Summertime Memories

My Years In Middle School

By: Rozie Manton

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Summertime Memories: My Years In Middle School

This is Book No. 4, entitled Summertime Memories, in the six-part series My Years in Middle School.

Follow the adventures of Nancy Jane and her two best friends, Helen Schunter and Karen Stamm, as they experience school, boys, bullying, getting even, dealing with Nancy Jane's nemesis, Lois Talker, and more. Other titles in this series include:

• Book #1: The Summer Before
• Book #2: Is This Love?
• Book #3: Scanner In My Neighborhood
• Book #5: Girl's Revenge
• Book #6: Lookout High School, Here We Come!

Following is an excerpt from Book #4, Summertime Memories.

“KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!” came a loud pounding on our front door. The irritating noise broke the silence of the beautiful Saturday summer morning that had existed in our house until that moment. One eyelid popped open, and I quickly rolled my eye to my alarm clock beside my bed to see what time it was... eight o’clock straight up.

“KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!” the sharp sound once again broke the peaceful silence.

As the nighttime cobwebs cleared, my mind focused on, “Who could that be so early on a weekend morning? Was it one of the countless deliveries that my brother Tommy has been getting lately? It seems Tommy was obsessed with fixing up his new old car. Lately, he's been ordering every kind of gadget possible to make his car look and sound better. I’d seen shiny mufflers come through our front door. One day, it was a set of chrome wheels, I think. And then there was the big flat box with cartoon floor mats. Yes, Tommy’s car was becoming quite a showpiece.”

"Oh, good morning, Ruby,” Mom’s voice from down the hallway interrupted my mind's wanderings. “What brings you to my house so early on a Saturday morning?”

“GOOD MORNING RUBY! OH NO IT’S RUBY SHELL! SHE’S COME TO GET US! SHE’S GOING POSTAL! I’VE GOT TO WARN MY MOM BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!” I was instantly wide awake now, and my thoughts continued. “Ruby Shell has come to pay us back for humiliating her at middle school the last week of my seventh-grade year. Oh no, my mom and I are too young to die!”

I quietly slipped out from under my bright summertime floral sheets and onto the floor. In stealth mode, I quickly made my way to the bedroom door and slowly cracked it open so as to get a good look down the long hallway to the front door of our home.

At the end of the hallway and past the living room, my mom was standing in an open doorway, conversing with Ruby Shell. I strained to listen intensely so I could capture every word that was drifting down the long hallway towards my bedroom.

“Oh Ruby I’m very sorry for what happened too,” my mom said to Ruby. “But what you had been doing was pretty hurtful. You have to admit that, you know?”

“I know,” replied an apologetic Ruby, “but they didn’t have to be so mean to me in front of the entire Hicston Middle School. That’s not the reason that I’m here, though. I came to apologize to you and Jack, and your children, Nancy Jane and Tommy.”

“WHAT! Did I hear Ruby Shell say, SHE came to apologize to us?” I thought to myself. “This is unbelievable. Ruby Shell should be apologizing to the entire city of Hicston, or maybe to all of Northern California. What she had been doing for so many years—listening in on our personal telephone calls—was despicable!”

“Now Ruby I think it’s best if we just let this whole thing pass,” my mom replied to Ruby Shell. “Just go back home and let’s forget it ever happened if we possibly can. We’ve got a lot of plans this summer. I just want to forget the past and enjoy myself and my kids this summer. That's OK with you, Ruby?”

Before Ruby could really get out a good......