Bri by Adella Mulawarman

Making up names is my passion. I keep a notebook with me at all times so I can write if I get inspiration for a name. My life is pretty good. Except for two things. My dad, and school.

“Class, today’s project are Collaborative poems. Pair up in groups of two or three and work. The assignment is due in two days,” Mr. Crilman said to the class, then glanced at me. I nodded to him and started working. After class, I stood up.

“Mr. Crilman?”

“Yes Bri?”

My voice grew smaller. “I’m not going to be here next week. “

“All right,”  Mr. Crilman said. “It’ll be fine. Go and enjoy your day now.”

“Ok.”

I left the classroom and headed outside. My bright red shirt that said creative, my yellow jeans, and my chocolate colored hair stood out against everyone else, but no one came to say hi. That was normal. I sat beneath my favorite oak tree, which I named Dakota, and took out my notebook and the collaborative poem. I was at peace writing when a girl with short wavy red hair bounced up to me.

“Hi! What’s your name? My name is Abrixal. I’m new. How are you?”

I was surprised and was startled by Abrixal. No one usually came and talked to me, other than Mr. Crilman.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t realize that you were deep in thought. Anyway, what are you doing? Oooh! Collaborative poems! We have that assignment too! Are you in 6th grade? Who’s your partner?” Abrixal quieted down for a moment and I seized that moment to talk.

“My name is Bri, I hope you’ve enjoyed being here at Weal Elementary. I was perfectly fine until you interrupted me,  yes, this is a collaborative poem, yes, I am a sixth grader, and I don’t have a partner. Nor do I have friends. I do things alone.” That was the most angry I had ever said since I was 5.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone then.” Abrixal’s cheeriness dimmed and she skipped back to the swing she had been on before. I didn’t mean to make her sad, she just overfilled me with information. Last time that happened was when I found out my Mom died. My parent’s had me at a pretty old age, and I was an only child. Just recently my dad was sent to the hospital because of a heart attack. I concealed my anger and had just cried into my pillow. It wasn’t really my pillow, it was the hospital’s pillow. My so called ‘room’ wasn’t really a room. There was a creaky old bed, a plain bed sheet with covers, a window that had no curtains or blinds, a tiny little splintery wooden white desk with a drawer, and a falling apart closet for my clothes, even though I just keep them in my suitcase. I didn’t like spending time in there.

As I walked to Hope Hospital after school, I was greeted as if I was 3 years old.

“How are you Baby Bri? Don’t worry, your dad is ok. Want a lollipop?” One of the nurses said to me as I walked towards my room.

“No thanks, I’m 11,” I said gruffly, and slammed the door shut. I was in a bad mood. I looked at my poem.

Amazing things happen,

You’d notice if you’d pay attention,

To the world that we live in,

So be happy and grin.

I clunked my head. Happen and Attention don’t rhyme! I sighed and decided to take a walk so I could think straight. I grabbed my notebook and ran outside. I opened my notebook and thought of names, then wrote them down.

“Dejora, Thort, Geros, um…” I muttered under my breath.

“Hey Baby Bri! Care for some milk?”

I threw my notebook onto the grass just in time for me to get myself drenched with milk. I turned around and stared at a boy wearing a Just Do It shirt, electric green shorts, and expensive shoes to go with his perfect hair smirking at me.

“Stop it Jorcob,” I said quietly. “You jerk.”

“What did you say Baby Bri? Are you insulting me? Hmm?” I said nothing.

“That’s what I thought.” Jorcob laughed with the other boys behind him.

“Hey! That’s my friend you dumbo!” Abrixal appeared out of nowhere.

“Abrixal stop!!” I warned her, but she didn’t listen. Soon, we both were sitting on the ground, soaking with milk.

“Why did you do that?” I asked, trying to wring out some milk out of my hair.

“I was defending you! Besides, The milk is refreshing me from that run I was having before that mean boy was yelling at you.” Abrixal smiled and put her hands up to the sky. Even her wet blue shirt looked happy. She I had a feeling I might get my first friend.

“Should we go to sleep yet?” I whispered in Abrixal’s ear. A new week was starting, and we were in the middle of my first sleepover! It’s awesome! I call Abrixal, Abri now, as a nickname. It was 12:00 and we still were awake. I felt so rebellious! Abrixal’s house was amazing, probably since I hadn’t been in one for a while.

“No, this is what makes a sleepover fun!” Abrixal laughed, and we started a pillow fight. “So, what do you want to do this week? Punch that Jorcob in the face?” She grinned again but my face fell.

“Abri, I have to tell you something. Don’t be sad.” Abrixal and me sat on her bed. “I’m not going to be at school this week. My dad is in the hospital. He had a heart attack. And my mom is dead. So, if my dad dies, I won’t have any family left. I might have to go to an orphanage and I’ll never see you again.” I fell silent. Just as I made a friend, I’d have to let her go, same with my dad. Suddenly, Abrixal stode up.

“Well I’m coming with you! Don’t worry, your dad is not gonna die and we are going to stay friends forever!”

“Abri…” I was so grateful. I was so used to being left, no one had picked me up and gave as much hope as Abrixal did.

