The Miracle

Author's note: This is a creative piece, short story. This will be graded on the writing rubric. Hopefully, I can reach one of my goals with this piece. This piece is about a girl falling in love with a guy who she thinks that she is invisible to him. Will they get together or will she be heart broken? Hope you enjoy it!

I stood there in the darkening shadows, watching Ethan crack jokes with his two best friends, Brandon and Spencer. His emerald, green eyes sparkled in the sunlight as he threw his head back and laughed. My diminutive, 18 year old, heart melted. Ethan was my true love, I knew it. Every time I was around him I got butterflies in my stomach and I could barely breathe! The bad part is, I’m invisible to him, nothing more than just an acquaintance. But to me, he’s my knight and shining armor, my prince and my hero.

When the guys finally decided to leave, I hopped out behind the itchy bush, got in my zebra, hot pink convertible and drove home. “Mom, I’m home!” I screamed, my stomach gurgling because I skipped lunch to spy on Ethan. “Hi honey! I’ll be right down, I’m on the phone with your aunt. I just made home-made brownies! They’re in the kitchen.” The second I heard brownies I grabbed a fork and took the whole pan up to my room. I plopped down on my queen size, black and white bed and ate a few brownies. All of a sudden, I heard an irritating noise coming from my laptop. An IM. My heart started racing, hoping, maybe it was from Ethan. I slowly walked to my desk and silently prayed it was from him. And guess what? It was.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” I screamed at the top of my lungs! Ethan, the Ethan, my true love IMed me! Me out of all people! “Hey.” It said. I tried to calm down, but was practically hyperventilating! My mom opened the door, “Is something wrong?” She questioned. I quickly closed my IM down and clicked on my “homework.” “Everything’s fine! I was just confused on a problem and finally figured it out.” I explained, biting my nails, hoping she would believe me. “Okay.” Mom said with a suspicious look on her face. She picked up the half- eaten brownie pan and closed the door behind her.

“Hey. What’s up?” I typed, my fingers practically shaking. “Nothing, I just wanted to ask you about the physics project. Do you want to be partners? I have to pick a girl and I thought I’d pick you.” I about fainted. No, you know what; I was going to explode into a million pieces. What should I say? Of course? Sure? I would love to? This was so complicated! “Yeah, sure.” I finally typed. “Awesome, could you come over tomorrow after school to work on it?” I, about, died. “Of course!” I typed. “Cool. See you then.(;”He logged off. I couldn’t contain myself any longer, I bellowed as loud as I could until I got out of breath and collapsed onto my bed, with a prodigious smile on my face.

The next day I got up super early so I could prepare for my “date” as I like to call it, with Ethan. I did my make up extra attractive and curled my hair into long, wavy curls. My outfit was the next challenge. After many outfits, I finally picked a long sleeve, gray top from forever 21,  a jean mini-skirt with gray leggings, a long heart necklace and black boots. I was ready to go to Ethan’s!

School went like a blur. I was so nervous about Ethan’s that I couldn’t pay attention in class and probably bombed my Trigonometry test too. When the final bell rang, I raced out of the class and went straight to the bathroom to touch up my make- up. After that, I went to my locker and guess who was waiting for me. That’s right. Ethan. My heart melted and I thought I was going to faint right there infront of him. “Hey.” He said and smiled with his sparkling, white teeth.”Hi” I finally managed to get out of my tongue-tied mouth, smelling his amazing cologne. I gathered all my stuff and walked with Ethan to his car. He opened the passenger door for me, what a gentlemen, and got in. We talked about family, sports and different hobbies. Surprisingly, I started to feel more and more comfortable with him even though I was still jittery inside.

When we finally got to his house, my jaw dropped. It was a mansion, and no, I’m not exaggerating. “Well here we are!” Ethan beamed and rushed over to my door, to open it for me. I got my bag and thanked him. We went into the enormous house and said hello to his mom. “Do you guys want something to drink or eat? There are fresh baked cookies in the oven! I’ll come and give them to you when you’re done!” His mom smiled and watched us go to the basement to work on the project. “So let’s start working on that project!” He exclaimed. “Okay” I got out all the books and started to work. We got most of the project done, but got bored so we just started talking. All of a sudden there was a moment of silence and our eyes met. That’s when he leaned over and kissed me. That second, his mom walked in with a surprised look on her face, dropping the fresh bakes cookies on the floor.

The Woman That Changed His Life

Author’s Note: This is a predicting piece. I read the story, Thank You Ma’am, and wrote a new scene. I include evidence from the story to support my ideas. This will be graded on the predicting section of the reading rubric. This will help reach one of my quarter 3 goals. I believe this event will happen because it seems in the story that they will run into each other again and become friends.

