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Friends - Now and Forever - Cindy's First Boyfriend

"Oh!! My God I am so excited today's Alisha's birthday? I can't believe she's inviting boys. I hate boys and.." was all that I kept saying as the evening kept coming closer and closer. Today is Alisha's 11th birthday and I am beginning to feel very anxious. But the worst thing is she's inviting boys. Yuck!!

I am Cindy Smith and I am 11 years old. Alisha Graham is not my best friend but we pretty much hang around together. We live in Canley heights, Australia. It's a really cool place and we go to Canley Heights Public School. Kylie Rodriguez is my best friend and we love hanging around, shopping and of course we do a bit of studying together. I do have other friends like Petronella curk and Amelia Billick and I can tell you that even though we are 11 and supposed to be acting like "young ladies" as our parents say, we are tom boys(except one of us) and we enjoy being just the way we are.

Alisha however doesn't behave like us any more. Its fun being around her but suddenly she acts weird. I've spoken to my mum about it but she tells me that Alisha is going through a phase and that she's growing up. She plays around with us but all of a sudden when Julian, Ian and Harry come around, she acts peculiar. Last year she could stand up to them when they bullied us around and now she finds them good-looking. Yuck!!

Today Alisha is having her birthday party and she asked me to help her put up her decorations. So, I said I'll do it. I have to arrive an hour earlier so that means I have to start going in for my shower. I already chose my clothes- a pair of jeans and a red top that said GIRLS RULE! Alisha helped me pick out that top, she said it matched perfectly with my brown complexion.

I have brown skin and jet black hair, tall and chubby. I have no brothers or sisters and sometimes it gets lonely. Petronella and Kylie have somewhat the same features except that they're a bit thinner. Petronella has a baby stepbrother named Mark. Kylie has a sister who's two years younger than her. Alisha wants to become a model when she's older so she's cut out all the chocolates and fatty stuff from her diet. She's really skinny and tall, but I must admit that she is prettier than the rest of us. Amelia is quiet but that doesn't mean I bully her around, she voices her opinion whenever she wants to. Kylie and Petronella are just like me we're bold and stand up for ourselves. But Amelia is good looking too.

The five of us have been friends since kindergarten, and FRIENDS FOREVER is the motto of our little group. To tell you the truth, I came up with it (I'm not boasting). Alisha used to be like us but she's changing, and changing rapidly.

I got ready to go and my mum said she'd drive me over. It was a ten minute drive but I heard a ten-minute lecture as well, with things like "Cindy, behave like a young girl, act decently and give us a call when the party's over so that I can pick you up."

"Alright mum, I know, I know". Mum can be annoying sometimes that she makes me want to scream. I arrived at Alisha's place and I rang the door bell. It was about two seconds later till I heard Stephanie's voice saying "I'll get it, you carry on."

"Hello steff, what's up?"

"Nothing much, how bout you?"

"Nothing."

"Alisha's in her room, I've gotta run, c'ya later?"

"C'ya."

Stephanie is Alisha's older sister. She's 14 and when she went out with a boy for the first time, all of us whispered to each other with words like "gross", "yuck", and "is she crazy?" And Alisha said the same thing, but now it seems like she's desperate to get a boyfriend. Alisha also has an older brother and he's 17. His name is Nathan, but I don't speak to him that much because he seems to be leading a very busy life. Alisha's sister and brother go to high school.

I went up to Alisha's room which took me about 2 minutes, as her house is quite big comparing to any of ours. I knocked on her bedroom door which said "ALISHA'S ROOM" and below it said "PLEASE KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING".

Immediately a voice replied "who is it?"

I answered back saying, "it's me Cindy. Can I come in?"

"Yeah sure."

So I went in and I stood there dumbstruck with my mouth opened. I couldn't say anything, but at last when I could speak I said "What on earth has got into you?"

"Hello Cindy, do you like my new hairdo?"

Alisha had on a lovely blue dress with a red motive, but that wasn't the point. She had make-up on (a bit too much) and her lovely brown hair was now blonde. I always loved her hair but look what's she's done to it.

"What did you do to yourself?" I asked.

"Oh! Cindy, you won't understand, steff helped me do it and I love it."

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but if you're comfy with it, then that's good."

