Goodbye

Goodbyes are the last few pages of a story.
Auburn hearts break as the words are seen, scribbled on a note, never received.
Feel shattering emotions course through as you taste the salt of your tears.
Hear it sizzle in your mouth just the same as words unspoken.
They will eat you alive.
They may even set you free.
Reuniting is a beautiful thing.
"I'll see you on the other side."
My Stockholm Syndrome kicks in as we leave Earth, hand in hand.
Flying with the pink flamingos among the purple sky, we'll make it this time.
Iridescence will show her true colors, stop and smell the roses.
À plus tard.
Goodbye is the tear-filled last page of happiness, but we'll make it this time.

-A.H.

*You hear beating on your tent when you are out on the beach. What is it?

I've set up a green tent right along the shoreline and I can hear what sounds like little hands hitting the tent. Baby stars like to venture down on the beach I've heard so I decided to press my luck and try to experience it myself. It was about 12 o'clock when I heard what sounded like puppy yawns and soft thuds against my tent. The little stars decided to pay me a visit.

Kell

20 things in my head

I am my own king
In 1987 the kings won the Stanley cup
The savory sweet flavor mixed with the old timey stove felt rough under my fingers and fire crackled.
The lake was a cold sight.
Sacramento Is the home of the Kings
Although the year they actually won was 1999
Even though Kobe passed MJ in all time points
I ain't got the time do this
If you bite a squirrel it will eat an apple
Shotcraztenlattopitto
The green elephant was like carpet.
The room covered in black lit up with the lights of the eyes.
Helen Keller will never know what Morgan freeman sounds like
Brady is always running us late.
I will never die
My blue elephant is amazingly fast
If tomorrow is Tuesday and we like pie then we will udderly cry
Me gusta
My tv cried in anger as it powered down.
The salty pie eats it's own words amps it is burned and has a bad taste rather than the amazing aroma.

Mr. dodge

Vacation~

My time going to Keystone this past March was one I'll never forget. It wasn't the most extravagant trips this world has ever seen but it was one that had some of the best memories. For instance, the 9hour drive down packed with a van full of girls was the loudest vehicle probably on that interstate. Though the past eight hours driving to Colorado were loud, the last hour was spent gazing at all the beautiful mountains that we saw while stuck in a traffic jam. Passing through all the small little towns was very interesting! There were houses in places you'd never would see houses at in Nebraska. Each small village had their own little cafe to eat at and about five other houses you'd call your neighbor. These villages were all just alike, except the town we passed through just before arriving at our condo. When we got to our condo we unpacked all the food from all the various vehicles that carpooled. Girls went and unpacked in one room while the guys unpacked in another. Then when we realized we were in the wrong room we packed up again and drug all our belonging to the correct room. The first night we just spent unloading and relaxing in our condos. By morning we were all ready to hop on the next bus carrier to go down the mountains. Some people got up super early to hit the slopes, but me, I slept in. I was probably tired from the rough cold floor that kept me up, since all the adults got all the comfy warm beds. Since the boys got most of the food, I got up and went over to the boys room to get some breakfast and I was all ready to snowboard for the very first time. Olivia and I had gained enough confidence to try snowboarding, but the only thing we didn't realize was that we needed to take ski class before we ever tried snowboarding. So me and Olivia had to pay extra for ski classes (that we didn't want to take), wait two hours for our scheduled appointment, and take a day and a half of our ski trip in ski class. The whole time I was thinking, "Man, I wish I could be snowboarding with everybody else. Even if I may fall down the entire time." But I stayed in class, and learned on the bunny slopes. Once we got past all the unnecessary tips and tricks, that night I took Justin Lees skiing pass and I hit a blue slope for the very first time. I honestly was kind of scared, just because I kept thinking that it was going to be a drop off, but once I got asked to prom with a bunch of shirtless guys, I didn't care about the blue. The hardest part was the ski lift for me.. Haha. I don't know why, but I could NOT land the ski lift, and people probably figured I was the worst snowboarder ever but no, the ski lift just got to me. I literally dreaded just going on the ski lift, but I loved snowboarding! After I finished my first blue, I wanted more! I might have caught onto some things by watching Matt biff it a lot and Joe about run into a tree because I obviously took their tips and decided to sprain my tailbone. But at least Olivia was getting most of the guys attention by falling down the whole time. She probably spent most of her time going down the mountain on her butt while I went on my face. But overall snowboarding was the best first experience ever!
-FYI $13 mozzarella sticks may not sound worth it.. BUT THEY ARE.

