Hi bookworms! Sorry this book is so overdue, but I'm back!
I've been running for many years, but I'm not... the most consistent runner. I do ten minute miles - not bad - but I can do better. Every year, my town holds a Turkey Trot. And every fricking year, I do bad. Okay, not terrible, but I have asthma, and it sucks running in the cold weather with asthma. But I do it. Every. Year.
On November 21st, I ran. These are my thoughts.
1. Okay! I should start running fast to get a head start.
2. Darn it I'm slowing down. Maybe I'll just keep a pace.
3. Fudge. A hill. To start off with, seriously?!?!
4. Nope, Ella, you can do this.
5. It's too cold for this! Literally, my lungs are on fire.
6. Owwwww side ache. Or is it appendicitis? Darn it. ugghhh it hurts so bad.
7. yay! downhill. Look at all the people behind me.
8. WEEEE can I get a 2 syllabled DAYYYUMMM because I am doing goood!
9. Owww it's back again.
10. bad cramp bad cramp bad cramp.
11. Why did I even bother to do this? Like, seriously?
12. This is only, like, 3.1 miles! I'm a quarter way in! Which is basically half! So two of those is... a 5k! Wooohooo
13. Halfway there and I can't breathe
14. How do people run marathons? That's almost 8 times what I'm running right nowwww whoa.
15. We are on flat land. I'm doing good
16. Sing a song in your head! Think about what is going to happen in the next episode of the show you are watching on Netflix! Think about the nice, cold cup of water that is waiting for you when you finish...
17. Last year you got 29 minutes. You can do it better. Come on!!!
18. Don't walk! You're almost there!
19. Okay. Okay. Maybe walking for a second...
20. NO NO NO if you walk you'll never run.
21. Okay... running.... oh my god the cramp is back. What is with me?!?! Maybe it's the way I'm breathing? Sheesh. I don't know.
22. Yes!!!! I see the finish line!
23. I have to sprint now. I know it hurts, but at least it will cut off, like, 40 seconds.
24. OH MY GLOB I FINISHED.
25. WHERE IS THE WATER. THEY'RE OUT OF WATER? CRAP. NO. AHHHH. NO. HMMMMM I'M SO THIRSTY I'M GOING TO DIE
26. Ooh look a dog!
27. 31 MINUTES? ARE YOU KIDDING! I NEVER STOPPED RUNNING.
28. Guess I'll just try again next year...
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
(to be titled) Chapter One!
Hi! So sorry that I haven't been posting in a while, but I promise I will try more. Since November, not much has happened, but I'm not as busy, so yeah.
Anyway, I am starting this .... I don't want to jinx it by saying the B-O-O-K word... story with my friend Jane who lives all the way across the country!
It's on google drive and we really need a title haha. So. It's alternating chapters, I might post more, but this is the first one. I am Lucy and she is Kaitlyn.
Enjoy!
Anyway, I am starting this .... I don't want to jinx it by saying the B-O-O-K word... story with my friend Jane who lives all the way across the country!
It's on google drive and we really need a title haha. So. It's alternating chapters, I might post more, but this is the first one. I am Lucy and she is Kaitlyn.
Enjoy!
JANUARY 12 THE WEEKLY
Obituaries
On January 12, Victoria McCartney passed away due to a car crash. While police are still further investigating the crash, Victoria is IMMENSELY missed by her entire town and everybody around her. At only 32, beautiful, loving, and caring, she will not be forgotten. The memorial service for this exceptional woman, daughter, and fiancé will be held on January 31 at 1:00 pm.
“Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly…”
-Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
chapter one
Stepping out into the quaint wintry landscape with its snow-capped evergreens and the sweet smell of the crisp, grey air, Lucy and Kaitlyn hooked arms, mounted their snow-grazed bicycles, and headed off down the street. Though the streets were blanketed with a thick layer of snow, Lucy breathed in the essence around her and decided to take her jacket off. She thrusted her dark blue jacket into the woven basket that had been attached to the handlebars of all her bikes since she was seven.
“Are you insane? It’s below freezing out here and you’re in a freaking sleeveless dress!” Kaitlyn exclaimed.
“Oh, relax,” Lucy replied. “Zoey’s house is just four blocks away, and I’m wearing a scarf and tights and boots. With the chunky knit socks! That you love! What more do you want from me, Kaitlyn?” She smirked but could practically hear Kaitlyn rolling her eyes.
Lucy loved the icy, frigid air biting her cheeks as she rode fast down the street. She relished the sting on her skin and the scent that only snow gives that is practically ineffable. To Lucy, there was nothing quite like looking out the frosty window and seeing fresh snow descend from the white-gray sky. Kaitlyn used to tell Lucy when they were little that Santa Claus, in fact, lived in the sky and not the North Pole, and that snow was just bits of his white beard falling off.
“That’s impossible,” Lucy would say.
“He has a very big beard,” Kaitlyn would answer.
They were very simple, low-maintenance children. That was the only answer Lucy would ever need to answer that question- he has a very big beard. Lucy remembered this on the bike ride and laughed. Kaitlyn asked why she was laughing.
“Life’s just funny, Kaitlyn,” Lucy stated.
“You sound very cliché, Lucy,” Kaitlyn remarked. After some silence, she added, “But it’s true.”
Lucy parked her bike and waited a moment until after Zoey welcomed Kaitlyn in. Though Lucy was never a very quiet girl, sometime she liked to pause her talking and take in the tranquility of things. She looked up at the trees, their branches bare and frosted. Before putting her coat back on again, Lucy thought how loud a quiet Sunday in January could really speak. She heard her boots click on the newly paved walkway and didn’t bother to knock, knowing that Zoey was expecting her anyway.
“How was Zoey’s?” their mother Josie called from the kitchen.
“Fine, but I’m famished. We spent the entire time cramming for the science midterm,” Lucy replied. She combed her fingers through her inky, shoulder-length hair as she and Kaitlyn traipsed into the kitchen, hyped up on adrenaline from racing back to the house on their bikes.
“And we managed to cram a bit of TV in there somewhere, too,” Kaitlyn added.
“I’m going to ignore that. But! We have homemade chicken stew,” Josie asserted.
This said stew was a Wethers family tradition- Josie’s great grandmother had come up with the recipe and had taught it to all her daughters and granddaughters and so on. Lucy knew that Josie wasn’t much for cooking, but this was the one recipe that she knew her mother could fully master. It was rich but not too creamy; plentiful with vegetables but not too much slightly gross celery.
“So, how was your studying? And the TV,” Josie added with a smirk.
“Hectic,” Kaitlyn deadpanned as she set down forks and knives on the dining room table. Lucy considered the dining room a breakfast nook where they often had dinner rather than a dining room. It was a rather prepossessing little room with a dangling chandelier, three upholstered, maroon colored chairs, and pale blue curtains draped over the windows. It was Lucy’s favorite place in the house to unwind.
“Which was hectic, the studying or the TV?” Josie asked.
“That’s for you to decide,” Lucy interjected, seating herself in her chair. After a number of years, they had each adopted their own chairs. She secretly resented anybody who took her seat.
“I’m surprised you guys are hungry. That Diane usually feeds you constantly,” Josie said.
It was not false- every time Lucy went over, Zoey’s mother, Diane, would always feed them snacks or anything homemade. Nonetheless, Diane would rarely give Zoey too many snacks. “The guests get the food,” she would say. Zoey always scowled at her but took the food anyway. Zoey was athletic and had a fast metabolism, but Diane always insisted that she wouldn’t stay like that forever.
Lucy waltzed into the kitchen for a second serving of stew. She gazed at the bulletin board above their old percolator. It was smothered in old works of art from elementary school days and fading photographs that were wilted around the edges of people that had come and gone in and out of their lives. Teachers’ notes and reminders and ripped yearbook pages. Mother’s Day cards and thank you notes. The doctors’ office schedules and emergency contacts. Yet behind all that, Lucy saw one thing that had been there for years that nobody bothered to remove - a lone, wallet-sized picture of her father, hanging in the corner like an unwanted bruised apple at the bottom of the fruit basket. Nobody had paid much attention to it, but at times, she allowed herself to remember her father. He left when she was barely two years old, much too early for any distinct memories of him. From the picture she could tell he was clean shaven and had short but messy, dark hair accompanied by piercing blue eyes with yellow rings around the pupils. She had probably inherited the bright, yellow-ringed eyes from him, considering that her mother had what she called “poop brown” eyes.
Nobody talked about their father much- he was a distant memory that none of them preferred to dwell on, especially Josie. Though Josie always described him as the “non-existent asshole of the house”, the little girl inside of Lucy inwardly liked to believe that he was a man on a mission and he left them for a reason, and would come back someday. Yet leaving is leaving and she knew it was immoral in every way, and so he was almost never brought up.
