#pipsqueak the roaring moon...hmm...

[meeeeeraiiiiiodonnnn]

Pipsqueak

eh. thats a maybe. i like it so

[youngreaderswriters]

The Challenge of Sally Ride, the Astronaut by Audrey S.

Chapter One: Test Time

One tumultuous sunny evening in Washington D.C. at N.A.S.A headquarters, a courageous young woman named Sally faced an extreme case of injustice. She was competing in an intense competition that could change her life. Either in a extremely good way or a not so good way….

Well, that women was me, Sally Ride. I am blessed to meet you. How are you doing? Thanks for asking, I am just fabulous. Back to the story.

My head ached from thinking about math equations for 2 long hours but I persevered. With only 5 minutes left I had three more questions to answer. I gripped my pencil harder than ever which resulted to it getting snapped in half. The pencil looked like a stick with splinters sticking out of it. I gasped in trepidation as the audience burst into laughter.

“Boo! Sally stinks!” someone shouted.

“Make it so she is not allowed another pencil.”

“Yeah!”

Don’t think about those haters. Keep on going, I told myself. I pulled out a spare pen from my blue jean pocket and used that to write the answers down.

Meanwhile, my opponent Robert John King flexed his “muscles” for he knew a woman would NEVER in a million years out-wit a man in a test of smarts. In the year 1955,  women were treated unfairly and not as respected as men.

“Haha! I probably don’t even have to answer the last twelve questions. It would make no difference at all!” John boasted. As if on cue, the audience once again burst into a fit of giggles. John got up and did a weird dance which looked like a squid having a heart attack.

“You have two minutes left. To John, wrap up. Sally, take your time; you will only lose, so it won’t make a difference!” the un-humorous judge shouted. Surprisingly, nobody laughed.

Dad jokes! I thought.

“3,2,1! Pencils up!” the judge yelled. The arena was colosal. The stadium walls were arranged so every member f the audience could see the two competitors. “I will check your answers and tell you the results in five minutes,” the judge yelled, “which is a shame because everyone already knows the answer to my assumption.” He paused for laughter but none came again. The audience nibbled on their popcorn, chewed carrots, and did literally everything but laugh.

Five nervous minutes passed, and I continued glaring at a boastful man; John. The judge walked in with a grave look on his face. “Umm… the winner of this round is ...Sally Ride!”

Everyone gasped. One man in the audience threw a rotten tomato but missed horribly as it landed John’s desk.

“What?! How is that possible! She cheated! I know she did!” John yelled. He seemed as if he was going to explode.

I looked at him triumphantly. “What did you say about winning so easily?”

For some reason, John ran over to the large N.A.S.A building as we were in the N.A.S.A arena. He ran in the direction of an old man with white hair, a white beard, and emerald green eyes.

But that did not concern me. I had won!

Chapter 2: How it began.

Earlier, I was relaxing in the fancy lobby at N.A.S.A, celebrating my spot on The Challenger. A golden cocktail rested in my steady hands. I sipped the glass as the cool but glamorous drink traveled down my throat and into my belly. It had been a perfect, relaxing day so far, before the terrible news that was about to be reported to me.

John bursted through the elevator door with such force that could have broken a brick wall.

“What is the meaning of-” I started, but John yelled, “Yo, pipsqueak! You got a challenge for the spot on da Challenger. Me! I am your challenge. Ha!”

The effect was immediate. Sadly, the cocktail glass broke under my strong grip sending glass shards to fly everywhere. What was left of the cocktail soaked my spotted pants. I was furious.

“What!?” I stammered.

“Tomorrow. At 8:00am!” John told me. “Aww.. is the baby scared? It’s okay, baby! You will only lose a trip to space! It’s obvious.”

He began get on my nerves. “I will not only compete, I will win. I will earn this trip to the moon!” I yelled courageously. “Even if this is an extreme case of injustice, I must win! For the sake of me and my reputation!”

I stared at John, examining his reaction to my inspiring speech, but he was snoring. I groaned.

Chapter 3: A visit to the office.

