ONE The essay contest I never knew waiting for the mailman could be this exciting Usually the mail comes and goes from our house on Sandpiper Lane without me even noticing The mailbox’s red flag goes up and down announcing the arrival and departure of envelopes magazines and flyers To be honest I’m not even sure I know what our mailman looks like Or is it a mail woman For someone who likes to write it’s a shame that I’ve gone my entire life without taking note of this critical detail Now I’m paying the price When does the mail get here Rana asked Yeah this is taking forever said Alana I’m starving Can we grab a snack 4
I need something hot to drink added Louie My fingers are starting to go numb Oh stop I said This is nothing Remember Alana’s ice hockey game that lasted three hours Now that was a cold afternoon Rana Alana Louie and I have been friends forever I know when they’re whining or if they’ve really reached their breaking point I’d say we had fifteen minutes before they started to get cranky I ignored their complaints I looked for the hundredth time down the street in the hopes of seeing the mail truck It had been a perfectly crisp autumn day on the Cape With summer behind us our salty seaside town had charged head first into fall Vibrant reds and burnt oranges bloomed on every corner Their beauty reminded the year-round locals why they stuck around after the summer season ended A sun-dappled breeze had kept us warm during recess But as much as I hated to admit Louie was 5
right the late afternoon air had taken a chilly turn It should be here any minute I said looking down at my watch Five more minutes and then we’ll go inside Promise You’re sure the letter comes today asked Louie Of course she is Rana answered for me Remember the countdown calendar she keeps in her desk There’s no way she got the date mixed up We’re staying until the letter gets here But what about that snack I smiled thinking of the homemade calendar nestled safely in my desk drawer For the past month I had diligently crossed out each finished day An army of bright red X’s marched their way toward today the last day of October Today was the day the letter would arrive The day I would find out whether or not I won the Cape Chronicle essay contest 6
The newspaper wants to connect with a younger audience Mom had explained when she first told me about the contest We’re starting with sports If Mac picks your essay you get a junior internship with him Mom was the Arts Entertainment Editor of our town’s local newspaper Mac McGovern her coworker was the Cape’s legendary Sports Editor Working with him would be a great step toward becoming a professional sports broadcaster I had sat down that very night and worked on my essay When I write for school I jot down every idea that pops into my head Brainstorming is a good way to get the creative juices flowing But for this essay I knew exactly what I wanted to write about My life on the sidelines My older twin siblings Santi and Cici have been star athletes since taking their first steps Between the two of them they play just about every sport offered at Cape High 7
