Hello! Welcome to the 2022 Arrow – Hackley Middle School’s Arts & Literature Magazine. Stay tuned for more posts to come over the next few weeks and then keep an eye out for the hardcopy, published version coming soon.
A Few Monologues:
Mother’s Day Plans
by: Calliope Y. ’26
(Lights up on the family living room. We see Jimmy, 11 years old pacing the room with a clipboard in hand. He speaks to his siblings who are all older than 15 and his dad.)
JIMMY: Come hither my family other than Mom. We have VERY important things to talk about. I wanted to start this meeting as soon as Mom left but, of course my brother Josh could not get out of bed and just yelled “Jimmy whyyyyy”. So I dragged him down the stairs. Finally we are all here. And by here I mean this nice and pink living room that Mom decorated. Thank you for coming into my office. Now, we need to make a plan for Mother’s Day. It’s tomorrow people get ready. I know it’s late but we need to get the best present for our glorious mother. First we need to brainstorm gifts: collage, paintings, teddy bears….. I got nothing, people give me some ideas. (pause) No Derek we can not buy mom a diamond ring! You think we have that kind of money. Get your head in the game. Maybe we can give her breakfast in bed to start the day tomorrow. Maybe some pancake or waffle action. Jerry, since you have not said one word, you can have the pleasure of making and delivering the breakfast. Then, Dad, I need you to drive me somewhere, ANYWHERE. Actually Michael’s would be preferable. I need some Elmer’s glue, tissue paper, and a LARGE amount of markers. I will make Mom a collage. Ya that’s a good idea right. (pause. He waits for an answer. NOTHING.) Oh my gosh it’s like talking to a wall. Ok I’m off to my room, I need to sketch this out. Nice talk, tomorrow is all about Mom. BE AMAZING, the real work starts tomorrow.
My Christmas List
by: Leila I. ’27
(Lights up on a 10 year old girl named Athy, dressed in all Christmas patterned clothing and prancing back and forth through the living room, talking to herself.)
Ohhhh my gosh!!! It’s almost here; it’s almost Christmas!! (Pause. She scans the room.) Wait a minute! I’m so unprepared! Where did I put the cookies? The MILK? Are there enough ornaments on the tree? Oh no, no, NO! I have to fix everything! I have to be ready! (Deep breath) Calm down Athy, calm down. You are prepared; you’re fine. (Beat) Hmm… (Beat) Let me count the gifts and make sure I have everything nicely wrapped for my family. (Pause) There’s Mom’s…. Ohhhhhhh yeah…she’s gonna LOVE the broom; it’s perfect for cleaning the house. OH! And Dad’s! I got him the coolest buckle ever, with sparkly gold and silver gems I made personally! Hmm, and Jeremy’s gift is the best thing I could think of. It came from (Puts a hand on chest) the heart… PERFUME! (Sarcastically) Finally, he’ll actually be bearable to be around… ugh… I get nightmares just thinking about how awful his room smells. (Serious tone, hand goes back down to her side). OKAY!, so all the gifts are ready and wrapped up. I’ll put them under the tree before I go to bed. I’m sure everyone will love them. But what about the other preparations?! For Santa?! (Stops pacing in the middle of the room, looking around) The stockings are all hung up, EVEN decorated with large, sparkling and shiny name tags (muttering) in case Santa can’t see too well (Back to regular pitch), and nice and ready to be filled to the brim with candy! (In a daze) Oh yeah… it’s gonna taste sooooo yummy! (Shakes head and is knocked out of daze) Hmm, what else… The absolutely delectable, made-from-scratch cookies (Whispering) that I may have eaten one of (Regular pitch) are placed nicely AND conveniently beside the tree with a mug of warm milk. So why do I feel like I’m missing something?! Everything’s here… (Silence, as she thoroughly scans the room for 15 seconds, then, panicked) OH NO!!! I FORGOT THE CARROTS FOR RUDOLPH!!