ES

Christmas

In my house you immediately yell "HONEY IM HOME!" Even if your not my honey.
You always bring cookies and frosting for me because you know that's what I like.
Parking is a hassle because you must not park near the grass. 
And if it's snowing you must sit with me and watch it while we watch Christmas movies and make paper snowflakes. 
If it's near Christmas don't forget to bring me a present!
I promise to always have hot chocolate ready as well as some type of cookie.
And I have a jar that you can pick a candy cane out of to stir up your hot chocolate. 
If there is snow remember to bring warm things because we will go outside to go sledding and have a snowball fight.
If I'm putting up my Christmas tree you may help, but not too much because it's mine...and besides you have your own! 
Remember to always bring my dog and treat and in return he will give you a kiss.
And if you would like to stay up all night watching scary movies with me that would be amazing because I am a baby when it comes to scary movies.
  You will probably have to listen to me talk a lot because I have a lot to say...so be prepared.
Oh and don't forget to bring your slippers to wear around.
Oh and Christmas music will always be playing so sing along!

JW

A Big Day

The beautiful white dress on the bride.  The fancy tuxedo on the nervous yet excited groom.  The groom standing at the altar waiting for his bride to come to him.  Flowers bright up a full church.  When did we start doing all of this?  Customs and traditions are everywhere we look.

Covering our shoulders in Church is a custom we have followed for a very long time.  Many of the things  we do in one Church service are customs.  Do you take off your shoes when you enter your house? That is a custom.  Every day is a big day full of customs.  Having a certain food during a specific holiday is a custom.  Celebrating the holidays we do is a custom.  Customs and traditions make up a lot of our everyday lives.

SAT

The Shot of a Lifetime

Chuggin' up the pasture
"Please oh please let me get a deer," I pray
Almost to the hill, so close
This Chevy isn't really doing it's job.

I ask dad why he's driving so slow
"Good things come with time," he says
Having my 243 gun by my side
And Dad's 270 next to mine.

I run my freezing fingers across the barrel of my gun
It's my own, it really is!
We get to our mini, magical, mount to hunt
Windows rolled down to keel the fog out.

Four in the morning, freezing my butt off
Don't step in the snow, it's just too beautiful
I check my phone to see how much time has passed,
Three minutes, man, this is going to be a long day!

I look to my left and see a phenomenal sunrise
To my right, I motion a 9x9 buck
About sixty yards away!
This is the shot of a lifetime!

Taking out my gun, safely,
I exit the pickup and put my gun on the toolbox to shoot
I aim and shoot,
The buck goes down and dies a horribly, fantastic death
This is going to be a great season!


