March Blog Writers in April

HAPPY SPRING!!!

Our blog is up and ready to go with our March Writers :)  there are eleven submissions for this month.  Please read ALL of them and leave comments for your five favorites.  We have a great selection.  So, sit back and RENEW and REVIVE yourself with our SPRING writers.  You guys know what to do.

Your deadline to leave comments is Friday, April 15.

Writers--keep checking back on the blog.  Feel free to respond to student comments.  Also, you only need to write comments for two other pieces :)

What is the American Dream?--Nahome

I find it funny how we were raised and conditioned to believe that there is an actual guaranteed pathway to happiness as long as the necessary steps are met which is the American dream. First of all the actual definition of the American dream is  “that every US citizen has an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative’”. What the American dream fails to mention is that equality does not exist in this great country. This can range from gender, race, and/or religion. See the truth is despite the fact that America is one of the most diversified countries ever known, and that minorities actually helped develop one of the greatest nations in the world, ethnic minority groups will always be treated with little to no respect. The funniest part of all of this is that America seems to be forgetting the 100+ years of ongoing oppression against racial minority groups, specifically the black race. On top of all of this, America still truly believes that equality exists and success is obtainable no matter what religion, race, and gender you are. The evidence to support these claims that I have made are not hard to dig up. In 2016 we are still seeing the male gender earn more money than the opposite sex. In 2016 we are still seeing long bearded men sent off to Guantanamo bay without further question or a proper trial. And in 2016 we are still seeing innocent lives being taken away by an injustice system here in our beloved United States of America. The American Dream has led us to believe that we are all going to achieve success if we get a good education and if we try hard, but once again fails to recognize that the white race is already a few steps ahead. White privilege is a real term and is very much real today. Unfortunately the color of your skin still determines between innocent and guilty, between yes and no, and finally between accepted and rejected. This is not in any way an act to diminish white success but a way to wake up and preach truth by analyzing such a popular term. White privilege is a term many white people like to disagree with because they feel that it is a way to belittle their success. This argument is completely understandable; however does not give the right to completely abandon the term. The truth is the darker your skin color the more intimidating you look towards people of a different race. The American Dream has given nothing but false hope to ethnic minority communities, because it is extremely biased towards one obvious race. It seems almost no matter how hard a ethnic community tries the white man will always find a way to push them back fewer steps. This piece is not here to be a downer but to be a motivation for all ethnic groups, for all genders, and for all religions to push through and exhibit true success. This piece is here to show that I am a black man, I am going to college, I plan on having a family, and I have withstood harsh racism and extremely ignorance but nonetheless I am breaking stereotypes. This piece is here to show that The American Dream is what you believe and that people have their own different sets of goals. Most importantly this piece is here to show that in order to truly make America great again we will all need to unify instead of disperse into groups.

The Woman in White--Damian

          Sun-bleached skin, light complexion, large rear - almost everything you could ask for in a woman. I remember the first day I laid my eyes on her. The sun glistened on my skin, sweat rolled down the side of my cheek, and all I can remember was being mesmerized by her beauty. Before approaching her, I took a step back to admire the entirety of her beauty - every single one of her features. Her curvatures, the way her body glistened in the light, even the subtle hum of her voice turned me on. From that moment on, I knew I wanted her and only her. I dreamt of her every single night. Each day I became more and more infatuated with the idea of her and I together. I could almost feel her smooth skin rubbing up against mine. I longed to run my hands up against her body. I felt the urge to shower her constantly with admiration and lavish things. I needed to show her off to the world and make everyone envious of her everlasting beauty. Then one day my dream came true. Our love for each other had finally come to fruition, and our love ultimately prevailed.

