Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Sibling(s) (05/01/08)
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TITLE: PKs Rule | Previous Challenge Entry
By Dan Blankenship
05/04/08 -
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How? How had I let it happen? She was right to be angry with me. I knew that. It’s why I didn’t yell back at her. It’s why I didn’t explain away my actions.
Here, I better start at the beginning. It’s much easier to explain if I start there:
At the high school me and my sister attend we’re known as PKs or Preacher’s Kids. Our father is the pastor at the largest church in our hometown, Relling, Nebraska. Some of the students at the school are just playing when they make fun of our dad being a pastor, but other kids see our father as a threat to the community, pushing his morale beliefs onto the local law enforcement rulebooks and challenging parents to hold teens responsible for their actions.
Two weeks ago, two members of the football team started spreading rumors about my sister. I heard about the rumors and, knowing they were as far away from reality as any rumor ever started, chose to ignore them and concentrate on a science project I had been assigned. The rumor spread, people began to believe it, and looking back on my inaction, I now realize that I should have defended my sister’s honor and integrity when the rumor first started. In reality, I was scared. I’m not much of a fighter, and I feared confronting the two football players because I was concerned about my own safety. I’m rather fond of my face and let that emotional attachment influence my decision to not act when I should have defended my own sister.
When my sister found out about the nasty rumor that had been circulating the campus she was furious. When she found out that I knew about the untruths being told about her, and that I failed to defend her good name, she was devastated.
Now, leaning upon the doorway to her bedroom, I pictured her lying on her bed, hugging her pillow, assaulting it with her tears. With a devastated heart, I searched for the words to speak. How could I justify my inaction? I couldn’t. But I needed to talk to my sister, needed her to know I cared. Choosing my words carefully, I began to speak:
“I know you don’t even want to hear my voice right now. But I need to tell you the truth. You are my sister. You know more about me than anyone in the world. I like to think the same is true with me knowing you better than anyone else in the world. I know the rumor you heard hurt you…hurt you a lot. And I know I was wrong not to confront the people who started it. But there were two reasons why I didn’t confront the guys who started the rumor. The first one is the only legitimate one: I knew that anyone who knew the real Jessie would not believe the rumor. The second reason was that I was scared. I was worried about my own safety. That won’t happen again, Jessie. Seeing you hurting like this is not something I ever want to see again. I promise you, I’ll defend your name no matter what kind of pounding I get. You have my word on that.”
Jessie’s door remained closed. I heard nothing but silence. Apparently, she had decided to shun my explanation. I began to walk toward my bedroom when suddenly Jessie’s door opened up. I suddenly felt Jessie’s arms wrapped around me, hugging me tight as she sobbed into my shoulder. And I will never forget the words she began to repeat over and over: “You’re the best brother anyone could ever have.”
Three days later, Jessie said those same words to me as I lay in hospital bed after a severe beating by two former Relling High School football superstars. I responded with, “I can’t imagine why God would give me a sister as great as you. Thanks for forgiving me even when I didn’t deserve it.” It was on that night, in that hospital room, that I came to the conclusion PKs rule!
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A few things: "Me and my sister" should be "My sister and I", and you used "morale" for "moral". Finally, I'd have liked some indication earlier in the piece of the narrator's gender--I assumed it was a girl and was suprised to find out otherwise over halfway in.
Love the ending--very realistic and an authentic teenage voice.
I love thie "assaulting it with her tears."
Gret job drawing the reader into the lives of teens. So glad he stuck up for his sister.
Keep up the good words.
I think you could have shown us more of the events rather than told them.
Well done- this was a good piece.