ALS

That one day

         There he stood, a very large man, he was watching the sunrise over the hill. Drinking his warm coffee, black, no sugar and no creamer just a strait black French roast that had a sweet smell, vanilla. He stood there sipping it letting out a sigh, not of disappointment but as happiness, like it was a small slice of heaven. Then he turned around, I didn't know at first who it was but I haven't seen him in years, not since third grade, the only memories I had I lived through old pictures and talk with my parents about him.
        "Grandpa is that you" I said as he turned around and even before he could get a word out I was there, I just sat there I couldn't hug him hard enough. He said no words just put his hands around me and gave me a good tight squeeze. I was never happier than that moment, I could feel the tears cascading down my cheeks but I didn't care. I was with grandpa, he was here with me I didn't want to ever let go again.
        "Hey there bud," he said with a wide grin "how have you been. It's been forever since we talked hasn't it." I didn't say a word I just sat there I stared the tears still running down my face. I just sat there and stared not knowing what to do, I just stared. He stared back and didn't say anything else.
        Later on, we talked for a bit I talked about football and my school stuff. He talked about what it was like in heaven, and the memories he had of me and him at the lake. We sat for a while and talked some more then he stood up and started walking.
        "Grandpa, what's wrong, where are you going." I said my voice quivering
     "I'm sorry bud I have to go its time I need to go back." And in a little flash of light he was gone. I look up in the sky and see a twinkle, a small little smug across the sky. Then I crumpled into a ball and cried, just cried.

Ceratotherium simum

Bummer of a Stay

It was late and we didn’t have a place to stay yet.  We were driving all over this big city looking for a room.  We were hotel hunting.  It was late, or at least it felt like it was, but I wasn’t tired, I wanted to swim in a pool at a hotel.  I love swimming; there’s just something about it that suits me.  Anyway, I was sitting in my seat in the van outside of probably the fifth hotel that we were trying, waiting for my mom to come out and give us the nod or head shake.  I waited very patiently despite my feeling of desperately wanting to swim.  Finally, after what seemed like hours, my mom came out very excited to tell us that she had just got us a hotel room for only 67 dollars!  She said they have a heated pool and it’s open for another hour too!  It was obviously going to be a great night.
    We gathered our suitcases and made the walk inside and down the hall to the left and into our room for the night.  As each one of us entered to room we instantly felt dry warm air rush over us.  After about two minutes I could see sweat trickling down my dad’s forehead and mom had went to go tell the person at the front desk that the air conditioner was broken in our room.  Dad took his shirt off and plopped down on the bed with the tv remote and clicked the power button once.  Twice.  Three times.  Then he got up and tried clicking the power button on the old box tv.  Once again, nothing happened.  Mom came back into the room just to be told that the tv doesn’t work either, along with the air conditioner and a lamp that Jesse had tried to turn on after first entering the room.  I really didn’t care that nothing seemed to work in the room though because all I wanted to do was go swimming.  I didn’t care for the heat though, it felt like a sauna in there.
    Mom left to go back to the front desk to complain again and returned shortly after I got my swimming trunks on.  Even though she was very angry with how this hotel turned out, she put a smile on her face, took my hand, and led me down the hall to the glass door at the very end to let me go swimming.  We proceeded to the edge of the somewhat dark pool and I bent my leg to stick my toe in.  Brrrrr!  The water was ice cold!  My mom tested it too and she agreed that it was freezing.  Good thing they had a hot tub!  My mom and I continued on to the edge of the hot tub.  It was a good amount clearer than the pool and looked promising.  Then we saw it.  On the bottom of this cozy-looking hot tub was a pile of light brown poop.  But it wasn’t what you just pictured in your mind.  This poop was different.  The reason it was different was because it didn’t look like poop.  Someone had let it go down there on the bottom of that hot tub and left it be.  It had been there for so long that it had disintegrated and was now a pile of tiny pieces of a bigger poop.  Nasty.
My mom didn’t even let me test the water in the hot tub because we were gone and oh was she mad.  She took me back to the room and told the rest of the family to pack up because we were going to stay somewhere else.  There were absolutely no objections and we were out of there in less than five minutes.  We waited in the van while mom had a talk with the man at the front desk.  I remember feeling sorry for that man because I bet he was sure getting a butt chewing.  We left that hotel and found a room at a pretty expensive hotel for the night.  At the end of it all,  I remember my mom saying she is never going to get a cheap hotel room again, and we all agreed that that would be a good idea.