It wasn’t until Josie called her back into the dining room, wondering why she was taking so long to get her stew, that Lucy realized that she was lost within her own mind. She was constantly reading and new thoughts were incessantly taking up space in her brain and so she was constantly losing herself in them. Lucy was what Kaitlyn liked to call the “Persistent Wonderer.” It was true; of the twins, Lucy was always asking completely arbitrary questions about anything around her and often wouldn’t stop asking until anybody around her answered. Or at least until Kaitlyn answered.
Lucy left the kitchen while her stew was still warm.
Friday afternoon, Lucy had decided that she wanted to walk home from school.
“But it’s freezing outside,” Kaitlyn complained.
“No, actually, it’s four degrees above freezing, so that’s a plus,” Lucy
smugly retorted. She loved messing with Kaitlyn. She loved that Kaitlyn despised it but laughed at the same time. “Come on, it’s such a nice day outside! The sun is shining… You have on your nice new parka…”
Kaitlyn still wore a doubting look. Finally, she gave in.
“Fine. Whatever. Let’s go.”
They were sitting on a wooden picnic table with their bags parked by their feet, both of them on their phones. They were both scrolling through their text messages- Josie was not replying. Kaitlyn texted, we’re walking home. See you later. Lucy grabbed her bag, swiftly hopped of the picnic table, and headed off. Kaitlyn followed behind.
Halfway down the street, Lucy suddenly remembered why she hadn’t been answering. Josie usually stayed home from work Fridays to run errands, she’d been called in for work that day. She reminded Kaitlyn, and Kaitlyn nodded. It was silent the rest of the way home but for the snow dropping from the trees and the thoughts cluttering Lucy’s head.
Lucy learned two things when they finally arrived at home: the driveway had just been freshly shoveled after a late night snow, and that Josie’s car was here. Kaitlyn’s face grew pale. The last time they got home from school and Josie’s car was their, their great-grandmother had passed away. Although they were only seven when that happened, Lucy remembered their tear-stained, agonized mother sitting at the kitchen table with clumps of tissues around her and hoped something bad hadn’t happened.
The optimist that she was, Lucy brushed it off and let out a little chuckle.
“Don’t worry, Kait, we’re fine,” Lucy reassured her sister. She said it reluctantly because she wasn’t so convinced herself. She dug into her bag for her key, only to find that Kaitlyn had opened the door without struggle.
A cacophonous sound emerged from the kitchen.
“Mom?” Kaitlyn meekly whispered, less of a question for Josie and more of a reminder to herself that their mother was actually still in the house. After a little while, Josie responded with a submissive “I’m here” and the girls tiptoed over to the kitchen.
Josie was very sensitive, but it was easy to tell - or at least, for Lucy and Kaitlyn - when she was actually distressed. At this very moment, she looked terrible; like a crumbling, decrepit, abandoned house. Her under eyes were incredibly red and puffy and her nose was the color of a dried out tomato. She looked as if she was breaking apart. Lucy felt herself tear up at the sight and reached over to cradle her mother’s shoulders in her hands. She looked over to find Kaitlyn doing the same thing. Kaitlyn grabbed Lucy’s hand.
“Mama, what’s wrong?” Kaitlyn cooed.
Josie shook her head and let out a sob, a truly grating and heart-breaking sound for her daughters.
“Mom,” Lucy demanded, now extremely serious. “Mom, come on. You can talk to us, you know you can.”
Josie looked up.
“I… I have something to tell you.”
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Shared Awkwardness
Here are everyday awkward predicaments that you all (probably... hopefully? or is it just me?) know to be true.
1. Interruptions
Some of the most awkward moments are those when you are in a (seemingly everlasting) conversation and you want to say something but you don't want to interrupt. Finally, you hear a pause and start to interject, but alas- THEY ARE NOT FINISHED TALKING. So you get the death stare and the caterpillar eyebrow, and they try not to sound rude when you are actually the one being rude, and then (i have a feeling this will be a very long run-on sentence derp derp derp) you just awkwardly stand there and typically, one out of two of these things happens:
A) you spend the rest of the conversation trying to remember what you're going to say and then when you are FINALLY, ABSOTIVELY, POSOLUTELY sure that their thought/sentence is over, you say your thought, but by then the conversation has completely steered off the previous topic that you wanted to talk about in the first place.
B) You're still on the same topic, but then you FORGOT WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY! And that always sucks because you almost always remember it hours later when it is least relevant.
2. Braces ALWAYS.
Ah, braces, where do I start? It is impossible not to be awkward when braces are existent in your mouth. Here is a few things that everybody with braces knows to be true.
1.) Eating. Every time I try to eat something (which is important, as you probably know, to maintaining your... um... existence on planet earth. Your life. Your... not-dying.), there seems to be a little chasm in between the front of my braces and the back of my lower lip, and it is a food hog. I swear, yummy chicken? Oh, I guess I'll just skip that, because I WON'T BE ABLE TO EAT IT WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE AN IDIOT. I can never eat anything of any substance whatsoever in public because I'll just look completely rude while I'm nonchalantly picking food out of my mouth. Like an ape. There is a time and a place to do this- and that is when you're three years old. agggghhh
2.) When they get caught on things- the worst! I have a brand new sweater that I got for my thirteenth birthday last week (I'm wearing it right now!) and there was a loose thread. I didn't have any scissors on me so I tried to bite it off... let's just say I had to do some minor sweater surgery after all of it got all up in mah braces.
okay that's all for now, my peeps... I will definitely try to post more because I got a new laptop yayyy and will most likely be using it incessantly (or at least whenever I can hahahah). So yay! Au revoir.
1. Interruptions
Some of the most awkward moments are those when you are in a (seemingly everlasting) conversation and you want to say something but you don't want to interrupt. Finally, you hear a pause and start to interject, but alas- THEY ARE NOT FINISHED TALKING. So you get the death stare and the caterpillar eyebrow, and they try not to sound rude when you are actually the one being rude, and then (i have a feeling this will be a very long run-on sentence derp derp derp) you just awkwardly stand there and typically, one out of two of these things happens:
A) you spend the rest of the conversation trying to remember what you're going to say and then when you are FINALLY, ABSOTIVELY, POSOLUTELY sure that their thought/sentence is over, you say your thought, but by then the conversation has completely steered off the previous topic that you wanted to talk about in the first place.
B) You're still on the same topic, but then you FORGOT WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY! And that always sucks because you almost always remember it hours later when it is least relevant.
2. Braces ALWAYS.
Ah, braces, where do I start? It is impossible not to be awkward when braces are existent in your mouth. Here is a few things that everybody with braces knows to be true.
1.) Eating. Every time I try to eat something (which is important, as you probably know, to maintaining your... um... existence on planet earth. Your life. Your... not-dying.), there seems to be a little chasm in between the front of my braces and the back of my lower lip, and it is a food hog. I swear, yummy chicken? Oh, I guess I'll just skip that, because I WON'T BE ABLE TO EAT IT WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE AN IDIOT. I can never eat anything of any substance whatsoever in public because I'll just look completely rude while I'm nonchalantly picking food out of my mouth. Like an ape. There is a time and a place to do this- and that is when you're three years old. agggghhh
2.) When they get caught on things- the worst! I have a brand new sweater that I got for my thirteenth birthday last week (I'm wearing it right now!) and there was a loose thread. I didn't have any scissors on me so I tried to bite it off... let's just say I had to do some minor sweater surgery after all of it got all up in mah braces.
okay that's all for now, my peeps... I will definitely try to post more because I got a new laptop yayyy and will most likely be using it incessantly (or at least whenever I can hahahah). So yay! Au revoir.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
My Songwriting Career (adlfaesdolkasd)
Even as a six year old, I was an aspiring songwriter. I was also at the top reading group (we weren't ranked or anything, but of course EVERYBODY knew which was the smart and which was the dumb group.), and valued my vocabulary. Sometimes I blanked on the meanings of the words. But, as my imaginary friend Julie once told me (she was a mouse), "A good songwriter never says if she doesn't know something. 'Cause then people know that she doesn't know something."
My best friends Sarah (you know her from the Fluffy story) and Oliver and I got together to write a song called "Single Apple" that Sarah and I would sing. It went like this: "Single apple on the tree, everything's better with you and me." Sarah added on:
"Single apple on the ground, everything's better when you're around."
"No," I interjected. "Everything's better when you're abound."
Well that didn't make sense.
ermmmmm
Here are some links- please click on them!!!!!
The first one is called "The Big Bang"
I made it in first grade with my best friend Oliver about the Big Bang. It has about seventy-six views and as you'll see, VERY accurate information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrKyLrKeflE
Oliver repeated after me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh7PN-Rwypc
4,000 VIEWS WHAT
My best friends Sarah (you know her from the Fluffy story) and Oliver and I got together to write a song called "Single Apple" that Sarah and I would sing. It went like this: "Single apple on the tree, everything's better with you and me." Sarah added on:
"Single apple on the ground, everything's better when you're around."
"No," I interjected. "Everything's better when you're abound."