            I still remember our first date together; the day we went to the mountains with our good friend, Alan Viernes, also known as Mister Friday. While a majority of the experience involved Mister Friday attempting to whisk me away from my love, to my reluctance, every moment with my white lady travelling up and down the mountain was greeted with absolute bliss. I still remember the way she looked that day; her beautiful white skin clashing against the rays of the sun, and her gray eyes glistened with the beauty that only she possessed. Her skin was fairer and glowed brighter than the freshly fallen snow itself. Her beautiful humming kept me hypnotized; every second that passed with her, I couldn’t help but fall more in love. This was a different type of love, the kind of love that was extremely rare (ask my friend Adam Burgos about his own struggles in his blog submission entitled “The Time I Got Curved” on Mrs. Cogswell’s blog) and even harder to keep. From this day forward, I knew that in order to keep our relationship going and stable, I had to treat her with the utmost respect and love that most married couples needed.

Over the next several months I lavished her with countless gifts. From new makeup, to new speakers, and even with a wardrobe upgrade. On our one and a half year anniversary, I took her to Griffith Park to see the beautiful stars, but she was still more beautiful than every twinkle and glimmer. Over the past two years, she’s been a huge part of my life and I would have it no other way. She’s helped me through the best times and the worst. This is an ode to the most beautiful, classiest, smartest woman in white, my 2013 Scion FRS.

           

My Passion--Shayne

It was a muggy afternoon on August 18, 2012. It was my first dance audition on a new team and studio that just opened. Before I auditioned, people told me I would be the next project. I didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or not. Along with this being my first year came a lot of consequences. Even though I made the team, ahead of me was a lot of hard work I had to put in. When I first started dancing I was only 12 years old which is late in the game for a lot of kids. I put my heart and soul into the art of dance to become better than I was the day before to make up for the time I didn't get to train. My first year of dancing at a new studio, I got the award for most improved at my banquet which kept me on the road to work even harder. My second year of being at my studio was definitely not the easiest. I started getting moved up to more advanced classes which led to higher expectations for myself. Ever since then I was never a person that wanted to let anybody down and I pushed my body to its limits to do whatever I could do and more. Every week I would take fitness classes to gain muscle, the regular 13 hours a week of dance training, and workout sessions at the gym. Before I knew it, all the training I did paid off. I was winning in competitions and at my second banquet I won teen dancer of the year which made me the happiest person alive. This was because I knew the teachers saw how hard I worked to be a better dancer. After that year, I started to go downhill. My third year felt like I was alone in a dark alley. I started dancing with a new group of dancers at my studio that were also very well trained. I went home crying every night because I felt like the teachers didn't like me because I did something wrong. Or, when they told me a critique in front of the class I always felt like I was publicly humiliated and always took it to heart as a negative response about the way I dance. This not only affected me in the studio but onstage as well. My confidence and self esteem was never there when I came onstage. I would always fall out of my turns which affected my technique score at competition. One thing led to another and I never placed in the overalls. At that point in time I was ready to quit dancing. I felt like it was never my passion anymore and if I wasn't able to go on stage and perform then how could I be a backup dancer for one of my favorite celebrities. Everyday I would walk in the studio to train I never wanted to be there and nervous that I would breakdown in front of the class. Until one day, I learned a new solo routine. One of my mentors,that I thought didn't like me, taught me this solo because I never felt comfortable in my last one. This routine made me feel alive and I danced liked I could never dance again. My point of the story is that every time you hit a obstacle in your life doesn't mean that you should give up. Especially if it is something you have passion for. No matter what gets in your way you should always push through it. These events helped me to not take what I love for granted and that is what I did. These events led up to the person I became today, to be a person that works and fights for what I love to do.

