Chatterbox: Chirp at Cricket

Insert Catchy Title Here

This isn't a game, or a question. It isn't really something to say, "click this, important!" to. What it is is... a chat thread.

Not instant chat, because I know that's hard for everyone. It also isn't really building off each other. Say whatever you want! Tell a story about how you found your puppy. Tell a joke you heard. Recite "Couch Carrot Coffee"! Whatever! I don't care! You can just say it, and people might respond to it.

Will this go on for months? Maybe. Will someone, months later, respond to the thing I'm about to write? Well, they're perfectly welcome to! So go ahead! Don't hold back! Say it all, and be as wacky as you want! This is a thread where no one judges the other!

Here's my story for you. (All the names are not real.)

Once apon a time, in first grade, I had gotten my hands on a large, red ball. I was the kind of person who didn't mind being alone even then, and I made circuits around the playground, bouncing the ball and speaking for characters as I went.

"Alexa! Help us! Save us!

"You can do it, Arrietty. Just believe in yourself.

"But I haven't learned this yet! I don't know!

"It doesn't matter. Just try."

Leaning in over the screen, Alexa watched her sister. Arrietty took a deep breath, flung her arms wide, and-

"BRIIIITANYYYY!"

I whirled around. A girl I definitely did not know, with a long braid down her back and a freckled face, was running towards me, waving.

I narrowed my eyes and continued bouncing the ball and lifted, hefting herself and Aaron out of harm's way, Alex's eyes searching to ground for them--

"Brittany!" The girl was right next to me now. "You really don't remember me, do you? I'm Maryanne! "

I just kind of looked at her.

"We were best friends in pre-K!"

Actually, that wasn't true. My best friend was Simon, but she changed schools. I did not say this out loud.

"Wanna do something?" Maryanne asked, and that was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Over the years, a group of three was always together. First, it was me, Maryanne, and Mara, but later Mara left us and joined up with Maya, Jackson, and Mr. Dwarf. Then, Liana came to join us, and thus the three have been rocking ever since.

Liana was an artist, and we often talked about how she would be my illustrator when I wrote a book. She was the shy kid for a while and cried when she had to speak in front of people, but Maryanne coaxed her out of her shell. 

Maryanne was more girly, but also the most temper-ridden, sportsy, violent girl I have ever met. Most people in the class weren't too fond of her; some people put up with her, some people didn't. Those people usually made her cry. That was Maryanne: either have a fit and break the hearts of everyone closest to you, or hit the person that hurts you. 

And then there was me. The smart one, I suppose, but I think I was really the most weird, as Maryanne said a lot. I don't really need to explain myself, because you all already know me.

At the end of fourth and the whole of fifth grade, I found myself drifting away from Maryanne a bit. We were always a queer couple. That didn't stop me from being friends with her, oh no, I'd known her too long to do that, but that's it. To me, she's a friend now. A friend.