Well that didn't make sense.
ermmmmm
Here are some links- please click on them!!!!!
The first one is called "The Big Bang"
I made it in first grade with my best friend Oliver about the Big Bang. It has about seventy-six views and as you'll see, VERY accurate information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrKyLrKeflE
Oliver repeated after me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh7PN-Rwypc
4,000 VIEWS WHAT
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
I'm ALIVE!!!!!
Yo bookworms, I've probably lost you for a bit. But yes, 'tis me, and I'm back from the dead! Or, the bed…
Anyway, I had a concussion. And let me tell you, I have NEVER been so bored in my entire life.
I actually gained two pounds from baking so much. I was not allowed to read, go on any screens, so it was basically fourteen hours of sleep a day.
I will update more soon, my lovies. I hope you continue reading!!!!! more awesomeness soon :)
Anyway, I had a concussion. And let me tell you, I have NEVER been so bored in my entire life.
I actually gained two pounds from baking so much. I was not allowed to read, go on any screens, so it was basically fourteen hours of sleep a day.
I will update more soon, my lovies. I hope you continue reading!!!!! more awesomeness soon :)
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
The Puppy in the Driveway
*written August 26*
As the end of our vacation tentatively nears closer, the more puppies we see. For example, for the past three days, I've been seeing this shaggy black dog. It's really awfully tiny, but long and stout. It's hair disguises it's face so all you can see is this perfect, tiny little pink tongue sticking out. And the cutest thing of all about it: the way it runs. See, this dog is so tiny that it's legs aren't really long enough to carry itself and run like a typical dog. And when it ran... I kid you not... it hopped. Just like a bunny. Literally. Cutest thing.
So this morning (after quite some nagging from my mom), I took the dog, Molly, out for a walk. We walked down the hill, she did her poopies, all that shiz.... and as we walked back toward the house, I saw a little brown (dog) nose stick out behind the shrubs from the driveway down the block. Then the jingle of the pendants on a collar. Molly, being the social canine she is, pulled toward this dog, but I just assumed that it had an invisible fence or something to restrict it from going past the driveway, so I tugged Molly away and we continued our stroll back home.
But I guess not. You've heard of an outdoor cat, right? This was an outdoor dog, I guess. I got a better view of her- chocolate brown, somewhat small but not too big or too tiny, with a baby pink collar. And I turned around as Molly started to bark, but the Mystery Dog had stopped, so I just assumed that it was going to go back. When we reached the house, the dog [seemed] to be gone. I shut the door behind me and went to finish my book (Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children - read it!!!). Molly started to bark and jumped up at the door, ruefully peeking down the window.
"What the hell could that be?" I muttered to myself.
I looked through the window...
And there was the dog.
I wanted to do something, but it bolted for our porch (with the view of the ocean), where my mom was sitting in a reclining outdoor chair reading on her kindle. Molly's bone was out there, and the dog grabbed the bone. Meanwhile, Molly was at the window, barking like there was no tomorrow. Mystery Dog peed on the porch (out of excitement, I guess?). I tried to get a look at her name on her collar, but she was too quick. She dropped the bone and started to head back to her house. With a sigh, I sat on the bench to join my mom.
Suddenly, the dog came running back, grabbed Molly's bone, and ran home.
The little thief.
As the end of our vacation tentatively nears closer, the more puppies we see. For example, for the past three days, I've been seeing this shaggy black dog. It's really awfully tiny, but long and stout. It's hair disguises it's face so all you can see is this perfect, tiny little pink tongue sticking out. And the cutest thing of all about it: the way it runs. See, this dog is so tiny that it's legs aren't really long enough to carry itself and run like a typical dog. And when it ran... I kid you not... it hopped. Just like a bunny. Literally. Cutest thing.
So this morning (after quite some nagging from my mom), I took the dog, Molly, out for a walk. We walked down the hill, she did her poopies, all that shiz.... and as we walked back toward the house, I saw a little brown (dog) nose stick out behind the shrubs from the driveway down the block. Then the jingle of the pendants on a collar. Molly, being the social canine she is, pulled toward this dog, but I just assumed that it had an invisible fence or something to restrict it from going past the driveway, so I tugged Molly away and we continued our stroll back home.
But I guess not. You've heard of an outdoor cat, right? This was an outdoor dog, I guess. I got a better view of her- chocolate brown, somewhat small but not too big or too tiny, with a baby pink collar. And I turned around as Molly started to bark, but the Mystery Dog had stopped, so I just assumed that it was going to go back. When we reached the house, the dog [seemed] to be gone. I shut the door behind me and went to finish my book (Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children - read it!!!). Molly started to bark and jumped up at the door, ruefully peeking down the window.
"What the hell could that be?" I muttered to myself.
I looked through the window...
And there was the dog.
I wanted to do something, but it bolted for our porch (with the view of the ocean), where my mom was sitting in a reclining outdoor chair reading on her kindle. Molly's bone was out there, and the dog grabbed the bone. Meanwhile, Molly was at the window, barking like there was no tomorrow. Mystery Dog peed on the porch (out of excitement, I guess?). I tried to get a look at her name on her collar, but she was too quick. She dropped the bone and started to head back to her house. With a sigh, I sat on the bench to join my mom.
Suddenly, the dog came running back, grabbed Molly's bone, and ran home.
The little thief.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Hello
I'm back from camp!
mwahahah
Any ideas for what I should write about?
Expect a new post soon…. :)
mwahahah
Any ideas for what I should write about?
Expect a new post soon…. :)
Friday, June 20, 2014
Chapter Three of Isolated! Hurrah!!!
Three
12:53 pm, December 3rd, 2099
"Hello?"
I hear the click of the key turning inside the lock, leading me inside to what will now be my house. It seems vacant, and from what I can see, it's not furnished. The dirty chandelier above my head seems precariously close to falling off the ceiling. I take a cautious step to the side.
"Hello?" I call again, this time louder.
"Hey!" comes the slightly-raspy reply. She's pretty, with a slender body, high cheekbones, and jet black hair that any girl my age would kill for. She wears her hair in a high, messy ponytail resting atop her head. Her fitted black sweatshirt looks comfortable with her loose gray sweatpants that taper at the knee. In that outfit, I wouldn't look cute, I'd look disheveled and messy. "I'm Annika," she says.
I extend my hand. "Devin," I say with a grin. She ignores my outstretched hand so I rest it by my thigh in defeat. "I like your hair."
"I like your eyes."
"Thanks, my mother gave 'em to me."
She pretends to ponder it for a bit, and then remarks, "I like you Devin. I just got her, like, ten minutes ago, but I can show you around if you'd like." I nod in reply. Annika's gait is strong and confident, while I stroll over very tediously, a shy walk. I follow her and don't say much.
"Welcome to Chez Annika, mon ami! Now this," she says with a rueful grin, "is where the party begins." Her unkempt room is full of scattered clothes on the floor, open drawers, little parcels laid out all over. "Your room is across the hall. Go explore!"
I practically skip to my room. My room. In my new house! Well, it's still a Community House I share with Annika, but 50% mine nonetheless.
My room is more or less my very own kingdom of isolation. It's the loneliest looking room I've ever seen. It's this depressing little bedroom with these dull grey-blue walls, a solemn twin bed, and an old wooden dresser with chipping paint. Annika runs up behind me and gives me plaintive eyes as if to say, sorry I got the bigger and better room? I tentatively shrug in response. I brace myself and enter the room to get a closer look. I slick back my boring brown hair and tighten my sleek ponytail. I'm not a very… flashy person, but even I have some raggedy old posters tacked up on my bedroom walls.
Next Annika and I decide to look at the second level of the Community House.
"So, Devin…"
"Marcus. Devin Marcus. Um, yeah?"
"The second level is this lanky old kitchen. There's not table to eat at and stuff, but I found a foldable one in the laundry room, which is on the other side of the second floor. Silverware's not too expensive, but we can buy plastic ones for now at the Market until we can afford real ones that are actually nice." There's a slight pause. "you know, my grandfather had eyes just like yours."
"Really?" I nearly shriek. "I've never met another person with eyes like mine."
"Nope. He didn't. Just wanted to see your reaction."
I let out a weird snort-laugh just as we reach the second level. "That's an awfully weird prank," I smirk.
"I guess I'm awfully weird, then," she chuckles in reply. "Lange, by the way. That's my last name."
After I finish unpacking, Annika Lange and I talk for a while…
Until I get an unexpected phone call.
12:53 pm, December 3rd, 2099
"Hello?"
I hear the click of the key turning inside the lock, leading me inside to what will now be my house. It seems vacant, and from what I can see, it's not furnished. The dirty chandelier above my head seems precariously close to falling off the ceiling. I take a cautious step to the side.
"Hello?" I call again, this time louder.
"Hey!" comes the slightly-raspy reply. She's pretty, with a slender body, high cheekbones, and jet black hair that any girl my age would kill for. She wears her hair in a high, messy ponytail resting atop her head. Her fitted black sweatshirt looks comfortable with her loose gray sweatpants that taper at the knee. In that outfit, I wouldn't look cute, I'd look disheveled and messy. "I'm Annika," she says.