Late Night Ninjas
by: Nora H. ’27
(Lights up on a costume shop late at night. James pacing through the numerous aisles with mom trailing behind.)
Ok, Mom, I need something great! Something big, SPECTACULAR. This is my first Halloween as a middle-schooler, and I need a good costume. (pause) Yes, Mom I know it’s late but 10 more minutes, pleaseeeeee. (muttering) What should I get, what should I get…. Oh look at this one! It’s a ninja costume with a sword and everything! And yes, I can bring a fake sword to school. (annoyed) Seriously, come on, Mom. You think I’m gonna go around poking people with plastic? Focus. There are so many options here, and Halloween is only a week away, so we need to pick up the pace…. MOM! Where did you go!? (James runs around the shop and finds his mom in the kid’s section.) Mom, Jake already has his costume; we don’t need to be in the 8 and under section. (pause) No absolutely not. There is no way I am not being a puppy for Halloween. I’m going to trick or treat with ALL my friends. I don’t want them to see me in a fluffy onesie. Let’s go back to my section. The store is closing soon. (James and his mom both walk back to the older section.) Oh my, there are so many options, I don’t know what to choose from. (pause) Yes, yes, I know I’ve been over here multiple times, but every time I come over here there are more and more costumes being added; it’s like an infinite loop. And yes, before you say anything, I knowwww the store is closing. Just let me look for a few more minutes. (James looks at the clock anxiously; it reads 9:28 pm.) Ok, ok, ok, we have two minutes. Let’s go. Come on, let’s buy the ninja costume. We can always return it. (James and his mom walk up to the front of the store.) Yes, I would like to buy this costume please. (pause) What do you mean? It’s non-refundable! What if I don’t like it!? What if I want a different costume!? (James and the man at the desk have a brief staring contest.) Oh well, ok, let’s buy this. I wanna go home. Shopping for costumes is stressful.
The Magnificence of Hannukah
by: Zion B. ’26
Lights up on Miriam, a very descriptive fifth-grader, in her baby brother Bart’s, nursery, crouching by a changing table daydreaming instead of changing diapers.
Miriam: Oh Bart, my little baby brother, you’re the only one in this family who listens to me, but mostly because you can’t leave when I’m talking, or at least until you can crawl. I can’t wait for Hannukah; it’s one of the best feelings on this planet: the hot wax dripping from the colorful array of candles, the smell of fire wafting through the air, the flames flicker through the night as other traditions take place. Mom and Dad grab me by my hands, and we dance around singing about run-away latkes and the Maccabees. They were the soldiers who had oil issues, I guess. When our singing is done, we fill our bellies with potato pancakes slathered in apple sauce, the jelly donuts hiding on the counter in the kitchen. I’m not a big fan of jelly, so Mom always buys some without it. When the meal is done, and the cleaning has been finished, the table is cleared for a huge game of dreidel. By that point in the night, Uncle Craig, Aunt Kim, Chuck, Sabah, and Saftah have come, and the table is cluttered with chairs and chocolate wrappers. Spinning dreidels are the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen, way better than any Starry Night. As they gallantly spin, caressed by the air, the light of the lamp above the table reflects each side, revealing the Hebrew letters of Gimmel, Shin, Nun, and Hay. It’s a game of chance, and I am always available to take that risk. Once I win, because I always do, and our tummies are full of chocolate, the game comes to a close, and presents are brought into the living room — boxes big and small, wrapped in blues, whites, silvers, and golds, topped with the most festive of bows. We pass them around to the recipients, and you get to watch the smile that consumes everyone’s faces. Everyone in our family is a fabulous gift giver, so I always get magnificent presents. By the end of the night, everyone is overtaken by the kind of exhaustion that is caused by a night full of fun and tradition. We all say our goodbyes, and guess what, Bart?! All of the fun happens again and again, for eight nights straight. Hannukah is the only time everyone is truly happy and at peace, and lucky for me, I always have you. When you’re older, you’ll thank me for this description of the best nights of my life, and you’ll understand in a deep way the joy that overtakes me these eight nights of the year.