Fall Frenzy 2023

TOAD FOOD

A girl with a yellow bunny hair clip sat at the desk next to mine. Her name card said, Annie. 

My name, Ruthie, was also written on a card taped to my desk. 

“Woof-ee?” Annie asked. 

“Lu-see,” a boy corrected. 

“No. RRooo-TH-eee,” I pronounced. It sounded strange.  

“Just call her Rudy,” the teacher said. 

In the cafeteria, I opened my lunch.

“What is that?” Annie asked. Her sandwich was white and soft with red jelly, like all of the other kids’. 

“It’s tofu.” I whispered. The crumbly brown bread squished slabs of jiggly tofu. Green sprouts sprung from under crusts like troll hair. It didn’t smell like jelly. It smelled like… 

“I have never tried toad-food in my life,” Annie confided.

I hid it back inside the bag.  

Annie followed me home after school. “Want to play?” She asked. 

“Ok.” I said.  

I turned on the hose. Leaf canoes sailed down the waterfall to the neighbor’s driveway. We took off our shoes and squished mulberries between our toes. We made a mountain of mud balls. 

Annie gave me her bunny hair clip. 

Before she went home, my mom made us a snack… 

“Mom! Not that…” 

“Toad-food?” Cheered Annie.

Thanks for reading my story, inspired by my name and submitted to the Fall Writing Frenzy. 

This recent comic is also inspired by my name, Ruthie.