In A Perfect World (Fowlham/Weinerkang)

Theresa's Gift (Fowlham)

THERESA Fowler skipped down the footpath to Norrisville High School with a steady, cheery beat in her footsteps as she listened to '22' on her earplugs. It was her fifteenth birthday!

There was going to be a party at her house that night and Debbie was going to include the occasion in the school paper. "Twenty-two ooh whoo hoo!" Sang the baton twirler as she made her way down the halls of the school.

Seeing Randy Cunningham, her longest ever crush smile and nod to her as he passed made her smile and think, 'Could this day get any better?' Then, a BRUCE idea occurred to her: she could invite Randy and his best friend Howard to her party! Maybe that would make Randy like her.

"Randy! Howard!" She ran towards the two boys, holding a printed flyers featuring her party. "I was wondering if you guys would like to come to my birthday party tonight-"

"Sure do!" Randy gazed at her with a smile that stretches across his face. Meanwhile, Howard, however, crossed his arms and looked at Theresa doubtfully.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not sure if u can make it because of my incredibly busy schedule-"

"Morgan is coming."

"What the juice?!" Howard's pleasure was pretty obvious. He grabbed a flyer from Theresa's hands and examined it, speaking very quickly. "Right, you know what, I'm suddenly very free today and whoa, look at the time- it's time, class is starting soon-well-bye-see-you-at-the-party-Fowler!"

The ginger then scurried away, the flyer in his hands. Randy beamed at Theresa. "Nice job getting him to come."

Theresa smiled. "Yeah, I've always kinda known that Howard has a thing for Morgan."

Suddenly it became very hard to talk. Theresa's palms became sweaty and she struggled to keep her voice from stammering. "Sooo...You'll be there right?"

"The juice I will, and the only reason why I'll be late is because of my Nin-" Randy cleared his throat. "Chores to do."

Theresa let out a relieved sigh. "OK. I'll see you tonight, Randy."

As the two went their separate ways, Theresa couldn't help smiling to herself. She has done it! With any luck he'll be able to notice her in a different kind of light, something she had been wishing to happen since she met him in second grade.

Meeting Debbie at the end of the corridor, the fifteen year old wandered if her crush was true to his word...

***************

"Uh, have you seen Randy?" Theresa asked Morgan as she watched the dancer try to keep her balance with several boxes of pizza in her arms.

"Cunningham? No, I don't think so," replied Morgan, and went to squeeze her way through the crowd, which roared with approval when seeing the pizzas.

Theresa's face fell as she made her way through the group of guests. Bash Johnson and his cronies were doing a break dance on the floor to a song that reverberated out of a nearby boombox while teens cheered and whooped.

At moment, Theresa felt as if nothing mattered anymore. If Randy didn't come, she would not care much longer about the party, or even her birthday. She'd invited him with the hope that he would actually care to come, but now, his absence was just proof that her crush had made her feel crushed.

She sat down on a lonely bench in the quiet yard with a cup of punch in her hands. Echoes of the ongoing party were dimly heard from inside the house.

The night sky was still and starry with not even the slightest of breezes. The ground was wet with dew as Theresa's eyes started to water.

"Smokebomb!"

When the cloud of red smoke disappeared, on to her sights stepped someone totally unexpected.

Theresa blinked and stood up. "Ninja? What are you doing here?"

The Ninja looked up, stared down at himself and swore silently. Then, he smiled at Theresa as if nothing happened. "Oh, because I was invited...?"

Theresa frowned. "I don't remember putting the Ninja on the guest list."

Beads of sweat began to travel down his face as the Ninja tugged at the scarf around his neck as though it was startlingly hot. "Uh...you wouldn't have, because uh, if you did, um, you'd be inviting the same person twice to your party."

"You're saying that you the Ninja is one of the people I invited?" Theresa considered the situation. Everyone who'd she invited was present.

The only person who was not there was Randy, and here the Ninja was saying that he had been invited. Somewhere inside her mind, two pieces of jigsaw puzzles went click.

She stared a the Ninja for a little while and a grin spread slowly but surely across her tear-streaked face. "Mr Cunningham, I think you are absolutely right."

At once, the Ninja turned a deep shade of red. "Whaaaaaat....? Nooo..."

Theresa continued to smile as she stepped nearer. "Randy, admit it."

The Ninja's eyeballs kept darting all around the place. "Admit what? And wait- who is Randy again?"

Theresa tiptoed so that her mouth were at the same level as his ears. "Randy Cunningham is the Ninja, am I right?" She breathed.

Randy actually stumbled backwards and fell into the grass.