JZ

Holiday Tradition

I have a very specific tradition for every holiday event with my father's side of the family. My cousins and brothers and I always always ALWAYS play sports. Outside, no matter the weather. The colder the better, in fact. When I say sports I obviously mean either football or basketball. As for the teams, they are permanently set as follows: myself and my older cousin Thomas vs. my older brother John and Thomas' little brother Matthew. It's actually a  pretty close matchup. Thomas and I are far better athletes than our adversaries, yet we try to show off a little, which ultimately gives John and Matthew a chance to win. I might try a sick alley oop pass to Thomas that'll get stolen, or a crazy lateral that might result in a turnover. It's great fun, and after the game we all go inside and enjoy some of Grandma's cookies and..... Oreo dessert.

                 Kennedy

 

The Other Side

I am a morning bird,
She is a night owl.
I can wake up at at dawn and be ready for anything,
She wakes up at noon and stays to see the sun rise again.
I can last only going on a few hours of sleep,
She can sleep all morning and stay up all night.
I am wide awake while eating breakfast,
She is groggy until lunch.
I love being at home,
She dreads coming back to this small town.
I borrow and return,
She steals without asking.
I like when my life is in place,
She loves when her's is out of order.
I am proper,
She burps in public.
I never swear,
But she has the mouth of a sailor.
I love books,
But she prefers to watch the movie.
I like coming to school,
But she must motivate herself to be there.
Grades are important,
She could care less.
I know where I want my life to go,
She has no clue.
I follow the rules,
She ignores them.
I do what I want,
She does what she's told.
She likes feeling secure,
I'd rather be free.
I am her,
And she is me.

        KZ 

Not Myself

I get up in the early morning. I'm not sure what it is, but I know that something is wrong. I never willingly wake up in the morning. I get dressed. For some reason I choose to wear a short skirt, tight shirt, and a tall pair of stilettos. I go to the bathroom to get ready for school. I look in the mirror, ready to do my hair and makeup for the day. Who I see in the mirror is not me though. The girl in the mirror is a beautiful, tall woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. I decide that it is time to take my medicine. I don't see it anywhere. I begin to get a little worried.
I head downstairs to make myself some breakfast. I settle on some scrambled eggs with toast. When I am done cooking my eggs, I realize that they don't taste right. I look at my eggs to see that they are overdone and have little pieces of the shell still in them. The toaster suddenly pops up, but what pops up is not golden brown. The bread is black and is as hard as a rock.
I head outside to get ready to drive to school. What is waiting for me outside, is not my 1992 Oldsmobile. Instead, I see a brand new cherry read Mustang convertible. I step into my sweet ride. I realize that I didn't have anything to worry about. I know that I will eventually want my old life back, but for now I decide to take this life in. I anxiously await to see what is next in store for me and my new life.

L.J.

