The Dream Doer League

Welcome to another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.”

The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets begins on the last day of sixth grade for Alex and Tyler and class bully Zach. But today’s flashback story continues a short series of the first day of kindergarten for Alex, Tyler and Zach.

*****

Alex wanted to make her tears stop, but they kept leaking out of her eyes even when the nice boy with the blonde hair and brown eyes asked her to help him pick out a best friend.

Bad things were going to happen to her once she stepped inside that room. Bad things always happened around Zach.

She followed Tyler into the room anyway. She wished she could be like him. He was happy and excited about school. Whoever he picked to be his best friend was a lucky kid.

She wanted him to pick her, but he was a boy. Boys didn’t have best friends who were girls. And girls didn’t have best friends who were boys. At least that’s what she thought was supposed to be true about friendship.

Tyler would probably pick Zach to be his best friend. Then Zach would make Tyler do all kinds of mean things to her.

School was going to be worse than she thought.

The first thing Alex saw were four girls laughing and coloring at a table.

A boy with glasses was standing between his mom and dad talking to the teacher. Another boy was cry-yelling at his mom because he didn’t want to stay. A few other boys and girls were playing by the toy shelves.

And Zach, Anson and Clay were standing in the back corner of the room whispering and pointing at people.

“Who should I ask to be my best friend?” Tyler asked. “He’s gotta like baseball and he’s gotta be nice, so I don’t think the little kid in the glasses or the one yelling at his mom will work.”

Alex nodded. He was going to pick Zach. She just knew he was going to pick Zach. Then Tyler would never be nice to her again.

Should she warn him about Zach? Maybe this kid would listen.

“Hey,” Tyler said, “what about those three boys in the back? They look pretty cool.”

“No!” Alex swallowed. “I mean, um, I wouldn’t ask any of those boys, especially the blonde one. They live in our neighborhood. They’re not as nice as they look.”

“Really? Okay. I trust you.”

“You do?”

“Sure. What about that boy in the orange shirt that just walked in?”

“I don’t know him. He’d probably make a good best friend.”

“I’m gonna go ask. Thanks!”

Tyler ran over to the boy and shook his hand. Alex sighed. It looked like Tyler just found his new best friend.

“Little Alex. All alone.”

Alex choked back more tears at the sound of Zach’s whispered voice in her ear. The torture was starting. She turned her back on Tyler and faced Zach.

“What do you want, Zach?”

“I want you to do whatever I say.”

“Just leave me alone.” Her bottom lip trembled. She didn’t want to cry in front of Zach.

“Aw. Is little Alex scared? Are you gonna cry?”

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

Zach laughed. “It doesn’t matter if you cry or not. Nobody’s gonna believe anything you tell them about me. I’m too cute. Everybody always believes me. Even your mom.”

Zach stepped close to her and put his nose in front of hers. “I can pinch you or pull your hair or hit you and nobody will care. So you better do whatever I tell you to.”

Kindergarten was going to be worse than she thought. She just wanted to go home and hide forever.

*****

This flashback story continues next week with another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.” So stay tuned!

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. In case you haven’t yet been in front of the scenes of The Dream Doers series, it starts with The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets. In this young adult novel, best friends Alex and Tyler are forced to battle bullies, face their fears and keep strange secrets the summer they learn to do what they dream. You can hear the whole “Front of the Scenes” story for FREE. Just visit TheDreamDoers.com and fill out a super short form. Enjoy the story!

Welcome to another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.”

The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets begins on the last day of sixth grade for Alex and Tyler and class bully Zach. But today’s flashback story continues a short series of the first day of kindergarten for Alex, Tyler and Zach.

*****

“Tyler!”

The sleeping Tyler woke up, rubbed his eyes and darted his head back and forth. “I’m awake. I’m awake. Can we go now?”

“What are you doing in the van? I have been looking everywhere for you,” his mom Rachel said. “Don’t EVER leave the house without telling me where you’re going. Understand?”

“Yes. Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

“I’m not mad. Just scared. I need to know where you are so I can be sure you’re safe.”

“Okay. Don’t worry. I’m safe. Can I go to school now? I made my lunch and everything.”

“I wish you weren’t so excited about going,” his mom said as she climbed in the driver’s seat and started the van. “Aren’t you going to miss me?”

“Sure. But I’m five now. I gotta find a best friend. It’s what kids do. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes. I’m just going to miss having you all to myself.”

“Guess you’ll just have to share me like you tell me to share my toys.”

“I guess I will.”

Tyler smiled the rest of the way to school and wondered what his best friend would look like.

When his mom parked the van, he saw a girl in the car beside his crying. Two boys who looked familiar jumped out of the car and ran ahead, but she just sat there looking scared. Poor girl. Didn’t she know how fun school is?

And where did he know those boys from?

