Twist In The Games

Author's Note: Everyone has their own predictions of stories. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a very popular series, but I have only read the first book. There can be many predictions to this story. My prediction you may ask is right here. Enjoy! 

I held his hand for the last time. To show Panem the two victors of the 74th annual Hunger Games. Although our love was just a fraud, no one knew besides Peeta and I. It is almost as if I had deja vu; seeing all the citizens of Panem and wild sense of culture. Right as I stepped out of that train, I immediately knew President Snow was not happy with two victors coming back, but not Panem and District 12. 

Heading back to District 12 was a sigh of relief, I thought that I would never  return home and see mom, Prim, and Gale ever again. Not just the title of being the winner of the Hunger Games, but being able to hold the three most important people in my life in my arms when I arrive. District 12 is looking the same; abandoned. Peeta on my right and Haymitch on my left, I felt isolated. Right when I was going to let out a peep, Haymitch says "We're here." 

As I step out of the car, I see a little girl running towards me. It's Prim. I give her a hug as if I will never give her one ever again. Following her is mom. She looks the same; bags under her eyes and scrawny. She's looking like she hasn't slept or ate in days. Then again, that's how she always looks. 

While everyone gathers for the ceremony, I feel as if I had cheated in a way. As President Snow places both Peeta and I's metals on our necks, it is almost as if I had been hit by a train. I ignore my conscious and act as if I hadn't felt anything at all. Zoning out while President Snow was giving his speech, all I could think about was Gale and Peeta. Gale knows me best, but was I falling for Peeta?

"Congratulations to Peeta Malark and Katniss Everdeen. The 74th Annual Hunger Games victors. Would you like to say anything Katniss?" he said with no emotion and a blank face. 

Heading to the podium, I'm as frozen as an ice cube. I must show no fear. "I would like to thank President Snow for this award and this ceromoney. Also, I would like to thank my family and friends for supporting me and cheering me on. Lastly, I would like to thank Peeta, for being there when I was struggling. I could rely on him and he was the only one I could trust. Thank you." I walk off next to Peeta. 

After the ceremony ends, I return to my old, ratty, shack house. Everything about it made it look infested with unknown species and the house looked ancient. Entering the almost falling apart door, Buttercup tries attacking me once again. If that devil tries attacking me again, he's dinner. Returning home wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. I was shocked coming home. Never did I ever think that I would survive the Hunger Games. Nor did the fact that Peeta and I both were the victors. District 12 was very diverse from Panem. Wild sense of culture there; abandoned and deserted here. They are like hot and cold. Wet and dry. Entertaining and lifeless. Both are so different. 

I care for Prim as if I never left. Mom enters the room looking dreadful. "President Snow has to talk to you. He's waiting for you in the living room." I start to worry. Am I in trouble? Is he planning on killing me? Had he found out that Peeta and I's love was a fraud? All these thoughts were going through my head. Maybe I was just over thinking. The living room had a serious and suspenseful atmosphere. Taking a seat on the abandoned chair in the corner, President Snow is investigating every inch of the room. It's as if he is looking for something. He takes the seat opposite from me. 

"This year, the Hunger Games had two victors. Opposite of what the tradition is. 73 years of one victor, but not this year. I am discusted on how we broke a tradition. In my family if there is a tie, we don't have a tie breaker. Do you know what happens when there's a tie in my family?" President Snow states.

"No." I said confused but worried what he'll say next.

He gets up and starts looking around. I start to think that he has a tendency to look through other's things. "Hm. Well, if there ever is a tie in anything in our family, we fight until there is only one victor." 

This conversation isn't going as positive as I thought it would be. The atmosphere starts to turn awkward and frightening. It's almost as if he can smell my fear and look through me flaws. I was speechless. I had nothing to say to him. I mean what was I suppose to say? "Too bad." 

"Well, I'm sorry to sound like the bad guy, but you and Peeta will have to have a rematch so there is only one victor." He said with no sincerity. 

A train had hit me. I felt as if my heart fell out of my chest. Was this a feeling that I had for Peeta? Did I really fall for Peeta? It was final; Peeta and I would have to fight for there to only be one victor of the 74th annual Hunger Games. 

---

Shown here is what I predict what will happen next after the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. There are things that I would like to point out that I specifically showed in this piece to express the similarities and differences through both my prediction and the book. Representing these things through what Katniss went through, President Snow being his cold personality, and a reading image in your mind from The Hunger Games. 

Notice how the story starts when Peeta and Katniss are returning home on the train ride, returning to Panem. This is just a transition from the ending of the book. I felt the need to add this because it reminds the reader of what happened at the end and sets the setting. The train ride was just a small detail to introduce the setting and have a prologue. 

The scene changes to the car ride where Peeta, Katniss, and Haymitch go back to District 12 for the victor's award ceremony. There's a ceremony for every victor that is the winner of the Hunger Games. Or shall I say the victors. During the ceremony, President Snow is obviously disappointed and discouraged because there is two victors. He never liked the idea of having two victors in the beginning. Nor did he agree to this rule. 

