Our very own... award winning author!
Wildwood would like to congratulate Yoon Carlson on her recent writing award. Her flash fiction piece, Fruit Loops, completed for the Wildwood creative writing course, was awarded a Silver Key in the 2020 Scholastic Art and Writing competition. With hundreds of thousands of entries across the nation, it is truly an honour for Yoon to be recognized as one of the standout writing entries in the West Region, which comprises the states from the West Coast all the way over to Colorado and Montana, including Hawaii. We are happy to be able to share her work so others can read it.
Fruit Loops
By Yoon Carlson
Poppy
I fly down the flight of stairs, still feeling tired and lazy. I grabbed a piece of toast. Once again I had overslept after staying up late studying with my best friend AJ. Well, studying is an exaggeration. We spent the night binge watching cringey romcoms and eating Kinder chocolate. Since I’d known AJ since preschool, we found it easy to hang out together. Thinking of that reminds me that I promised AJ a Kinder Egg.
I arrive at school late. AJ should be in Chemistry already, our first period. I sprint my way down the old crowded halls to where Chemistry awaits. When I find my seat, I study AJ’s face. He’s always so hard to look at, with dark blue eyes that have a spiral and ever so olive skin. He grins, a lopsided grin that I know so well.
“Kinder Egg?” AJ says with a giddy smile. His hand extends, resting on the back of my chair. I give him a hard eye roll as he smirks.
I slip my hand into my bag, snooping around for the egg. I roll the egg into his hand. He gives me the original golden ol’ AJ smile.
After Chemistry, I don’t see AJ for the rest of the day. All of his classes are on the other side of the school, so I usually don’t see him until 3:45. When the final bell rings, I sprint out of the building.
I spot AJ at the entrance to the school, waiting for me. As we start towards home, he grabs his bike and begins to ride circles around me. I saunter down Eighth Street in the stiff October air. Yellow, red and orange leaves fall like snow from the trees. I feel like nothing could go wrong today, with the whole weekend to relax.
“So .” AJ starts. “Uhh, I was wondering if...”
“What?” I stare at him. He wasn't an awkward guy normally.
He rolls up beside me on the bike. Silence.
“AJ.” “AJ!!”
“Ok ok! I was wondering if you wanted to join me in going to the coast this weekend?”
“Really?” I asked him, quickly glancing away.
“It wouldn't really be fun without...”. He started to open his mouth to say something but just blushed. This situation was getting more awkward by the minute.
“I have to check with Graham but I’d love to.” Not as if it would matter - my foster dad Graham is a night doctor. I am just waiting to turn eighteen so I can be free from foster care forever.
“Great!” AJ beamed.
We turn on to 3rd Avenue, where we stop at Pop’s Candy Shop to stock up on Kinder and Hershey’s chocolate. As I strolled the aisles, I kept wondering why, after all these years, he’d invited me this year.
AJ