Deep down inside, I wished that she would come back and be normal like us. I plonked myself on the bed and looked around, and to my horror, found that her bedroom was re-arranged. I was so busy looking at the birthday girl that I hadn't noticed her room. All the posters of Barbie and Winnie the Pooh had been pulled down and new posters of some freaky guys were up. I didn't like it at all.

"Happy birthday to me," she started singing and it was only then that I realized that I'd forgotten to wish her for her birthday.

"Alisha, I'm sorry I forgot."

Handing her a parcel wrapped up in gift wrapping paper, I apologetically said, "happy 11th birthday."

"That's alright, I was just kidding," she said, as she received it.

She came over and I gave her a hug.

"Really?" I asked.

"And to get your present."

With that we cracked up with laughter and later she said, "the decorations are done, but I was hoping that maybe, you could help me take the food down to the rumpus room?"

"Happy to help,"  I answered and with that we went down and laid out the table with all kinds of sandwiches, chips, punch, biscuits, and some fruit for the birthday girl.

When that was done, she checked her cd player and all her cd's.

"Alisha, are you going to have dancing?" I asked, hoping she'd say no.

"Of course Cindy, everyone from our class is going to be here and everyone loves dancing, so I decided I'll have dancing after all".

I didn't know how to dance, but I curiously asked again "Is it going to be like a boy-girl dancing party"?

"Maybe, but I hope Ian is here, I want to dance with him," she said, as if she was in the seventh heaven.

I just carried on and I couldn't wait for Petronella, Kylie and Amelia to arrive. One, by one, everyone started coming in and then Kylie came in. I was so happy to see her. She was also dressed in her normal, casual clothes. Amelia and Petronella also arrived soon and the party began.

Alisha went over and started to chat with Ian, as if he was a movie star or something. I couldn't wait for the games to begin. I've always loved that part of the party the best since I was small. Alisha played some music and said "everyone lets dance".

It was a slow number and it had to be a waltz. Everyone somehow found partners including my friends.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked Kylie and Petronella as they got up to dance with James and Daniel.

But they just shrugged and went off. Amelia sat close to me, and I thought at least one person agrees with me, but soon Mike came over and asked her if he could have a dance and she went all pink all over her face but in the end said yes.

I was so mad with my friends. Some of the kids were just watching, so I just stood there with a sandwich in my hand and waited till the song was over. Later everyone resumed to their places and started chatting but I totally went mad and asked Kylie "Do you know what you've done now?"

And she said, "oh!! Come on Cindy it was fun, I liked it, and James and I got to know each other better and we're going out to the movies next weekend."

I just stood there and said nothing, what could I do? All my friends are acting indifferent and I even wondered if they were the same people I met years ago.

Then Alisha said "I'm dying to know what you'll bought me, so can you gather around to open up my presents?"

Everyone got into a circle and she opened up Simon's gift, it was a notebook with stars all over it. Then Petronella gave her a pen, Kylie bought her a brooch, Amelia got her an alarm clock, which was in the shape of an A. Alisha got tons of gifts like necklaces, bracelets, earrings, autograph books, photo albums, story books and she kept saying, "its lovely, I love it, its beautiful, very sentimental."

Obviously mine was the last one to be opened, as I was the first to arrive and I was waiting for her to look at mine and say "I love it". I bought her a t-shirt with Barbie on it and I thought it would be perfect. But after seeing her bedroom after a long time I wasn't so sure. She tore open the paper and said " its nice" in a very sarcastic way, but I knew now that she didn't welcome it, but I just pretended I didn't care, but deep down I was hurt and wanted to cry.

We had a little more dancing and then she said in a bold voice "everybody we're going to have a game."

"A game, don't you think that's a bit childish?" Pamela blurted out, but I was happy until Alisha said, "Not any game, its spin the bottle."

With that, everyone got into a circle without being told except me. I just stood there, and Alisha came over to me and said "Don't make a scene, or ruin my party, just play."

For the first time ever, I just agreed and played along but I felt miserable. Each time anyone kissed anyone, I murmured to myself saying "yuck." Even Amelia and Kylie had a turn. It was my turn next and I hate boys, now I had to kiss one

"Go on Cindy," Alisha said with a look in her eyes that meant don't be daft, just have a go.