“I’ll tell you something too. I’m adopted. I’ve never known my birth parents, but I’m grateful for my adoptive parents. Come on, let’s watch a movie!” Abrixal said cheerfully and turned on the TV. I stood there, surprised, I always thought Abrixal never had any problems, but I was wrong.

Abrixal and I walked towards Hope Hospital, like I always did. We got inside and the nurse greeted us again like babies, and walked Abrixal and me to my dad’s hospital room.

“Hey Briava. How are you doing?” My dad croaked as I stepped into the room. My ears turned a flamingo pink. Nobody but my dad and mom called me by my real name. I was very embarrassed.

“Briava! That’s a cool name!” Abrixal was playing with something against the wall.

“Abrixal! What is that?” I asked her.

“I call it a thing-a-ma-jing! It’s really quite interesting! I found it!” Abrixal replied, not looking up.

“Hello Abrixal, nice to meet you. Are you a friend of Briava?”

“Dad, stop calling me that!” I gritted my teeth.

“Why not Bri? I like it! Your dad likes it!” Abrixal put her thingamajig in the pocket of her Hogwarts sweater.

“Abri, in third grade, Jorcob found out that my real name was Briava, he teased me about it! Calling me Briava the Ugly Lava.”

“Yeah, but that didn’t change anything! The other day I heard Jorcob saying ‘Hey Abra Kedavra where is Bri Lee? Chinese isn’t she?’ I kicked him in the stomach. I have detention on Tuesday next week.”

My dad sat up and yelled, “How dare that jerk insult my daughter and her mother!”

The nurse rushed into the room and put my father’s head back on the pillow. “ Mr. Quisa, you need to stay still!”

“NO!! I AWSON QUISA WILL NOT HAVE A STUDENT BY THE NAME OF JORCOB ABOWL INSULT MY WIFE, LINYA QUISA OR MY DAUGHTER, BRIAVA QUISA!!!!!” My dad yelled at the top of his lungs, then started coughing like crazy.

“Dad?” I said, worried. The nurse put something in his mouth and started connecting things to his body.

“DAD??” I was scared.

“Sweetie, make that boy pay..” My dad closed his eyes. I looked at the screen. His heart was still beating, but barely.

“Bri, we have to go. One of the nurses said so. Let’s go to the park.” Abrixal whispered, then pulled me out of the room and dragged me all the way to my tree, Dakota.

“Bri?”

“He’s gonna go Abri, he’s gonna go. I’m gonna be alone.” I hugged Abrixal and started crying.

I waited. And waited. Waiting to see if my father was dead. I was under Dakota, writing names, and felt a little better. My parents passed on their creativity for a reason. I heard a noise, and looked up to see a little red blob skipping towards me.

Abri!! Abrixal had become like a sister to me. She was always there for me, even though I yelled at her sometimes. She helped me to be more confident, and now I can speak back to Jorcob if he insults me.

“Hey Bri! Guess what! So, bad news then good news. Bad news is, Jorcob insulted your father.”

“What?? He is going to pay one day.” I said angrily.

“And he is! That’s the good news. Mr. Crilman talked to the principal and he’s banning Jorcob from school. ALL the schools. He can’t come back till collage!” Abrixal jumped up and down.

“Yay!! Ha, I wonder if he’ll still be as mean as he left!” I laughed. Just then, Jorcob passed by.

“You’ll pay, Briava the..” He started but Abri cut him off.

“She was simply doing what her father wanted. And no one’s allowed to call her Briava except me and her dad!” Abrixal showed her fist, and Jorcob ran, remembering when she kicked him.

“Thanks Abri.” I said gratefully.

“Anytime Bri, now fist bump me.” She held up her fist again and I laughed even more. Even if my dad died and I had to move to an orphanage, I’d still have good memories to look back on.

“Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound,” The choir sang sorrowfully. My worst fear had happened. My dad had died. I was devastated. Some of my dad’s friends  and people from his company was there. At least Abri and her family was here. After the ceremony was over, Abri came up to me.

“Hi Bri. Don’t be sad. Your father was a wonderful person, even though I met him while he was dying. He’d want you to spend your life being happy, as I’m sure your mother would, instead of having a frowny face every day!” Abri said, and I smiled.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Good afternoon, Bri.” Abri’s parents had walked up to me.

“Hi Mr and Mrs. Crenx. Good afternoon to you too.” I smiled faintly.

“You can call me Mione.” Mrs. Crenx said.

“And me Ozm.” Mr. Crenx added.

“Or mom and dad!” Abri twirled and did jazz hands.

“Wait, what?” I was confused. “Mom and dad? But that...But that would mean…”

Mione started talking. “Yes, we are asking if we could adopt you, like we did with Abrixal. We filled out the papers with the orphanage, and even though I know your mom and dad will stay in your heart forever, we’d like to be your new family. Are you ok?” my face looked astonished.

“Yes! Yes of course!” I cried, and hugged Abri tight.

“I know right!? We’re gonna be sisters!” Abri hugged me tighter. And I knew Mione, or should I say, mom, was right. My parents will always be in my heart, but I know I’ll also make so many wonderful memories with my new family.