Impossibly flawless

A quick glance in the mirror is all I give myself. It's not worth it to look any longer, at the completely imperfect mind, body, and face that stares back at me with the most disappointed look. A look that says, " I'm not satisfied." The longer I look, the more confidence I lose.  There are too many things not good about me, inside and out. The golden hair on top of my head is masked to my scalp with layers of oil it has produced. No matter what I do, no matter what shampoo I try, no matter how long I stay in the shower digging violently at every angle of my skull to get it fully washed out, nothing gets rid of the oil. I look at my legs and think to myself how gross I feel for not shaving them, then again I restate that thought because there are many reasons I don't shave them every two days. Like the fact that every single time my legs are as soft as a baby's butt right as I shave them, I get out of the shower and get goosebumps..causing it to grow one milli-centimeter! So what's the point if it grows right back literally a minute later? I glance at my face.. There's a red blemish causing my glowing, smooth, pale-pink skin to look impossibly flawless. I slip on the outfit of the day, excited to dress up for once. Then I slowly depict rotten details out like how my jeans are too loose around my waist, or how this shirt makes my stomach look fat. Maybe I am fat, after all  I'm not a size zero, nor will I ever be. Every time I try to lose a few pounds here and there I gain it all back right away. I guess that's what I get for working at a restaurant! Aside from my problems constantly gaining weight, I have depression. Yes it runs in the family, grandma's mom died when she was nine years old, that's when she got depression and anorexia, almost all my aunts on my dad's side have both of those diseases. I happen to have one. I don't take medication for it because I'm against it. I think that if I have a problem I need to fix it myself. I feel like the medicine is ibuprofen with a different label, and it's meant to make me think it will work. No I haven't actually gone to the doctor and asked them if I have depression, but I don't need to pay someone a bunch of money to tell me I'm sad. I'm pretty much an adult in a 15 year old's body. I pay all my own bills, work three jobs, have a boyfriend, and all the things I could ever want. I'm starting to lose some things though. My family and I never talk because we can't talk without arguing. I can't stand people's decisions, and I am constantly annoyed, sad, and stressed. Nothing goes right in my mind. People try to help, but they don't understand. I cry too much, I'm mad too much.  I just wish I could be happy all the time, instead of turning everything into a sad, pissy situation. He says he loves me for me, and I know he does. Sometimes I think he's crazy, because you can't love someone so possibly flawed. But then I hear his words, "I love you" and think to myself what those words mean coming from him. Somebody who has seen my best days, my worst days, my completely bitchy days, my sad days, and my days where I love life so much I could scream it at the top of my lungs! If someone else can see the best in me through all the bad, why can't I see it too? Maybe being possibly flawed is what people really want. Maybe the little mistakes in my mind, body, and face aren't mistakes after all. I may not be size zero, perfect hair, skin, or have the happiest thoughts all the time, but I am happy with who I am, and I am flawless.

AN

Dating customs

     Along with a lot of other things,dating customs have changed since the start of technology. When our parents were teenagers they didn't have cell phones to text their boyfriend or girlfriend 24/7, like we do now. Nowadays some girls think that getting a WCW is the most romantic thing ever. Our parents never used the term "we have a thing" like what does that even mean? You're either with someone or not! Guys used to walk to the door to pick up their date, now they just text them and say I'm here. Snapchat best-friends can ruin relationships and cause fights. Handwritten letters have now became long emoticon filled texts. Guys used to give their girlfriend their letterman jackets to show that they were going steady now they just make it Facebook official. I wish that some of the old dating customs would come back into style!

Bai

The days fly by

              The days fly by, soon I won't be living the same life I did before.

Not seeing the same faces everyday, it brings adventure, the days that go by seem to feel like seconds

Starting something new is exciting but a little scary. But nothing lasts forever

Kdh

Easter Customs

While waiting for mother to finish supper, dad and I are painting Easter eggs a week before Easter. Oh! Who is that running around the corner? It is my younger sister coming to help paint her very first egg. My little sister is now 3, and she is uber excited to get colorful. Mother is cooking her traditional steak and gravy, with a pinch of parsley flakes over the top of the mouth watering mashed potatoes she makes every year at about this time. As dad, my little sis, and I finish up our new and improved eggs, I start doing what I always do. TALK! At this moment I talk about how the school year has been going, how I am reacting to either good or bad situations, and now I am coping with my past. As usual, my dad says his famous phrase.... “Chene, there are two things that you need to learn in life, How to deal with the past and how to keep moving forward without regrets” And like I always say, the best of things come from the worsts of places and situations. By the time we get done chattering, supper is ready. We (as in me)rush to the dinner table and hurry to sit down. My dad says to slow down and that its just food. But I always have to have the last word. So I say, “Yeah, but I'm literally starving my guts out”. Once we are all sitting at the table as a family, we hold hands in a weird looking circle, and bow our heads as my dad gives grace. He says the same prayer every day, at every meal.... I love it.

