I am back after an quick, but refreshing summer. For this assignment I had to write a character sketch. I chose to write it about Donna, my character in the play this fall, the Soda Shop Angel. I hope this will give you a “preview” of the play, as well as an understanding of Donna.

My eyes fluttered open, only to close again because of the bright sunlight that streamed through my windows. I never close my curtains. I want to feel the warmth of the sun, and the coolness of night. Besides, if I shut curtains, I would be shutting out the world and all the interesting things that I very well might have seen through my windows. I lay in my bed and listened to a bird chirping and peeping. Then, I remembered something. My eyes shot open, and I sprang out of bed. Today was going to be a good day! Not just a good day, but a great day. A fantastic day. Today was Monday. And today I got to go back to school after an uneventful weekend. It wasn’t so much school that I liked, but the extraordinary opportunities to exchange happenstances. My mother says I’m the biggest gossip in the county, but I say, “Only old ladies with hats gossip.” Oh, to be the first to hear “the latest” and hope to be the first to pass it on to other eager ears.

I looked into my closet surveying my clothes. Because most of the people at school hadn’t seen me for two whole days, I had to pick out today’s outfit carefully. I could wear my new pink skirt with a brown poodle and a silver leash, or I could wear my newly-sewn red with white polka dot skirt. Both no one had ever seen before and would provide an adequate statement, but the question was which one was better? The poodle skirt, being highly fashionable, would be a safe pick, but I could bet my saddle back shoes that two-thirds of the other girls would be wearing one, too. Being red, my polka dot skirt did draw attention, but would it be too much? Of course not! Who could have too much attention? I slipped into it along with three puff skirts – just for a little extra flare!  Then it was time to take the curlers out of my brown straight hair. It was indeed a curse to have straight hair when everyone in the media, and all my friends, had thick fluffy hair. So I put 21 curlers in every night and then with the help of my hair brush, a little teasing, and a scarf, my hair could be on a magazine cover.

Mom called for me to hurry and eat breakfast. After my breakfast of oatmeal I grab my book bag and head out the door. I walk two blocks down to the bus stop, and meet my two best friends: Debra and Diane.

“Donna! This morning I had the most splendid idea for our next charity project. My mom has a whole bin of yarn – hey, nice skirt! – that she didn’t want anymore and she said I could have it. Now, you, Diane and I are going to gather over at my place after school and knit socks for the soldiers in Korea! That is if you don’t have anything planned,” Debra said quite excitedly.

“Oh, that is a most wonderful idea, and I do believe I am free this afternoon!” I replied.

“Then it is settled. Let’s say four at Debra’s,” Diane concluded.

“I am going to make red socks,” Debra thought out loud. “And I am going to stitch my name into them.”

“I’ll stitch my address, so the soldier who gets them will be able to find me when he comes home,” I said.

“Now this is all very good, but when you hear what I heard last night, you will soon forget about what to stitch into socks.” The look on Diane’s face was quite mysterious.
I quieted along with Debra and crept closer, caught up in the thought of hearing something new.

“My older brother told me that his friend told him that there is a new kid in town, and he is going to our school,” Diane’s eyes shown with pride in her knowledge.

I gasped. There hadn’t been a new kid in town ever since I could remember.

Debra was just as flabbergasted as I was, but she managed to speak though her voice was almost a whisper, “What – what is his name?”

My stunned amazement turned to excited curiosity, “Where is he from?”

Diane’s eyes were big with emphasis, “His name has slipped my knowledge, but I do know that he is from a big city, and he was once the lead member of a gang!”

All three of us looked at each other barely able to contain the joy inside. This was the biggest thing that had ever happened in our town since the county fair was postponed. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone else at school. Quickly we planned out just what we were going to say and exactly how we were going to say it, so it sounded as big as possible, an exercise we did every morning while waiting for the bus. As the bus rolled into view Matt, a kid up the street also in our grade, ran to the bus stop.

“Matt,” Debra said, “just in time.”

“What took you so long?” I asked. He was normally the first one here.

“I was finishing up my homework and studying for the big test today,” he said.
I instantly felt dizzy. How could I have forgotten about that test? I tried not to listen to Debra and Diane scolding Matt and tried to remember last week’s lesson.

When the bus came to a stop and we all climbed in, my head was filled with thoughts of  my mom and dad’s faces when they heard about my failing grade…and of the mysterious new stranger.