I extend my hand. "Devin," I say with a grin. She ignores my outstretched hand so I rest it by my thigh in defeat. "I like your hair."
"I like your eyes."
"Thanks, my mother gave 'em to me."
She pretends to ponder it for a bit, and then remarks, "I like you Devin. I just got her, like, ten minutes ago, but I can show you around if you'd like." I nod in reply. Annika's gait is strong and confident, while I stroll over very tediously, a shy walk. I follow her and don't say much.
"Welcome to Chez Annika, mon ami! Now this," she says with a rueful grin, "is where the party begins." Her unkempt room is full of scattered clothes on the floor, open drawers, little parcels laid out all over. "Your room is across the hall. Go explore!"
I practically skip to my room. My room. In my new house! Well, it's still a Community House I share with Annika, but 50% mine nonetheless.
My room is more or less my very own kingdom of isolation. It's the loneliest looking room I've ever seen. It's this depressing little bedroom with these dull grey-blue walls, a solemn twin bed, and an old wooden dresser with chipping paint. Annika runs up behind me and gives me plaintive eyes as if to say, sorry I got the bigger and better room? I tentatively shrug in response. I brace myself and enter the room to get a closer look. I slick back my boring brown hair and tighten my sleek ponytail. I'm not a very… flashy person, but even I have some raggedy old posters tacked up on my bedroom walls.
Next Annika and I decide to look at the second level of the Community House.
"So, Devin…"
"Marcus. Devin Marcus. Um, yeah?"
"The second level is this lanky old kitchen. There's not table to eat at and stuff, but I found a foldable one in the laundry room, which is on the other side of the second floor. Silverware's not too expensive, but we can buy plastic ones for now at the Market until we can afford real ones that are actually nice." There's a slight pause. "you know, my grandfather had eyes just like yours."
"Really?" I nearly shriek. "I've never met another person with eyes like mine."
"Nope. He didn't. Just wanted to see your reaction."
I let out a weird snort-laugh just as we reach the second level. "That's an awfully weird prank," I smirk.
"I guess I'm awfully weird, then," she chuckles in reply. "Lange, by the way. That's my last name."
After I finish unpacking, Annika Lange and I talk for a while…
Until I get an unexpected phone call.
Why Milliana's 3rd Adventure is Totally Rational
IN WHICH I FIND THE STORY OF "MILLIANA GOES OVERBOARD"
I was recently going through my drawers to clean out some of the old crap I have in there. I found a writers' notebook from second grade. Comedy. Freaking. GOLD.
DISCLAIMER:After reading this entry you WILL want to read Milliana's third adventure story…
Let me go through why this book/short story I wrote in second grade is 100% rational (in chronological order)...
1. Because a free birthday party for college students on the Intrepid in NYC is what everyone does.
2. Because 20 year olds still have birthday parties (without alcohol).
3. Because the Intrepid is so awfully guarded/railing-less that a girl can just fall off the boat.
4. Because instead of screaming your friend over to pull you back up onto the boat, you tell her to drop you into a life boat and float you away forever.
5. Because your friend will then just say "sure" and then walk away as you drop into the Hudson River.
6. Because from the Intrepid, the river obviously leads directly into the ocean.
7. Because when you go on the Intrepid, your dad packs you scuba gear and cheerios (?) assuming you'll fall off.
8. Because there will always be a shark on the North-East coast that will die from hitting a piece of coral.
9. Because there's always a desert island in the middle of the ocean.
10. Because a rich girl fell off her yacht and got stranded on that desert island, and no one went back to rescue her. Obviously! Why would they?
11. Because everyone's dad owns a helicopter.
12. Because Malissa is always spelled with an A instead of an E as the second letter.
13. Because Malissa will move in with you when you find her instead of going back to live with her parents.
14. Because you never know when you have two tickets to a Lady Gaga concert in New York.
15. Because while you may "go to college" in New York city you don't ACTUALLY attend this college.
16. Because you live in Seattle, go to college at the same time New York, and then go back just for an expensive Lady Gaga concert that you randomly have tickets to.
17. Because your dad with the last name Roberts was named Robert.
THIS COULD TOTALLY HAPPEN, RIGHT?
right.
I was recently going through my drawers to clean out some of the old crap I have in there. I found a writers' notebook from second grade. Comedy. Freaking. GOLD.
DISCLAIMER:After reading this entry you WILL want to read Milliana's third adventure story…
Let me go through why this book/short story I wrote in second grade is 100% rational (in chronological order)...
1. Because a free birthday party for college students on the Intrepid in NYC is what everyone does.
2. Because 20 year olds still have birthday parties (without alcohol).
3. Because the Intrepid is so awfully guarded/railing-less that a girl can just fall off the boat.
4. Because instead of screaming your friend over to pull you back up onto the boat, you tell her to drop you into a life boat and float you away forever.
5. Because your friend will then just say "sure" and then walk away as you drop into the Hudson River.
6. Because from the Intrepid, the river obviously leads directly into the ocean.
7. Because when you go on the Intrepid, your dad packs you scuba gear and cheerios (?) assuming you'll fall off.
8. Because there will always be a shark on the North-East coast that will die from hitting a piece of coral.
9. Because there's always a desert island in the middle of the ocean.
10. Because a rich girl fell off her yacht and got stranded on that desert island, and no one went back to rescue her. Obviously! Why would they?
11. Because everyone's dad owns a helicopter.
12. Because Malissa is always spelled with an A instead of an E as the second letter.
13. Because Malissa will move in with you when you find her instead of going back to live with her parents.
14. Because you never know when you have two tickets to a Lady Gaga concert in New York.
15. Because while you may "go to college" in New York city you don't ACTUALLY attend this college.
16. Because you live in Seattle, go to college at the same time New York, and then go back just for an expensive Lady Gaga concert that you randomly have tickets to.
17. Because your dad with the last name Roberts was named Robert.
THIS COULD TOTALLY HAPPEN, RIGHT?
right.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Fluffy the Cat
Naturally, my childhood dream was to get a pet. In late spring during my sixth year on planet Earth, my parents and I had discussed getting a dog. I even took a poll among my classroom. Some of the names were very Beatles inspired. The names were Penny, Penny Lane, Lucy, and Molly. Molly was my favorite name, so when I saw that Penny was in the lead, I MAY HAVE added on about six votes to Molly's name.
Soon after the poll, my best friend Sarah told me something LIFE CHANGING (cue scary DUN DUN DUN Music)...
She would be getting a cat.
"We're going to the shelter after school!" Was the first thing I heard.
"The shelter was so cool! We saw this really fluffy cat... he was SO cute!!!!" spiraled my jealousy.
"Mommy and me are going back to the shelter today. We're getting that fluffy cat!!! What should I name him? Fluffy!" such a cute name, I thought.
And finally, the dreaded... "We got Fluffy!"
My jealousy was eating me alive. Sarah told me lots about her adorable cat fluffy. I longed to meet/own this cat. Then some depressing news came...
Fluffy had passed away.
I went home that day and told my Mom.
"Mommy, Sarah's new cat died," I said as I put my finished cup of milk in the sink.
"That's a shame," she replied. "Already? Didn't she just get him, like, three days ago, though?"
"That's what I asked. She told me that it was because they got him at a shelter when he was super-duper old."
"Oh," Mom said, and went upstairs to do some work.
My mother used to not work Thursdays and Fridays, so sometimes she picked me up from Kindergarten at the end of the day. Not long after the Unfortunate Passing, she saw Sarah at Pickup Time. "I'm sorry about Fluffy, Sarah," Mom said. A puzzled look formed on Sarah's face. "Fluffy? Oh! Fluffy."
Yup. Turns out Sarah made up Fluffy.
And now we are still friends!!! MIND BLOWN! It was a great injustice though. Sarah, I will now throw eggs at Monica's ugly green car.
-In memory of Fluffy
Soon after the poll, my best friend Sarah told me something LIFE CHANGING (cue scary DUN DUN DUN Music)...
She would be getting a cat.
"We're going to the shelter after school!" Was the first thing I heard.
"The shelter was so cool! We saw this really fluffy cat... he was SO cute!!!!" spiraled my jealousy.
"Mommy and me are going back to the shelter today. We're getting that fluffy cat!!! What should I name him? Fluffy!" such a cute name, I thought.
And finally, the dreaded... "We got Fluffy!"
My jealousy was eating me alive. Sarah told me lots about her adorable cat fluffy. I longed to meet/own this cat. Then some depressing news came...
Fluffy had passed away.
I went home that day and told my Mom.
"Mommy, Sarah's new cat died," I said as I put my finished cup of milk in the sink.
"That's a shame," she replied. "Already? Didn't she just get him, like, three days ago, though?"
"That's what I asked. She told me that it was because they got him at a shelter when he was super-duper old."
