Secret Keeper 2

              Someday, they’ll be begging for your life,” Buddy looked at me and winked, I grinned back at him and thought about what he said, “ You know one thing you could be known for, is being kind to others. I mean, I know this girl who isn’t very interesting at all, but she is the nicest person ever. I think you should put yourself out there a little, and simply be sweet to others. I don’t know, it’s just a suggestion. Now stop being a pouty face and let’s go play some Nintendo,” Buddy tried squeezing out of my desk chair with no success, “ Um, Jo, I’m-” I couldn’t handle it and I laughed the longest, loudest, most piercing laugh I have ever mustered up and Buddy hit me on the top of my head, “ C’mon help me.”
         I really thought about what Buddy said, as I do everything. And I decided that it was time for a little transformation, I need to me Miss. Sweet, and do anything to be kind to others, so kind that the kids won’t help, but notice. Forget loser Secret Keeper, I am going to be Somebody! Yes, I thought this as I lay in my bed and smiled, finally I can go to sleep.
         Beep, beep, beep…click. So sleepy-
         
                “ Rise and shine, guess what today is the perfect fall morning, so perfect I can lift this curtains and they'll brighten up this dreary room,” I heard the usual morning talk from my father and sat up. Man, did this guy know how to anger sleepy kids. I smiled, though, and he was content with himself and left. What’s today? Oh yeah! I am changing today. There is nothing I am not going to do in order to be kind.
         I thought that being nice would be easy, but once I entered that elementary school and the smell of new sneakers ran through my nose; I felt like going back into my shell of silence and nothingness. I walked to my locker and looked around, children were swarming the hallway and talking loudly almost like a big gathering of bees looking for someone to attack. I then saw my first job, a little fourth grader stood on her tip toes trying to reach the top of the locker. I cautiously walked up to her-
         
                “ You need something?”  The girl whirled around and met my chin.
         
                “Yeah, someone threw my science book up there,” Her tiny voice answered and I nodded knowing the cruelty of the other students. I reached up and grabbed the book for her, then handed it to her as lovingly as I could. The next six hours were filled with hard kindness; such as in the bathroom there was no toilet paper so I refilled every single stall with toilet paper, and in my English class a girl didn’t have an eraser so I let her borrow mine, but she stole it, and at lunch I let most everyone ahead of me and got to eat some stale french fries and who knows what was in that lasagna. I did everything I could and people just walked all over me. Then as I walked out of the gym for some fresh air after P.E. I heard a faint cry. I breathed in the air then looked around and saw Kenya Williams sitting on the steps to the kitchen, she was covering her face with her scarf.  I knew what I had to do. I slowly made my way to the steps and sat down next to her. She didn't notice me until I put my hand on her shoulder.

         " Kenya, what happened?" I asked, remembering all the times Buddy comforted me. She revealed her face and I saw it was stained with tears. Kenya looked confused and then swallowed.

         
         "I can't tell you," She spoke. I bit my lip in gratefulness. Kenya didn't want to tell me her secret, then alas, she spoke again, " Well, you know Mr.Wells?"

                " Yeah," I answered. I knew that another dreaded secret was approaching.
             
                " She embarrassed me and, well.." Kenya could barely speak and I looked around noticing a certain car parked beside us. " She told the whole class that my dad was in prison and they all laughed. I was so angry that I keyed her car and deflated her tires."
             
                " And your sad that you did that?" I guessed trying to be helpful, but she laughed and burried her head in the scarf.

                " No... well,  I wouldn't be if I had done all those things to the right car," Kenya now explained, then began to cry again. " I am so mad at my stupid self!"

              " Oh,Kenya you're not stupid... maybe this was a lesson fore you. See, trying to get someone back only results in hurting someone who isn't involved at all," I tried to act like an adult and I rose my eyebrows. Kenya studied my face and seemed to be in deep thought.

              " No, I'm just stupid," Kenya laughed, then turned to me, " Jo, thanks for listening to me. And don't you dare tell anyone about this." She stood up showing herself to be quite tall for eleven years and walked away.

            " Wow, back to keeping secrets." I now felt like I wanted to cry.
            When I met Buddy on my walk home, I began to tell him about my depressing day.

            " Yeah, so being nice didn't help at all," I shrugged my shoulders in despair.

            " What? Of course, it did. Kenya didn't tell uou her secret because you're a nobody. She told you it because you listened and were kind," Buddy explained and I looked at him in shock.
   
            " Really?"

            " Yep," Buddy laughed, then we reached the porch steps, "Man, am I hungry."
         

            Monday was when I was a nobody, Tuesday was supposed to be my renewal, but Wenesday was when it all changed. I dressed the same, had the same out-of-control hair and pretty much acted exactly the same as any other day, but when I entered South Lyon Elementary I had something I had enver had before... a friend.
            " Jo, how's it going," I saw Kenya walking towards me with her friends and I smiled and greeted her.
           
            " Hi." I looked around then whispered in her ear, " So have you fixed your delima?"  She looked around and then whispered back.
           
              " It turns out, the car I messed with was Mr. Adams' car." I gasped, Mr. Adams was the Principal. " And he his not happy," Kenya said this loudly so her friends could hear and bit her lip. One of her friends butted into our conversation.
           
              " Yeah, who ever scratched up Mr. Adams car is going to get killed by him." I watched Kenya get deffensive.
             
              " Hey, maybe it was an accident?" I suggested and Kenya looked at me and smiled.