As Katniss returns home everything is the same. A small detail that I added was Buttercup, Prim's cat. I thought that this would be a nice touch to my prediction. It's kind of a flash back of the beginning of the book. When President Snow is in her house, that gave me the inspiration while he was watching the games and how unhappy he was when they twisted the rules. 

Overall, there were some details where you could tell that they related to the novel, but there are also some details that I added to make it original. What will happen in the end? That's in your hands now. 

Solving Problems

Author's Note: As we all go through change and try to fight our problems, just remember, you're not alone. 

Many people go through change. Whether someone changes them or an event impacts their emotions. I for one have gone through change. There was a point in time where I was going through the same phase as Haymitch; lonely, hopeless and careless. My family was there when I was struggling, that gave me so much more encouragement. Just like how Haymitch gained hope for Katniss and Peeta.

Haymitch was the only District 12 victor in The Hunger Games. He takes advantage of being the winner; he uses the wealth carelessly and is drunk most of the time. I know this because towards the end of the reaping, he fainted and embarrassed himself. The mentor of all tributes of District 12 is Haymitch, including Peeta and Katniss.

Haymitch was a depressed man. You can tell that he is depressed is because he uses his wealth and alcohol to cover up what he was going through. He has no family, no friends, and no one is there for him. Just think, what if you didn't have anyone that you could go and talk to them. Or if you were actually forever alone. That's how Haymitch felt. As he grows a relationship with Katniss and Peeta, he starts to feel the love that he had not felt in a long time.

Katniss comes out a little bit bitter when she first meets Haymitch. Peeta is interested in Haymitch so he knows some strategies to stay alive. As he starts to notice that both of them have potential to be the winner, he supports them and wants them to win. They influenced him to be a more generous and caring person. While the games come to an end, it is almost as if all three of them can taste the victory.

Haymitch obviously wasn't the most prettiest flower in the garden, but you can't blame him. He had no life besides drinking and wealth. You start to notice that he finds hope because there was something different about Katniss and Peeta. They had that "thing" that other past tributes didn't have before. During the games, he starts to gain sponsors for Peeta and Katniss. That was a sign of him caring and wanting Peeta and Katniss to survive. He finally found his heart.

Haymitch from The Hunger Games and Kate from My Sister's Keeper are two similar characters. Although their situations are different, their feelings are quite alike. When Peeta and Katniss first meet Haymitch, they think that he's a drunk, scruffy, old guy, but really, he's depressed. As the games start approaching, he starts to find and gain hope. You now ask how are these two related? Kate, from My Sister's Keeper, was also depressed because she had leukemia. Once she meets Taylor who is just like her she starts to feel like a normal teenage girl. She gained hope by meeting someone just like her.

Kate, Haymitch, and I were all in the same phase. So are other people in this world. We all have our own problems. Whether it’s a problem that is important or not as important, no problem is too small to solve. There is a solution to every problem.

“When the solution is simple, God is answering.” – Albert Einstein 

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

Author's Note: Here is an essay that is about a quote that Helen Keller recited. "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Enjoy :)


"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller was the inspirational individual who said this. To me, this quote is saying without adventures, life would be so uninteresting. It would be like a picture with no colors. It would be like a singer singing a beautiful song in monotone. It would be like a delicious plate of food tasting stale.  If life wasn't enthralling, it would be as dreadful as a history book. 

An adventure is all about having a thrilling experience. Some people go on small adventures; say like exploring the woods. Others may go to a whole different level and go skydiving or bungee jumping. Going on adventures at a small age is important because it teaches kids about what's really out there in the real world and how different it is from just a computer screen and a tv. Kids should have real adventures instead of fake ones, like Dora the Explorer. Even going out to your backyard and finding things is an adventure. 

If only we could be like kids going on little adventures; taking risks everyday. Life is all about taking risks, making it colorful and beautiful. As most people are familiar with, many people call it "Y.O.L.O". You only live once. This has made such an impact on many peoples lives; even celebrities. Drake's song "The Motto" has Y.O.L.O. in it. Y.O.L.O has almost inspired everyone to be a risk taker. 

Whether it's Y.O.L.O, an adventure in life, or even skydiving, those are all adventures. Without adventures in life, there would be no color in picture, a monotone song, and a stale piece of food. Inspirational quotes make you think about life; what is this really talking about? Am I adventurous? As Helen Keller said "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Or is life....nothing?

Patriots Pen Essay

Author's Note: This is my patriots pen essay. I didn't try my hardest, so don't take this essay too seriously. Don't worry, I didn't submit it. 

 Appreciation. The definition of appreciation is thankful recognition. We should be grateful that our founding fathers started our country. Although they made some mistakes, they started off outstanding. If we didn't have our founding fathers, our country wouldn't be the same as it is present day. To the founding fathers of our country, I would like to say thank you. 