"Oh," Mom said, and went upstairs to do some work.
My mother used to not work Thursdays and Fridays, so sometimes she picked me up from Kindergarten at the end of the day. Not long after the Unfortunate Passing, she saw Sarah at Pickup Time. "I'm sorry about Fluffy, Sarah," Mom said. A puzzled look formed on Sarah's face. "Fluffy? Oh! Fluffy."
Yup. Turns out Sarah made up Fluffy.
And now we are still friends!!! MIND BLOWN! It was a great injustice though. Sarah, I will now throw eggs at Monica's ugly green car.
-In memory of Fluffy
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Chapter Two of Isolated!
Okay so you know that story/book I was writing that I showed the first chapter for? Okay, here is the second. Haven't been able to work on this a lot, so it's quite a bit short. Whatevs.
Two
7:33 PM, December 2nd, 2099
"So, what's your job?"
"What do you mean, what's my job, Ma?"
"Devin, honey, you didn't take the test yet? Oh, Alexander, it was so different back in the fifties. Do you remember? We could just apply for one! That Google job was amazing."
My mother is an amazingly nice and warm woman. She has green eyes that shimmer in the light and are accentuated whenever she wears a green blouse. Tonight she is wearing a turquoise long-sleeved top with some black slacks and boots. Every time she laughs, she looks young and rejuvenated. Her laugh lines look like laugh lines, not wrinkles, as they usually do on most women her age.
"Yes, Talia, but it was very hard to get into," my father smiles. He also has a similar aura- a similar feel to his laugh- to my mother. A warm one. He has thinly wired rectangular glasses and short brown hair. He scoops up some potatoes and string beans and dumps them on his plate.
" A what test?" I say, an anxious look plastered on my face, worry lines forming on my forehead.
"Just your applications test, that's all."
My stomach drops. "I just had my presentation at the town Redemption Office. Why didn't they explain it?"
"I'm not sure. Might've been just a small glitch." I gulp at that response, a feverish heat engulfing my body. The Realmkeepers know no glitches.
Dad plays with his potatoes with his fork, swiveling them around with the metal tongs on the shiny plate. I shove mine into my mouth. The silence is filled with awkwardness, making everybody fidget in their seats. How could I not have taken this so-called "application test?" Either it really was a glitch, or there's something seriously wrong with me. I hope it’s not the latter…
I angstily change the subject, desperately trying to fill the gaps of the awkward silence. Mom is in the kitchen, wiping off some dishes. She returns to the table and politely sits down. Her hair, that she usually wears down on her shoulders, is pulled back into a loose chignon that sits on the top of her head. She adjusts her glasses. “So, um… I’m moving in to my Community House tomorrow,” I say.
“Oh! I almost forgot to ask you about that! Do you know who your roommate is?” Dad says. He’s pretty shy, but he’s completely generous, so whenever he speaks, it’s usually something nice he has to say.
“I’m not really supposed to know who it is yet, I guess? I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter, anyway, since I’ll meet her tomorrow.”
“I hope she’s nice, Dev.” Mom lays her napkin down on her lap and serves herself a little bit of string beans. She is sitting in a silence so intense it doesn’t seem silent. I can see the tears making her eyes glossy.
“Mom?”
“Talia?”
She lets out a slight chuckle, and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m- um- I’m just going to miss you, a lot, Devin.”
“Oh, Mom. You’ll see me plenty.”
We wait there for a second.
“And I’m gonna miss you, too.”
We eat the rest of our dinner quietly, but a pleasant aura still remains. Tomorrow, I leave to start a new life for myself. But just because I am doesn’t mean I leave my family. It just means there’s a further distance between us. And that’s okay, I guess.
“I don’t know why you’ll miss me so much. I’m not exactly what you’d call charismatic,” I joke, giving a rueful grin to let my parents know I am being sarcastic. The chuckle in response is half-hearted and teary.
We eat the rest of dinner in silence.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Lyrics Are Confuzzling, Guys.
I confuse lyrics all the time. So I was listening to "Girls Chase Boys" by Ingrid Michaelson and thought it was "it's so simple" but it's actually "it's all the same thing," and thus I was inspired to write this. Enjoy, I guess!
Girls Chase Boys, Ingrid Michaelson: What I thought: Oh oh oh oh, it's so simple! Actual lyric: Oh oh oh oh, it's all the same thing!
SexyBack, Justin Timberlake: What I thought: Go, go, heppi-co. Actual lyric: Go, go 'head, be goin'.
Paradise, Coldplay: What I thought: Meals take all the butterflies. Actual lyric: Wheel breaks the butterfly. (?!?!)
Bulletproof, La roux: What I thought: This time baby, I'll eat meat. Bulletproof... (no kidding I actually thought that!). Actual lyric: This time maybe, I'll be-e-e, bulletproof...
Machine, Regina Spektor: What I thought: Hupped in the machine! Hupped in the machine! Actual lyric: Hooked into machine! Hooked into machine!
Yeah. And those are just off the top of my head.
Girls Chase Boys, Ingrid Michaelson: What I thought: Oh oh oh oh, it's so simple! Actual lyric: Oh oh oh oh, it's all the same thing!
SexyBack, Justin Timberlake: What I thought: Go, go, heppi-co. Actual lyric: Go, go 'head, be goin'.
Paradise, Coldplay: What I thought: Meals take all the butterflies. Actual lyric: Wheel breaks the butterfly. (?!?!)
Bulletproof, La roux: What I thought: This time baby, I'll eat meat. Bulletproof... (no kidding I actually thought that!). Actual lyric: This time maybe, I'll be-e-e, bulletproof...
Machine, Regina Spektor: What I thought: Hupped in the machine! Hupped in the machine! Actual lyric: Hooked into machine! Hooked into machine!
Yeah. And those are just off the top of my head.
About Kittens
Well.
I AM A DOG PERSON. Cats are cute, but I only like kittens. I recently found out I am allergic to cats, but that doesn't change my views. Cats do not interact with you NEARLY as much as dogs. When is the last time you said "come, bring me the ball and we'll play fetch" to a cat? So, here is some of these:
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU...
-Told your cat to "sit, give you a paw, no, the other paw, uh-uh, the other paw, now lie down"?
-Took your cat on a walk?
-patted the foot of your bed in attempt to get your cat to sleep on your bed?
-Said, "WHO'S A GOOD GIRL?" over and over in a baby voice to your cat?
-gave your cat ten billion tummy rubs? no. I take that back. ten kajillion-zillion-tribillion tummy rubs?
-Told your cat to "come here, puppy!"
-TOOK YOUR CAT ON A FRACKIN' WALK?!?!
So yeah. Although once when I was nine. I saw a cat on a leash and I burst out laughing and nearly caused my babysitter to crash into the curb.
Also, why in the world would you let your cat be an OUTDOOR CAT?
It's basically like saying, "Okay, so I love you kitty! I'm just letting you run away so you can get hit by a car or bitten by some wild animal with rabies or get lost and never find your way back!" And some kitten lovers may argue that most cats find their way back, but I can give you many examples of friends' and others' cats who have run away and gotten lost.
Before I continue with my point (which honestly I have no doubt where it is heading), let me just justify my current point with this BUZZFEED ARTICLE. JUST, JUST, YES.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/chelseamarshall/best-dog-pictures
Okay. Totally forgot what I was going to say, so... um...
BYE!
I AM A DOG PERSON. Cats are cute, but I only like kittens. I recently found out I am allergic to cats, but that doesn't change my views. Cats do not interact with you NEARLY as much as dogs. When is the last time you said "come, bring me the ball and we'll play fetch" to a cat? So, here is some of these:
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU...
-Told your cat to "sit, give you a paw, no, the other paw, uh-uh, the other paw, now lie down"?
-Took your cat on a walk?
-patted the foot of your bed in attempt to get your cat to sleep on your bed?
-Said, "WHO'S A GOOD GIRL?" over and over in a baby voice to your cat?
-gave your cat ten billion tummy rubs? no. I take that back. ten kajillion-zillion-tribillion tummy rubs?
-Told your cat to "come here, puppy!"
-TOOK YOUR CAT ON A FRACKIN' WALK?!?!
So yeah. Although once when I was nine. I saw a cat on a leash and I burst out laughing and nearly caused my babysitter to crash into the curb.
Also, why in the world would you let your cat be an OUTDOOR CAT?
It's basically like saying, "Okay, so I love you kitty! I'm just letting you run away so you can get hit by a car or bitten by some wild animal with rabies or get lost and never find your way back!" And some kitten lovers may argue that most cats find their way back, but I can give you many examples of friends' and others' cats who have run away and gotten lost.
Before I continue with my point (which honestly I have no doubt where it is heading), let me just justify my current point with this BUZZFEED ARTICLE. JUST, JUST, YES.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/chelseamarshall/best-dog-pictures
Okay. Totally forgot what I was going to say, so... um...
BYE!