How to do laundry--Favio

I'm not very experienced but I have many tips. It's not simple and requires many steps. Doing laundry is very time consuming and very confusing at times. A lot of times parents will want you to do the laundry, if you don't know this will teach you how to do so. Here are the many steps of doing laundry.The first and most important step of all is to gather all dirty clothes in your house you can do so by gathering all the hampers. You do not want to miss any clothes because you'll have to do more washes and that will waste water and electricity. After bringing the hampers to your laundry room. As soon as you arrive you would want to separate the clothes into different piles. These piles will vary from white clothes, dark clothes, and colored clothes. Also you need to make sure to separate your undergarments from your regular clothes, you want to do this because your regular clothes will smell like feet from your socks. You need to make sure to separate the delicates that are included in these in three or more piles. The delicates will need to be hand washed. This is a very important step if you forget this step you will probably mess up every single one of your family members clothing. Afterwards, you want to go into everyone's closet and grab as much hangers as you can. You will use the hangers to hang all jackets, shirts, etc. When you are done with this, bring all the hangers to the laundry room. When you start putting the loads into the washer you want to start with the biggest load, and work your way down to the smallest. Another note to add is for big loads you want to do a normal wash for smaller loads you would want to do a quick wash. Also for the bigger loads you would want to use a little bit more detergent and fabric softener. Between all these loads will be a timeframe of about 30 minutes to 40 minutes. Between this time you may do anything as you please or you can get ahead by folding the clothes that just came out of the dryer. I preferred to turn on the TV and fold the clothes. When you take clothes out of the dryer, the items that are worn on your upper body are put it onto a hanger immediately and put on a clothing rack. This will reduce wrinkle and make it easier when you are flat ironing them in the future. Once you are done with every single load, and have folded and separated all the clothes. You will want to return every undergarment back to it's rightful owner. Your first experience may not be the best. Eventually you will be very talented and doing laundry for your whole entire family will be a breeze and a walk in the park. I hope your parents are very proud when you finish your first load.

Beautiful People--August

One of my favorite things to do while in a car (besides reading) is to look out the window. Even if I'm just going home from school, a route I have taken 700 days and will only take for 50 more (yay!!!!!), I love watching the world and other cars go by. I love imaging the stories of the other passengers. I love seeing the city lights at night and imaging people at home going about their daily (or I guess technically nightly) business. Creating the stories of the people in the neighborhood next to ours, the sad, the tragic, and the beautiful stories.

My favorite “routes” of any one that I have ever taken is the freeway, any freeway honestly, though long night trips are the most inspiring. Sorry I digress, anyhow, oh my lanta, the freeway makes me cry sometimes. All those people going somewhere. Places I will never know about and the fact that I will never know if the people are excited, sad, nervous or apathetic about going to these locations. This year especially I have looked at the people on the freeway and I become overwhelmed with this intense sadness and this overwhelming hope. Here’s why.

~ A) There are so many people in the world and to know that we only get to meet a handful of them is discouraging and disappointing. I know that not everyone “likes people” but personally I love the human race. I love how we interact with people and how we can shape each other’s’ lives in both positive and negative ways. Realizing that we can only meet and learn from a limited number of people in world and that we are missing out on so many other opportunities to grow and become better selves is disheartening.

~B) Knowing that there are so many people in the world who are lonely and also knowing that there are so many, many, many people out in the universe to make them not lonely. I know for myself I look at all the lights for so many miles and I feel lonely knowing that I haven’t found my person yet; that person, whether it be a best friend or significant other, who gets you more than you get yourself. So I look away because I have to wipe tears from my eyes and then I look back and I see all the lights the go on for so many miles and I am filled with joy knowing that my person and a person for everyone is out there, just not all of us have meet them yet.

~ C) The last reason relates to this quote I saw in a book hook I just finished. The quote is from a book titled Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu and goes "I'm great. I'm okay. I'm a little lost". I love this line because I think it is applicable to everyone at least once in their lives, and how we can feel on top of the world one month, ready to leave the world the next, and then two months later we know that we will be okay but are still not quite sure how to “do” life. On the freeway I get to see the cars going by so fast and I always assume that the passengers know where they are going but maybe they don’t. I mean does anyone really know exactly where they are going at any point of their life? It’s nice to know that even in the dark times of our lives we are not alone because someone else is going through the same thing that we are currently going through, and/or someone else has just been through what we have been through and they are doing okay.