Saying thank you to our fathers is important. The founding fathers of America made our constitution well, with some things that have changed now. One thing that hasn't changed since our founding fathers signed that piece of paper was freedom. Freedom of anything. Freedom of religion. Freedom of speech. When America was first found, Europeans weren't allowed to have freedom of religion. They had to believe in what their family believed in or how their lifestyle was. This was one of the main reasons why people came to America.

Another reason why people wanted to settle in America was because there were more job opportunities when America was first found. Since America was a new country, there were a ton of job opportunities. Back where other people came from, there were so many people that settled in Europe that they didn't many job opportunities. Jobs were important because that is how people make a living, support their families and survive. Jobs are still the #1 thing concerned present day. Since the election is coming up, people are going to vote for the candidate who offers and creates more jobs. 

Jobs and freedom are two of many reasons why many people decided to come and settle in the U.S. As some people enjoy life as it is, they should think about what life would be like without our founding fathers. Without their start, we wouldn't be where we are today. To our founding fathers, once again, I would like to say thank you.

Sunsets In Paradise

Author's Note: In Language Arts class, we were told to write a descriptive piece about the beach. Here is mine!


As I watch the sunset, I enjoy my cookies and cream ice cream. I feel the warm summer breeze going right through my hair while slowly placing my head on his shoulder. It were as if a dream was coming true; me and my dream guy watching the sunset together. Hearing the waves crashing makes the moment even more special. Turning my head to the right, I see an old couple walking on the boardwalk. Thinking to myself "I want to have that kind of a relationship when I'm older." When I turn back around I see that he's gone. "Had someone come and kidnapped him?" I thought? Looking around, I was so confused. He had left me. I sit down on the sand trying to hold back the tears while watching the sunset by myself. Soon, I couldn't take it anymore. I started balling in my own arms with my head to my knees. As someone taps me, I look up and there he is. Standing there singing me a sweet sweet song. I couldn't help but to put a smile on my face. After hearing his harmonious voice, he gives me a speech of how are relationship has been for the past 2 years. As he gets on one knee, I couldn't believe what was happening. Then came the big question "Will you marry me?" Immediately, I start crying and screamed yes. The sunset made my ring look even more stunning than it really was. It's been 5 years since that special day. 

Society

Author's Note: Here is a conflict/resolution piece that I wrote for language arts. It's about the book, The Hunger Games, and what the conflict was.

Some people are so grateful to be living in the society we live in right now. Others may not be as grateful. If our society was like The Hunger Games, life would be so different compared to now. In this book there is 12 districts. Every year, 24 tributes fight for their lives, only one will survive. Every child, from each district, 12-18 years old's name will be placed in a glass bowl. Katniss and Peeta both get picked to represent District 12. As the news hits them like a ton of bricks, they only have a couple of minutes to say their goodbyes. They both head off to training camp where the other 22 other tributes come together and learn how to win and be the last one standing. 

The main conflict in this book is person vs. society. Society in this point of time, is very different then present time. President Snow forces a boy and girl from each district to fight for their lives in "The Hunger Games". This lesson is suppose to toughen up children 12-18 years old. How this government is arranged, leaves me a little disturbed.

This reminds me of how other countries in this world have a dictator. Alike from President Snow. It's different from our world because our country has freedom. People of our country choose to fight for us: the tributes fought for their life and for entertainment to the Capital. Knowing about other countries that have dictators helped me understand what it was like living in that point of time.

Even though this or any dictatorship isn't right, there always is a resolution to the conflict.  Towards the end of the games, the Gamemakers decide to throw a twist and change up the rules. If both tributes from the same district were the last two to remain, they would both be able to survive and be victors of the games. Overall, this made me think a lot about dictatorship. What do you think about it? 

Minutes Until Death

Author's Note: This piece is a cause and effect piece we were assigned in Language Arts. It's about the book The Hunger Games and the climax and the cause and effect of the book. I wrote this to demonstrate my understanding of climax. 

Peeta and Katniss both get chosen from District 12 to fight for their lives in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games were an annual event for the Capital's enjoyment. As they go through training and convincing the people of the Capital to sponsor them, they start to try to impress everyone so they can survive. They get a major makeover and also do interviews live everywhere. Only one survives every year, but this year, there's a twist. 

First, the climax in the story was all 24 tributes going into the horrifying Hunger Games. As they all try to put a poker face on, they are all terrified of dying. The beeps of anticipation gets the tributes heart's racing. Right after the rambunctious beep, they all run towards to all the survival things: water, food, sleeping bags, etc. While the games go on for a couple of days, more and more tributes start to die and alliances start to form. They forgot to remember not to trust anyone. 

Before all of this chaos, all 24 tributes had to go through a process. They all had to go through painful makeover to look impressive to the public. As the training process goes on, enemies start to form and get stronger. The training teaches them how to keep themselves alive. Each district gets a mentor. There has only been one successful man who has won the Hunger Games in District 12; Haymitch takes so much advantage of the wealth, that he becomes an alcoholic. Peeta and Katniss are apprehensive and timid about going into the Hunger Games and dying. 