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Just Thought You May Wanna See My Journal
hi i am ella and i am stupid....yaaaaay*
*That was written by my au pair. Siggggghhhh
10:46 PM, May 20th, 2014
Hello! So today I had school, but you know, I do most of my life, so... yeah. Let's see what I can talk about?
Well, do you (I'll just call "you" a "you" for now because you're just a notebook, but I can't really give you any other appropriate pronoun, hehehehe)realize how ironically the word "funny" is used (based off an idea by Esther Earl-- btw rest in awesome, Estee)? Even when you're not using it sarcastically. e.g. "Omg it's sooooo funny, Bob, just, like, texted me!" What the crapbuckets is funny about that?!?! >.<
It's pretty late and I have a math test tomorrow, but my "fatigue" usually wears off by, like, the middle of first period. So I guess that should buy me some time. It's funny (DARN IT! I've been trying to avoid using that word ironically, but I guess it's a filthy old habit. Mwahahaha), I used to never dot my "I"s, and people would be like, "What the poop?" So lately, I've been working on it. In retrospect, let me just say that
OOPS forgot what I was gonna say.
My hand hurts ugggh.
Sorry for the messy handwriting. I bet that, like, in *some* many years I won't be able to read it and my handwriting will probably be TOTALLY different ummmm. Yeah but it's likely I'll have no idea where in the world this is. I hope you find it, Future Me.
LUKE, I AM YOUR FATHER.
Okay for now, I'm gonna sign off and read a book until I fall asleep.
'Night, dahlinks.
12:09 AM
Okay, so it's been nearly an hour and a half, and I am nowhere close to sleepiness. I hate it when you are totally drowsy and you can't fall asleep and you just wait there like a total idiot or something. I also have that really unpleasant/uncomfortable thing where one of my nostrils is all stuffed up and I keep getting all paranoid that If I close my mouth when I sleep I'll only have one nostril to breathe out of and yeah. Do you know what I'm saying? Correct answer - no, 'cause "you" don't have a brain. *eye drawing* and that was a random eyeball in case you feel like looking at a random eyeball. Yeah...
#insomniacproblems
Sooooo in case anyone steals this, just warning you, you probably won't find any "juicy" stuff in here, heheheheh. Like, no stuff about crushes or girly things like that. It's interesting, I've always wanted a journal to confide in, and now that I've finally got one and am writing in it, I don't feel that urgent need to...
spill. I feel like all my secrets are kind of (semi-)permanently etched in my brain. :/
*suckish cat doodle* <---- cat (a.k.a. what I'm allergic to)
good night (for now).
:)
*That was written by my au pair. Siggggghhhh
10:46 PM, May 20th, 2014
Hello! So today I had school, but you know, I do most of my life, so... yeah. Let's see what I can talk about?
Well, do you (I'll just call "you" a "you" for now because you're just a notebook, but I can't really give you any other appropriate pronoun, hehehehe)realize how ironically the word "funny" is used (based off an idea by Esther Earl-- btw rest in awesome, Estee)? Even when you're not using it sarcastically. e.g. "Omg it's sooooo funny, Bob, just, like, texted me!" What the crapbuckets is funny about that?!?! >.<
It's pretty late and I have a math test tomorrow, but my "fatigue" usually wears off by, like, the middle of first period. So I guess that should buy me some time. It's funny (DARN IT! I've been trying to avoid using that word ironically, but I guess it's a filthy old habit. Mwahahaha), I used to never dot my "I"s, and people would be like, "What the poop?" So lately, I've been working on it. In retrospect, let me just say that
OOPS forgot what I was gonna say.
My hand hurts ugggh.
Sorry for the messy handwriting. I bet that, like, in *some* many years I won't be able to read it and my handwriting will probably be TOTALLY different ummmm. Yeah but it's likely I'll have no idea where in the world this is. I hope you find it, Future Me.
LUKE, I AM YOUR FATHER.
Okay for now, I'm gonna sign off and read a book until I fall asleep.
'Night, dahlinks.
12:09 AM
Okay, so it's been nearly an hour and a half, and I am nowhere close to sleepiness. I hate it when you are totally drowsy and you can't fall asleep and you just wait there like a total idiot or something. I also have that really unpleasant/uncomfortable thing where one of my nostrils is all stuffed up and I keep getting all paranoid that If I close my mouth when I sleep I'll only have one nostril to breathe out of and yeah. Do you know what I'm saying? Correct answer - no, 'cause "you" don't have a brain. *eye drawing* and that was a random eyeball in case you feel like looking at a random eyeball. Yeah...
#insomniacproblems
Sooooo in case anyone steals this, just warning you, you probably won't find any "juicy" stuff in here, heheheheh. Like, no stuff about crushes or girly things like that. It's interesting, I've always wanted a journal to confide in, and now that I've finally got one and am writing in it, I don't feel that urgent need to...
spill. I feel like all my secrets are kind of (semi-)permanently etched in my brain. :/
*suckish cat doodle* <---- cat (a.k.a. what I'm allergic to)
good night (for now).
:)
Thoughts.
I think a lot. Most of it is SUPER random thoughts, and I'm gonna take a (non)educated guess that 40% of my thoughts during the school day actually have to do with school. So um, here are some examples of my majesticalistic thoughts and such:
-What if we pronounced words like they're actually spelled? Ha. Suc-hool. :)
-Hey, I went to day camp with that 8th grader a while ago! I wonder if she remembers me?
-no. I just threw an awkward "hi" smile at a girl who thinks I'm a total and complete stranger... (#strangerdanger)
-My stomach hurts. IS IT APPENDICITIS???
-"Medieval" should be spelled differently. Mid-evil...
-STOP TALKING I'M TRYING TO READ SECRETLY UNDER MY DESK AND YOU'RE BEING ANNOYING AND IT'S A REALLY GOOD BOOOOOOKKKKK!!!
-Hee hee. The teacher said "duty." Think about it...... think about it.....
-I wonder if I can fill a whole page with doodles...
-doodle is a funny word.
-Why did the chicken cross the road? Why? To get to the idiot's house. ...Knock-knock. Who's there? The idiot.
-Wait, if I answer that the idiot's there, doesn't it mean that I'M the idiot?!?! Mind = Blown
-I want to go to beddddddddddd
-hee-hee, when I'm sped up I sound like a chipmunk. Or a squirrel? I don't know.
-Here's a song: butterfly, should be "flutterby", 'cause it flutters by! Oh Butterfly, why oh why? I don't know! Are you covered in butter, O majestic creature?
-OOOOooOOh foooood. Lunch is just in.... 79 minutes! O joy.
-Food is smexy.
-I should write a best-selling novel.
-Mwahahahahahah hee hee.
-Swagggggggie - the wise words of the late, great Justin Beaver.
Okay, so that's about it for now! And I know that this is about as cliché as you can get, but... I hope you enjoyed!
-What if we pronounced words like they're actually spelled? Ha. Suc-hool. :)
-Hey, I went to day camp with that 8th grader a while ago! I wonder if she remembers me?
-no. I just threw an awkward "hi" smile at a girl who thinks I'm a total and complete stranger... (#strangerdanger)
-My stomach hurts. IS IT APPENDICITIS???
-"Medieval" should be spelled differently. Mid-evil...
-STOP TALKING I'M TRYING TO READ SECRETLY UNDER MY DESK AND YOU'RE BEING ANNOYING AND IT'S A REALLY GOOD BOOOOOOKKKKK!!!
-Hee hee. The teacher said "duty." Think about it...... think about it.....
-I wonder if I can fill a whole page with doodles...
-doodle is a funny word.
-Why did the chicken cross the road? Why? To get to the idiot's house. ...Knock-knock. Who's there? The idiot.
-Wait, if I answer that the idiot's there, doesn't it mean that I'M the idiot?!?! Mind = Blown
-I want to go to beddddddddddd
-hee-hee, when I'm sped up I sound like a chipmunk. Or a squirrel? I don't know.
-Here's a song: butterfly, should be "flutterby", 'cause it flutters by! Oh Butterfly, why oh why? I don't know! Are you covered in butter, O majestic creature?
-OOOOooOOh foooood. Lunch is just in.... 79 minutes! O joy.
-Food is smexy.
-I should write a best-selling novel.
-Mwahahahahahah hee hee.
-Swagggggggie - the wise words of the late, great Justin Beaver.
Okay, so that's about it for now! And I know that this is about as cliché as you can get, but... I hope you enjoyed!
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Embarrassing Stories!
Here are some embarrassing stories. I hope you enjoy (but not really they were pure terror for me).
School Related:
1. You know that new song "#Selfie"? Of course you do. Well, when I find a new word I really like, I tend to use it rather frequently. So I found this word in the song "ratchet" and I wasn't exactly sure what it meant, but I used it anyway. My first period class is Science, so I walked in early (which is not exactly a usual thing, and I was über excited), and screamed LOUDER THAN I INTENDED TO "Guys, I'm early! Isn't that totally RATCHET?" And everybody cracked up and I turned beet red. No, I take that back, Beet-stains-on-your-fingers Red. Now my friend makes fun of me for it EVERY DAY.