Tyler held his mom’s hand all the way to the classroom so she wouldn’t start crying, too. He didn’t know why girls liked to cry so much.

He heard kids laughing and playing as he got closer to the classroom, but the crying girl from the parking lot whimpered behind him. If they were in the same class, maybe he could say something nice to her to help her. She might even want to help him pick out a best friend.

Just before they stepped inside the fun classroom, the crying girl’s mom touched his mom. “Excuse me. Aren’t you Rachel Davis?”

“Yes. Do I know you?”

“Not yet. I’m Anna Wilkins. I believe my boys came to say hi the other day when they saw you moving in.”

“Oh, yes. They were so sweet. They even asked my son Tyler to play, but he was too busy pouting about moving away from Chicago.”

That’s where he knew those boys from! But his mom was right. He was pouting that day and just didn’t feel like playing. He loved living in Chicago and hated having to move. Now that school was starting, though, he didn’t mind so much.

“I just didn’t feel like playing,” Tyler said. “I’m Tyler.”

“Hello, Tyler,” the Anna lady said. “This is my daughter Alexandria. It looks like you two are in the same class.”

The crying girl with big blue eyes hid behind her mom. More tears spilled down her face.

“Why is she crying?” Tyler asked.

“She’s just a little nervous about school.”

“Oh. I can make her un-nervous.” He walked around Anna so he could see the girl’s face. “I’m looking for a boy to be my best friend. Wanna help me pick him out?”

She just stared at him.

“Go on Alex,” her mom said. “I’ll be right here talking to Tyler’s mom.”

The girl let go of her mother’s waist and followed Tyler inside.

*****

This flashback story continues next week with another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.” So stay tuned!

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. In case you haven’t yet been in front of the scenes of The Dream Doers series, it starts with The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets. In this young adult novel, best friends Alex and Tyler are forced to battle bullies, face their fears and keep strange secrets the summer they learn to do what they dream. You can hear the whole “Front of the Scenes” story for FREE. Just visit TheDreamDoers.com and fill out a super short form. Enjoy the story!

Welcome to another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.”

The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets begins on the last day of sixth grade for Alex and Tyler and class bully Zach. But today’s flashback story continues a short series of the first day of kindergarten for Alex, Tyler and Zach.

*****

Zach put on his perfectly ironed blue collared shirt and beamed at himself in the mirror. He was almost ready for his first day of kindergarten. And he looked good.

He combed the waves out of his pure blonde hair, brushed his teeth and straightened his clothes. Appearance was important.

That’s what his mom told him. “Always look your best,” she liked to say. “When you look your best, people like you. They’ll do anything you say and believe anything you tell them.”

Everyone except that Alex Wilkins. She could always tell when he was lying. She never did anything he told her to. It made him so mad. He didn’t like being mean to her, but she had to learn he was special.

Now that they were in the same class in school, he’d be able to teach her how to listen to him. Anson and Clay would help. They knew how special and important he was. They always did what he told them to.

He wished he could stop teaching Alex lessons, but she never learned. She would learn soon. That’s what school was for. Learning.

What annoyed him the most was that Alex didn’t deserve her family. She had four older brothers. FOUR. And a dad who liked being around her and wasn’t always away on business trips.

She didn’t even play with her brothers. He should be able to have them. If he had older brothers, he’d play with them. All the time. They’d be great friends.

“Zach,” his mom called from the living room, “let’s get you to school.”

“Coming.” He brushed a comb through his hair one last time and went to meet his mom.

Showtime.

*****

This flashback story continues next week with another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.” So stay tuned!

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. In case you haven’t yet been in front of the scenes of The Dream Doers series, it starts with The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets. In this young adult novel, best friends Alex and Tyler are forced to battle bullies, face their fears and keep strange secrets the summer they learn to do what they dream. You can hear the whole “Front of the Scenes” story for FREE. Just visit TheDreamDoers.com and fill out a super short form. Enjoy the story!

Welcome to another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.”

The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets begins on the last day of sixth grade for Alex and Tyler and class bully Zach. But today’s flashback story continues a short series of the first day of kindergarten for Alex, Tyler and Zach.

*****

She couldn’t go to school. She just couldn’t. Why would her mom be so mean and make her go?

Alexandria Wilkins rolled over and stuffed her face in her pillow. School was a horrible, horrible place. She wouldn’t go. She just wouldn’t.

Zach would be there. All the time. That teacher wasn’t going to let her hide from him.

He was going to be able to bother her whenever he wanted. And everybody always believed him. They never believed her when she told them how mean he was.

She was the only one who knew the truth.

What if she went to school one day and never came back? Zach might lock her in a closet…or tie her to a tree in the woods near the school.

She’d be stuck out there forever with nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep. Her parents would try to find her, but they wouldn’t know where to look.