If Peeta didn't have Katniss and Katniss didn't have Peeta, the story wouldn't be the same. This could relate to the real world. Some people may not be able to live without a certain person or maybe just friends or family. To me, my family and friends are really important for me because I know that they will always be there for me. That they would catch me when I fall. Just like Katniss and Peeta.

Inspiration

Author's Note: In class, we were told to write a personal narrative that is a "seed" instead of a "watermelon". The "watermelon" is the big picture of a story. A "seed" story is the main message without any unnecessary details.

Some celebrities are an inspiration to individuals. Others may say someone who has made an impact in their life may be an inspiration to them, such as a family member or a very close friend. One person that has made a tremendous impact in my life,  is my grandmother. In 2008, when I went to South Korea, it was the last time I had seen her. Korea was a whole new experience for me. I learned so much and had such an amusing time. 

As I look around my grandmother's house, the first thing that draws my attention was the giant window that captured the city lights. I am so amazed how my own grandmother lived in this spectacular apartment with a breathtaking view. It was as if it was pulled out of a movie. My sisters and I were escorted to our room that we would be staying at for about the next couple of weeks. By looking around, this was nothing like home. No bed; just an empty room with a couple of blankets. 

Right as we arrived at the apartment, my grandmother wanted to go sightseeing around where she lived with my sister's and I after dinner. I wasn't so psyched about going. After all, I was jet lagged. We went to a local grocery store and she bought us all ice cream. When I was eating my ice cream, there were thoughts running through my head "What a cool grandma! Buying us ice cream at 11:30 PM!"  As we would sleep, she would wake up at 2:00 AM to cover us with blankets and go back to sleep. 

Some nights she would just watch us sleep. I thought that it was a little creepy that she would just sit there and wait for us to shut our eyes and have sweet dreams. Whenever my sisters and I wanted to go somewhere with my cousin, she would always want to tag along as if she was our bodyguard. The reason why she did this was because she wanted to spend every moment with us as if there was no tomorrow. Even when we wanted to go on a walk around the neighborhood or go to the playground, she would always follow us. By this time, I was so sick of her following us around and always tagging along.

Honestly, I thought that my grandmother was annoying when I went to Korea. I then realized that she wasn't try to irritate my sister's and I. My grandmother wanted to show how much she loved us by caring for us and pouring tons and tons of love on us. She was like a friend who listened. A friend who understood and comforted you. No matter what. If we were half way around the world, or if she was in the middle of doing something, she would be there. Family first was really first for her. She thought this because no matter what, us as a family would be for her whenever. She didn't need anyone else as long as we, as a family, were there for her. 

The Help

Author's Note: In class, we were given an assignment to give a quick retelling of a book that we have read. I did my retelling on The Help. Enjoy! 

The Help is a group of African American women who worked for White families, as maids/housekeepers, for a living. A girl named Skeeter wants to write a book about what life is like being part of The Help. This book explains how they were treated, what they had to go through, what it was like working for a white families , how they were treated and all of their stories.

Grandmother

Author's Note: In language arts, we were given an assignment to write about any topic that came to our mind. I wrote about my grandmother. As you read this piece, you will get to know my whole family.

My grandmother is such an inspiration to me. She was so strong, brave and courageous. If only I got to know her more and I had more time, I could have admired her more than I do now.

A numbing day in February was like any other. Waking up in the morning and my mom driving me to school. After school, I was waiting for my mom to pick me up, just like every day. Our silver Buick car pulls into the pick-up driveway. I see my mom’s eyes, red and puffy; both my sister’s looking glum and concerned. I start to wonder what was going on. Was it something I had done? As the car pulls up in front of me, I open the door shaking and intimidated. The drive home was silent. No one spoke a word.

When I entered my house, there was a gloomy atmosphere.  I see my dad trying to hold back tears. That was the first real time I had seen my dad be so emotional. I see him approaching me for a hug. I accept and wrap my arms around him like a little girl squeezing her teddy bear. After, my mom sits me down and  tells me to listen to what my dad had to say. At that moment, he had told me that my grandmother, who lived in South Korea, had passed away. While I was digesting the news, it made me think back to all the memories I had with her when I went to South Korea in 2008.

Every night she would tell us she loves us and in the middle of the night, she would come in and cover us with blankets. Whenever we went to the grocery store, she would always buy us ice cream or anything we wanted. My dad was also thinking of the memories he had with her. 

A couple of weeks later, my dad took a plane to South Korea to go to my grandmother’s funeral. My dad’s side of the family all went to the funeral. When my dad came back from Korea 4 days later, he changed as if he was a whole different person. He was more understanding and lived every second of the day as if it were the last.

My grandmother was really a special person. She had Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a disease when your brain loses function. It affects the brain’s memory, thinking, and behavior. Although she had a popular disease, that didn’t stop her from loving us. Every day we spent with her, she would show how much she loved us. At the time, I never really understood why she would do such admirable and charming things for my sister’s and I.

