P. of V.

Amelia's Last Day

Amelia

Last day and it can not come soon enough. All my friends have been asking me questions. Kayla and Selena asked - "When you coming back? Can't those guys do anything?"

Brittany said things like - "A pool party sounds stupid. Next thing, you know, they'll want everything to be pink to support Miss Bennett." She said "Miss Bennett" in a whiny voice that made Miss Bennett sound like she was annoying.

My friends can be mean sometimes, but still they are my friends and are nice to me. Besides, our parents are friends at the club too. And, they take back a lot of what they say - Kayla did say, "Well, if it's at the club, it won't be all bad."

When I sit down with The Round Table, I immediately launch my plan to get back to my friends. I say, "So, I was thinking, we need to get some jugs or buckets out to each homeroom to start collecting for Miss Bennett. And, we need to plan how we are going to decorate. I was thinking a tropical theme."

Everyone, even Shoshone, has nothing to say, so I continue, "Some leis, some coconuts, some fake palm trees."

Mia takes a break from her lunch ritual to say, "You know, Amelia, we appreciate all your help so far, but we got it from here. Why don't you go back and sit with your friends?"

Shoshone says, "Yeah, we got it. You can go, Amelia,"

"Ok," I say. My plan is working faster than I thought. I scoot my chair back to leave, and then Mia says, "With friends like you got, who needs enemies?"

"What do you mean? Enemies? " I ask.

Shoshone says, "Girl, you can't see what is right in front of your face. We got some things to tell you."

Shoshone

Mia told me the plan to get Amelia to stay. Really, I don't care if she goes, she takes over everything and does not listen to my, I mean our, ideas. She thinks she knows it all. Still, I feel kind of sorry for her. People are mean to her, and she don't even know it.

I begin to tell her how it really is, but first I have to apologize to everyone at the table.

"I have something to confess," I say. "The whole loser election idea started with something I said. I am sorry everybody. I am really sorry."

Maddie

Ever hear the saying "you could hear a pin drop?" Well, even though the cafeteria has its usual loud, abrasive noise going on, you can hear a pin drop at The Round Table table. No one says anything, and I feel bad so I say, "It was me too. I was a part of it too. It started by us telling everyone about the loser homecoming election at the high school. Everyone thought it was so funny and cool. We had to keep telling the story."

"And then someone at the table, I don't even remember who, said - Let's do it here. Let's have a loser election," said Shoshone.

Carson says, "That was really mean," to me and Shoshone. He says it like he is disappointed in us.

"I know," I say. "I am really sorry. And so is Shoshone. I never had a idea that people thought was cool before. It kind of got away from me."

Carson

I am stunned by the admission, but I understand how bad ideas can get away from you, so I say, "Miss Bennett warned me about this. She said that people can spend so much of their time trying to fit in and belong that they lose sight of themselves. And, who they are."

Timmy agrees by saying that Miss Bennett says there are reasons we do the things we do - everyone just wants to belong to something.

Timmy is right.

"I forgive you," I say. "I forgive you both. I don't think you meant to hurt anyone."

Mia

I'm sorry. I forgive you. We all want to belong. Sickening. I think I'm gonna barf. This whole forgiveness thing is disgusting and corny. I tell it like it is. I say to Shoshone and Maddie what I think: "You were both wrong and mean, and I am still mad, but it is, what it is. The whole thing makes me mad, and now I want to show everybody that I, that we, are not losers." I say, "Let's show them all. We need revenge and you, Amelia, need it most."

"Why?" asks Amelia.

She really is that naive. I say, "You won too. You won in the loser election."

Amelia says, "Yes, I did, Mia, but I was the only one running."

"I wasn't running at all, and the other kids wrote my name in. M-I-A. Sure, it is a short name, but still, it would have been a lot easier to check a box.  They wrote my name a hundred times. M-I-A. Face it girl - you are a loser too, just like the rest of us. People don't like you."

"Don't like me?" she says and turns all pale. I think Amelia is going in shock. She looks like she is about to cry. "I don't believe you, Mia," she says.

Brett explains to her that he heard some of his friends talking. They said that Amelia wins everything, and they were going to show her. Let her win with the rest of the losers.

"That is mean," Amelia barely gets out.

Brett agrees and says he's sorry he did not stand up for her, and he was only thinking about himself. He says that he was a terrible boyfriend and no wonder you broke up with me to Amelia. He tells her that we need to make this right, for her and everybody."

Blah, blah, blah. Even mean 'ol Brett has gone soft. Brett is laying it on thick, so I do too. "Amelia, we need to make this right. For you and for everybody."

Timmy helps by adding, "I don't like being a loser. It is not fun."

"So true, buddy," adds Josh. "Believe me, I know."

Juanito

It is time for me to show my leadership skills and lead my people. I say, "We are not losers. We are The Round Table and the student council of the seventh grade at Mountainside Middle School in America the United States. We are the leaders, and we must lead. It is our destiny. I will need your help. We must make the most incredible dance in the whole wide world. We will show the people that we are winners."

"I'm in," says my Vice President Amelia Hudson.

My team is united, just like America the United States - the greatest country in the world. 

Will Amelia stay now that she knows she won the loser election too?