SCRIBBLERS
C 2004 By Gracie Prior
Chapter 3 (cont.) THE HEROINE
(When we left, Mary had just pulled Jimmy out of a jam at school.)
"Can you believe that? She's pushy, she doesn't even know us, but she stuck up for you, Jimmy. Imagine that."
"I told you I met her before. Her name is Mary. I don't need defending, do I?" Jimmy asked.
Terry looked at him askance. "It was getting a little warm in here with your 'slippery bottoms.'"
"What? I don't even know what happened."
Butch looked at Jimmy and said, "Let's just say, Mary saved your skin this morning. I, for one, think she's super. We do need a new member in our group. What do you say, guys?"
"What can I say?" Jimmy asked. "The damsel saved me. I shall be eternally grateful."
"Terry," Butch said. "What do you think?"
"Well, I do need a girl for my plank scene. She's prettier than you, Butch."
"O.K. guys," Butch said, "lets go tell "Lorna" she's in the club."
"Um, I think we better ask her, Jimmy said. I don't think she'd like being told what to do."
The boys found Mary sitting under a tree at the back of the playground, all alone, reading a book, Little Women to be exact.
"Excuse me."
Mary looked up.
"Hey, I'm Butch. I live on your street. I saw you move in the other day. I was sort of wondering, why did you come all the way over to the last row to sit down when you must be new, and not know anybody and all."
Mary gazed at the three boys in front of her. She didn't look surprised.
"I wanted to be by the window. Is there a problem with that?"
Butch looked sheepish. "No, not really."
"I like to hear the birds and see the trees, look outside if things get boring," Mary finished.
"Well, we have a club, a writing club. We do plays mostly. I do poems and songs," Butch said.
"I do outlines and plots," Jimmy said.
"And I'm the details man," Terry added.
"We need another member to help write and act in our plays," Butch tried to explain.
Butch saw Jimmy look all around slowly and then get down on one knee and nod to him and Terry. He was confused, but he and Terry followed Jimmy's lead.
"Mary, would you please consent to join our struggling writer's group, the Scribblers, and enjoy all the privileges thereof?" Jimmy asked with a flourish of his arm.
"He means the profits," Terry said.
"He means the applause and recognition," Butch said.
Mary looked from one to the other. She looked shocked. "Sure," she said. "Opposite poles attract. Right, Jimmy? By the way, I don't have any brothers." She looked right at Jimmy and then the others. "You sure?"
The boys got up and saw her fingering her book lovingly. "We know," Jimmy said.
"We're sure," Butch said. He noticed as Terry gave Mary a bit of a wink and said, "Welcome aboard, Lorna."
(What play will these Scribblers think of first? Come and see next Friday.)
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