She was a very strong Christian woman. Every Sunday in Korea, my grandmother would make us all go to church even though we didn’t really understand what the pastor was saying. Going to church was important for her and wanted it to be important to us too. Even though she had this disease, I never thought of her like that. I thought that she was just a normal, healthy human being. 

After her passing away, our family never felt so united.  I’m so thankful to have her in my life. My grandmother was such an inspiration to me and a marvelous role model. She taught me to be more caring to others even though they don’t show any affection towards me. It amazes me how even though she had Alzheimer’s, nothing stopped her for being herself. No one lowered her self-esteem. As long as she had her family, she was blessed.

One Of A Kind

Author's Note- Here's a quote that I really liked and picked out. This piece is about what I think of this quote and what it means to me. 

"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." -Pooh's Little Instruction Book

We are all different individuals who have different personalities. Some people may be shy, others may be outgoing. No matter what, there is no one like you. Personally, I tend to be shy near people that I have never talked to or haven't talked to a lot. On the other hand, whenever I am with my close friends, I am an outgoing person. This quote is saying that we shouldn't be in the corner when everyone is mingling or when everyone is talking. This is also is referred to the "loner". It's not saying that people that would rather be alone than with others, but that they should sometimes step forward. Being the bigger person and stepping out of your comfort zone may be nerve racking, but the outcome of it  is so much greater. 

My Hunger Games

Author's Note: Here is the Hunger Games, but in Rue's point of view. Hope you enjoy!

I am the smallest one out of the 24 and be the first one to go. My plan is to go straight to the highest tree and hide there. 5....4.....3....2.....1 Go! I ran off into the woods. Not thinking about anyone or anything behind me. The number one thing that I am considered about is myself staying alive. I know it sounds selfish, but I have a family back at home waiting for me. Obviously, I won’t stay alive for very long. All the other tall, strong, powerful tributes are ready to fight and kill others so they can stay alive. I find the tallest tree I’ve seen so far. I climb to the highest point. As I climbed, I saw Cato running. Clearly, he was the strongest one, besides the blonde boy from District 12. As I am at the highest point, I start to think about the two district 12 kids. They seemed pretty nice in their interview. Wait Rue! You can’t fall into any traps. That will just leads you to death.

One Direction Day

Author's Note- Here's a short paragraph about one holiday that I could make up. Anything and I chose One Direction Day. Hope you like One Direction!

A holiday that I would create would probably be One Direction Day. On this day, school or work would be out for the day. For the day, we would all go to one specific location, hosted in a different location every year, and listen to One Direction. Every other year, they would come and perform and host a concert. This would just be a U.S holiday because it would be hard for others to come and participate. People who wish to not participate in this holiday do not have to. This is just for the people who would like the day off or enjoy listening to One Direction.  Personally, I would love to have this holiday. Would you?

Our Fairytales

Author's Note- Here's Chapter 3. The last chapter of them all. Hope you enjoy the ending!  


Chapter 3
 
First, the girls were going to scout for dresses or as we would say, the perfect Disney princess dress. Mada was looking for more of a sleeping beauty dress. Emilee was looking for a more Belle dress. And me you ask? I just wanted the dream princess dress. Next, Louis and I go to pick out the perfect rings. I got the most gorgeous ring you could ever imagine. A big, shiny, beautiful diamond in the middle, and little crystals to give it an extra bling to the ring. Soon after that, Louis and the boys go to check out some tuxes. Of course, us girls aren’t allowed to see what the groom looks like before the wedding. It’s bad luck they say. After that, soon we had a whole part of a wedding to finish.

The day came when Mada’s big day came up. You could see in Zayn’s eyes that he was mesmerized of how beautiful he thought she looked. That moment when she walked down that aisle, she truly was beautiful and happy. When she was with Zayn, she looked even happier and knew that they were meant to be together. Just by looking at them, you could tell that they would be together forever. I couldn’t believe their whole journey together. Whether it was going through fights or giving each other hugs and kisses. It was a fairytale.

Then came the day when it was Emilee’s day. Josh was the prince and Emilee was the princess from a Disney movie. They looked like they have been married for forever. The more I saw them together, the more they looked like true lovers. A perfect couple would be them. Times came when they would have their stupid and lousy fights, but could tell that it wouldn’t last very long. It was a fairytale.

Finally came my day. I finally felt like that princess ready to marry my prince. Just a few steps down that aisle until we will be together forever. I felt as if the whole world was revolved around us and we were the only two left on this planet. I was holding back my tears of happiness. It was a dream coming true. I never knew that this day would come. It was truly a fairytale.

All of our weddings were fairytales. All three of us were princesses for a day. We were now on our separate journeys. The future is in our hands and waiting upon us for excitement and many more adventures. Three happily married couples, six wedding rings, three sundresses, three t-shirts and shorts, and three honeymoons, but never apart.