When I think of the quote and I think of the freeway and I think of all the people I just feel so lost because I don't know what I want out of life except that I want to meet all of these people and know all their stories but....that's impossible. One of the wonderful facts of like though, is that sometimes there is beauty in sadness (if you do not understand this read Brave New World and it will make sense). This grief that fills me is that kind of sadness because it is such a strong emotion and it inspires me to live every day to the fullest. So I know this was somewhat random, not very positive, and that not everyone will agree with it but I hope this post makes you cry but in that Beautiful way that make you want to live more and to appreciate the people around you.

How to Cope with Being Small in the Universe--Korbie

            To put it into perspective, there are roughly one million ants for every one human being. At the same time there are more stars in the Milky Way galaxy than there are grains of sand on the planet Earth. Keep in mind; this is just one galaxy out of the infinite amount of other galaxies. Knowing this, do you as an individual feel small? It doesn’t matter if you answered yes or no to this question because the truth of the matter is, both are correct. What you just imagined while reading this is an example of cosmic perspective. This view is nothing more than a humans understanding and awareness of how living things and the universe are merely two ways of describing each other. Take this into consideration. The atoms that comprise life on Earth were forged in the guts of a dying high mass star some millions of years ago. One day this star exploded to ensure the next generations of solar systems much like ours. As a result, there is now a young star with eight worlds and eight predetermined orbits. This is home. Now the Earth is nothing more than a floating blue marble which travels around a midsized star on a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy. Of which our galaxy is spinning around billions upon billions of other galaxies in this universe. Amidst the eternal movement and cosmic chaos we have the luxury of existence. To sum it up, Carl Sagan said it best, “We are a way for the universe to understand itself.” The cosmic perspective is a humble, yet empowering realization. It allows human beings to be aware that they are an extension of infinity. Of all the dogmas and religious doctrines to have existed on Earth, none has provided more comfort and connectivity than this. Staring at the cosmos it is hard to tell if we are looking up at ourselves or looking down upon ourselves. In reality it is no different than looking in a mirror. Among our reflection we see the trials and tribulations that have gotten us to where we are now; the chaos, the exhausting hours of formation, and the countless failed attempts. It’s no wonder when people look at themselves; we try to distinguish ourselves by means of egotism and pride. We have programmed ourselves to become ashamed of our progress because we dislike failure. This is the basis as to why we feel small in the first place. Should every human being one day be capable of developing such awareness, this would be an end to ignorance and belittling as we know it. Suddenly, everyone is capable of feeling relevant and in tune with one another. Throughout the course of humanity we have been divided by a multitude of factors such as war, religion, science, and ethnicity. In comparison to the vastness of the universe our actions are trivial. Our cosmic conundrums are merely ways of expressing and trying to understand ourselves.

The boy: yesterday, today and tomorrow--Aileen

Yesterday the boy would play outside, he would run and kick a ball around the vast field with his
friends. He would explore his surroundings and yearn to solve the mysteries of his curiosities.
He would ride his bike in the park and swing up and down the swing set. He would play tic tac
toe and run after the ice cream truck as his mouth watered for a popsicle. He would smile real
big and kiss his parents goodnight. He was joyful and excited to see what adventures each day
had to offer. Today the boy is confused. He doesn’t even know his true identity. He feels lost,
anxious and frustrated. Any incommodity turns him impatient. Sometimes he feels like there isn’t
even a point to his life. He shines a vague smile and puts on a confident attitude, but inside, oh
inside he couldn’t be in a darker place. He puts himself down and feels alone, abandoned. What
went wrong? Not even he knows, but it’s as if he were stuck. Unable to let go and move on to
face his destined future. He is stuck in his own selfish thoughts and desires. He tries to mend
his pain and emptiness by facing a bright screen and sustaining himself with unhealthy
addictions, not even attempting to socialize or come in contact with the beauty of his
surroundings. He’s losing hope. If only he knew that there was nothing wrong with him, he was
perfectly perfect and he has a greater purpose. The potential to accomplish so so much, if he
just had a little faith in himself and worked a little harder. Tomorrow, the boy will be a man and
he will look back on today and realize he had nothing to worry about. He will have learned from
his experiences and grown into the strong, successful man that he had inside of him all along.
He will appreciate everyone who had supported him through the years, that he didn’t
acknowledge back then. He will be filled with love and compassion to reach out to those who
are in the place he was, spreading the hope he thought he never had. He will be faced with
trials and challenges in his everyday life from work, to bills to family obligations, but as he faces
these situations, he will not fall. He will stand firm in who he is and what he believes, not letting
the mundane customs rub off on his rich culture and values. He will build a family and have a
boy of his own to whom he will support, encourage, love unconditionally and most importantly
show him that no matter what he goes through or what life throws at him, he is strong and
worthy of the best. His little boy will grow up knowing that the little boy version of himself will
always be inside of him no matter how old he grows, he can always find that childlike joy and
innocence awaiting the day's “adventures” with a positive outlook. For in the end no matter what
happened yesterday, what happens today or what happens tomorrow, everything will be okay.

