December Writers

As a new decade looms over us, our December Writers are up and ready to take you into the new year.

I know many of you are resting, vacationing, partying and spending quality time with family and friends.  Your comments are not due until Monday, January 13th.  Take your time and enjoy the rest of this week before we head back into school.

Read ALL pieces, choose your three (3) that you wish to comment.  Remember to state why you have chosen the piece.  Take your time to leave thoughtful feedback.

Have a most wonderful New Year's Eve!!!!!!!

December Writers,

Only leave comments for your peers if you wish.  Otherwise, you have the month off!!!!

See you next year!!!

All my love,

Mrs. Solano

p.s.  Hope you are all enjoying Jane Eyre.  Don't forget about her :)

Goodnight Baby--Tiffany

Have you ever stepped outside of your comforting house just to be engulfed by the crisp morning air and smothered by the smell of fresh dew from the newly cut grass? Everything is at peace, the birds chirp to wake up the sleeping town. Well, I have never felt that feeling. You see, mama has always told me to never step outside without her next to me or I will regret it. The times I have gone out with her the world seemed dark and smoke burned my nostrils to the point where I had to use my shirt to cover it. My city is littered with, as mama states, “bad people that I can’t trust,” as if I’m being targeted. Yet, I never felt scared, cause mama was always there to protect me. Everyday when I wake up and walk downstairs, she’s always there, sitting at the table flashing me the biggest smile and saying “good-morning baby, I love you.”

This particular morning, however, mama wasn’t home. I walked downstairs expecting her to be sitting at the table knitting anything you can possibly think of. Yet, this time she wasn’t there. I walked around the house, thinking of everything that could have possibly happened to her. For the first time, I felt worried.
I sat at the table where mama and I ate all our meals, sharing memories and laughs. Suddenly, the door swung open followed by a woman coughing and holding several bags. I shoot my head towards the door and I see mama! All of my worries melt away and I feel at peace again.

“Mama!” I shouted, running up to hug her.
“Good morning baby, I love you,” she replies, “Sorry I was out for so long, I just got some groceries before things become worse.”
I didn’t understand what she meant by that but I just smiled and hugged her again.
“Mama, I was wondering if I could play with my new ball outside later today.” I said.
Mama replied abruptly, “sweetheart, you can’t go outside, not by you-“
“I know not by myself, but I was thinking that I can play with some of the other kids and show them my new ball.”
I know there are kids in my town, but I never met them. I don’t really have any friends at all. I’m just itching to be a regular kid and play with other kids my age.
“Anastasia, you know I love you and I want the best for you, but I can’t risk anything bad happening to you, ever.”
“Mama you always say that, but nothing bad happens! Please just this one time.”
“Anna you are not going outside and that’s final!”

I rush to my room. It’s not fair. Why can I not go play with the other kids. What’s so wrong with this entire town. Nothing has happened to me or mama, I’m safe here. I want to play. So I grab my ball, slowly tiptoe down the stairs and slip past mama who, thankfully doesn’t hear me exiting the house.

This is it! I can play! I can run and bounce my ball and be a normal kid! I’m caught up in so much excitement and new emotions I don’t see the group of big people all dressed the same, white baggy shirts and big blue jeans, approach me. I stop in my tracks with wide eyes and say, “Hello, I’m Anastasia! Wanna be friends?”

They don’t reply, they just smirk and look at one another and reach into their pockets to pull out this weird looking object.
“Do you wanna play with me and my ball?”
“Anastasia!” I hear Mama call out my name.
“Anastasia get back here right now! Run!”
I dropped my ball and run over but I’m halted by loud booming sounds. Moments later I hear sirens and they get louder and louder. The big people scatter and it’s just me, Mama and some people in my town.
Mama rushed to me and stopped right in front of me.
“See Mama I told you I was fine, those people left, I love you Mama.”
Mama didn’t reply. She looked shocked, worried and on the brink of tears.
“Mama, I’m okay I’m right here.”
Still no answer, she wasn’t even looking at me.

I turn around and see a little girl lying on the street with blood seeping from her back. That little girl... was me. Every emotion leaves my soul.

I watch as mama approaches my body, kneels down and sobs. I go to Mama and hug her and I feel protected, just like every single morning.

