Abigail and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

A Short Story by Genny Holmes
Illustrated by Ray Cruz

I woke up late for school this morning and Rebecca was in the bathroom so I had to go downstairs and on the way down I stubbed my toe and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

When I asked Mom if my khaki skirt was in the dryer she told me Rebecca had forgotten to put it in the dryer last night and it was still wet and I would have to wear my navy skirt. Rebecca's khaki skirt was dry and ready to wear.

While putting my books in my backpack I scratched myself on the zipper and when I went to get a Band-Aid out of the cabinet I knocked over a pitcher of tea on my white shirt and navy skirt.

I think I'll move to Australia.

I went upstairs and put on a navy shirt while waiting for my khaki skirt to finish drying and finally it was dry and when I put it on the zipper busted and stuck and I couldn't get it to go up or down. I called for Mom to please help me and she was mad because she had just bought it a month ago and now she had to cut the zipper to get it off.

I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

I stomped upstairs to get the navy skirt that had a tea stain on it and I knew I wouldn't look good at all because everyone knows you don't wear a navy shirt with a navy skirt. I grabbed a white sweatshirt to wear over the navy shirt but it was going to be 90 degrees all day. Who needs 90 degrees? I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

I could tell because I threw my stuff in the back of the van and got in the middle seat because it was Rebecca's day to ride shotgun. Who needs shotgun anyway? And who needs Rebecca? I hope you sit on a tack, I said to Rebecca in my mind. I hope the next time you get a double-decker ice cream cone the ice cream part falls off the cone part and lands in Australia.

Next week, I said out loud, I'm going to Australia. It's been a terrible, horrible,no good, very bad day.

Mom opened my door, kissed me on the cheek and handed me a tissue. It will be okay, she said. Some days are like that.

Even in Australia.