Before all of that nonsense, John stormed into Jake Bill, (the president of N.A.S.A’s) office. Inside, it looked exactly like a party had occurred but nobody cleaned up. Planning a spaceship flight is hard work!

Papers scattered everywhere. A once nice leather chair now ripped to shreds. A pile of opened books. For some weird reason, socks sat on top of a lamp! Parts of a spaceship model scattered all over the floor. And,Jake, asleep on his tattered rug.

Jake was a 59 year old man with a white beard, green eyes, and flat white hair. He always wore a unique hat wherever he went. Ranging from a top hat to a gallon-hat - he had a never ending collection of hats.

Then,  John snuck over to the disastrous desk. He pulled off a soda-stained paper which had the names of the people going on The Challenger.

Sharon Christa McAuliffe

Gregory Jarvis

Judith A. Resnik

Francis R

Ronald E. McNair

AND Sally Ride

Hmm… Sally Ride is new! Let me erase her name! No one would EVER notice. And that is my spot on the ship! She took it in the first place. John thought. He was just about to erase it when-

“Who, what, where, when, why! I can do karate you know!” Jake yelled as he stood up. “Oh. it’s just you. Come in… oops you already are in. Lemme get you a bit o’ tea.”

His glasses flew off as he rushed to get some tea from the teamaker.

“Ugh! Who are you! Who drinks tea! Tea is sooooooo old school!” John yelled. After, he realized what he had yelled. “Umm… I mean.. yes please!” He took a blazing hot cup of tea. It tasted strongly of mocha.

“You see… I have a request. I am way more worthy to go on the ship than Sally Ride is! Let me go instead of her!” John claimed.

Jake cleared his throat. “Let’s see.” He thought for a few seconds, causing John to be hopeful.

“No!” Jake screeched.

“How bout’ now?” John held up $2,000 in cash.

At sight of the money, Jake reconsidered.

“Er… I guess you can have a competition with her to see if your more worthy….” Jake stuttered, his eyes not moving from the $2,000. “A three-round competition.”

John held up $2,000 more dollars. “Secure my win to get all this money. Deal?”

He had on a triumphant grin.“Deal!”

Then, they shook hands on it.

Chapter 4: The second task

Back in the hyped N.A.S.A headquarters, I was preparing for the second round by stretching.

This is it! This is the obstacle course of your life! Do not fail now. If you win, you will have a secured spot on the ship of your dreams. I thought.

Outside, the sun shined bright. Perfect weather. I bent down and touched my toes with ease. I did twenty jumping jacks. I was not nervous. I started to jog to the starting line. Dust surrounded John like a swarm of angry mosquitos.

“Eat my dust.” I teased. “Also, good luck. You will need it.”

John’s face turned a tomato red. I wore a huge grin on my face.

A suspicious referee walked up to the starting line. He wore a black and white referee hat. He had some white hair sticking out of his hat and a snow-white beard. His eyes shined green like a pickled-toad. That referee seemed oddly familiar… but I did not know from where.

“3, 2, 1, GO!” He yelled.

Immediately, I jogged at a light speed. John was well behind. First obstacle. Easy. I jumped over a puddle of icky mud. John was still behind me. Second obstacle was medium. I had to run on a balance beam which laid on top of a disgusting pool of mud. I was still in front. The third obstacle was hard. I had to carry an egg on my face and drop it into a basket. Completed after two cracked eggs. I was still in - front? The ting was,] John was three paces ahead of me.

I looked back and saw an exhausted referee, a ladder leaning against a fence, and an untouched carton of eggs.

“Aha! You cheated! You climbed the fence to skip all of the obstacles!” I screamed in rage. He completely ignored me. I noticed his huge body was in an odd angle as if he tried to block me from seeing something. I squinted.

I don’t care. I thought. Probably not important.

There was one obstacle left. I sprinted toward the last obstacle. It was a race between two mini space shuttles. Quickly, I hopped in the one labeled, “Sally Ride.”

John was already in his. Luckily, it took him a few seconds to figure out how to turn on the not complex engine. I started it earlier than he did and moved toward the end line.

