Rock Climbing Mayhem

Rock Climbing Mayhem(Katie) I think about three quarters of my class were going. I wanted to, but oh my mum. I have to do this, I have to do that. I went to the table.

“Mum, can I go rock climbing tonight?” I knew she would say no. She did.

“The Lee’s are coming round tonight so Zara will want to play,” said mum.
The Lee’s are my mum’s posh friends. I hated them. Especially sweet, pretty Zara. She is probably the most annoying person on earth.

“But mum …” I protested.

“No!”

“All my friends will be there!”

“But what about poor Zara …” my mum’s voice trailed away.

“ ZARA! ZARA! ZARA! ”

“Come on Natasha!”

“Zara is like the most unpoorest person on earth!”

“Rock climbing is just a waste of money anyway!”

“But it’s so cool …”

“And very dangerous!” she snapped.

“On TV they do it!” I pointed out.

“They are highly trained climbers!”

“Yeh, well I’m never gonna be like that if you don’t let me!”

Drrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiinnnnnnnnngggg! The phone ended our argument. Mum answered it and went pale. “Alright.” She said slowly. She put the phone down and flopped on the sofa.

“What is it?” I asked. Quite hopefully...

My mum looked at me. “Zara’s sick,” she said finally.

“Does that mean she’s not coming?” I asked hopefully.

My mum looked at me sternly. That meant she wasn’t. “Yes!” I shouted, texting all my friends to say I was going.

Then I grabbed my coat and went. In all my excitement, I forgot I needed money. I turned back and there it was. A thousand NT note, flapping wildly in the breeze. It was then I had the dark thought . . .

I saw a friend who wasn’t going drop it. It was shining in the sun. It looked like it was saying pick me up. Pick me up. I don’t care. It was snowing but I was somehow sweating wildly. My perspired hand reached out and without thinking I grabbed the note and stuffed it in my pocket. The two voices inside my head were quarreling:

“Now you can have some fun climbing!” snorted the devil.

“You should really give Judy it back you know,” said the angel, ignoring the devil.

“No! Liar! Liar! Your dress is on fire!”

I managed to ignore these voices all the way to the climbing wall. Although one phrase made me feel really guilty. You’re a thief.

“Fifty NT per person!” shouted the salesman. I was so excited that I forgot all about what I had done. We had so much fun! When my friends and I saw a boy complaining to the manager that his school climbing wall had handgrips that smelt of strawberries, we burst out laughing. When I went home, I did not know that there would be a big surprise waiting for me . . .

When I got home, I remembered I had not taken any money. I ran upstairs and did not close the door in case my mum heard. I ran back down and closed the door.

“I’m home!” I shouted a bit too quickly. My mum noticed my bulging pocket.
“What’s in here?” she asked suspiciously. Then I just ran up the stairs to my room and locked the door. The next day I didn’t talk to my mum. I just ran off to school. At school I noticed my best friend, Judy, crying. When I asked her what’s up she said she had lost one thousand NT. Suddenly I felt really guilty.

“Judy,” I said slowly.

“I have something to tell you,” . . .

“What is it?” she asked sounding surprised.

“Your one thousand NT note is in my pocket.” I waited to see how she would react. She laughed. She obviously didn’t believe me. When I handed it over, she told me I could keep it. Then Judy and I had our usual fun school day. After school, I asked her if she wanted to go climbing and she accepted! We had the most fun ever! That boy who complained about the non-strawberry smelling handgrips was there! This time he complained that none of his friends were there!