Chapter 1 of The Odd Ones
The Odd Ones Out
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Chapter one: Christmas morning
In 1963, Cecilia Lynn was in her room, listening to The Ronettes' record that Mrs. Evelyn Lynn had gotten for her as an early Christmas Eve gift.
“I’m home!” Benjamin shouted Evelyn reached over to the cabinet to get Mr. Lynn a plate for supper
She called Cecilia down “Cecilia, help me set the table!”
Cecilia lowered her record and replied, shouting, “Okay!!” She rushed downstairs with ink all over her palms.
Mrs. Lynn rolled her eyes “Wash your hands, please put the butter on the table.”
She shrugged, the ink barely came off but just enough to eat. Cecilia was writing in her journal about all the different plants she saw and listed each one alphabetically. Mrs. Lynn made chicken stew for supper that night, Mr. Lynn didn't like chicken stew until the Lynn family heard a slight knock on the front door. It was Jenny May, Cecilia’s best friend since 8th grade.
“Jenny what are you doing here, is everything ok?” Jenny May may have felt rude for interrupting Lynn's family supper but she finally replied to Cecilia
“I thought it’d be cool if I came over, is that ok?”
Cecilia looked towards her mom and dad and they shrugged, Cecilia offered her a plate and Jenny agreed
“Wow, this is really good. Did you make this Mrs. Lynn?”
It made Mrs. Lynn raise an eyebrow but she nodded anyway after dinner Jenny may have tapped Cecilia’s shoulder and had a green box with a small but cute red ribbon
“Oh gosh, Jenny! You shouldn’t have.”
Cecilia opened it quickly before Jenny could even speak and see-
“Marbles.. I love it!!”
She shrugged with a big smile. Jenny May was finally able to speak as Mr. Lynn was watching television.
“It was the least I could do, you are my best friend.”
“Oh, I didn’t get you anything.” Cecilia felt bad and pretty awkward that she didn’t exchange a gift back to Jenny May but she insisted that it was ok. They both went to the kitchen to help Mrs. Lynn clean up after supper but Mrs. Lynn insisted that Cecilia and Jenny watch television; they both agreed that if there was one way to get out of chores it was television. They both looked at each other slowly peeking to see what Mr. Lynn was watching some sort of black-and-white Cleopatra documentary or something, they snickered and rushed upstairs to play with the marbles Jenny May got Cecilia. After 3 miserable rounds of Cecilia having no idea how to play she started to think of Jenny May and she kept wondering why she came to Magnolia Springs. She didn’t want to be rude; they only met about a year ago.
“Jenny, you're from like.. Here, right?”
Jenny may have been confused but still replied “Yeah, why?”
Cecila shrugged and said “Well, it’s just you came all the way here, kinda peculiar, isn’t it?”
Jenny started to look upset and rolled her eyes. It was a dumb question that Cecilia Lynn had asked.
“You wanna do crafts? I can stay over if it’s okay with your family.” Jenny requested.
Cecilia liked the idea but her instincts looked towards the clock
“No, it’s a school night, my dad can drive you back home.”
Jenny sighed and was slightly annoyed but politely declined. On her way back home in the forest trails she walked up the steps on the porch and hollered.
“I’m home!”
Mrs. May saw Jenny and hugged her tightly
“Are you hungry? Did you eat??”
“Yeah, obviously.”
Mrs. May sighed “Okay get ready for bed tomorrow is Christmas morning, we have to all be up early.”
Jenny nodded and headed to her bedroom and saw her brother’s marbles roll across the hall. Jenny had said
“Mom, is going to get mad. Pick it up.”
Danny rolled his eyes and got up to pick up his marbles and slammed his door shut. Jenny may say,
“You missed one!”
She kicked it against Danny’s door
“You're so annoying!”
The next morning was Christmas Day, ham cooking at 9 am, chickens hooting, and neighbors caroling. The Lynn family had their breakfast early and went to the tree to open the gifts Santa had given them. When they finished opening their precious gifts they got ready for church. The May family woke up shouting
“Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad!!! Come on! We have to go into the living room! Come on!!” They, as in just Jenny. Dragged her parents along to the living room before Mr and Mrs May had their coffee. They covered their yawns as they spoke
“Okay! We’re coming.”
They all opened their gifts in disbelief and thankfulness, they got ready for church and barely made it to church service due to Danny getting up 10 minutes late as the gift paper was on the living room floor.
Cecilia whispered “Where have you been?”
Jenny stood awkwardly. “Uh, I was getting ready, Merry Christmas Cecilia.”
Cecilia smiled at Jenny and saw her brother Danny sitting with his arms crossed, she waved and mouthed Merry Christmas just for him to roll his eyes
“What’s his deal?”
She said to Jenny, “Oh, he’s not the biggest fan of church” she said with a chuckle in her sentence as the pastor was preaching about Jesus’s birth
“Oh okay” Cecilia agreed. The church all sat as Pastor Jon continued to preach about Jesus.