“Mama,” I say, “I’m okay now, you don’t have to worry.”
A long time passes and I finally listen to the last words she will ever say to me.
“Goodnight, baby... I love you.”

Tyler’s Roommates--Marisa

"Tyler, Tyler..." I open my eyes. I'm sore and I don't know where I am or how I got here.
The girl sitting in front of me, waking me up is named Brianna. Brianna has the most beautiful tan skin and curly black hair, that highlights her green eyes so well. I think I love her, but I have a sense I can't touch her. I sit up and ask, "Where are we?" and Brianna tells me we're in a house staying with other children. She reminds me that my mom never told me why or for how long, but we can ask her when she visits on Sunday. I take in the information and look around. There are four other beds in this room with me. Three have my friends, Natalia, Jaime, and Frankie, and the other is Brianna's. Having my friends as my roommates makes this strange house more tolerable. Frankie asks me if I want to join him and Natalia watching our favorite movie, so I carefully sit up and make my way to Frankie's bed in front of the TV. A few minutes in, we hear footsteps coming towards the room. Jaime says, "Hurry, back to bed," and I turn off the movie and hobble back to my bed. Right as I close my eyes, a woman walks in and walks right up to my bed. She gently shakes me and I sit up again. She asks how I'm feeling and says something about roommates. I tell her I'm feeling great since I have my four friends as roommates. The woman shifts her weight between her feet and starts messing with the button on her blouse. Maybe she doesn't have many friends, so she's feeling sad. I decide not to ask her any questions

so I don't hurt her feelings and after a minute, she leaves the room. My friends jump back out of bed and run over to me, all talking over each other with questions about the woman. I wait for them to quiet down, and then I retell our interaction. After I finish, they all share concerned glances, but I don't think much of it; I'm happy they're here.

All of a sudden, a cute little song begins playing from a speaker up at the corner of the ceiling. It ends and the same woman who visited my room announces that it's snack time. My friends start packing up their things and walk to the door. Realizing they're going to leave, I call, "Wait, guys! Where are you going?" Natalia giggles and tells me to come to snack time with them. I get up and we go out to the living area of the house. I grab my string cheese, gold fish, and capri sun and we grab a table with exactly five seats. My friends and I are laughing and talking, and I notice the children at the other tables are looking at us and whispering. They seem to be friends, but maybe they don't like our jokes. After snack time, my roommates and I head back to our room to finish our movie. After the movie, the same announcement song is played, and we're told it's time for bed. Today was a great Tuesday. I still don't understand why my friends and I have to stay here, but I'm ready for Sunday so I can tell my mom all about the fun we're having.

Each day, the routine is the same, which means for my room, each day is as fun as the last. It's finally Saturday evening, and when the announcement song is played, I yell with happiness, "Natalia! Brianna! Frankie! Jaime! When we wake up, it's parent day!" We get ready for bed and turn out the lights as fast as we can, but then the woman walks in again. She sits on

the side of my bed, brushes a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear, then she looks at me. "Tyler, you're a real joy to have in our house," she tells me, "but I have to ask you to promise me something for tomorrow." The woman pauses until I nod and says, "When you're telling your mother about your time here, you can't talk about your roommates." They're the best part of being here, so I ask her why. She tells me that they're top secret. I promise to keep quiet, because my best friends being top secret sounds pretty cool to me.

Parent day was a blast! I talked with my mom for the whole three hours. I talked about the movies I watched, the snacks I ate, and learning to braid in arts and crafts. My mom seemed relieved in some way, but I don't know what about though. Anyway, she also had stories to tell about my dad and learning to cook new dishes. I miss my dad, but he gets to come next Sunday. I hope that by the time they are both here, I will be allowed to talk about my secret roommates. At the end of the three hours, I said goodbye to my mom, but then the announcement woman comes into the room and my mom follows her into an office. I finished telling Brianna my story, and she seems upset. I tried to give her a hug, but she got up and got into her bed. I decided to go to bed too and ask Brianna if she's okay in the morning.

I sit up in a cold sweat from my dream. I get up to check on my friends, but they aren't in their beds. All of their stuff is gone too. I start running and throw open every door I see. Eventually, I get to the room of the announcement woman. She brings me in and sits me down. She puts her hands on my shoulders, and says, "Tyler, you realized something about your roommates didn't you?" I nod and look down. "They aren't real."

