The Party Invite

The book had been written from Sally

I wrote about this story on my blog it is because it started from pain to fun, friends also happiness.

This is Jack. Today Jack is in a hurt mood. He is feeling hurt because he hasn't been invited to Rebecca's birthday party. Jack's best friend Billie is invited to the party. She even showed jack her invitation after school today. Rebecca is having a sleep-over party. It sounds like lots of fun. Jack feels cross that he wasn't invited. Rebecca is his friend, too! He even feels cross at Billie for showing him the invitation. When he sawed it he ran all the way back to his house through the hole in the back fence. Now he is lying on his bed feeling mad and bad, but mostly sad. He begins to worry. Why didn't she invite me? he wonders. I invited her to my party Maybe she doesn't like me anymore? Maybe nobody likes me? Jack imagines everyone in his class having fun at Rebecca's party without him. He feels more miserable than ever. The next day at school,  Jack and Billie walk past Rebecca in the playground. She is standing with a group of girls from their class. They are talking and laughing together. 'Hey, Billie!' Rebecca calls when she sees them. Billie stops to wave. But Jack looks away and pretends he didn't hear. He walks straight past the girls into the school building. Billie asks. "you've been acting weird all morning. didn't you hear Rebecca say hello?" Jack frowns and shakes his head. Billie looks at him strangely. Billie and Jack have known each other forever.  Billie knows Jack better than anyone in the world. Except maybe Scraps. It is very hard for Jack to hide how he feels from Billie. Jack scrunches up his face. "You wouldn't understand', he says grumpily. "Everyone likes you." "What are you talking about?" Billie says. Jack thinks about telling Billie how he feels. Doing this usually makes him feel better. But then he remembers that Billie was one of the people invited to Rebecca's party. How can she go to Rebecca's party without me? he thinks, feeling cross all over again. "It's nothing!" he says, and pushes past Billie into the classroom. But as soon as he sits down he feels bad for being cross with Billie. She hasn't really done anything wrong. Billie walks into the classroom and glares at jack.  Then she sits down at a desk on the side of the room. Jack slumps down on his chair. Now even Billie doesn't want to be my friend, he thinks glumly. This is the worst day ever. Jack sits by himself during maths. Even in library class, he sits by himself. Jack finds a place on his own in the corner and opens his library book. Instead of reading though, Jack looks around at everyone in his class. They are all having fun without him. Sometimes they look up and see him looking at them. Then they whisper to each other and look away. I knew it! Jack thinks Everyone in the class is going to Rebecca's party except me. Nobody likes me. He feels like he has a small black cloud in his chest as they walk back to class from the library. When the bell goes for recess, Jack packs up his things very slowly. "you coming to play soccer?" Billie says. She hangs around in the doorway. "Nah," says Jack. "I don't feel like playing today".  Billie frowns. "But we need you, Jack!" she says. "Our team will be one player short otherwise." Jack frowns. "They don't really want to play, he thinks. Billie is just saying that. "I told you", he says grumpily. "I don't feel like playing today, OK?" Billie stares at Jack. "I don't know what wrong with you today," she says. "But you are acting very strangely." "Nothing's wrong", Jack says crossly. "Can't I have one-day off soccer?  I don't always have to do what you tell me!".  Jack looks at Billie's face. He can see he has hurt her feelings. He feels bad But his feeling has been hurt too! Billie frowns at Jack one more time, then runs out of the classroom Jack sits all alone in the classroom with the small black cloud in his chest. Part of him wants to run after Billie and say sorry. Then he could join the soccer game. But another part of him isn't quite ready to let go of that cross feeling inside him. Jack is still sitting in the classroom when Rebecca walks in a few minutes later. Her mum is walking behind her. They are each carrying a big plastic container. They put them down on the teacher's desk. Jack looks at them in surprise. He didn't expect to see Rebecca right now. He feels all jumbled up inside. He is happy to see his friend but he is still feeling cross, too. "Hey, Jack!" Rebecca says. "Hey, Rebecca," Jack mumbles. "What's that?"  He points to the plastic containers. "Cupcakes",  says Rebecca "It's my birthday today!" "Oh right", says Jack. "Happy Birthday." Then he remembers Billie's invitation and feels upset all over again. "That's right", he says, grumpily. "Your party is this weekend, isn't it?" "Yeah Rebecca says. "I wanted to have a sleepover so Mum said I could only invite four people. It was so hard to decide who to invite!"  "Really? Just four?" says Jack. He feels a fizzle in his tummy. So it's not just me who wasn't invited! he thinks. Rebecca nods. "I was worried that some of my friends might feel left out," she says, biting her lip. She pauses. "Jack, are you mad at me? I mean we're still friends, right?" The little black cloud Jack's chest feels lighter and lighter. He begins to giggle. He suddenly feels very silly that he got so upset about the party invitation. "Of course we're still friends, Rebecca!" he says, laughing. " I know you can't always invite everyone!"  "Phew!" says Rebecca. "I'm glad you understand, Jack. I was worried you might be cross with me! Especially when you didn't wave to me in the playground this morning." "Nah," says Jack. He feels a little embarrassed. He puts his arm around Rebecca's shoulder. "I was grumpy about something. But I feel better now". "Hey, can you help me hand out the cupcakes before the bell goes?" Rebecca asks. "Sure!" says Jack. "I'd love to help!" Jack and Rebecca pick up a container each. Just then Jack remembers something. He is glad he has made up with Rebecca. But now he has to make up with someone else as well. He knows just what to do. he finds the best cupcake in the container. "Come on!" he says to Rebecca, grinning. "I know who will love one of these! And if we hurry, we might be in time to catch the end of the soccer match, too."