Gone

 Author's Note- Here's a horror story for those who like horror stories! Surprising things will happen in this short story. Enjoy!!


We were walking through Six Flags at midnight. We were locked in the amusement park. Louis and me, Mada and Zayn, and Emilee and Josh. Emilee was hanging onto Josh like she was about to die. We didn’t have anywhere to go. All of a sudden, we hear a big crash. We were all frightened and the girls were screaming. The boys were trying to calm us down, but nothing can stop a girl from screaming. We walk towards the sound, then all of a sudden, Mada went missing. Zayn started to cry and ran away. That’s when Zayn went missing. It was just us four, Emilee, Josh, Louis, and I.

Louis and I were holding hands, we turn around in unison and Emilee and Josh were missing. Louis and I were freaking out and telling each other to stay right next to each other. We heard another crash and We turned around. Walking very slowly, we scout for anything suspicious. Then as we look to the right we see Emilee, Josh, Zayn, and Mada all covered in blood. Lying there in pain. Mada sits up and startles me. “How did you come back alive!” I screamed. “He’s coming.” Mada says in a straight voice. Zayn sits up, “He’s coming.” Emilee sits up and says, “He’s coming.” Josh gets up right away and says “He’s coming.” Louis and I were freaking out. They all sit up and walk like zombies and in unison, they say “He’s coming.” As they approach us, they get louder and louder.

Then they all started laugh. There was something fishy going on. Turned out that they were tricking us. The blood was ketchup and we weren’t locked out. They reserved the whole Six Flags to trick us.

Our Fairytales

Author's Note- Here's chapter 2 for Our Fairytales. Enjoy chapter 2!

Chapter 2

When Louis and I met, I knew it was him. He was the one for me. He was the one I am going to marry. We meet at Woodfield Mall, the one in Chicago. He was walking in the mall and right when I was about to pass him, he dropped everything in his hands. I rushed to him to help him as others pass him. I looked up into his eyes. They were a nice olive green with a tint of blue in them. They sparkled like the sun hitting on the ocean. Our first conversation was the best day of my life. Here’s how it went:

As I was minding my own business walking down this gigantic mall. I saw a man with Rayban sunglasses, a striped blue shirt, red pants, and white shoes on. He looked quite attractive. Right when I was about to pass him, he drops his things all over the floor. “Oh my gosh! Let me help you!” I said in a worried voice. Quickly trying to pick up his stuff. As I stood back on my feet slowly, our eyes met up together. “Hi. I’m Louis Tomlinson.” Louis said in a soft, but sincere voice. “Hi, I’m Grace. I know who you are. You are from One Direction. Also my favorite member. “Well then I’m glad I met you.” Louis smiled. We went to Baskin Robins and the Rainforest Cafe together. We spent hours together laughing, making jokes, taking pictures and getting to know each other.

I remember, that night was one of the best nights of my life. We started to hang out more, talk on the phone for hours, and soon began a relationship. We were like any other relationship. For a while, I have been waiting for those three words from him. Everyday, I wanted him to tell me this. Then came the day. We were eating dinner at a nice place and after dessert, he grabs my hand and spills those three words. “I love you.” On that day, my heart skipped beats. I started to think “This is my dream man. He is the one I am going to marry.”

How did he purpose you ask? Well I guess every girl’s purposing story is always exciting. First, he told me to leave the 11th of April open for the whole day. I didn’t know why of course, but indeed I did. The first thing on his checklist was to take me out to brunch. We had this wonderful meal. Next, he lead me to the beach. Thankfully, it was a nice day. The weather wasn’t too hot, too windy, or too cold. It was perfect. After we took many pictures, spent hours talking, we decided to go eat dinner. We had another wonderful, delicious, gourmet meal. After that, he lead me to an empty room with a blindfold covering my eyes. I didn’t know what was going on. He finally took the blindfold off and I witnessed a blank, white wall. There was absolutely nothing on this wall or even in this room.

Waiting patiently for five minutes, something bright started to play. I looked over and it was a recap of us. The pictures from our very first date all the way through today. I wanted to burst out crying of happiness. This man really did make me happy. As I let a tear fall down my face, my mind went blank. Suddenly, all the lights turned off. The screen, the pictures, everything. When all the lights came back on, I was blinded for two seconds. I look down once I regained my vision. And I see him on the ground. On one knee. With the ring of my dreams in his hands. He said the life changing words to me. “Will you marry me Grace?” I looked into those eyes one more time. Gave it a thought. “Yes! I do!” I said as I shouted and leaped into his warm arms. Those words made my heart his.

Our Fairytales

Author's Note- Here's a story that is in a couple of pieces that is a fairytale/love story. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1

Some people think that love at first sight is nonsense. For me, it really happened. With Louis Tomlinson. The moment I saw him, I knew that we were meant to be. The way he flipped his chocolate brown hair, made my heart melt. It was love at first sight.....so we got married. We decided to tell Mada and Zayn first. Turns out, they’re already engaged! Then, we planned on telling Josh and Emilee. Turns out, they were engaged too. Three engaged couples, six engagement rings, three wedding dresses, three tuxes, and much planing to do.