Her mom would cry and cry. He dad wouldn’t want to work anymore. They wouldn’t have any money for food. Her brothers and sister would starve. And everyone would wonder what happened to poor little Alex.

The tears squeezed out of her closed eyelids and soaked her pillow. She really wished her mom wouldn’t make her go to school!

“Alex, get up. You get to go to school today!” Her sister Jessie burst into her room and threw the comforter off Alex. “I know the perfect outfit for you to wear.”

Alex ignored her older sister and held on to her pillow. She didn’t want to look at Jessie. Not today.

“This white top with this pink skirt is sooo adorable,” Jessie said. “These sandals are the perfect match. After I get done with your hair, there won’t be a boy in that class who won’t have a kindergarten crush on you. Too bad mom won’t let me put make-up on you. Too bad she won’t let me put make-up on me. I’m 13 now. I think I’m old enough. Alex, what are you still doing in bed?”

When Alex didn’t move, Jessie rolled Alex over and took the pillow away from her.

“Give me back my pillow. I’m not going to school.” Alex reached for the pillow, but Jessie pulled her out of bed instead.

“You don’t have to be scared,” Jessie said.

Yes, I do, Alex thought. But Jessie wouldn’t understand. Nobody understood.

“I don’t know why I have to go. I’ve already learned how to read. That’s all you learn in kindergarten anyway.”

“You don’t go to school to learn. You go to school to make friends.”

“I don’t want any friends. I’m fine all by myself.”

“You’re just being silly. What about that Zach kid? The one who lives a few blocks over? He’s a charmer. He’s in your class, isn’t he?”

“He’s not charming. He’s mean. And I won’t go to school as long as I have to be around him.”

Alex started crying again and dove back under her covers.

*****

This flashback story continues next week with another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.” So stay tuned!

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. In case you haven’t yet been in front of the scenes of The Dream Doers series, it starts with The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets. In this young adult novel, best friends Alex and Tyler are forced to battle bullies, face their fears and keep strange secrets the summer they learn to do what they dream. You can hear the whole “Front of the Scenes” story for FREE. Just visit TheDreamDoers.com and fill out a super short form. Enjoy the story!

Welcome to another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.”

The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets begins on the last day of sixth grade for Alex and Tyler and class bully Zach. But today’s flashback story begins a short series of the first day of kindergarten for Alex, Tyler and Zach.

*****

Best friend. Today Tyler was going to find his best friend. His nice kindergarten teacher said so when he met her on the open house night thing. She promised lots of boys were in his class, and she told him that he could ask any of them to be his best friend.

His best friend would have to like baseball. He just had to. Or else they couldn’t be best friends.

Tyler wanted it to be later already so he could get up and go to school. But the sun wasn’t even up yet.

He tried to close his eyes, but they kept popping back open. Maybe he should just get ready now.

He picked out his best Cubs shirt, the red one with the picture of Wrigley Field on the back. He put on his blue Cubs shorts with the team logo at the bottom and wore his white Cubs socks under his red and blue Cubs shoes.

He looked awesome. He thought he would have to stop liking the Cubs because he lived in North Carolina now instead of Chicago, but his teacher told him it was okay to wear Cubs stuff to school. She liked the Cubs, too!

Now that he was ready to go, he wished his mom would get up. She needed to make his lunch.

He paced up and down the hall, around the living room and all over the basement. When was his mom going to get up?

That’s when it hit him. He didn’t have to wait for her. He was a school-man now. He could make his own lunch.

He marched to the kitchen, got out the bread, peanut butter, jelly, chips, apples, cookies and goldfish. After slapping some pb and j on the bread and smacking it together, he stuffed some chips, an apple, a bunch of cookies and some goldfish into his Cubs lunch bag.

He looked down the hall. Still no mom. Or dad. How could they still be asleep on such an exciting morning?

Well, he was ready to go. Maybe he would just wait for her in the van.

He draped his Cubs bookbag over his shoulder, grabbed his lunch and trotted to the van.

It was 5:32 in the morning.

He buckled himself in and waited. It was almost time to find his best friend.

A giant yawn escaped from his mouth. Maybe he would take just a little nap before it was time to go.

His head dropped to his shoulder and his eyes closed, finally allowing him to rest.

*****

This flashback story continues next week with another edition of “Behind the Scenes of The Dream Doers Series.” Stay tuned!

To Your Dreams,
Bonnie Jean

P.S. In case you haven’t yet been in front of the scenes of The Dream Doers series, it starts with The Dream Doers and the Summer of Secrets. In this young adult novel, best friends Alex and Tyler are forced to battle bullies, face their fears and keep strange secrets the summer they learn to do what they dream. You can hear the whole “Front of the Scenes” story for FREE. Just visit TheDreamDoers.com and fill out a super short form. Enjoy the story!