I spun the bottle and it landed on Calvin, one of the boys in my class. It's not that I hated Calvin, I liked him, but only as a friend. Actually I was the one who had to make the first move, but surprisingly he did and I went mad, so mad that I stood up and said "I hate this stupid party, I can't believe I came, I hate it, have a nice time Alisha," and I stormed out of the room expecting someone to come behind me but no one really did.

I went up to the living room and saw Mrs.Graham there.

"What's wrong love?"

All I could say was, "would it be okay if I used your telephone?"

I reckon she must have guessed that something was bothering me and I didn't actually want to mention it so she said "Alright love, it's over there" and pointed to my right.

I replied in my politest voice saying "Thank you" and went over and dialed mum's mobile number and asked her if she could pick me up now. She said she'll be there in another 15 minutes, so I sat down on the couch and watched the hands of the clock turn slowly. 15 minutes seemed like forever. Mum arrived and I thanked Mrs.Graham and got into the car.

The first question was "How was the party, Cindy?"

"Good" I replied.

"Is there something that you would like to tell me?" she asked.

At that moment, I felt my face turning red and hot tears swell up and before I knew it those tears came trickling down my face. I couldn't stop crying and I knew mum was getting worried, so as soon as I went home, I asked her if I can be excused from dinner and I went straight to my room, got into my pj's ready to go to bed, when mum knocked on my bedroom door. Mum always comes to speak to me when she knows I'm worried and sometimes it helps but right now I really didn't think it would.

"Come in" I answered.

She came right in and said "Cindy, are you alright? Your eyes are puffed up."

"I'm fine mum."

"You know sweetie, if you don't want to talk that's alright."

At that moment, I felt that I could speak to mum and I told her all that had happened. Mum always understands how I feel and gives me good advice. She listened without interrupting me and at last she spoke saying, "I know that this is a very hard time for you Cindy but this is a time when things change. Maybe your friends are just growing up and realising things before you, that doesn't mean anything's wrong with you, but eventually you will be just like them soon."

"I don't want things to change, I still want to play with dolls and teddy bears, I don't want to talk about boys and make up, and it feels as if I'm loosing my friends."

"I know Cindy, but trust me, it will be different soon."

"Do you reckon what I done was wrong?" I asked.

"Well yes, I guess, but if you call Alisha tomorrow and explain everything to her, she may understand it."

"I guess so too, I feel guilty now, but I feel much better after having this little chat with you, thanks mum."

She came over and gave me a hug. I really felt better and I went to bed. The next morning I got up, although I felt guilty and I wanted to speak to Alisha I didn't feel like I wanted but I knew I had to. I had a wash and went downstairs with the intention to call Alisha, but a surprise awaited me there.

"Surprise!"

And I really felt relieved for some reason to see my friends. Mum also was there and I certainly didn't want to apologise in front of mum so I said "can we go up to our room?"

"Wait a sec," Kylie replied and lifted up a big brown paper bag. When we went upstairs, everyone was silent, then I broke the silence by saying "Alisha, I'm sorry I spoiled your birthday party, I was.."

But before I could finish Kylie opened the brown paper back and brought out chips and a few sandwiches.

"These are the remains from yesterday, I thought maybe we could have a little chat."

"Where's Petronella?" I asked.

"She has a dentist's appointment," Alisha answered.

For the first time today Amelia said, "I'm sorry Cindy, we should have been with you, instead we went off dancing and playing."

"Look you guys, I know that I still act like a little kid but that doesn't mean you have to be like me, I know someday soon I'll be like you and I'm waiting for that day, but I still want to be a little girl and I want us to remain friends forever," I replied.

The room went silent again and then Alisha came over and put her arm around me and said, "Cindy its alright. Even though we realise certain things before you, we'll still be your friends."

"Really?"

"Yeah, of course."

We started talking about what programs would be on TV and Kylie all of a sudden started grinning which brought suspicion upon all of us.

"Spit it out Kylie," I said

"Cindy, I'm not sure if you're going to like this but..."

"What, hurry up."

"Yesterday, when you spun the bottle, you were supposed to go forward to kiss Calvin but he came forward instead."

"So?" I asked.

"Later he told me that he wants to go out with you because he liked you."

I started to blush and I felt like I was on the top of the world.

"Yes," Alisha then said "so we answered for you, saying yes."