Mada and Zayn met while shopping. Mada was shopping for her usual clothes at Ralph Lauren on Michigan Ave. after a One Direction concert. It wasn’t meant to be, but it happened. Kind of like love at first sight. Mada was a mega fan of Zayn. She wasn’t obsessed, but she was addicted. She never knew it would come to this point. You know? Getting married to the man she did love. From the beginning. A fan marrying a star is a rare thing. And Mada was one of the lucky ones. To marry the love of her life.

Emilee and Josh met a while back. They were friends ever since they were little. Every single day, Emilee would ditch Mada and I whenever she spot Josh.You could tell they liked each other. By high school, they started to date. Everyday, they showed their love to each other. They were the dream couple. By college, they didn’t talk as much, but Skyped almost everyday. You knew by looking at them, they were going to get married, have kids, and be together forever.

Semantic Devices

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Symbolism

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Symbolism

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Heartbroken

July 23, 2011
There I was. Standing there. Watching him with that other girl. I wanted to runaway and cry my eyes out, but as always, I was being strong. Every night, all I think about is him and when the sun shines in his eyes, they sparkle like the blue sea. The way his hair just falls in the right place makes me love him even more. I always asked God “Why did he choose her? What’s wrong with me? Am I not pretty enough?” These thoughts just kept coming up in my head. 


July 31, 2011 
I saw him again with that girl. This broke my heart even more. The more I saw him with her, the more my heart hurt. Every Time they hugged or kissed, I still wanted to runaway and cry. His eyes still sparkled like the blue sea. His hair still fell in place perfectly. He was the definition of perfect. He was smart, nice, funny, and charming. There was nothing else I could do to get him back. He was madly in love with her. I felt useless. I felt unwanted. I felt unloved.



This was her last journal entry. Unfortunately, she had killed herself. Her name shall be kept a secret, but in the end, he loved her just as much as she loved him. The reason why he “loved” another girl was to make this girl love him even more.

Marry me

Marry me. Two simple words that can affect your whole life. What do these two words mean exactly? Well marry means a promise, a vow, to promise or vow allowing to be with that one special person forever. This song or story  is about a man who is falling in love with this one girl and wants to marry her everyday because he wants to be with her everyday. He sings how much he loves her and cares for her. Personally, I think that it would be absolutely charming and adorable if your boyfriend or soon-to-be husband would sing that to you. What song makes your heart melt?

Crazy Love

Author’s note- This essay is about a book, Crazy Beautiful, compared to the fairytale Beauty and the Beast. It talks about the meaning and message through both story and fairytale.
 

He is considered crazy. People think she’s beautiful. Crazy beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is an intriguing book about relationships from our point of view. Lucius, one of the main characters, lost his arms from an explosion made by him who thought no one would ever love him.  When he first entered his new school, all eyes were on him because he had hooks instead of hands. The only person that thought Lucius wasn’t insane was Aurora. This book helps us realize that looks doesn’t matter in a relationship, the heart is most important.

Turned beastly from an enchantress: the only way to break the spell is to learn to love. Not only does Prince Adam need to learn to how to love, but he is also has a timer to do so. As soon as the last pedal from the enchanted rose falls to the ground, Prince Adam will remain a beast forever. Belle, a girl from a small French town, is dissatisfied with her life. Belle’s father, Maurice, causes Prince Adam and Belle to meet. As they slowly start spending time together, they start to realize that they are falling in love. Beauty and the Beast is a magical tale that relates in many ways to Crazy Beautiful. Both including the same message: the heart of a person matters the most.

Aurora and Belle both face difficulties. Aurora’s mother died before she could even start to think about her college choices. Never wanting to go to a new school, Aurora now has to move not knowing she will find her love there. Similarly, Belle is born with a strict father, Maurice, and is banned to leave the house. Maurice doesn’t realize the next move he’ll make will put Belle and the love of her life together. Belle’s heart fell for a beast that no one cared for: Aurora’s heart stopped for a guy that the school thought was insane. Both girls saw the inner beauty to the two people that were called crazy.  

Lucius knew that his new school wouldn’t be so welcoming. The explosion that occurred his arms to be blown off caused the teasing. Everyday Lucius watched life pass as many others would make fun of him. Aurora gave him this chance. Lucius fell in love with her the way her long black hair complimented her face, made him mad for her. No one should ever feel unsafe or be bullied anywhere. I for one have never had to experience something like this. About a quarter of high school students were bullied at least once during the 2008-2009 school year, and about seven percent were bullied online by other students according to http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2011/08/24/bullying-affects-a-quarter-of-high-schools-students.  It is unreal how so many teens are this cruel to their classmates. A more fairy tale type version of Lucius would be Prince Adam and how he was cursed by an enchantress. No one wished to be around this beast, besides a young girl named Belle. When Prince Adam met this young lady, it was as if he were dreaming an unreal dream. This beast was madly in love with Belle.

