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NCDSB Logo  Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School  •  460 Linwell Road, St. Catharines, ON L2M 2P9   •  905-937-6446

A New Friend


(an excerpt)

Written by:   Andriena Gotera, Gr. 7 student, St. Alfred’s Catholic Elementary
Edited by:   Paige Nowak and Bailey Bundus, Gr. 12 Writer’s Craft


Isabella is running towards the flower field as she promised Leslie she would meet him there after school. As she got nearer, she could hear him strumming his guitar, and a sense of dėjà vu washed over her as she remembered the first time they met. Leslie never stopped liking hide and seek as he begged Isabella almost everyday to play. Isabella didn’t mind, though she did find it quite childish.

“Izzy!” Leslie shouted in the distance slowly making his way over to Isabella. “Wanna play hide and seek?”

Isabella started sprinting towards the forest while Leslie was counting. Isabella started to slow down to catch her breath, but she quickly noticed something or someone. Could it be Leslie? But how did he run so fast ahead of her? She decided maybe it was a lost kid and she thought she should help him. She slowly made her way towards the kid and noticed a ukulele.

“Wait, that's Leslie’s ukulele,” Isabella said. She went to take a closer look. “Leslie?” Something was different. He looked younger and like he was in pain. She looked at him trying to find the source of the pain. She noticed a cut on the side of his neck and she started to get worried. Her thoughts started to overwhelm her and tears started to well up in her eyes until she noticed he wasn't breathing and he fell to the ground. Isabella screamed covering her ears trying to block out her thoughts until she felt two hands wrap around her body and hug her softly. She hugged this person back until she noticed it was an older Leslie.

“Am I hallucinating? If you are Leslie, who is that?” Isabella shouted pointing to the lifeless body laying beside her.