To Be Engulfed, But to Not Suffocate--Samantha

                                  

I think most of us take on the infamous characteristics of chameleons. By this I mean, we change our colors to blend into our surroundings so often that we do not even realize that we as individuals are disappearing. At times this is considered to be a great skill, they call it versatility. Those who can adapt the best and the most efficiently to their environment will survive in this world - survival of the fittest. But how does versatility differ from conformity? Where is this fine line? Do we subconsciously cross over into conformity or are we aware that to be virtually invisible is perhaps better than to stand comfortable in our own skin, defiant to the societal norms that lay as our background. I say “better” because growing up, “better” and “safer” became synonymous in our vocabulary. It was taught to us that the safer decision is most likely the better one, that on a scale from 1-10, anything considered 1-3 is us not pushing ourselves enough, 7-10 and we are being too “unrealistic” or maybe even “rebellious,” the range 4-6 is safe, is fitting in, is better.

In our comfort zones, we are most like ourselves. Ironically, most of us say that this is where we feel the safest, so in that state, following the interchangeability of “safe” and “better,” isn't that when we are also in our best form? We are frightened to let our guard down outside of our comfort zone because this is when we feel vulnerable, for our true selves are exposed before society to critique and judge. A determining factor of our own opinions of ourselves is really how others perceive us. We all long for acceptance, it has been like that for a majority of our lives.

From birth, we want to be accepted by our parents. In most cases, there is already an undying love and acceptance from our family, but we still work hard for their approval because we want them to be proud of us. Moving into our childhood and initial interactions with our peers, we never want to be the odd one out. Insecurities, doubts and occasionally self resentment run ramped in the mind of an outcast, for they are missing the vital social interaction that brings things to a balance and into perspective. Even now as seniors take their next step towards a new stage in their lives, there is the need to be accepted by colleges. At this point, personal statistics (gpa, number of awards, test scores, number of clubs, volunteer hours etc.) begin to matter more and more, while of course our personalities and actions are still being watched and assessed.

Many of us desire acceptance to feel relevant in this world, but we have to understand that knowing our own self worth, as well as respecting and having confidence in ourselves will be more rewarding than working for the opinions of others.

To go on living within a 4-6 safety range is not embracing life’s opportunities. we should let life, its wonders, challenges, energy and unpredictability, engulf us and serve as nutrients for our souls. We should not, however, let it become suffocating. Allow yourself room to breathe freely, to develop your own thoughts and opinions to share, value things that you actually find important, and to expand socially, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

In memory of the Captain--Ethan

After two months at sea, the view of land becomes the most satisfying thing the eyes can see. The island, covered by a massive jungle, suggests this is the island they have been searching for. As the crew boards the beach, they grow even more excited as they discover tiny hoof prints all along the beach. The crew sets up camp as they anticipate tomorrow’s journey being a big day not only for man, but for mankind. The tents are assembled and the lights are out within the hour.

