Lansing Central High School - Oracle Yearbook (Lansing, MI)

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Second Prize Story The Same, Old Story Billy was standing in the driveway, studying a worm that was busily working its way out of the apple he had been eating. His feet were far apart, his hat on the back of his head in a position which destroyed his dig- nity, and a streak of dirt across his forehead contradicted the extreme seri- ousness of his face. Suddenly, another apple grazed the uncertain hat and it fell to the ground just in time to escape the back-flying hand of Billy, who turned slowly around, looked at the apple, at the hat, and then up into the branches of the apple-tree. Say, he drawled, 'd you throw that apple? Uh-huh. Why? came from the tree. It just knocked my hat off, that's all. Say, where do you live? Never saw you before. Didn't you? Oh, Johnny, Tommief-what's your name ?-Billy? YX'ell. Billy, get out there a little farther, won't you? l can't hit you good where you are now and I've got the greenest green apple here. Please- 'WVhat's your name? Billy had stationed himself at the foot of the tree. 'WVhat's the diff'rence? Guess l'll come down and see if you're any fun, and by the time Billy had decided to lower his eyes from the heights, he discovered someone was standing beside him. That someones hair was flyinggcherry stains covered the front of her waist, while a tear in her skirt and a long scratch on her arm helped to give Billy the impression, as he confided to his mother later, that she didn't look very girly. Well, you know what you can do if you don't like it. lVant to look at the back of it? and the girl swung around on one foot. Say, your face's dirty. Billy announced. So's yours, she cheerfully said, as her hand flew to her nose, on whose tip a streak of mud peacefully rested. And you got a lot of stuff on your waist. i'Say, William, do you think it would make any difference to me if you said I had stuff all over rr.e and my face was black? So, now, just stop lookin' at me and tell me whats your name. William Timothy Grey, Billy was standing with his hands pushed in his pockets and his eyes fixed on her face, whats yours? Peggy Little. Do you live in the house on the hill P Ye-eh. Say, did you get your name turned around? A frown marred the peacefulness of Billy's face. No, lSilly. l guess l'll call you Billy-Silly. But, come on, let's get on the top of that shed over there. You can reach the cherries dandy from there. She bounded away and was scrambling up the ladder, while Billy was sauntering over to her. Springing on the roof, she managed to get across it G

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by hanging to the ridge, seated herself when she had reached a place which suited her, and pulling down a near-by branch, began munching on cherries. Hurry up, Billy-billy! she called, with her mouth full, or you won't get any. Evidently, this made an impression on Billy, who was reasonably active when girls were not around to bother him, for his head appeared above the roof and he too crossed the dangerous road to the cherries. Sit down 'n have one, Peggy Little said cordially, Let's play I'm a princess and I've invited you to dinner and play you're a poor little beggar- boy. But I wont let you eat anything and I turn everything into stones so that you have to leave all the things to me. Come on, 'nd maybe I'll give you a cherry made of gold once in a while. Uh-uhfdon't like to play those silly games. Say, make any diff'rence if I called you Little Peggy, 'cause you are awfully little, you know, and Billy condescended to glance disdainfully at her. I'm not little, Peggy declared, trying to stamp her foot on the roof, I'm seven. I 'spose a girl thinks that's old, but then, girls aren't s'pposed to be as old as boys. I'm ten. Billy complacently viewed the horizon. Look out there, Silly, you're going to fall off. Billy frantically clutched the roof, but he went sliding and bumping off to the ground, where he sat looking dolefully at himself. Say, Billy, pancakes are ready! Wake up! He looked up and saw Peggy, her eyes twinkling, beside him. 'Smatter? Did you fall down too? he asked with a sympathetic look up at her. HardlyfI'm only seven, with which she turned and ran off across the yard. Peggy-oh, Peggy-Peggy Little, Billy called, jumping to his feet. Wl1at d' you want? came back, as she hesitated in the middle of the road, can't you get up? VVhere you goin'? Come on back and play-Princess. Sadly, Billy kicked the ground. Nope-can't bother now. Got to go home. And she sped across the street into a little white house. Oh-plague it! I hate girls. They'll never play any fun or any- thing. VVilliam Timothy, with his face a miniature thunder-cloud, crammed his hands in his pockets, and went up the driveway to the porch, where his mother sat, sewing. VVhat's the matter, Billy-boy? she asked. Oh, nothin'. Billy threw himself down on the steps, took off his cap and wiped his forehead on his sleeve. His mother sat still and waited, watching him under lowered eyelids. He was a straight, chubby little fellow, with brown eyes that showed the seriousness of his nature. Theres somebody moved in 'cross the road, mother, he at last said, kind of a funny girl, but I had some fun with her. She'll be nice for you to play with, maybe. You'll like her better after a while. 'fOh, she's all right for a girl. I like her, only-she just ran off and wouldn't play, and Billy frowned worse than before. Never mind, son, she'll play tomorrow. Better mn, get ready for supper. Strawberry Shortcake. Oh, gee! Forgetting all about girls, he jumped up, raced in the house and up the stairs.