Armchair Girl

Armchair Girl


Once there was a girl named Loretta Poinsettia who had discovered the greatest joy in the entire world. Or so she thought. “The Armchair,” was her crisp, poignant answer. With the “reclining” option, roomy pockets, and it’s pillowy, navy-leather exterior, It was heaven to whoever sat in it.
So, that’s what Loretta did. Sat. In the pockets of her beloved, heavenly chair was a notebook, a gel pen, a squished Baby Ruth bar… All the things she would ever need for survival. She even bribed her dweeby, nose-picking little brother to haul that fat black T.V. into her “Armchair Room.”
She did her homework in the Armchair, then gave it to her dear friend, Betty Sue to deliver. And never once did she ever thank her. Never once did she ever think of leaving the Armchair.
The Armchair became her best friend. Hugging her, wiping away her lone-shed tears with that buttery leather skin of its, even singing her to sleep with its rhythmic squeaks and creaks.
Soon, it became the only friend she had. Betty Sue grew tired of attending Loretta’s every wish, and when she ran out of sour-flavored gummy worms, her brother (and T.V.) was gone as well. Even her mom and dad stopped by less and less.
Loretta tried to pretend she wasn’t lonely. She spent her days writing, reading, and telling secrets to the steadfast chair, although she was glad that when she had first “moved in” to Armchair that she had brought with her a slew of books.
But after a while, this stopped working, too. She was lonely. And not even the Heaven Chair could solve that.
So, one day, she decided to do something drastic. After weeks- no, MONTHS of never leaving the Chair, Loretta Poinsettia decided to do just that. Leave the chair.
So, she folded in the footstool and cleared away the incessant game of monopoly she had been playing with her brother. She touched her feet to the floor, and then- She leaned forward. AWAY!
At first she was shaky, her unpracticed legs wobbling like cold spaghetti. But, soon enough, she was walking like a pro. Then, she went to her parents.
WERE THEY EVER GLAD TO SEE HER! Her little brother even hugged her without a candy-bribe. Now, she guessed, was the time to face Betty Sue.

At first she was going to call Betty Sue and tell her- but then she decided a visit would be more “meaningful.” So, she hobbled the four blocks to Betty Sue’s house, and hesitantly rang the bell. “Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing, dooooooooooong…” it echoed. Then, she heard footsteps. Betty Sue?
And it was. Betty Sue opened the door to find her best friend standing there, and then embraced her in a heart-felt hug. But, then she offered Loretta Poinsettia some lemonade and a seat in the kitchen, for her unpracticed legs were tired after not standing (or running) for a few months.
“Oh, I missed you SO MUCH,” cooed Betty Sue. Loretta Poinsettia just grinned- glad that she had taken the risk and returned to her friends.