            It is morning and the crew is up and ready to venture throughout the island in search for their long awaited treasure. With high anticipation and overflowing excitement, the crew slowly enters the tree-line. The sky becomes instantly clouded as the massive leaves upon the trees block out the sun almost entirely. The humidity is so intense that the crew stops numerous times to constantly replenish their water supply at nearby rivers. One by one they take turns swinging their knives through the thick brush that surrounds them. A chuckle goes through the crew as they didn’t anticipate the journey being this rigorous or the terrain being so complicated. A member of the crew suggests they turn back and take on another route through the jungle but the captain of the ship insists they are not too far according to his map. With the smell of treasure not far away the crew keeps on. After a day of walking their journey comes to a halt as night falls and the crew must stop to set up camp. The terrain has grown more convenient as now the land has changed from a humid jungle to a heat stricken dessert with mountains upon mountains of sand.

            The crew awakes to find the same hoof prints they discovered at the beach surrounding their camp. Since the terrain is sand, the crew sees a trail of hoof prints leading away from their tents towards a mountain in the distance. Frustrated that they were only feet away from their goal, the crew rapidly assembles their gear and vigorously follows the trail of hoofs. Arriving at the mountain they notice a high ridge that leads to an opening in the mountain. “Before we go up, check this out.” A member of the crew notices a corpse at the bottom of the mountain with a crushed skull. This puzzles the crew as they don’t believe their treasure could have committed such a harsh action. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, the captain spots a giant bird that is flying back and forth around the top of the mountain. Without hesitating the captain declares that the dead corpse is a result of the giant vulture. The captain suggests the crew proceed up the back of the mountain to avoid being seen from the bird.

            After almost a day and half of evading the vulture, the crew reaches the top of the mountain and comes upon a straightaway leading to a wall of leaves. According to the captain’s map, the wall of leaves serves as the “X’ that leads to where the treasure is held. Filled with excitement the crew sprints towards the wall of leaves only to come to a screeching halt when they notice they are surrounded by giant eggs. Only feet away from their treasure, the vulture swarms down and lays in the nest of eggs. The crew scared for their lives runs behind the eggs as they are tall enough to hide them from the sight of the vulture. One by one the crew makes for the leaves until the captain is the last one to leave. With the rest of the crew hiding behind the leaves, the captain sprints to join them. Running as fast and as quietly as he can, the captain trips over one of the branches of the nest and falls hard impaling his leg with a knife in the side of his pack. With the knife more than six inches into his leg the captain lets out a loud scream of intense pain. The vulture seeing the captain, leaves the nest and in a swift motion picks up the captain with its massive talons and flies off.

            The crew, devastated by seeing their captain flying away to his death, vow to keep on with their mission to find the treasure. “He would’ve wanted us to keep going” says one of the crew members. Only moments away from their long awaited discovery the crew regroups with their emotions and continues through the wall of leaves. Seeing light shining through the vines, a great smile comes over the crew as the can hear flowing water and the clicking of small hooves along the rocks. Peeking through the vines and opening up to a great valley of green land and numerous waterfalls, the crew jumps in excitement in realization that they have found their treasure. All around the valley in herds of millions are enormous herds of goats. Small goats, tall goats, slim goats and fat goats. Each goat living in its own peaceful part of the valley, untouched by any external force. “Is this heaven?” shouts one of the crew members. With goats as far as the eye can see, the crew decides to stay in the valley instead of venture to the outside world to preserve the heavenly valley of goats from any human harm. As the crew walks down the valley, they stop, turn to each other and shout, “In memory of the Captain”.