Family Friendly--Andrea

You step outside your house, get into your car, start driving, and look at the stores around
you, and you see at least one of the following: family sized, family deal, family pack, family friendly, but what is actually considered a family? According to merriam webster’s dictionary, family is the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents and their children, but to many people this is not the case. From the day we are born we are told that our parents, and anyone else related by blood, are our ‘real’ family, but there are thousands of different kinds of families, ranging from nuclear families, extended families, single parent families, and even families composed of people that don’t share any ancestry. Family is not only defined by a bond of blood, but is defined by the love, trust and support that is exchanged between people. Family is made up of people who choose to spend time with each other because of their common goals or values, and because of their love for one another. In some cases, a person can feel like they’ve been stuck with a family that is toxic or harmful to them, leaving them to search for comfort in others. For many this comfort is found in friends who also share similar issues, interests, values, or anything else. This results into two families, the family a person was given and the family they chose themselves. According to a 2017 study conducted by Michigan State researchers, people with strong friendships were happier than people who relied on genetic family aone. It was concluded that, “​Not all of us are born into the families we need. But we all have the ability

to make the friendships that we need.” For me, this is absolutely true, as my friends and I have created our own family amongst ourselves over the past six years. Together, we have been through the triumphs and tragedies of life and have undoubtedly leaned on one another for support. We have even developed each others mannerisms like a real family would.

Aside from the love and support a ​‘second family’ can provide, having two families can be very important when developing into your own individual. Being raised by your immediate family you learn the basic skills, manners, and values your family chooses to teach you, whereas in your ‘second family’ you can express your own values and opinions, whether they be different from what you had learned or not. For example, in my specific family dynamic, my brother and I were raised in a Latino household with two parents who enforce many rules and have many different beliefs. Because of this, I am very cautious in everything I do and say at home, in hopes to keep my parents pleased with the daughter they raised. On the other hand, when I am with my friends, or my second family, I have more freedom to express my true feelings and ideas with full support and no judgement.

Whether it be a traditional nuclear family, a family made up of non-blood relatives, or even two families, everyone needs a family to get through day to day life. The definition of a family is not constricted by the black and white of just parents and their children, but rather it is interpreted by the many different colors of people in ones life that love and support them.

Sources
“Family.” ​Merriam-Webster​, Merriam-Webster, ​www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family​.

Voa. “Are Friends Better Than Family for Your Health?” ​VOA​, VOA - Voice of America English News, 24 July 2017, learningenglish.voanews.com/a/health-lifestyle-friends-or-family/3952739.html.

Christmas at Teddy’s--Melanie

Every day, the nine-year-old boy, Teddy, met up with his two best friends, Ryan and
Clarissa, and his sister, Amy, to walk home from school. Each day, the cacophony echoing in the school hallways made it difficult for Teddy to focus. The students’ laughters were deafening. The sound of backpacks zipping and unzipping were blaring. Today was his Christmas party with his friends. At least, that is what he thought it was.

Teddy exitted the hallways and began walking toward the spot his friends typically meet. He continued in his tracks as he passed that spot and as his friends followed. Ten minutes pass. He entered his home, and his friends followed inside. Teddy’s friends waited patiently downstairs while Teddy and Amy prepared their gifts for “Secret Santa.” The laughter downstairs after Amy returned to their friends sparked an immense excitement within Teddy. He remembered that he sent out his Christmas Wish list only two weeks before. The only thing on it included a set of Legos that revolved around Star Wars and the spaceships. He knew that this Christmas party would be the highlight of his year.

Teddy entered his bedroom. The sunlight beamed through the blinds of the windows. He scanned his bedroom. There. He hovered over the gift as he read the note placed next to it: “Teddy, Doctor’s appointment at 9am tomorrow. Love you! - Mom.” He set the note on his desk.

He snatched the gift on his bed. It was wrapped in Santa Claus wrapping paper. He proceeded downstairs to begin the exchange.