2. In my school you can go to this thing called extra help, which is where you go to the teacher either early in the morning or during lunch, for... extra help. I was a little behind in one class, so I went to extra help in the morning and got caught up. I was like six minutes early in the hallway, and there were about five or six people at their lockers. So I shouted "WHO'S READY FOR PERIOD ONE, D WING?" relatively loudly. And only one boy replied, "Me! Yeah!" and it was very embarrassing for the both of us.
3. Another gullible story. My friends convince me of lots of things, and recently small things. For instance, my friend Emmie (you know her if you read this blog) did this braided headband thing. It looked really good and matched her hair color exactly, so I thought she didn't. Three days later she removed it from her head and I gasped. "Got ya!" She yelled. Also I was away in California for a family event for a week, and O said, "By the way, while you were gone, they changed the announcements to period 2." So my teacher Mr. L. was talking wondering when the announcements were, and I replied, "Oh, they changed them to period 2." and everybody was cracking up to themselves. Later I learned it was because of testing. The next day, obviously, it was back to period 1. Now whenever we go too long without funniness/awkwardness/embarrassment, everyone brings it up. UGGGGGGGGGH
Camp Related
4. I was sleeping in my bunk bed until I heard a squeak. I abruptly shot up into the air. My best friend, S, was in the bunk below me. "Wake up!" I whispered. "Wake up wake up wake up!" She woke up looking scared. "WHAT'S WRONG?" she whisper-screamed at me. "Do you hear that?" I asked. She listened for a little while, but there was no squeaking. I sighed. "Just listen. It will come again." She rolled her eyes. "Go to bed, El." I heard a whatever coming from her as I climbed back up the ladder. But there it came again. The squeak. I could've sworn it was a squirrel! Coming from the corner of our cabin. Her head shot up. "I hear it!" She stuck her head back down into her bed. I confirmed she was sleeping when I heard gentle snores coming from below me. I slowly crept toward the corner. The only problem was that the counselor was sleeping right next to the squirrel. Finally I saw it, nibbling in a little corner. And- I can not make this stuff up- It JUMPED. I did a half scream, half OH MY GLOBS I HAVE TO BE QUIET OR ELSE EVERYONE WILL WAKE UP whisper yelp. The counselor woke up as I creaked open the door for the squirrel to escape. And that's how I got briefly yelled at (yelling meaning "ok it was just a squirrel go to bed) by my counselor for being scared by a squirrel.
Sheer...
Terror.
School Related:
1. You know that new song "#Selfie"? Of course you do. Well, when I find a new word I really like, I tend to use it rather frequently. So I found this word in the song "ratchet" and I wasn't exactly sure what it meant, but I used it anyway. My first period class is Science, so I walked in early (which is not exactly a usual thing, and I was über excited), and screamed LOUDER THAN I INTENDED TO "Guys, I'm early! Isn't that totally RATCHET?" And everybody cracked up and I turned beet red. No, I take that back, Beet-stains-on-your-fingers Red. Now my friend makes fun of me for it EVERY DAY.
2. In my school you can go to this thing called extra help, which is where you go to the teacher either early in the morning or during lunch, for... extra help. I was a little behind in one class, so I went to extra help in the morning and got caught up. I was like six minutes early in the hallway, and there were about five or six people at their lockers. So I shouted "WHO'S READY FOR PERIOD ONE, D WING?" relatively loudly. And only one boy replied, "Me! Yeah!" and it was very embarrassing for the both of us.
3. Another gullible story. My friends convince me of lots of things, and recently small things. For instance, my friend Emmie (you know her if you read this blog) did this braided headband thing. It looked really good and matched her hair color exactly, so I thought she didn't. Three days later she removed it from her head and I gasped. "Got ya!" She yelled. Also I was away in California for a family event for a week, and O said, "By the way, while you were gone, they changed the announcements to period 2." So my teacher Mr. L. was talking wondering when the announcements were, and I replied, "Oh, they changed them to period 2." and everybody was cracking up to themselves. Later I learned it was because of testing. The next day, obviously, it was back to period 1. Now whenever we go too long without funniness/awkwardness/embarrassment, everyone brings it up. UGGGGGGGGGH
Camp Related
4. I was sleeping in my bunk bed until I heard a squeak. I abruptly shot up into the air. My best friend, S, was in the bunk below me. "Wake up!" I whispered. "Wake up wake up wake up!" She woke up looking scared. "WHAT'S WRONG?" she whisper-screamed at me. "Do you hear that?" I asked. She listened for a little while, but there was no squeaking. I sighed. "Just listen. It will come again." She rolled her eyes. "Go to bed, El." I heard a whatever coming from her as I climbed back up the ladder. But there it came again. The squeak. I could've sworn it was a squirrel! Coming from the corner of our cabin. Her head shot up. "I hear it!" She stuck her head back down into her bed. I confirmed she was sleeping when I heard gentle snores coming from below me. I slowly crept toward the corner. The only problem was that the counselor was sleeping right next to the squirrel. Finally I saw it, nibbling in a little corner. And- I can not make this stuff up- It JUMPED. I did a half scream, half OH MY GLOBS I HAVE TO BE QUIET OR ELSE EVERYONE WILL WAKE UP whisper yelp. The counselor woke up as I creaked open the door for the squirrel to escape. And that's how I got briefly yelled at (yelling meaning "ok it was just a squirrel go to bed) by my counselor for being scared by a squirrel.
Sheer...
Terror.
My Book Yay!
Remember when I told you guys about Isolated, that book I was writing? Well here is chapter one!!!!! PLEASE READ AND COMMENT YOUR FEEDBACK.
here it is!
here it is!
One
Of all the things to forget, I've forgotten the most important. I've forgotten who I used to be and who was close to me; I've forgotten my enemies, my best friends. Although these things define everyone else in the world, they seem merely irrelevant to me. Some might consider this a weakness, like my lack of ability to note an evil gleam in the eye, or how I somehow am not able to feel any embarrassment whatsoever. But like I said before: irrelevant. You know, life is funny like that. We always are so confident to step in, but once we're in, stepping back out again seems urgent. Yet, coming back to it all, the only important thing I remember is how it all started.
It started on my fifteenth birthday.
11:49 PM, December 2nd, 2099
The first thing I notice when I walk in the waiting room is the smell- it's that deadly waiting room smell of fresh paint and unscented hand sanitizer. I check myself in at the front desk with the fidgety receptionist, whose name (judging by the name plate on her desk) is Naomi. Her over-gelled brunette hair is in a perfect bun sitting on the top of her head that looks so tight is it was scalping her. Naomi pushes her glasses up from the bridge to the base of her nose.
I choose the most isolated seat, which is basically far away from everything else. Although, the chair is exactly identical to all the others: gray and cushioned. I glance at the hideous cream-colored walls, complete with chipping paint and grease stains. My grandmother, who was an interior designer, would be rolling in her grave if she saw this room. The place is unsettling.
After a bit of observing, I decide to focus my eyes on one place. I look straight ahead to see a boy my age, with tousled dirty blonde hair and green eyes. He is wearing an old green v-neck t-shirt with distressed jeans and some old sneakers. He is attractive, but not my type. I've never really had a boyfriend anyway; this is just my fifteenth birthday. And judging from that we are both here, it’s his too.
But the thing about him is that he is staring at me.
He’s looking at me like I'm the most interesting thing in the world. It’s probably my eyes. My stupid eyes always make everybody stare at me, just because they are different. It kind of ostracizes me from the rest of the world. Well, in terms of my eyes, anyway. I accidentally make eye contact with him, and my eyes immediately flash downwards. I clear my throat and bring up the courage to talk to him.
"Um, excuse me?"
My words bring him out of his trance. He looks mesmerized, and a coral color rose to his cheeks as he realized that he was being sort of rude.
"Oh, sorry."
"It's my eyes, isn't it?
"What do you mean?"
"Um, I have one green eye and one blue eye?"
"Oh, sorry. No, it's actually not that. I just, I mean… you have, like, really bright eyes.” Now it’s my turn to blush. If I’m not mistaken, that was a flirt.
"Thanks," I mumble.
It is getting really awkward until Naomi calls my name. I walk towards Doctor Bloom's office, but my heart is beating rapidly as my old boots click against the tiled floor. I round the corner to try and keep up with her fast-paced footsteps. When we finally arrive at the office, I feel the claustrophobia start to creep up on me as I notice how tightly confined the space is.
Doctor Bloom pats the blue padded counter-like thing, a notion for me to get up on it. I hop up, and my feet are swinging in the air. I was always tall, yet I feel quite petite every time I sat on one of these things; they make me uncomfortable. My back starts hurting. I notice I'm slouching, so I try to sit up as straight as I can. The doctor is in the corner, checking something over on a clip board. It could be my health info... or a criminal record or something. Not that I have one...