Losing Friends--Natassja

In life you will lose friends so why is such a hard subject to talk about, because people look at the bad side rather than the good or normal reality. You'll grow apart and that's normal because you will grow out of each other like that jacket that's sleeves got a little too short because you grew in inch even after you were supposed to stop growing, or maybe you gained an inch and those pants are just a little too tight. Sometimes though it's not the physical things that you grow out of but the style ones, when you throw away that my chemical romance t-shirt from 7th grade NO ONE is going to question that decision, just like no one will question you cleaning out your closet in 4 years when your graduating college and moving into the job force, getting rid of those things you used to wear in high school because those things just aren't who you are anymore. And looking through your closet then you’ll think back to when that shirt used to be your favorite shirt and you’ll remember all the amazing things that happened that year and you’ll hesitate as you throw it into the pile, but you will. Maybe it’s when you’re cleaning out that “stuff” drawer and at the very bottom you find one of those stupid silly bands from middle school, the ones that were shaped like guitars and other random objects that you obsessed over. That silly band that you would wear regardless of how it cut off your circulation because at the time it fit your style, and for whatever reason you thought that wearing that stupid grey silly band would make you look just that much more badass, but you’re not eleven anymore so you’re going to throw it in the trash with the rest of the random pieces of junk because you’re not the same person. Your personality changes like your style and sometimes the people you used to be friends with just aren't the people you enjoy being around anymore and that's okay. Everyone changes, constantly so it should be expected that other people besides yourself are changing just as much as you are, perhaps at different times or in different ways but they are indeed changing. It would be impossible for people not to change because realistically, how ridiculous would it be if the CEO of apple acted like a twelve year-old, the answer is extremely, and one of the ways that people change is by maturing. People mature throughout their lives but there are a few main thresholds where said maturation occurs rapidly, being graduating from high school and graduating from college. You will probably lose friends around this time but you will lose friends throughout your entire life because you are constantly changing or “growing”. So yes, it's hard to accept that the past is the past sometimes, but part of getting older and maturing is accepting that, and that means people will move in and out of your lives because that's how life work, so don’t be sad just appreciate the times you had.

The Renewal--Kevin

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

SAVANNAH, a young 15-16 year old beautiful African-American girl wearing big hoop earrings and a blue sparkling dress stands in front of a mirror putting on makeup while staring at her reflection.

SAVANNAH Ok Savannah. You can do this. You can go through with this. I know you can. You like David now. You don't want Justin anymore. You must break up with him. Yeah you gotta do it girl. No matter what happens you gotta do it. But what if I can't? What if I can't do it? Oh gosh. I have to. Oh no I can't. What will others say? What will my friends think? We have been together for almost a year. Everyone in the school loves us. We're like the number one couple. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. I have to break up with him.

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

JUSTIN, a young 15-16 year old handsome African-American boy wearing a black tuxedo looks in to the mirror when washing his hands.

JUSTIN I have to do this. I knew Jessica before Savannah and before I ever moved to Anaheim. I'm now back. I'm back to my previous life that I always wanted back. I'm back at Etiwanda in Fontana. My hometown. My high school. Everyone's so nice in welcoming me back. I'm back on the football team and I'm playing varsity. I would have never made it with being back here. There is no need for me to continue this relationship with Savannah. I just can't. I can't do it anymore. It was pretty nice for our friends at Savanna High to throw us a party congratulating us on our one year anniversary together but I don't think I can continue to be with her now. That I have everything I wanted. I have to break up with her.

INT. CAR - NIGHT

DAVID, a white 15-16 year old boy wearing a dress shirt drives while holding Savannah's hand. She stares out the window.

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - NIGHT

Justin walks out the boy’s bathroom. Waiting for him is JESSICA, a young 15-16 year old Mexican girl wearing a red and pink skirt.

JESSICA Wow you took a while.

JUSTIN Yeah sorry.

EXT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Savannah and David get out of the car and walk towards the school's entrance.

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY - NIGHT

David opens the glass door for Savannah and she walks through. He goes in after her and the door closes behind them. They see Jessica and Justin and walk towards them.

JUSTIN Well you guys have a good time.

JESSICA Yeah do what you have to.

David and Jessica walk towards the gym door, open it and walk through.

JUSTIN Well hey Savannah. How was your ride?

SAVANNAH It was good. How was yours all the way from Fontana?

JUSTIN It was alright.

SAVANNAH You ready to walk in?

JUSTIN Oh yeah. Yeah. Let’s go.

