
So here it is


Change
By: Lexi
“Go to bed Andrew!”
“Alright Mom!” Andrew hollered down the hall.
Andrew stepped into his room and walked towards his bed. He pulled back his pillow and grabbed his neatly folded pajamas as he flipped on an Adventures in Odyssey episode.
As Andrew started to slip into his pjs, his ears zoned in on what was playing, “I hate this episode! Why are they always ruining Odyssey with stupid characters?!” He snarled as he yanked the blankets back and fell into bed.
Andrew leaned over to his nightstand, switching the episode to one he liked better. “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” he stated as he lay back into bed.
Andrew closed his eyes, still hearing the Odyssey playing, he slowly felt his brain relax.
Before he could fall into a peaceful sleep he jerked and opened his eyes. Instead of seeing his bedroom, he was saw a ‘50s style restaurant.
“Where am I?” Andrew asked himself as he gazed at a chrome and red cushion filled room.
“Whits End.” A deep monotone voice called.
“Huh?” Andrew looked around him and saw a girl about 12 years old sitting across the way in a little wrought iron chair. “Did you say ‘Whits End’? And who are you?”
“I did say Whits End. And I’m Emily Jones. Are you okay? You look confused.” The girl stated, her deep voice ringing.
“You can’t be serious!” Andrew gasped under his breath. He gazed around the room. It looked similar to what he had imagined. A long counter with red cushioned stools lining it, little round tables with wrought iron chairs around the room and booths lining the walls and windows.
“What did you say?” The girl inquired, slipping into the same booth as Andrew.
“Did you say your name was Emily?”
“Yes I did. Emily Jones.”
“You can’t be! Your voice is completely different!”
“What? I’m pretty sure I’ve always had this voice.”
“No you haven’t! And what about Matthew?!”
“What about him? He’s probably off doing his stupid little detective investigations. I prefer going to the mall myself, but-”
“You’re not a detective?!”
“Uh, no. I find that line of work silly and pointless. If you were smar- Wait! Where are you going?” Emily asked as Andrew stumbled out of the booth and ran towards the front door.
“This can’t be happening! It just can’t!” Andrew yelled from across the room.
As Andrew ran past the front counter, a young woman wearing a green sweater yelled after Andrew. “Are you okay young man?” Her voice resembled what one might picture a mouse to sound like.
Andrew paused in his escape. “Are you Connie?!”
“Yes.” Connie said in a confused tone.
“You can’t be! You sound nothing like Connie!” Andrew whined.
“I can assure you that I’m Connie. Just ask my husband.”
“Husband?! Don’t tell me you married Jason!” Andrew asked, flabbergasted.
“Jason? Whit’s son? Don’t you know he died in the Vietnam war? I’m married to Richard.”
“Jason’s dead?! And who is Richard?!”
“Richard. Richard Maxwell.”
“What? You married him?” Andrew rasped.
“Are you okay? Can I get you some water or something?” Connie asked, concern showing on her face.
“I just need some air.” Andrew muttered, stumbling towards the front door.
As he pushed open the front door, he could hear the familiar bell above the door ring.
“Well at least that’s the same.”
Andrew started to walk towards McAlister park. He stepped onto the pavement only to get knocked to the curb by a passerby on a bike.
“Hey! Watch it, kid!” Andrew yelled as he fell backwards.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there! Are you okay?” The boy asked, his squeaky voice penetrating Andrews ear drums. His brown hair neatly slicked back, and his thick glasses slipped down to the tip of his nose. One could obviously see that the boy was the nerdy type.
“It’s okay. I’m fine.” Andrew announced, standing up and wiping the dirt off his bum.
“The name’s Andrew.” Andrew said, holding his hand out to the young boy.
“I’m Jay.” Jay said, taking Andrews hand.
Andrew stood there momentarily with his mouth agape. “What did you say?”
“I said, ‘I’m Jay.’ Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not. I gotta go!” Andrew stumbled across the street, running into the woods of McAlister park.
“What’s wrong?!” Andrew yelled as he fell against a tree in the depth of the woods. “Everyone is completely different! Emily isn’t a detective, but a girly girl. Connie is married to Richard Maxwell! Jay is nice and a nerd! And everyone’s voice has changed! Am I dreaming?!”
“No, you aren’t” A female voice announced.
“Who said that?!” Andrew gasped, jumping up and looking around frantically.
“I did.” The female voice stated.
“Where are you? Show yourself!”
“You are sowing what you have reaped, Andrew.”
“What?!”
“For years, every Adventures in Odyssey album that has come out, you have whined how some character has changed or you don’t like the new characters. Instead of listening to the lessons, you have whined about unimportant details. So now you have received your wish. Everyone is different.”
Andrew fell back against a tree, head in hands.
“What have I done? Is there anything I can do to fix this?!” Andrew exclaimed looking up at the sky.
“Because of your attitude, you have ruined Odyssey for many people. Be content Andrew. We all change. Even Odyssey.”
“But can I fix what I’ve done?!”
“Be content.” Then the voice disappeared.
Andrew looked around him, and saw a girl with long black hair walking through the trees. “Hey!” He yelled, and ran up to the girl.
“Can I help you?” The girl asked, her mature voice sounding.
“Hi. I’m Andrew. Who are you?!” Andrew asked taking the girl by her shoulders.
“I’m Camilla.” She said, her concern showing. “Do you need something?” She said, shrugging Andrew’s hands off her shoulders.
Andrew closed his eyes for a moment. ‘Of all characters!’ he thought. Camilla was his least favorite.
“I just wanted to say…”
“Yes?” Camilla said, her eyebrow raising.
“I just wanted to say I like you… just the way you are.”
“Um… Thank you?”
“You’re welcome. Bye!” Andrew declared as he turned away.
“Strange boy.” Camilla muttered under her breath.
Andrew broke into a run as he made his way back to Whits End. “I must make things right!”
Andrew ran across the street, yelling the whole way “I like you just the way you are!”
Andrew ran up the steps of Whits End and burst through the door. All heads turned towards Andrew. He panted for a moment, trying to catch his breath.
“Andrew?” Emily asked, her dirty blonde hair bobbing.
“I just wanted to say- I like you just the way you are! All of you!”
The floor broke from underneath Andrew, and he started to fall.
Andrew jerked and sat up in bed. He looked around him, noticing the clock reading 1am.
“Wow, what a dream!”
Andrew laid back down in bed resting his head on his pillow. On his nightstand, an Adventures in Odyssey still played.
“This is a- a Twilife Zone episode!” Andrew gasped, sitting up quickly, he flicked the adventure off and lay back down.
“Note to self: Never put a Twilife Zone episode on before bed.” Andrew muttered as he flipped over in bed and fell asleep.
The End.
By: Lexi
“Go to bed Andrew!”
“Alright Mom!” Andrew hollered down the hall.
Andrew stepped into his room and walked towards his bed. He pulled back his pillow and grabbed his neatly folded pajamas as he flipped on an Adventures in Odyssey episode.
As Andrew started to slip into his pjs, his ears zoned in on what was playing, “I hate this episode! Why are they always ruining Odyssey with stupid characters?!” He snarled as he yanked the blankets back and fell into bed.
Andrew leaned over to his nightstand, switching the episode to one he liked better. “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” he stated as he lay back into bed.
Andrew closed his eyes, still hearing the Odyssey playing, he slowly felt his brain relax.
Before he could fall into a peaceful sleep he jerked and opened his eyes. Instead of seeing his bedroom, he was saw a ‘50s style restaurant.
“Where am I?” Andrew asked himself as he gazed at a chrome and red cushion filled room.
“Whits End.” A deep monotone voice called.
“Huh?” Andrew looked around him and saw a girl about 12 years old sitting across the way in a little wrought iron chair. “Did you say ‘Whits End’? And who are you?”
“I did say Whits End. And I’m Emily Jones. Are you okay? You look confused.” The girl stated, her deep voice ringing.
“You can’t be serious!” Andrew gasped under his breath. He gazed around the room. It looked similar to what he had imagined. A long counter with red cushioned stools lining it, little round tables with wrought iron chairs around the room and booths lining the walls and windows.
“What did you say?” The girl inquired, slipping into the same booth as Andrew.
“Did you say your name was Emily?”
“Yes I did. Emily Jones.”
“You can’t be! Your voice is completely different!”
“What? I’m pretty sure I’ve always had this voice.”
“No you haven’t! And what about Matthew?!”
“What about him? He’s probably off doing his stupid little detective investigations. I prefer going to the mall myself, but-”
“You’re not a detective?!”
“Uh, no. I find that line of work silly and pointless. If you were smar- Wait! Where are you going?” Emily asked as Andrew stumbled out of the booth and ran towards the front door.
“This can’t be happening! It just can’t!” Andrew yelled from across the room.
As Andrew ran past the front counter, a young woman wearing a green sweater yelled after Andrew. “Are you okay young man?” Her voice resembled what one might picture a mouse to sound like.
Andrew paused in his escape. “Are you Connie?!”
“Yes.” Connie said in a confused tone.
“You can’t be! You sound nothing like Connie!” Andrew whined.
“I can assure you that I’m Connie. Just ask my husband.”
“Husband?! Don’t tell me you married Jason!” Andrew asked, flabbergasted.
“Jason? Whit’s son? Don’t you know he died in the Vietnam war? I’m married to Richard.”
“Jason’s dead?! And who is Richard?!”
“Richard. Richard Maxwell.”
“What? You married him?” Andrew rasped.
“Are you okay? Can I get you some water or something?” Connie asked, concern showing on her face.
“I just need some air.” Andrew muttered, stumbling towards the front door.
As he pushed open the front door, he could hear the familiar bell above the door ring.
“Well at least that’s the same.”
Andrew started to walk towards McAlister park. He stepped onto the pavement only to get knocked to the curb by a passerby on a bike.
“Hey! Watch it, kid!” Andrew yelled as he fell backwards.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there! Are you okay?” The boy asked, his squeaky voice penetrating Andrews ear drums. His brown hair neatly slicked back, and his thick glasses slipped down to the tip of his nose. One could obviously see that the boy was the nerdy type.
“It’s okay. I’m fine.” Andrew announced, standing up and wiping the dirt off his bum.
“The name’s Andrew.” Andrew said, holding his hand out to the young boy.
“I’m Jay.” Jay said, taking Andrews hand.
Andrew stood there momentarily with his mouth agape. “What did you say?”
“I said, ‘I’m Jay.’ Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not. I gotta go!” Andrew stumbled across the street, running into the woods of McAlister park.
“What’s wrong?!” Andrew yelled as he fell against a tree in the depth of the woods. “Everyone is completely different! Emily isn’t a detective, but a girly girl. Connie is married to Richard Maxwell! Jay is nice and a nerd! And everyone’s voice has changed! Am I dreaming?!”
“No, you aren’t” A female voice announced.
“Who said that?!” Andrew gasped, jumping up and looking around frantically.
“I did.” The female voice stated.
“Where are you? Show yourself!”
“You are sowing what you have reaped, Andrew.”
“What?!”
“For years, every Adventures in Odyssey album that has come out, you have whined how some character has changed or you don’t like the new characters. Instead of listening to the lessons, you have whined about unimportant details. So now you have received your wish. Everyone is different.”
Andrew fell back against a tree, head in hands.
“What have I done? Is there anything I can do to fix this?!” Andrew exclaimed looking up at the sky.
“Because of your attitude, you have ruined Odyssey for many people. Be content Andrew. We all change. Even Odyssey.”
“But can I fix what I’ve done?!”
“Be content.” Then the voice disappeared.
Andrew looked around him, and saw a girl with long black hair walking through the trees. “Hey!” He yelled, and ran up to the girl.
“Can I help you?” The girl asked, her mature voice sounding.
“Hi. I’m Andrew. Who are you?!” Andrew asked taking the girl by her shoulders.
“I’m Camilla.” She said, her concern showing. “Do you need something?” She said, shrugging Andrew’s hands off her shoulders.
Andrew closed his eyes for a moment. ‘Of all characters!’ he thought. Camilla was his least favorite.
“I just wanted to say…”
“Yes?” Camilla said, her eyebrow raising.
“I just wanted to say I like you… just the way you are.”
“Um… Thank you?”
“You’re welcome. Bye!” Andrew declared as he turned away.
“Strange boy.” Camilla muttered under her breath.
Andrew broke into a run as he made his way back to Whits End. “I must make things right!”
Andrew ran across the street, yelling the whole way “I like you just the way you are!”
Andrew ran up the steps of Whits End and burst through the door. All heads turned towards Andrew. He panted for a moment, trying to catch his breath.
“Andrew?” Emily asked, her dirty blonde hair bobbing.
“I just wanted to say- I like you just the way you are! All of you!”
The floor broke from underneath Andrew, and he started to fall.
Andrew jerked and sat up in bed. He looked around him, noticing the clock reading 1am.
“Wow, what a dream!”
Andrew laid back down in bed resting his head on his pillow. On his nightstand, an Adventures in Odyssey still played.
“This is a- a Twilife Zone episode!” Andrew gasped, sitting up quickly, he flicked the adventure off and lay back down.
“Note to self: Never put a Twilife Zone episode on before bed.” Andrew muttered as he flipped over in bed and fell asleep.
The End.