The children sat in a deformed circle in Teddy’s living room on the wooden floor with their gifts sitting in front of them, ready to be unwrapped. Amy was the first to begin the actual exchange of Secret Santa gifts, handing her gift, wrapped in Santa Claus wrapping paper, to Ryan; Ryan then handed his Star-Wars-wrapped gift to Teddy; Teddy then handed his gift to Clarissa; and Clarissa finished the gift exchange by handing her Disney-wrapped gift to Amy. Ryan received a new game-set of “Battleship;” Teddy received a set of Legos to build another spaceship for his Star Wars collection; Clarissa received 30 packaged scrunchies; and Amy received a stuffed Minnie Mouse along with a holiday card from Clarissa. For the rest of the time, the children sat in that deformed circle, incredibly mesmerized by the gift each of them received. Their gifts brought up past memories, and they began sharing old stories of past Christmases, until the short hand reached nine.

The clock strikes nine. The light in the room goes dim. The children go silent. The room goes silent. Everyone remains still. He does not even hear Amy breathing. Teddy breathes quietly and slowly. He reaches his arms out in front of him. Wait. Where did they go? His precious Legos seemed to disappear out of thin air. He looks down to the floor in front of him. The Legos were nowhere in sight. His eyes widened in disbelief. Teddy looks up again. His friends were not in the room with him. A wave of darkness rapidly washes over the room. He buries his head into his hands, waiting for the lights to turn on. Teddy sat alone in the darkness.

Thirty minutes pass. The garage opens. The lights illuminate once again. Teddy looks up. The gifts his friends received sat right in front of him. His friends were nowhere in sight. The

door to the garage unlocks. Teddy remains still as the door creaks open. The sound of heels click on the floor with every step. Teddy looks behind him to find that his mom was home.

“You opened all your presents?!,” she exclaimed. “You were supposed to wait until Christmas morning!” Teddy looks at the Christmas tree that suddenly appeared in his living room. His eyes return to looking at his mom.

“Well, you have to be awake early tomorrow for your doctor’s appointment,” she demanded. “I’m almost positive you don’t have schizophrenia, but we’ll see what the professionals say.” Teddy finally remembers: he was always an only child.

Ball Game--Tim

Two minutes left in regulation. We’re up by eight, feeling as if we had won the game. We started to relax on defense. They take advantage of it. The made a layup. Up by six with one minute and forty-five seconds left. I bring the ball up the court. I pass to a teammate. Turnover. They score again. Up by four with a minute and thirty-seven seconds left. I bring the ball up the court again. I pass to a teammate. Then I set a screen. I cut to the basket. They pass the ball to me. I pass out to the corner to a teammate. They shoot the a wide-open three. Missed the shot. The opposing team gets the rebound and runs down the court. The opposing team makes a three-pointer.

A minute and twenty-five seconds left. The opponent plays full court defense on us. Another turnover. Another made layup by the opposing team. A minute and twenty seconds left in the game. Down by one. I quickly bring the ball up the court. I pass the ball and my teammate sets a screen for me. I get the ball back. I’m wide-open for three. I take the shot. The ball looks good and well on its way to the hoop. The ball hits the rim. Opposing team gets the rebound. They call a timeout with a minute left. How did I miss that wide-open shot? I’ve practiced that type of shot countless of times. Why did I miss that shot now? Why do these kinds of things happen?

As I walk to the bench with my head down, I thought the ball looked good when it was released from my hands. It looked as if it was going straight down the net. Wishing that I could get a second chance at another shot like that. They say that when the opportunity presents themselves, people need to grab that opportunity and make it theirs. But sometimes there are risks to take when an opportunity presents themselves. People may think that an opportunity as big as it is may never come by again. So they take the chance without thinking about what to do if they fail to accomplish their work.

They say that life is full of second chances. But everyone only has one life and sometimes will never get a second chance to redeem themselves on what they did. Sometimes people don’t even get a chance to show themselves. When people don’t get these chances, they can wonder if they are worth enough to even try at that point. People can get down on things like this happening to them. Not being able to capitalize on their chance, not receiving a chance, or not given a second chance at something can demoralizes a person.

In general, humans take these experiences and tell themselves that they aren’t cut out for these types of things. They allow the fact that things didn’t come out the way that they wanted to affect the way the feel and think. They don’t want to take the experience and learn from it. They allow doubt and fear to slowly dominate their choices. They soon begin to second guess themselves. They soon look at themselves and wonder if they are really enough or worth enough to try again.
Instead of allowing these experiences to demoralize humans, take these experiences to look at what to improve on. Use these experiences as motivation to bring back the confidence to say that “I will get my chance again.” This is how the great ones came to be. Kobe Bryant

missed so many important shots to win a game early in his career. People talked about how he shouldn’t have taken those shots or they say how he isn’t clutch enough. But Kobe uses those words and his experience to become better. That’s how he became as great as he is today. Although Kobe is so great, even he sometimes misses.

Walking back onto the court, it felt as if a fire had started in myself. The opponent passes the ball to their teammate that decides to shoot the ball with me as the defender. I block their shot. Pick up the ball and ran with it. Fifty-five seconds left. I stop and shoot a three. The ball went straight through the net. The opposing team brings the ball up the court. Forty-six seconds left. They drive and made a layup to tie the game.

Tied with twenty-six seconds left, I bring the ball up the court. My teammate sets a screen. A bigger and slower opponent switches onto me. I see the mismatch. Fifteen seconds left on the clock. I go between the legs once then twice. Thirteen seconds left. Crossover. Twelve seconds left. Behind-the-back. Ten seconds left. Step-back behind the arc, gaining some space. Nine seconds left. Puts up a three. The ball spins slowly in the air, forming a rainbow heading straight down the hoop. The ball finds itself on the bottom of the net with five seconds left in the game. The opposing team didn't have any timeouts remaining. They get the ball in and puts up a heavily contested three. They miss. Ball game. Chances like these don’t come often. But when they do, try to make them count. When you miss, just remember, we can’t make them all every time.

Losing Someone to Suicide--Saidy

It was the morning of November 16, I woke up to a message from my good friend
Julia informing me that Jonny commited suicide. I was in denial. My mind was spinning with the news and I asked her if she was sure it’s true. Eventually I started getting spammed from all my old friends asking if I heard what happened and if I was okay. I dropped to my knees crying and screaming wishing it was some sick joke they were playing on me. It was so sudden, I found myself in denial. I prayed for him to text me saying he’s okay or to show up at my door, anything. At the time this just couldn’t be real to me. Jonny couldn’t have just taken his own life like this without saying goodbye. The same day I went to his memorial and still, I was in denial. His mom and I held each other crying over him for what seemed like hours and that’s when I realized this was real. He’s gone.

I then became filled with rage. I was so angry at the people who caused him so much pain that he felt the need to take his life. The people who helped him go down a path he wasn’t proud of. Angry at my parents for taking my phone that night when he was practically crying for help. The one damn time I wasn’t there to check up on him. I hate that it takes losing him to suicide to finally stop hurting myself and attempting suicide myself. It was so frustrating to hear people talk about him as if he’s just another number to the list of suicides. The audacity people have to ask me how he took his life and why he did it. Why does it matter? Why do you need to know? All I know is that my dearest friend took his life and felt alone, felt like his life meant nothing with no purpose.

For a few weeks I stayed stuck in my room holding a drawing he asked me to do of him back in middle school. My chest always felt like it was going to burst. What I would do just to see him smile one more time. I wasn’t talking as much, wouldn’t eat and stopped caring about most things. I didn’t bother telling most people because I didn’t want to relive the moment of losing him. I miss him so much. I have so many emotions unraveling, yet feel numb at the same time. Every single moment I had with him kept running through my mind as if it just happened yesterday. I turned into a mess. Currently still a mess but at least I’m slowly picking myself up together.

After all this pain, denial, anger and depression I finally found some acceptance. He may be gone but he will always hold a place in my heart. I’m so grateful to have so many memories with him. All the late night calls, the flowers he’d leave at my door as an apology for upsetting me, or his annoying random spams at 3am to wake me up, ect. He helped me realize how precious life. It’s important to keep your loved ones close because you never know when you will lose them. I choose to talk about this because I feel like people don’t realize how much people are hurting. Please check up on your friends and family, make sure they’re okay if you can. I love you so much Jonny more than you will ever know, I hope you finally find peace you deserve it after everything you had to go through. I’ll never forget everything you’ve done for me and our friends. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you.