Justin and Savannah walk towards the gym door, open it and walk inside the gym.

INT. GYM - NIGHT (CONTINIOUS ACTION)

Suddenly, the lights come on and the music starts playing. People stare at Savannah and Justin walking down the center of the gym floor. Numerous tables covered in white cloth are on both sides of the gym filled with glasses and plates of food. FRANK, a young 15-16 year old white and Mexican boy stands wearing a gray suit on the other side of the gym on a platform.

FRANK Welcome the man and woman of the evening. Justin Wilson and Savannah Hudson.

Everyone claps.

FRANK We are here tonight to celebrate a great achievement. They have been together for one year and have stuck through thick and thin. It was a miracle that brought them together and it would take another one to break them apart.

They stare sorrowful at one another.

FRANK Let’s give a toast to them. To Justin and Savannah.

People raise their glasses.

FRANK Any words from the couple that they would like to say tonight?

JUSTIN Yeah.

Justin and Savannah walk up to the platform and takes the mic.

JUSTIN Thank you. Thank you so much guys for doing this for us. My friends at Etiwanda and our friends at Savanna to come together and throw a great party for us. That wonderful but you didn't have to. I mean we're only in high school. And that we're not the most important people in the school. And..

Everyone starts murmuring.

FRANK What do you mean Justin?

JUSTIN Uhh. I just don't feel like I..

He looks at the crowd, then at David, Jessica, and finally Savannah's eyes. She has a worried look on her face. Justin then walks off the platform and stands in the center of the gym.

JUSTIN I can't do it. I just can't. The truth is I came here today planning to break up with Savannah.

Everyone is shocked and gasps.

JUSTIN I know. I know. Once I moved back to Fontana this year, I felt I was back home. I was back in the place where I belonged. I had everything I needed again. I didn't need to make new friends. I had my old life back. I didn't need to fit in. I was back with my family. I had it all. I had my old girlfriend back too. When I first moved to Anaheim and went to Savanna High last year for mom's work, I hated it. I had to change myself. I had to be the new person in school. But now I realize why I came to Savanna High in the first place. I now know why I had to move. I had to get out of my comfort zone. I had to adapt and meet new people. I had to make new friends. But most of all I had to meet Savannah.

Savannah smiles.

JUSTIN I don't know why I was distracted, why I was being stupid, why I forgetting about the precious thing I already had. Savannah, she is my one and only. She is the apple of my eye. My lovely bae and my beautiful girl. She is the girl I have being wanting and waiting all my life for. The girl that God designed specifically for me. She is my hope, my passion and my aspirations. She pushes me to become a better person, a better me each and every day. She's beautiful, smart, and funny. She is everything anyone could every want and I'm glad to have her in my life. She loves me and I love her with all of my heart and will never ever leave her again for anyone or anything in this world or the next.

Savannah runs down the platform towards Justin and hugs him.

SAVANNAH I love you.

JUSTIN I love you too.

Everyone claps and Jessica and David walks out of the gym. Slow music plays and Justin and Savannah dance with each other. Justin's phone rings. He takes it out of his pocket.

JUSTIN It’s my mom. I have to answer it.

He answers it and puts the phone to his ear.

JUSTIN Hey Mom.

MOM Hey Justin. You at school. You safe.

JUSTIN Yeah. Yeah. I'm ok.

MOM Ok good. Are you sitting down right now?

JUSTIN No. Why?

MOM Well I got some good news. My job is heading back to Anaheim so that means we can move back.

JUSTIN Oh my gosh. That's good news. Oh man. Thank God. Oh I'll call you back.

MOM Ok bye.

JUSTIN Bye.

He puts his phone back in his pocket.

SAVANNAH What is it?

JUSTIN I'm coming back to Anaheim.

SAVANNAH What you mean?

JUSTIN My mom's work is moving back to Anaheim which means we're moving back here.

SAVANNAH Wow. That’s amazing. That's great. I'm so glad I have you back.

JUSTIN Me too. Me too.

FADE OUT: