I might not continue this, and if I do, I won't update very often because I am occupied with FanFiction. PLEASE read and review!! This is a story I wrote for a writing contest in a magazine (I didn't win!)

Friends Forever!

Rosalina sat a table in Stromboli's with her parents waiting for their order of pizza, calzones, and soda. Her parents had just returned from a week-long spring vacation to Hawaii. Rosalina had been staying with her Aunt Sonora while they were gone. She was so excited that her parents were finally back! Her parents had decided to take Rosalina out to dinner as a reward for being so well-behaved at Aunt Sonora's.

“Rosalina, we have one more present for you,” her dad said. What? Rosalina had already received a jewelry set, a real flower lei, a Hawaiian shirt, and a picture of some dolphins. What else is there?

“Gee, thanks, guys! What is it?” Her mother took a beautiful dolphin statue out of her purse. Rosalina gasped. “For me?”

“It's made from real sea glass with pearl eyes,” her mother said as she carefully placed the dolphin treasure in Rosalina's outstretched hand. Oh my gosh.

“Wow. Thanks so much!” Rosalina was about to burst from happiness and gratitude. She put the tiny statue in her pocket carefully just as their number was called. Her dad got up and walked over to collect the boxes filled with delicious homemade pizza and calzones. Rosalina hardly felt hungry.

A week later, just after spring vacation ended, Rosalina's best friend, Ella, came over. Rosalina showed her the new things from Hawaii. “Wow!” Ella exclaimed. She saved the best for last.

“Oh my!” Ella gasped as she caught sight of the beautiful sea glass-and- pearl dolphin statue. “May I hold it?”

“Sure, but be extremely careful.” Rosalina carefully placed the precious possession in Ella's hand.

Moments later, a train came by. Ella was so wrapped up in her thoughts that when she heard the train whistle, she jumped because it surprised her. The precious dolphin flew out of her hands.

“NO!” Both Ella and Rosalina ran to try to catch it, but it was too late. The statue lay on the hardwood floor in a million pieces.

Rosalina started to cry. Ella was so sorry, she almost started to cry too. She knelt down to try to comfort her heart-broken friend, but Rosalina pushed her away. Ella ran home feeling so angry at herself. She knew what she had to do.

She poured out the contents of her piggy bank and put the coins and dollars in her pocket. She ran out into the fresh spring air, and jumped on her bike. She glanced over at the beautiful trees and bushes with blossoms that would soon turn into flowers. She almost felt cold because she was riding so fast in the cool spring air.

She pedaled furiously to the store and bought a huge bag of Starbursts. Then she jumped back on her bike and pedaled even more furiously to Rosalina's house. She ran her fingers through her messy hair because the wind had tangled it. Then she rang the doorbell for what seemed like an hour until Rosalina's mom opened the door.

Without so much as a hello, Ella ran up to Rosalina's room, knelt down by Rosalina, and put the candy in front of her. “I know it doesn't nearly pay back for what I did, but I know that Starbursts are your favorite, and I'm just so sorry. I don't know why that train surprised me,” Ella said, all in one breath.

“It's okay. It's not your fault.” said Rosalina, her face still red and blotchy from the tears. “Accidents happen. I'm just sad is all, not mad. I mean, it was solid sea glass from Hawaii.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Rosalina got an idea. She picked up the two biggest pieces of broken sea glass and ran downstairs to the basement where her father was working. Ella was close behind her thinking, What in the world? Rosalina asked her father to drill a hole in both pieces of sea glass. After a brief whispered explanation from his daughter, he stepped away from the bookcase he was working on and picked up his drill.

After the pieces were drilled, Rosalina ran upstairs again, Ella still following, and walked over to the shelf that held her craft and sewing items. She found some string and cut pieces of string for each piece. She strung one piece of sea glass on each string. “You see, whatever gets broken, we'll still be friends,” Rosalina told Ella as she handed her one of the sea glass necklaces. Ella smiled and they both put their necklaces on. “Want some candy?” Rosalina asked, holding up the huge bag of Starbursts.

“You bet!”