No matter what, personality and the heart are most important in a relationship not the appearance of the other person. Lucius and Aurora. Belle and Adam. No one wants them to be together, but that doesn’t matter to them. That is true love. Nothing can break them apart. Whether he is crazy, or she beautiful, everything works out at the end.

A Child's Courage to Survive

Author’s Note: Although writing isn’t my strongest thing to do, I need to take the time and write about abuse and how many people do get physically, sexually, and emotionally abused.

I was washing the dishes after dinner, and I feel a heavy breathing on my neck. I’m starting to shake and think in my head, “What did I do this time? I didn’t do anything bad.” She keeps on staring at me while I wash the dishes squeaky clean. I could see her reflection off the kitchen window. I didn't know what she was going to do next. Was she going to drag me somewhere? Is she going to yell at the top of her lungs again? I never knew what was next. Child abuse is something you should never do to anyone in anyway.

According to National Child Abuse Statistics | Childhelp, in 2009, approximately 3.3 million child abuse reports were made involving an estimated 6 million children just in the United States. Every day, more than five children die of child abuse. That means that in a week, more than 40 children die because of child abuse. Luckily, David had the courage to stay alive even though his mom beat, yell, and did terrible things to him every day. He had to suffer through things no child has. Such as being placed on a gas stove while it was burning or having his baby brother's diaper rubbed against his face.

This book taught me that abuse is never right, it hurts others by making them suffer when they deserve more. What David’s mom did to him was something no person should ever do. “A Child Called “It”” also taught me to do something when I see someone hurt or is being bullied not just being abused. We should make a difference or do something about it, just like David’s dad. His dad was so brave and had so much courage to stand up to her. When I read that part of that book, I felt so inspired to help someone.

David’s mom did a very wrong thing; however his dad did the right thing. He stood up for David and tried to protect him. When you have kids, you need to treat them with respect, give them love and show them that you care for them. Whenever you see someone being abused or being bullied, you should always do something about it. You should never abuse anyone in anyway because that is abuse and abuse is wrong.

Change Between Hollywood and Westchester

Author's Note- This essay is about change and how hard and life-changing it is for all of us, including Claire. 

Change and choices can be hard for us. Everyone goes through change and choice like an obstacle in life. Personally, I have gone through change and making important choices. Claire had to go through change and making different choices in her new Hollywood life. Living in Hollywood doesn't seem as great at you think.

Change is hard for Claire and is hard for all of us, including myself. The choices for Claire could change the rest of her life. Claire had the opportunity to audition for a big movie part and of course, she thought that Massie or Alicia would get the part. Did Claire get the part? I can’t tell you that, that would just ruin the book and if you really want to know,  then I guess you will just have to read the book for yourself. It’s hard for someone or for you to change in a heartbeat and you have to be patient with other people around you trying to change.

Speaking of change, friends are part of change. There are two types of friends, ordinary friends and true friends. Claire and Abby were just two different types of people who just happened to hang out with each other.  Claire and Layne on the other hand, are true friends that always tell each other everything and do everything together. I have so many true friends and I have so many friends. My true friends are the ones that I can tell them anything and depend on them when I need help, have any problem or someone I can just talk to. It’s always great to have that one friend that is always there no matter what.

Choosing the right friends are also part of choices and choosing the right choices can change the rest of your life. Claire got the choice to go to Hollywood again to go and get another job and be an actor. Did she take the job or did she decide to stay at Westchester? Read the book to figure it out! The choices you make can effect the way the rest of your life is. For an example, going to college can effect your life and your lifestyle. About 63% of high school graduates go to college right after graduating states www.usatoday.com. Soon, my sister will be going to college after she graduates this year, but she doesn’t know where she is going yet. Just going to college can change everything.

Choices can change everything, friendship can change everything. Claire had so many choices to make and change has happened to her so many times. Change is hard for everyone, it’s hard to do it in a heartbeat. It takes time and patience to get used to change.

All About Grace

Author's Note- Here's a short story about me. All about me.

Me. What a great subject to write about. Where do I start? Well obviously my name is Grace. I'm in seventh grade. I have 5 people in my family. My mom, dad, 2 older sisters, and me. I have a lot of favorite foods. I like everything. My favorite thing to do is to go outside and hang out or use the computer. I also have many friends. My friends are like my family. They are always there for me and support me. What are you like?

Swirly, Long, Delicious Spaghetti

Author's Note- Here is my opinion about one of my favorite foods, spaghetti.

Spaghetti is one of my favorite foods. It's long swirly noodles. In fact, I had spaghetti for dinner last night. I personally like my spaghetti with cheese. Many people like spaghetti. The best spaghetti made is the one from Bravo. The noodles are perfectly cooked and the sauce just melts in your mouth. If you haven't had Bravo yet, I think that you should go there and try their spaghetti. What's your favorite spaghetti? Is it your mom's or is it a restaurant's?