Editing Character Vignettes (section)

=='''Erin and Love'''==

"H-hi Erin..."

The ten-year old girl looked up from her book. "Hi Tom."

"Can, can I sit here?"

"Sure." She resumed her reading.

"So...What's your book about?"

"It's 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'. You know King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table?"

"Sure! Of course I know that!"

"Well, in this story, someone from the modern era...Well, almost modern era. Anyway, he gets sent back in time where he meets them."

"Sounds cool!"

"And then he shows all those stupid knights and wizards how to get things done!"

"Er..."

"He blows up Merlin's tower with explosives, shoots the knights with guns, and even builds telegraph lines! It's awesome!"

"...What's a telegraph?"

"Ah...It's what they used before they invented phones. It's the same, except it sends dots and dashes instead of sound, and you use the dots and dashes to make letters."

"Ah."

"You really should read it. It's awesome!"

"OK...But isn't this making fun of the knights?"

"Totally."

"Ah."

"You seem unconvinced."

"I dunno. I'll read it, but...I LIKE adventures and stuff."

"Then you've GOT to read 'Odyssey from River Bend'. Want me to lend it to you?"



Over the next few months, Erin found herself hanging around with Tom on a semi-regular basis - or rather, he hung around with her, approaching her during recess, coming to visit at home. They'd play, they'd talk...A bit like Alex and the Turner twins back then.

But then, as summer approached...

"Erin...You know I'm moving the week after school ends, right?"

"You've mentioned it five or six times, and I have pretty good memory, so, yes."

"Right. It's just that...I...I...I'll really miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Tom. But there's still phones...well, OK, oversee calls are expensive, but there's still letters."

"It's...It's not the same."

"I guess. But don't worry. You'll learn the language quick, and I'm sure you'll make a lot of friends there."

Tom said nothing, but seemed unconvinced. Erin, for herself, started wondering - WOULD she miss him, actually? She didn't feel like she was really missing any older friends, after all...


"Good morning, hon. Getting up a bit late today, aren't we?"

"That's because I went to bed late yesterday, mom." There wasn't really any need for Erin to say it - her parents had authorized her to stay up later than usual to watch the comet with the telescope she had received for her birthday.

"I know, I know. Anyway, there's a letter for you."

"For me?"

"Yes, here you go."

Her curiosity piqued, Erin opened the envelope and reached for the letter inside. "It's from Tom!"

"How nice! He must have sent it right before leaving."

Erin went to her room and began reading. As she did, she blushed deeply. Still blushing, she put the letter down.

"He's had a crush on me all along? And he never said anything?"

And why hadn't she noticed? Was she THAT oblivious? In hindsight, there had been quite a few clues.

But if she HAD known...THEN what? Would she have wanted him to be her boyfriend? Tom was nice and all, but...

For the first time since kindergarten, it dawned on Erin that she had a peculiar lack of interest in romance. She wasn't interested in Tom THAT way. She wasn't interested in ANYONE that way, and had never been. Well, surely some people valued friendship over romance...

...but did she value friendship? Tom had practically been her only friend in those last months of elementary school. Now he was gone, and she didn't care. She wasn't feeling lonely. She had no friend in the world, and she wasn't feeling lonely.

That realization sent a cold chill down her spine. Slowly, she headed back to the living room.

"...Mom?"

"Yes, hon?"

"Mom, am I...am I normal?"

This caused her mother to pause. "Normal? In what way, sweety? And what brought this on anyway?"

"I...I..." Erin hesitated, suddenly feeling really awkward. "...I have no friends. Tom was the last one I had, and now he's on the other side of the sea."

"Aw." Her mother hugged her. "Erin, you are a very bright girl. Brighter than anyone your age I know. You are also sweet, helpful, and as nice as it gets. I'm sure you can make as many friends as you want to. But as to your question...Erin, you are not, and never will be, normal. You are EXTRAORDINARY."

While this didn't really answer Erin's concerns, she decided not to push further.

Later that day, as she lay in her bed, Erin pondered the matter again. Was there anything wrong with her? She didn't think so...But, it was hardly an exact science now, was it?

"That's what they ought to invent," she whispered to herself before drifting to sleep, "a machine for figuring people out..."