A Friend For Ransom

A Letter, A Ladybug

Once we were done, I picked up my bag and waved good-bye to Margaret. She thanked me with a sad expression.

"Don't worry!" I yelled at a distance. "We'll see each other again tomorrow!" I waited for her to answer back with an, "ok" or "see you". But she just stood as still as a tree. A figure behind Margaret then held out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. I just assumed it was her mother.

"Bye, Mrs. Chua!" I then zoomed off without waiting for an answer.

But what I didn't know was that Margaret followed the figure into a dark room and was having this conversation with someone:

"Kid, you almost let that fool discover the basement!" A low voice behind a mask said.

"I-I'm sorry. It-it was her! She was the one who wasn't looking."

"She was looking, alright." He then turn his back on Margaret and faced a bunch of TVs. "She was looking too hard!"

"But I can convince her that she shouldn't mind anything."

"And just how?"

"I'll think of something that will absolutely force you to give them back to me."

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Next day, Margaret and I were zooming to school. I told her all about the club, "Six Swifties".

"It didn't feel much of a club without you, Margi."

She lifted her head up and smiled. "You're too sweet. Thanks."

"Anything for a best friend. Oh, I got something for you."

"You shouldn't have! I should be the one thanking you."

"No, no. It's ok, I made this for thank you with my homework. We helped each other and I think you deserve it." I held out a little, red homemade envelope with a ladybug seal with a pattern of dots. Underneath the ladybug was "Je vous remercie" written in black.

"Why a ladybug?"

"Remember that show we used to watch on the computer together? Before I even met anyone in school?"

"You mean 'Miraculous Ladybug'? The French show on the internet?"

"Yeah and the dots and dash there on the ladybug. That's morse code for 'B'"

She looked abit confused.

"I have the 'F' at home. BEST FRIENDS!"

"No 'forever'?"

"We don't need a ladybug to tell us we're forever, we have faith in each other. We're already forever."

She chuckled. And it was nice to see her smiling face to block off all the confusing questions zooming through my head.

She opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper out of it. She read my letter.

"This is just too sweet! Thank you"

"At the back there's something."

She turned over the paper and found the chorus of Wildest Dreams was beautifully inscribed. She wrapped her arms around me.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ellie!"

"You're welcome!" We then parked near a bush. "C'mon! Let's go!"

We rushed in through the gates. Suddenly, Margaret's phone rang.

"Oh! I have to take this see you later!"

She then ran up the stairs to the door and went right in.

I wonder who that could've been?

"Ellie!" Yelled a voice.

I looked around to see who was calling me.

"Ellie!" It yelled again. I then saw Josh waving. "Over here!"

I was starstruck.

Josh? Josh Macguff? Is this a dream? He's waving at... me?

I went over to the bench where he sat. I spoke in a sweet and gentle voice. "Yes?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something..."

I sat myself down, hardly able to contain myself. "S-sure. W-what is it?"

"Well, I've been planning it all night and..."

My heart was racing. My eyes opened wider and wider at each word. "Yeah... yeah..."

"I just wanna..."

I held my breath. I was near to the point that I could jump.

"Are you saying?" I mumbled.

"Wanna talk about... about..."

I had my hopes way, way up high...

"The Science Project."

...too high.