervous!!!
Dr. Crisp - He's my doctor and my tutor, and I'm sure he'll fight as hard as he can to do what's best for me. Of all the adults in my life, Doc is the one I trust the most--but don't tell Mr. and Mrs. Appleton I said that!!!
Mrs. Rodriguez - Doc says she's been on the school board for-ev-er. She was one of Doc's teachers when he was in school, and Doc's not exactly young. Doc says I should be respectful to her cuz she comes from another time, like maybe the age of dinosaurs!!!
Coach Saunders - He's the coach of the high school football team, which Doc says is a big deal in our town. I told Doc I'd try to learn how to play if that would help, but It seems the team is just for boys. That doesn't seem fair to me, but I'm not supposed to tell that to Coach Saunders.
Mrs. Lee - Her family has money. Lots of money. They own a good part of the town, and control a lot of the rest. Take the school, for example. You can't own a public school, normally, except that Mrs. Lee joined the school board and so now she kind of does.
And finally...
Mr. Peterson - He's the president of the board and Mayor Peterson's son. Mr. Peterson also wants to be mayor someday, and Doc says sometimes he acts like he's already taken over.
They're going to come by the orchard one at a time over the next two weeks, when they have time in their busy schedules, and then they'll get together for a big important meeting. Doc says they'll be discussing lots of stuff other than just me, and it's all routine, but I'm still very nervous!!!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Good News, Bad News
I had a long talk with Dr. Crisp about everything that's going on with Mr. Appleton and I feel much better now. Doc's known Mr. Appleton for years and says he's a good man who would never sell me to a circus or anything like that. "Though maybe you should learn how to juggle, just in case," he said, but then he winked and laughed to let me know he was kidding.
We also went over all the stuff I've been learning in our tutoring sessions. Doc says I'm doing really well now in history and language arts. I still have a lot to do to catch up with all the other kids, but I'm a fast reader and I remember every word I see. Doc's been trying to assign me two hours of reading each night but I can usually get through his assignments in about twenty minutes. I use the extra time to read ahead and visit study sites on the Internet. Math and science are harder for me cuz there are problems to solve, but I'm getting better at those as well.
All of that is the good news. The bad news is the school board wants to meet me so they can figure out what to do with me next year. I hate meeting new people, especially if they're judging me!!! Doc is a member of the board, so I'll have at least one person on my side, but I'm afraid he'll be outnumbered by frightened, hurtful townies!!!
We also went over all the stuff I've been learning in our tutoring sessions. Doc says I'm doing really well now in history and language arts. I still have a lot to do to catch up with all the other kids, but I'm a fast reader and I remember every word I see. Doc's been trying to assign me two hours of reading each night but I can usually get through his assignments in about twenty minutes. I use the extra time to read ahead and visit study sites on the Internet. Math and science are harder for me cuz there are problems to solve, but I'm getting better at those as well.
All of that is the good news. The bad news is the school board wants to meet me so they can figure out what to do with me next year. I hate meeting new people, especially if they're judging me!!! Doc is a member of the board, so I'll have at least one person on my side, but I'm afraid he'll be outnumbered by frightened, hurtful townies!!!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
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Illustrator Challenge
Artists can create illustrations of me or the events in my life, as long as they are appropriate for my young readers. Any previous post on this blog can be illustrated. If I like an image that goes well with a post on the blog, I may add a small thumbnail version along with credit to the artist and a link to the full-sized image. Images of me posted elsewhere should link back to the "Giant Girl Rampages" blog.
If you want to draw a picture of me, here's what you need to know:
I'm 15 years old and almost (but not quite) 18 feet tall. Mrs. Appleton says I'm very pretty and well proportioned, which I guess is a complement. I'm not super thin or anything but I think I'm in pretty good shape.
I have dirty blonde hair that's kind of wild because I trim it with Pa's old hedge trimmers. My eyes are green as the ocean, as Ma always said, but I wouldn't know because I've never seen an ocean. My skin is tanned from being out in the sun a lot but not too dark and (usually) not burned.
I wear a blouse and skirt-shorts that my mother quilted for me three years ago. They look like a big patchwork cuz she used many squares of fabric and cowhide. I've grown since then, so the skirt-shorts no longer come down to my knees, my blouse is way tight, and there's a bit of skin showing in between. I don't have any shoes (and that makes me sad to think about so I usually don't).
If you do draw my picture, send the link in a comment so I can post it to my blog. Thanks!!!
If you want to draw a picture of me, here's what you need to know:
I'm 15 years old and almost (but not quite) 18 feet tall. Mrs. Appleton says I'm very pretty and well proportioned, which I guess is a complement. I'm not super thin or anything but I think I'm in pretty good shape.
I have dirty blonde hair that's kind of wild because I trim it with Pa's old hedge trimmers. My eyes are green as the ocean, as Ma always said, but I wouldn't know because I've never seen an ocean. My skin is tanned from being out in the sun a lot but not too dark and (usually) not burned.
I wear a blouse and skirt-shorts that my mother quilted for me three years ago. They look like a big patchwork cuz she used many squares of fabric and cowhide. I've grown since then, so the skirt-shorts no longer come down to my knees, my blouse is way tight, and there's a bit of skin showing in between. I don't have any shoes (and that makes me sad to think about so I usually don't).
If you do draw my picture, send the link in a comment so I can post it to my blog. Thanks!!!
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