This is my family's Easter custom. We do different things at other holidays, but of course, it's my favorite holiday of the year, so you bet your buttons on it that I remember what my family does during this time.

Ck

The Expressionless

Broken Promises of The Expressionless.

As I sit here thinking of my very first promise,
I remember being the youngest of the family champions,
But then I'm almost certain that I was extremely delirious,
Whenever I feel down in the dumps, I comprehend her importance,
If I ruin what I have now then I shall lose all expression,
And I will Lose everything In my mind that I have conquered.

Where will I go, where will I stand, where will I conquer?
These are the things I need to figure out to secure my promise,
All I ever wanted was to see you and your enthusiastic expression,
This is where I stand, this where I will go, I will go to the hall of champions,
Because you are the missing puzzle piece, which means you fix the importance,
That is why I believe I'm losing control of myself do to being delirious.

Why am I so sad, why am I so depressed, it's because I'm delirious,
Everyone tells me that I can excel in life if I chose to conquer,
But I believe that they are wrong because I believe I have no importance,
I've lost everything I have worked for, I have broken my promise,
If they think I am important, then why don't they understand that I'm no champion,
There is no point in me being here anymore, I have lost all expression.

Sometimes I wish I could fix the blank stare on your face, but I show no expression,
Due to the fact that I'm useless, incompetent, and insecure, I am delirious,
I wonder what this world would be like with one less champion,
What if I had never been born? What if I was never thought of? Then who would conquer?
I act the way I do because I've broken hearts, I've broken relationships, I've broken promises,
This Is why I live the life I do, this is why I limit myself, I have lost my importance.

How am I supposed to keep moving forward without my own importance?
How am I to live life, if I have lost my own expression?
What kind of person am I if I've destroyed all of my promises?
I'm losing my mind, my soul, I'm so delirious,
Now I can only hope to overcome my feelings so I once more conquer,
If only I hadn't said what I had said, then I would be her champion.

Please stop feeling bad for me, it irritates me to the point of no return. I'm no champion.
Just stop what you are doing and bring back my belief of importance,
Why do I ruin every relationship? Why do I think I can conquer?
What if I just stopped existing? Then who would lose their expression?
I wonder if anybody else in this world of great sorrow, is feeling very delirious,
I wish I could fix my mistakes, but alas, I know I can't even bring back my promise.

I will never be able to fix my broken promises, I've lost my chance to be her champion,
Why am I always so delirious? What if it's because I've lost my own importance,
I end this with my final expression, oh wait, I don't have one, I have been conquered.

Ck

Camaro code of conduct

The Camaro code of conduct
Optimus prime

If entering the back seat maintain feet on the floor mats this also applies to passenger seat as well
You do not tell driver what do to, driver knows what to do
Never sit on drivers seat, not even in a mockable fashion, there will be blood
If you are feeling ill or are filthy, you shall not be allowed access into the vehicle
Always wear the safety belt no exceptions!
Do not tamper with radio or temperature controls, there will blood
Always maintain average volume while in the vehicle
There shall be no distractions, driver needs his concentration!
Never roll down windows unless directed to by driver
Do not make driver mad, there will be blood

Hope you enjoy your ride on Camaro!

The Note I Understood

OMG! She completely blew me up today. As a complete crabby lady, she up setted me.
She thinks that around all of us she can be mean and cranky. But of course as  soon as her husband walks in she becomes the peps kiser pup in the litter. Today is a new day and I hope she's in a better mood or the silent treatment will go on. As soon as I get in my car to leave for school I see:

I'm sorry I've been crabby lately, I hope this gas card can fill you up. And here's a little more cash for something fun. Hope you have a great day.

    -her.


So I did fill up with gas, but with the spare money I ordered her flowers. Along with an apology because I do know myself, that I get crabby. We all have our days, but Her and I now completely understand each others days.

Th

Dead butterflies

With every cut they make
Is one breath they won't take
From the wound blood cries
And one more butterfly dies