Students wrote stories based on their favorite songs. These are their stories…

Kalmia Kid – Chloe Moriondo

If I found someone to stick like glue to

I’d probably peer out from the leaves

Hide a couple of roses up my sleeve

And I always find myself stuck in this love goo

Feelings are hard to ignore

Especially when you don’t know what they’re for

Don’t know just what makes flowers bloom

But I hope that they’ll enjoy a tune

So if the only love I’ll feel is for bumblebees

That’s fine with me

That’s fine with me

And if I’ll only ever dance with pine trees

That’s fine with me

That’s fine with me

It’s lonely in the forest that I grow in

I wish I could dive into the sea

But I’m stuck inside a hive covered in honey

I never really know which way I’m goin’

But I guess the weather’s warm enough to bear

And I never have to brush or do my hair

Don’t know just what makes flowers bloom

But I hope that they’ll enjoy a tune

So if the only love I’ll feel is for bumblebees

That’s fine with me

That’s fine with me

And if I’ll only ever dance with pine trees

That’s fine with me

That’s fine with me

It’s lonely in the coral reef I float in

I wish I could swim out of the sea

But sharks are circling and nothin’s easy

I-I still don’t really know which way I’m goin’

But I guess the water’s warm enough to bear

And I never have to wash or dry my hair

I miss watching the flowers bloom

But at least I can keep writing tunes

So if the only love I’ll feel is for bumblebees

That’s fine with me

That’s fine with me

And if I’ll only ever dance with pine trees

That’s fine with me

That’s fine with me

—————————————————————————————————————————————

Laurel woke up without opening her eyes. She could feel the sun shining through the window and pulled her blanket up so it covered her shoulders. Her mother had given it to her the day before, for her fifteenth birthday. It was a light forest-green, resembling sherpa material, but was softer than any of that kind she had seen.

A soft whine drew her to finally look at the morning, and her dog sat at face-level. 

“Hey, Winston,” she whispered, reaching out to stroke his head. The Airedale Terrier took this as an invitation and began licking her face and hands.

She grinned and sat up on the bed, looking down at the canine. The light hit his fur and made the tan seem like gold. A yawn found its way into her mouth, and she flopped back down on the pillow. 

“We should probably get up,” she told him. “Do you wanna go outside?”

His paws made gentle clicks on the floor as he went to the bedroom door. Laurel followed him down the hall to their front entryway, letting him out into the yard.

She reached her arms above her head and stretched, the fresh air awakening her more. Her mind drifted back to the dreams of last night, but they were fading in her mind, and she couldn’t place any more than a small piece.

The weather was nice enough to leave Winston outside for a while, so she went to brush her teeth and get some breakfast. After much debate, she decided on cereal and a glass of orange juice. Right as she opened the cupboard to grab a bowl, the dog started barking outside.

Laurel jumped at the sudden noise and muttered something under her breath. She turned around to see what was bothering him.

“What’s up, Winston? Something out there?”

She bent down on her knees, running her hands through his fur and scratching behind his ears. He seemed calmer, but didn’t completely relax, with a small boof every now and again.

Movement in the nearby trees drew in her attention, and she took a step back cautiously. A hand reached up to move a strand of hair from her face as she stared into the woods.

A face popped up, and the outsider reappeared. Laurel looked over the stranger, curiosity showing in her features. They had a gentle face and short hair, which came down and curled around their chin. She moved forward, regaining the position she held earlier. 

“Hey, who are you?”

But the sound of her voice seemed to startle them, and they turned and set off back into the woods. 

“Wait up!” She called with a grin on her face, approaching the foliage in nothing but her pajamas.

Laurel continued absentmindedly until she came to a small clearing. The blue sky broke through the trees and warmed her. She stopped and looked around, admiring the nature around her.

On one side, kalmia flowers filled the area and brought a pink hue to the air. On the other, brown and spotted mushrooms were sprinkled in the grass, ranging in all shapes and sizes. She could’ve sworn she saw a small field mouse using one as a home. 

A few yards to her right, a brook rippled among the cattails. It was full of smooth rocks and tiny fish, and its clearness mesmerized her. 

Bumblebees buzzed softly behind her head and at her feet, sitting on the daisies and clumsily bumping into each other. Their fuzz reminded her of a small tabby cat she had when she was young. 

The breeze seemed to sing to her as it blew by, led by a young raven who kept its path without fault. It dropped a feather as it went, landing on Laurel’s shoulder and cascading down her side.

“Hello,” she said quietly to the bird. She could see its iridescence plainly, and admired it as it crossed the way. It flapped once, twice, before calmly landing on something and preening its back and wings.

Laurel didn’t notice that its perch was a shoulder, belonging to the figure from earlier. When she did, though, she waved eagerly and gave them a smile.

The atmosphere surrounding the two was different than from where she was standing. The trees took away the sunlight, and shadows fell on their faces. The small creatures stopped and tall grass grew, making an unlikely home for the life from the clearing. 

A loud splash quickly alerted her to the fact that Winston had caught up with them and, probably to the fish’s dismay, had plopped down in the middle of the brook. He brought his head down and lapped at the water.

Laurel went to move but didn’t, stopping to consider what she could do. She could stay, with the fish and the bees and the flowers. The air smelled sweet and it gave her a taste of home. Or she could follow the stranger, who held adventure in their eyes and had ears that were just a little too pointy and silently called her into the darker half. 

She moved towards the latter, keeping her head up to watch them. Pine trees swayed in the wind and the raven gave an excited caw. The eyes of the figure lit up at the revelation that she was to follow, and they shifted weight to their other foot.

From behind, Winston barked at her and she sighed. She looked at the other two and shook her head, before turning around and holding out her arms to the dog, signaling him to run to her.

He did so, tongue lolling out of his mouth and paws thudding on the ground. He licked her face as he had earlier in the morning, and she laughed.

“Maybe today isn’t the day for adventure, buddy. We’ll just sit here and explore. There’s more than enough to keep us occupied, right?”

He bounded back around to the water, a silent “yes” in reply. She took a final glance at the darker woods, and nothing was to be seen. She took in a deep breath.

“Another day.”