"I'm going out with Ian on Saturday and so are Kylie and James, Petronella and Daniel, and Amelia and Mike. So we decided that we like to all go out together."

"It will be fun Cindy," Amelia said.

Again I felt happy and I said "I have to ask mum, just a sec."

I darted down and saw mum sewing.

"Mum, will it be okay if I go out with my friends and another friend this weekend to the movies?"

"Who's this other friend?"

"Calvin, he asked me out so I want to go out."

"Sweetie, are you doing this just so you can keep your friends?"

"No mum, I feel different now, can I go?"

"If you feel comfy with it."

I was so happy and Alisha couldn't believe her eyes. We started talking about what we would wear and Alisha persuaded me that she'd do my makeup. Saturday finally came and mum picked out a blue top with silver hearts all over it. It looked really pretty. Mum said she'd drop me off. When I saw my friends there I was relieved. I said bye to mum and gave her a quick kiss and went. I saw everyone there and then I saw Calvin, my heart skipped a beat. He looked gorgeous in his jeans and t-shirt. He held a red rose in his hand and kept smiling at me.

"This is for you," he said, handing me the rose. "And you look pretty."

"Thank you and I like your pair of jeans" I replied.

Immediately Alisha whispered in my ear "yuck!! Look who's going out with a boy and telling him he looks good too."

"Stop it Alisha," I replied, but I could feel myself blushing.

"Let's get going, the movie's starting in about 5 minutes and I've bought the tickets," Alisha said.

"Where are Petronella and Daniel?" I asked.

"They are in already," Amelia replied.

We went in and found our seats easily, off course I was seated next o Calvin. The lights went out and the movie started, but instead of watching Calvin and I were chatting, till someone from behind shouted, "will you two down there shut up?"

So I suggested that we go and have something to eat.

"Alisha, we're going out down to the café, meet us up there."

And we went up to the café. On the way Calvin and I were speaking about lots of stuff and then in the course of conversation he asked, "What happened yesterday? Was it because you have never kissed anyone before or anything else?"

"Yes I've never kissed anyone before and I guess I was not ready."

I didn't want to tell him the actual reason, what if he thought if I was weird or something?

"Can I tell you something?" he asked.

"What's that, Calvin?"

"I really like you Cindy and it's okay if you haven't had your first kiss because I've never had one too."

I was surprised, but I just said as calm as I could "Calvin, you seem like a pretty cool guy and I like you too."

He smiled and before I could say anything else, he leaned over and kissed me. I felt as if I could scream. I just smiled and suddenly we saw everyone else come into the café.

"Is the movie over already, Petronella?" I asked.

"No, but we're bored."

The evening went of perfectly; mum said she'd pick me up at 8:00. The others had their parents to pick them up too and one by one everyone else left, except Calvin and myself. He said he'll wait till my mum comes. Mum finally arrived and before I could go he said, "Cindy, I had fun, and can we go out some other time?"

"I had fun too and I hope we go out again, bye."

I quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek and ran to the car. As soon I was strapped mum asked me "how was your evening?"

"Excellent mum, I loved it."

"That's good, sweetheart, was that Calvin standing there with you?"

"Yeah mum, he said he'll wait with me till you come."

"That's nice of him, ask him to come home sometime and have dinner."

Mum kept on talking,but I was wondering why I had spoken about boys so badly, some of them are really nice. The next day Alisha, Kylie, Petronella and Amelia came over to my place and we just kept chatting about yesterday.

"You guys, I'm sorry, I didn't understand that it can be fun to hang around boys, but I'm happy because I had a nice time yesterday, my first date, my first kiss and ..."

"Wait a minute, you didn't tell us anything about your first kiss," Petronella said.

"Didn't I? I thought I did," I replied as casually as I could but I couldn't help blushing.

They wanted to know exactly every little detail so I told them and when we were finished, Alisha said, "I told you, you will be like us soon and soon has come."

"I know," I said. "And it feels great to have such good friends like you'll to chat with."

"Thanks," Kylie said.  "Friends forever."

"Yeah," we all replied. "Friends forever."

So it was fun and I wouldn't change my friends a bit because I really liked them. It was great to be friends again and to tell you the truth it, does feel great to hang around boys, especially boys like Calvin.

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