"Okay, Devin. So you know the drill- it was discussed with you at the town meeting by the mayor. All I'm going to do is give you this shot, and in the fluid is a microscopic tracker that will be injected into you as soon as the syringe goes beneath your skin. This tracker will tell you what Nemblar you will be grouped in." She pauses, as if waiting for me to say something. I can't help but notice how casually and nonchalantly she says these words. When I don't say anything, she goes on.
"Anyway, the syringe is not that big, and I mean this when I say it, it won't hurt. The only time it might pinch a little is when the tracker enters your body, I promise." I nod in reply; I'm not really afraid of shots. Syringes.
But she lifts the syringe up and I start to feel a little... queasy. I think the thought of having somebody following my whereabouts for my whole life just sort of panics me. Doctor Bloom sees the slight fear in my eyes and gives me a soothing look. " Oh, Devin. Don't worry. I promise you, the most amazing thing will happen..."
Amazing??? Nothing amazing has ever come out of a shot. Except a sore arm.
I inhale deeply as the sharp needle pierce my skin. I exhale, relieved that it doesn't hurt that much. I do feel a slight pinch, but that stays with me the whole time. The pinch is the tracker. Then I feel a surprising tickle on my forearm, and in a splurge of green they come. The words.
Almost like a holograph- except it is coming out of my arm. It is green lettering, but the broken up kind, like those of the numbers on a clock radio or some kind of digital clock. Rather than scaring me (like it should- that should be the gut and initial reaction of everybody except me), it fascinates me. When they arise, the tickling vanishes. These words appear, hovering about six or seven inches over my arm: YOU ARE GROUPED IN NEMBLAR THREE. REPORT TO YOUR TOWN REDEMPTION OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.
"Okay! Devin, good luck in Nemblar Three."
"Doctor Bloom?"
"Yes, Devin?"
"Um, what Nemblar are you in?"
"Nemblar One."
"Oh. Thanks, Doctor Bloom! I'll see you at my annual checkup."
"Yep! You'll take the AirTube."
With a quick, astute smile, I walk out of the door. Walking out from the door parallel from Doctor Bloom's office is the peculiar boy from the waiting room. It just occurred to me that I never asked him his name. He isn't staring at me anymore, but I have the urge to cover my eyes. Even if he likes me, my eyes always make me feel so weird.
"Hi," I say, surprised at my own voice; surprised that I am the first to speak.
"Hey."
"Um, what's your name?"
He seems pleased that I wanted to know his name. It's oddly unnerving. It's almost like an "agree to dissagree" scenario- he likes me (well, I think he does) but I don't like him. Or at least I think I don't. I realize we are frozen in the middle of a hallway, a hazard to any passerby. I motion for us to move along in the hallway.
"Liam," he replies. "What Nemblar?"
"Three. What about you?"
A sad look clouds over his face. "Four."
"Well, we'll still see each other at the Town Redempton Office!" I say in a attempt to cheer him up. He nods solemnly. Even though I know it is sort of creul, I'm sort of flattered and amused by his sadness to see we won't be grouped together. For once in my life somebody is interested in me, my looks, not just that I have two different color eyes.
12:07 PM
I walk out of the building, forgetting what a nice day it was. I strap my helmet on and take off on my midnight blue and white bike. I feel kind of rude leaving him behind, but I remind myself that I didn’t even know him until today. Liam. It is such an old fashioned name.
A block away from the Redempton Office, I start to wonder why exactly it’s called the "Redemption Office." Who or what is it redeeming? My bike slows to a stop in front of the antiqued wooden green door. I see a bike rack and park it. In 2099, nobody uses cars: the AirTube and bicycles are basically our only transportation. Naomi the receptionist told me that I would be going here for a presentation on what the new Nemblar Society would be.
There is no waiting room here, but the old and wrinkled receptionist asks me my name and tells me to go to room 125. I walk up the stairs - I never really feel like taking the elevator - and turn a corner. There is a big white board with a projector in front of it. I sit down on the crimson couch, and there's nobody there. My big green sweatshirt droops over my faded jeans, and my tall combat boots lift off the ground as I cross my legs.
I guess if no one is there to start the presentation for me, I have to do it myself. I see a headset hanging from the ceiling in the corner of the room. I put the headphones around my ears. I know what this is. I close my eyes, clear my head, all except for one thought: Turn on. Turn on. Turn on. And the screen turns on. This is a fairly new device (buy new I mean mid-2080s or so), but recently it's been more popular. They call it the "Mind Reader." The. I see two big selections on the board: "Play" and "Chapters", and I think play. It starts.
I move back over to the big crimson couch. It's like watching a movie. All that's missing is some popcorn.
The first thing that happens on the screen was a woman appeared. She has soft brown eyes and textured brunette hair. She wears glasses that rest low on her nose. She seems to be looking straight into my eyes, and then she says my name softly. "Devin. Welcome to your presentation. This will tell you everything you need to know. My name is Kendra, and I will be narrating the pictures. Listen."
I'm sure some of the stuff I am going to be learning is information I'd already learned in school. In the U.S.A. (Unattached States of America), you would come of age on your fifteenth birthday. Not in terms of alcohol and stuff like that- it just means that in the new Community, you'd be seperated from your parents, and you no longer have to get an education. By your fifteenth birthday, the education is already programmed inside you.
Kendra begins to narrate the first picture: a map of what used to be a united country. It is America, with the magenta lines determining the borders of where Canada and Mexico begin. "In 2098, the government (the Realmkeepers) decided to make the country smaller, especially after the nuclear wars of 2073 over the land. Now, Canada owns the land from Washington to Massachusetts, and Mexico owns the land from California to North Carolina." The borders lower on the map, leaving ownly a strip of land right across the mddle.
"As you know, our country will be divided into four sections starting tomorrow. That's when the gates will be dropped. There were also be an unbreakable glass half-sphere around the country, so nobody can get in and nobody can get out. They don't want any more wars starting." The map is divided into four sections representing the Nemblars. I tense up a bit, my heart rate quickening. I'm not quite sure I'm ready for this yet. I wonder if anyone is.
"Everybody over fifteen is going to be living on their own. Well, not necessarily. Everybody over fifteen is living in a Community House that you will share with one roommate of your gender. The Community House is made up of two floors: each belonging to one person. Every Saturday, you'll get visiting hours from ten AM to three PM, to spend with family and friends in other Nemblars. Each village has an AirTube, which as you know, is a long train hovering ten feet over the ground that travels at an average of one hundred and ten miles per hour. You won't feel it moving fast at all.
"You will have a designated time to wake up and curfew. The children must wake up no later than seven AM on weekdays, and they must be in bed by eight thirty PM. People fifteen and older must be up for work at seven thirty AM and be in bed no later than ten. On weekends, the curfew is eleven thirty. If you break this curfew, you get a warning. Three warnings and... well, the consequences will be explained to you." Those words send shivers up my spine. I straighten my posture. Kendra also says something else that I'm not really paying attention to. Something about... romance. If there is a boy or girl you were dating and couldn't bear to be apart from, the only way you, he, or she could switch Nemblars is by getting married. I'm not sure why, but my mind flashes to Liam. I shake away the image and focus my eyes on the screen before me.
An image of Kendra returns to the screen. "Enjoy your time in Nemblar Three of the New Realm! On your way out, Pam will hand you your key so your Community house will be accessible. Have fun!"
None of this sounds fun. It all sounds grim, if you ask me. I wonder who will be my housemate while I collect my house key from the weary looking receptionist. While I am getting my bike, I notice a familiar person walking toward the AirTube stop. That's when I realize it's Liam.
I have the urge to turn away and go spend my last night with my parents in the same house, to forget it all, just like I planned to. To forget him, even when he still remembers me. But I know it is wrong, and its guilt will engulf me if I just don't say goodbye. So I get on my bike and pedal towards him. "Liam!" I call.
He turns around and I can see a smile creeping up his face. "I never did ask you your name."
"Devin."
He pauses for a moment, as if taking in my name. As soon as he hears me say it, his intense blue eyes shine brighter than I'd seen before in the doctor's office. He snapps out of it though. "I'm going to miss my AirTube. I'll see you around?"
"I don't know how that's possible. This is our last night as a joined country, and you're moving out of this town. I don't know you. But strangely, I hope I will see you around. Good luck in Nemblar Four!" Wow, that came out sounding rather harsh/awkward, I think.
He just nods in reply. I think he was hoping I would just nod and say "see you," but I was just being honest. Although I am flattered by his fascination in me, I barely know him. Yet, I want to know more about him. He is mysterious. Anonymous. And he was the only boy who thinks I’m not… well… weird.
But the hungrier I grow, the lesser my interest grows for him. Politely, I bid him goodbye and head home for the last meal made by my mother. Starting tomorrow, on the day after my fifteenth birthday...
I’ll be cooking for myself.
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