(1 year later…..)

“Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, is that you,” questioned the boy. It was a year later since he last seen that familiar face that started his brand, new life.

 “It sure is. Hey, I remember you. You tried to steal my pocketbook and I took care of you.” She looked down at his shoes. A small smile appeared on her face. “I also bought you those shoes you have on.”

 The boy laughed and said,” Yes you did. You also taught me how to take care of myself and how it felt like to be loved. Well, I finally sat down with my folks and told them how irresponsible it was of them not taking care of me. They were mighty mad, but I think a light switched on in their heads. It was like a whole, new, different life for me. You changed my life.” The woman smiled. “I tend to do that.”

 “Would you want to get some coffee? I was just getting some food from the market for my family, but I don’t think they’d mind if I sat down and caught up with the woman that changed my life.” The boy asked. “Well I would absolutely love that.”

The boy and the woman talked for a while about how he was doing and how she was doing. They made sure to keep in touch. I mean without  Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, the boy would still be stealing and living in the life of crime. The following years they became great friends and even though the woman was getting very old, and the boy now had a family, they kept in touch through their whole life. The boy will never forget that large woman with the large purse that changed his life forever.

I Know Your Secret..

 This is a retelling piece. I used my book ad summary and added on to it. This shows I know how to summarize a story. I support my ideas with the main topic of the book and the most exciting part.

Blue Is For Nightmares

The thrilling story of two best friends fighting for their lives will leave you wanting for more! The most exciting thing that happened in this book was when Stacey started having crazy things happen to her! Nightmares, strange phone calls and high school drama will reveal a horrible death that no one could ever think of happening. Will the two best friends survive, or will it be too late?

The Job of a Lifetime

Author’s Note: This is a predicting piece to improve my score on predicting on the reading rubric. This writing piece demonstrates I know how to synthesize my predictions using relevant textual support. I am creating a new scene about what will happen next. I am having this piece not be graded.

“You’re fired!” Obi’s boss exclaimed angrily. Obi’s face fell and tears began appearing in his eyes. “Please reconsider your decision. I will change and make a new beginning for the school, but with the ancient charm!” Obi pleads, grasping his hands together. The boss looks at him, knowing what it was like when he was once a young, twenty six year old. “You have one more chance. If you don’t change your ways, you’re out of here.” He said, making up his decision. Obi’s eyes lit up like he just won one million dollars. “Thank you! You will not be disappointed!” Obi vociferated and dashed through the door, already having new ideas popping up in his head.

The next two weeks, Obi and his wife, Nancy, created a whole different school, modernizing it but keeping the historical pieces so everyone could keep the past with them. Obi changed his ways and finally understood what was really happening. His boss was very impressed with his work and even gave him a raise! The school progressed and succeeded throughout the next several years. Obi and his wife made it basically a family business for Obi’s children and grandchildren. The school is still here and Michael and Nancy Obi will be remembered forever.

Pretty Little Liars

Author’s Note: This is a new retelling piece. This piece shows that I know how to explain and summarize a story in an informal essay. This will improve my goals for 3^rd quarter and hopefully raise my grade for retelling to a 10.

Imagine your best friend getting murdered out of now where. One second she’s there and the next thing you know, she’s gone. Then all of a sudden you’re getting these weird messages about all your secrets. But the only one who knew your secrets was Ali, your best friend, and she was dead. This is what Emily, Hanna, Aria and Spencer have to deal with throughout the book series, Pretty Little Liars.

In the beginning of the story, the old best friends split apart after Ali was murdered. Her murder was never solved and after a few months people basically stopped caring. The four, old best friends don’t really know how to take it, so they basically create new lives, without each other. Everyone is perfectly happy but then their lives start turning upside down. All the girls start getting text messages, emails and IM’s about their deepest, darkest secrets that only Ali knew. Every message ends with –A. They eventually tell each other and try to figure out who this person is.

Next, the girls start to do crazy things because of A. If they don’t do these things, A would tell all their secrets and the biggest one of all, the Jenna Thing. That secret could never get out because they could get in huge trouble with the police or worse, prison. One big event that happened in Pretty Little Liars was when Toby killed himself. This made a huge impact in the four girl’s lives because they thought A was Toby, but they still kept getting messages from A. This caused a lot of problems for Emily, Aria, Spencer and Hannah and now they didn’t know who to trust.

 So now you’re probably wondering, who is A? Who killed Ali? Throughout the book series they start getting clues about who did all these horrible things and eventually they find out. Through friendship, betrayal and high school drama the four Pretty Little Liars will never be the same again.

Games vs. Life

Author’s Note: This is a comparative essay. I compared one of my favorite books, The Hunger Games to my social studies book, Sarah Bishop. I explain the similarities and differences they share in the theme of Survival. I support my ideas with quotes from the story and different events.

Imagine you’re hanging one hundred feet above the ground; slowly your fingers are slipping off the edge One by one, each finger is slipping. You try to grab on again,  yelling for help. You’re hanging on for your life, for your survival. In The Hunger Games and Sarah Bishop this is exactly how the main characters feel every second of the day. The Hunger Games and Sarah Bishop are both based on the theme, survival, though they do show this is many different ways.

One similarity between the two books is how Katniss and Sarah, the main characters of the books, are fighting for their lives. “Determined to go on until nightfall, I walk until I’m stumbling over my own feet.” This quote shows how hard it was for Katniss to even keep up with herself in the arena, literally! Every second of the day, they are on edge. Anyone could come out of nowhere and kill them on the spot. With having to kill animals for their only food, and living in hazardous conditions day and night, they only hope they live for the next days

Even though fighting for their lives is a huge similarity between the two books, another similarity is trying to survive without all of your family. Katniss and Sarah both have a broken family. Katniss lost her dad in a mine accident, when he was working one day. Sarah lost her dad and her brother because of the revolutionary war.”By the time dawn came and the sky clouded, he was only breathing in gasps.” “They want us to die Sarah. Chad is dead. He died this morning.” These quotes show when Sarah found out that she lost all of her family. Sarah and Katniss both have to figure out how to survive without all of their family. Katniss had to try to feed her family and take care of them, but when she goes off to the Hunger Games, who will keep them alive? Sarah has to live on her own, all by herself! A fifteen year old basically has to become an adult early, so she can survive throughout her life.

Although similarities are very important for showing that both books have one of the main themes as survival, there are many differences between the two. In The Hunger Games Katniss did not have a chose. When her little sister Prim got chosen for the Hunger Games, Katniss had to volunteer for her. If Prim went, she probably would have died! So she had no chose and went. “Trying to remember how to breathe, unable to speak, totally stunned bounces around the inside of my skull.” This quote shows how Katniss felt when Prim got picked to go to The Hunger Games. Katniss had to fight for her survival throughout the Hunger Games and was very close to dying. What’s different between The Hunger Games and Sarah Bishop? Well, in The Hunger Games when she was fighting for her life, it was all just a game, but she could die at any time. In Sarah Bishop, this was real life. Sarah had to kill dangerous animals for food, and live in a frigid cave on her own!

     Overall, survival is used in many different ways in the books Sarah Bishop and The Hunger Games. Sarah is in the middle of the revolutionary way trying to survive without her dad and brother. On the other hand, Katniss is stuck in the horrible game; the government puts on, where to win the all the players must kill each other to win! They are always on edge waiting for a coal, black bear charging at them or another player throwing a killing spear at them. The two girls went through a lot, but survived till the end. What if you were living in a cave or in a horrible game like The Hunger Games? How would you survive?

Her New Life

Author’s Note: This is a writing piece to show that I know how to explain the cause and effect of the climax of a book. I support my piece with supporting details from the story and different quotes.

            In the book, Sarah Bishop, Sarah is a fifteen year old girl in the middle of the revolutionary war. She had something big happen to her and had to basically take care of herself. Sarah ran away from the war and decided to start a new life in the woods, in a cave. The climax of the story is the British soldiers coming to her home and burning it down. A little while after the fire, her dad died after the British put tar and feathers on him. A few days after, she found out her brother died while he was on a boat called the Scorpion. “Sarah, Chad is dead. He died this morning.” David, Chad’s friend said when he Sarah asked where Chad was. She was devastated. Her brother and her father were the only ones she had and now they were gone. Sarah didn’t have anybody left, so she decided to run. What else could she do?

             The cause of the climax was her brother deciding he was going to fight against the British.”We have enlisted. We are soldiers in the militia, and we shall fight the King until he surrenders.” This quote shows how he told his family that he was going to fight with as you can say, the rebels.  Sarah’s dad got angry and called him a fool, but Chad didn’t care. The next day was when the British found out that Chad, the brother, was going to fight and ruined their home. “I stood there staring at the flames and screaming at Birdshall. I have no idea what I was saying.” This quote shows how fast it happened and how hard it must have been for Sarah. The one main consequence was that were her father and brother died. The other big effects of the climax were being accused of starting a fire and losing her real and only home. Sarah encountered many problems throughout the book but lived through them all.