Then I was leading! I was now two feet away from the finish line. Now all I had to do was jump out of my cart and - suddenly, I couldn’t budge.

What! I thought. I looked down to see a bit of superglue.

“Help! I am stuck. Help!” I desperately tried to get someone's attention].

A smug grin appeared on John’s face. “See ya later alligator.”

He leaped out of his shuttle and easily crossed the finish line. After,  I screamed in rage. I was sooo close! So, that was what was in the bucket. Superglue! He got there early, put superglue on my ship, and pretended to not know how to start the engine. That cheater.

The crowd roared and chanted, “John is the best! Sally cheated on the test! He is so clever! Him losing is never!”

I groaned and rolled my eyes.

Chapter 5: The race of my life

Soon enough, I took part in another round. This was the third and final round. The most exciting and important round, and it was a race! Winner of this would take the spot on The Challenger.

It must be me! I have to win! This is an extreme case of injustice. There is no way he could cheat now! I yelled in my mind.

I was stretched. I was pumped. I was READY!  

The same referee jumped into a formal stance that you could tell he practiced and announced, “On your marks, get set, gooooooo!”

Because I deemed] smart, I started out in a hefty, light jog. I was not surprised when John started by sprinting. He passed me and held up a “L” with his fingers, representing “loser.”

After seven minutes, my legs were yet not tired, and my breath not so shaky that I was soon right on John’s track.

Then, he looked as if he would faint. I grinned in triumph. The finish line was in my amazing sight. Now, I started to sprint with all my remaining energy. Yes, my muscles did get sore but I trudged on.

I was two steps away from the finish line. Now one! And I had - WON!

“Yipee!” I screamed with delight. The crowd sat in silence, shocked tha I had won. Three seconds after my crossing, an exhausted John passed the finish line. He wore a smug grin on his face. What was he smiling ab-

“Yeah Boiiiii! I won!” John announced.

I expected the crowd to laugh and maybe throw a few banana peels at him but instead, they applauded John and led a chant.

“John is the faster than Sally, all she does is dilly-dally, John gets to go on the ship, and Sally gets a busted lip!”

I was shocked. I had won! Rage blinded me. I ran to the camera room to pull evidence that I had won but the camera’s position was hijacked! No video evidence.

“That clever nobody!” my voice boomed.

Chapter 6: The tragedy (not really.)

In the end, I watched with envy as The Challenger got ready for takeoff. I had special privileges given to me by N.A.S.A to watch the takeoff happen in person, but… it would noot have been the same if I were on The Challenger.

I gazed up sadly with longing to yell, “He cheated! Let me on! Please! I swear, he cheated! Give me another chance!” I resisted the urge and stared at my feet.

That was my spot! My time to shine! Taken from me! My dream, crushed. All because of an arrogant boy.

Suddenly, an announcement was made. “Takeoff will begin in, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, TAKEOFF!”

I did not want to look, but my eyes fell on the now rising ship anyways.  

“That’s odd.” I murmured to myself. Thick black smoke was rising from the right side. “Eh… who cares! Just enjo-”

“-BANG!” The rocket came pummeling down like a meteor. It had been exactly 73 seconds since takeoff. A fiery piece of metal missed me by just a few inches.

I was speechless and petrified to the spot. Everyone was. Relief flooded me like a house in a flood. I was now glad that my enemy had cheated.

After a few tragic minutes, the announcer finally said, “Let us honor who died.”

The moral of my story is that nothing good comes out of cheating. If things are easy, they are not the right decision.

About the Author

Audrey is a 4th grader who attends Portola Springs Elementary School. Her favorite book is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K Rowling because the book has a ton of unpredictable plot twists that entertain her.  

In Audrey’s free time, she likes to read, play basketball, and have playdates with her friends. When Audrey grows up, her dream job is to be a doctor.

Audrey wrote The Challenge of Sally Ride the Astronaut at Ardent Academy for Gifted Youth in Spring 2018. She would like to thanks to her parents for letting her take this class.