Week 3 story: Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
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| Carla Santini, played by Megan Fox (left) and Lola Cep, played by Lindsay Lohan (right) in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004). Source: IMDB |
Lola pulled up to the curb and locked her bike to the rack. She was excited to show off today's fashion choice to Ella; Lola prided herself on never repeating an outfit. But as she sat down in her homeroom class, Carla came in with her crew right before the bell rang. Lola could have sworn the door opened in slow motion, blowing Carla's hair like she were a super model. Worst of all: Carla was wearing the same shirt as Lola.
"Nice shirt, Mary," Lola said under her breath, using Lola's real name (which Lola hated). "Too bad it looks a hundred times better on me."
Lola seethed all the way until rehearsal that afternoon. Her one comfort, no matter how Carla incensed her, was that she was chosen over Carla for the starring role in the musical.
"Lola, would you sit down, please?" Miss Baggoli said as she walked into the theater. "I want Carla to get a feel for the lines today, just in case she has to fill in as understudy."
Lola grimaced as she sat down, while Carla smirked as she headed for the stairs that led to the stage. But when she went up the first step, she fell, her ankle twisting beneath her. She cried out in pain, and much to her embarrassment, tears sprung to her eyes.
A hush fell over the auditorium. You could have heard a pin drop. No one rushed to Carla's aid. Carla, who would normally express indignation over such abandonment, was in such agony that she could do nothing but her head down on the stage.
But suddenly, more to her surprise than anyone else's, Lola stood up and walked over to Carla. She had half a mind to laugh at her, to make a snarky comment, to simply step over her and take her rightful place on the stage — but instead, she extended her arm to help Carla up. Carla stared at her in disbelief for a second, then hesitantly brought her hand to Lola's.
Miss Baggoli was so touched by the moment that, even though she had planned to give both girls detention for their incessant and intolerable bickering, she simply smiled and clapped. And while Lola and Carla never quite became friends, they stopped giving each other hell. Which, in high school, might as well be the same thing.
Author's note: This story is based on another fable by Aesop, Androcles and the Lion, in which the moral of the story is "Gratitude is the sign of noble souls." I also love the movie Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and I thought it would be fun to retell a classic fable with a modern twist.
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing retelling of an Aesop fable! I was wondering what the original story was while I was reading the story; it surprised me! You took a different approach to showcasing the theme. It was a modern take on "gratitude is the sign of noble souls." Your retelling goes on to show how valuable this lesson still is!
This story is so clever in the fact that you created it based off of an Aesop fable and tied in the movie as well! I laughed at the part that explained how the door seemed to open in slow motion and her hair blew like she was a supermodel as Carla walked in the room. I can just picture that moment happening! I like how the conflict between the two girls is the main action in the story and is resolved at the end, however, I was wondering how the drama started between the two girls and what had happened previously for them to resent each other so much? You didn't really say much about the character, Ella, in the story even though she was introduced in the beginning. What if you left out mentioning that character or developed Ella's character more in the story? I think that would make it even more dynamic and more clear! I hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteHey Emily! I really enjoyed reading your story! When I was in Prof. Gibbs' Indian Epics class previously, I would often take popular shows, movies and books to rewrite tales just as you have here. It is so fun to place the personalities of characters that we know in today's society and see how they can fit into the place of ancient fairytales. I like to think that we tell the same stories over and over again in life, with just a modern twist. Your writing is very descriptive, and easy to follow. If you elaborated on what the characters were thinking or any background information on how they may have met would add to the story, so you may keep that in mind as the semester goes on. Overall, you did a fantastic job and I look forward to reading more of your stories in the future.
ReplyDeleteEmily your story was simply wonderful! I do not know much about this movie that you turned Aesop’s fables into, but I have to say you did a wonderful job at getting the moral of the story across. I also have to say your use grammar and word choice is amazing! I can actually picture this happening in front of me by the way you brought the story to life. You added those minute details that had a great impact on the story.
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