Carolyn

Carolyn Young Seedfolks Character Paragraph HR:109 11/17/10

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 * Marco**

I saw so many people out my window. "Do I really have to go out there?" I thought to myself. I had moved to the United States about eight months ago from Rome, Italy. I had fit in there and had so many friends. Now, I saw all the boys from my new school outside the window every morning. None of them accepted me; no one liked me.

"MARCO!" my dad called, so I hurry up and meet him in the back hallway of the apartment. At the end of each day I always hide our remaining seeds in the hall closet. Its something that I would always do in Italy, I learned it from my grandma. I grab the seeds and we head to the garden. I tried to stay away from the mean boys. Planting seed after seed in the hot sun, let me tell ya it was not fun! What made it even worse was when my dad told me we were out of seeds. Just my luck. "I'll have to go buy some more," he said.

"Can I come?"

"I think you should stay here." My dad left and my stomach quivered. Why do I have to be different, why?

I was walking and heard a loud scream. I had bonked into someone and ruined their plants. "Watch it, Guido!" This was even worse than getting harassed at school. "Where you from, kid?" the lady asked me.

"Um, Italy."

"Really? You mean where all the greasy people come from?"

"No, ma'am. Italy is a beautiful place full of nice folks."

"So you're sayin' I'm not nice?" Man, this kid is rude. I'm here working hard trying to please my counselor and he's botherin' me. I hate kids. All they do in the garden is run around and play.

"No, no, I didn't mean that your really...nice I mean sweet!"

"Now Maricella, let's be nice!" It was the patient voice of Maricella's counselor. I hope she can help before my dad gets back.

"Whatever...."

"Sorry, ma'am." I could feel my face turning as red as Maricella's beets.

"No problem, she'll have no trouble replanting a few beets and radishes, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Stupid counselor. I had enough trouble planting them the first time, and now I have to do it again. I'd like to see her out here in the hot sun planting and replanting. That would be funny.

That was close. I walked back to our section of the garden. I sat for a while wondering what would happen to me. What if my dad saw me? What if the news spread that I was a troublemaker? I was only nine, and already my life wasn't going exactly as planned.

"Hey, buddy."

"Oh, hi Dad." What would I tell him? I didn't want him to know what I had done. Messin' with another gardener. He wouldn't believe that it was an accident. I'm dead.

"What exciting things happened in the garden when I was gone?"

Nothing much, I whispered under my breath. "What'ya get?"

"I thought we'd try something new and plant some basil, see how it works."

"Sounds good to me." Basil was very big in my country but we had never planted it. That was my grandmas job.

"I'll get the hose from the back of the building. You stay here."

Not again...left alone in the garden! I looked around for the boys from my school.