Feb
5
Written by:
Julie Arduini
2/5/2010 2:52 PM
It's Fiction Friday! Today Joanne is hosting over at An Open Book. I give her extra props because I know she is participating in the 35K in 28 days writing challenge. God bless her!
Here is another story I wrote in honor of the young girls who finished the Honor Star program last year. I offered them as a gift a customized story. This recipient chose Chick Lit. I had fun writing this, although I wish I had more time, I would have polished it up, a lot. So this is for a tween audience, chick lit.
I bring you...
The Adventures of Trip Madison, Bumbling Detective
CHAPTER ONE
“I’m serious, Parker, give my crown back. I need it for the internship and I didn’t travel three hundred miles to New York City for you to get your dorky hands on my crown.”
Okay, so right away I blew off the family principle that we build each other up instead of tearing each other down. Dorky wasn’t a good way to build, I got that. But get this, I designed a perfect crown to show fashion designer, Lisa Lang, for her new Tween faith line. It’s the “His Princess” crown adorned with faux pearls and pink blush foundation. So yea, I went after my little brother for taking it. Wouldn’t you?
One problem.
“I don’t have it Mad-duh-son. Knowing you, you probably left it at home.”
I rolled my eyes as Parker stuck his tongue out. I heard our parents sigh as they dropped my last suitcase in the luxurious apartment, my home for the next ten weeks.
“How will you two manage without bickering every day? Madison you don’t plan on starting fights with Lisa Lang, do you? She’s gone above and beyond choosing you to shadow her all summer and serve as your host.”
I could tell mom was half joking. Traci Reed’s goal as a mom was to make sure I didn’t miss an opportunity to learn. Lisa Lang returning to her old middle school and picking me was an opportunity on a platter.
Wait a minute…
“Okay mom, I know you have a life lesson in the works here and I know you want to teach me responsibility. I should have guarded the crown better during the trip. Lesson learned, promise. You can give me the crown now.”
I put my Kate Spade handbag on Lisa’s white high end couch and stuck my hand out mom’s way. Instead of a crown, dad slapped me five.
“Lesson not learned sweetheart. Mom doesn’t have the crown. You know, maybe you left it back in Ohio?”
I bit my lip for a moment and shook my head no. His Princess Crown was my ticket to fashion diva status. My dream was for girls to feel like princesses. To know Jesus loved them so much. Kind of needed the crown for the dream to become reality.
This was when panic set in. I started to run in my Juicy Couture Nellie slippers to one of my five suitcases when I tripped over my Kate Spade purse. I’d love to tell you it was my first trip or even my tenth, but Parker calls me “Trip Mad-duh-son”, Bumbling Detective, when I lose things and trip. He calls me that. A lot.
“I need the His Princess crown, don’t you guys understand?”
“I understand its past dinner and I want a slice of pie.”
Parker rubbed his stomach. I shot him a dirty look.
“Only you would think about pie during a crisis.”
Mom grabbed her purse and motioned for me to get to the elevator.
“Madison, you’re in The Big Apple. A slice of pie is pizza. Let’s eat dinner, catch up with Lisa, and then tomorrow we head back to Ohio. The crown will turn up. Did you pray about it yet?”
I pulled myself off the luggage. Here I wanted to turn the tween world upside down for Christ and I forgot to pray. At least I know I’m “His Princess”. Still, I prayed before we left for that slice of pie.
CHAPTER TWO
My friends who’d been to the Big City before were right; there was no pizza like New York City pizza. It was worth getting my neon green fingernails greasy over because I was stuffed. By the time we returned to Lisa’s city view apartment, she was waiting for us.
“The Reed family, welcome! Did you have a good trip?”
Parker couldn’t even wait to answer under his breath.
“Well Trip Mad-duh-son did.”
Dad elbowed Parker in return. I smiled, stood tall, and approached the Lisa Lang. A graduate of our school system, a Youngstown darling for reminding parents’ kids should dress and live a life full of color. Even better was her marketing like her
life: Christ like. I made it a few feet before I started to trip again. I caught myself and reached for Lisa’s hand.
“Miss Lang, this is such an honor, thank you for trusting me. I promise I’m going to learn everything there is to know about Lang Wear for Tweens. In fact, I have this awesome idea about His Princess crowns but I can’t find…”
Lisa allowed me to keep shaking her hand as I talked a mile a minute. Dad and mom seemed to be looking at me in slow motion like I was crazy. Lisa just smiled and readjusted her black peace sign headband.
“Mr. and Mrs. Reed, do you allow your daughter to drink coffee? She seems pretty revved up.”
I took a breath and grinned, revealing the freckles I dreaded so much.
“I’m sorry; I’m just nervous and excited. See, I designed this crown, it’s so awesome, and I want all tween girls to wear it to know they are His princess. The problem is, I don’t know what happened to it. I thought my brother had it, and then my mom, the jury is still out on dad…”
Lisa invited us to sit in the spacious living room. I sat near the windows where I could see other buildings. I loved design so much I was even taken with the gargoyle designs on the architecture.
“Madison, I create Lang Wear that enhances the inner beauty God created us with. I want my designs to be simple and feminine so the focus is on the girls, not their accessories. A true His Princess knows less is more. A His Princess is known for her walk in the Lord, not just her attire and jewelry. My real work isn’t the designing; it’s working with the girls in Bible studies and mentoring. That’s where the richest things are given away because it’s the Lord’s wisdom for His glory. The jeans, skorts, tankinis, headbands and sweatshirts are just extra.” I let her words sink in. She made sense.
“So you’re going to mentor me in life more than show me design….hey did you say jeans? Are you making Lang Wear jeans?”
Did I mention besides losing things and tripping, I distracted easily?
CHAPTER THREE
The sun danced on top of the living room hard wood floors. I had a rush of excitement knowing this was my first day with Lisa, but the last day my parents would be with me. I would never say it to his face, but I was even a little broken up about not seeing Parker.
“Hey Madison? Phone. From Ohio.”
I gave mom a quizzical look, but she shrugged. I took her cell phone and said hello. It was mom’s best friend from Ohio, Mrs. Schuler. She was watching our dog, Moses, for us while we were traveling.
“Madison, I just wanted to let you know I found something in Moses’ bed this morning. He has a pretty pink and pearly looking crown in his bed all chewed up. Is it yours?”
I giggled thinking of mischievous Moses taking my crown when I blamed Parker and my parents. A crown, by the way, I didn’t need as much as modeling Christ in my choices. I opened my backpack as I gave my reply.
“Thanks Mrs. Schuler. You can throw it out. I have the real deal right here in New York City.”
I pulled out my Bible, complete with a homemade Bible cover to keep His word protected. I opened to my PureNRG bookmark.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8, NIV.