One Way Ticket--Kyra

It started off as any other relationship would. Two people meet, fall in love, and
things take off from there. We were young and dumb, and we brougt a house vowing that we will stay togther forever. Well, as time went by we fell out of love. I don’t know when but there is no use in wondering. Tonight was like any other night, he came home late and very far gone. “Where were you? Do you realize how worried as was?”. Him like always gives me the same response “ Why does it matter to you ? I’m the man your women do what your told, I don't need to explain myself to you ?”. It was dehumanizing and humiliating I felt trapped and I didnt know how to save myself. He walked to the guest room and locked himself in. We haven't shared a room in weeks I guess it's for the best. I looked at the guest room door hopelessly and turned to head toward the living room. I turned the TV on and switched to the news and plopped onto the sofa. “ Top ten places to visit in the world” was displayed along the bottom of the screen.” Hmph as if” I said in denial, but then I looked around. My house was nice but dead quite. I didn't like that, a house should be filled with laughter and warmed with love. That's when I realized things need to change. I grabbed a bag rounded up a few clothes and walked through the front door.

I was done. I stormed out of my house, flagged the nearest taxi, and left. I don’t know why I chose to come to this place, but I had a plane ticket in my bag. Perhaps I knew that one day I would need a one way ticket to anywhere. After much thought I decided to go to Japan. It was one of the top ten. So I got on the first available flight and never looked back. It wasn't until I landed that I felt the weight of what I just done. “ What did I just do? How could I be so reckless? What would he think?” I stood in a dark corner having a crisis wondering how I’m I going to fix this mess. The air in the airport became thick, I couldn't breathe I had to go outside. I began walking to the nearest exit mindlessly. It wasn't until I felt water on my arm that I came to. “ Wait, water?” I looked up and then realized it was raining. No, it was pouring. There was no shelter around because during my mindlessness wound up in a nearby park. I ran to the nearest tree and took shelter. Ten minutes later the rain stopped. The noise that once filled my mind ceased to exist. I sat down on the wet grass, because honestly, at this point who cares? My clothes were already soaked through anyway. I looked up and saw what a beautiful night it was. The rain drops glistened on the trees and grass like gems, and the lake reflected the night sky. The stars and moon were so bright. I closed my eyes and felt comfort, I had a feeling that everything would be ok.

November Writers

The weather is cold and the air is crisp.  Perfect weather for cozying up with our monthly blog.  This month we have 9 featured writers.  Our selections include the Profile Interview, Abstract Idea, Personal Narrative and a Flash Fiction.

You know the drill.  Read all of the selections, choose your favorite three and write your comments.

Comments are due Friday, December 13.  Please remember to sign all of your comments so you may receive credit.

Happy reading.


Thankful for all of you,

xo,
Mrs. Solano


p.s.  Remember that we only have two weeks left of this semester.  Finish Strong!!!

Mason’s Story--Monica

August 8th, 2014 was the day my family received the call that my aunt was in labor and it
was the scariest and happiest day of our lives. I remember being excited because I finally had a cousin on my moms' side, although the thing was that he wasn’t due for another two months. My family and I were very scared because we knew my cousin wasn’t fully developed. Once we were at the hospital my cousin had already been born and they named him Mason. He was in the neonatal intensive care unit and I remember seeing so many IV’s on him along with a breathing tube because he wasn’t able to breathe on his own. He was born being only a little bit over 2 pounds. We were told that they had a very slim chance of surviving due to how underdeveloped he was. It was a devastating day, although we knew he could do it and he started to prove us right. 

My cousin began to get better and about two weeks later he was able to breathe on his own. Now he just had to be monitored along with having his feeding tube, but we hoped soon he would overcome that. Then September 20th came and he had to have surgery so he could have a piece of his intestine pokes out of his stomach which is how he could remove waste. This was another complication that was due to his underdevelopment. He now had to live with that until they could see he had improved medically. Finally, in October some good news happened, he

was much better and weighed 6 pounds now. Mason was now able to come home on October 19th, and my whole family was very excited. We couldn’t wait to spend time with him out of the hospital. Of course, he did have frequent doctor appointments to just check upon him, but each time we were told he was fine. 

He hadn’t been admitted to the hospital for something serious for a while, but then in May 2015, he had another surgery. The surgery meant good news because they could now put his intestines back in and he would no longer need a colostomy bag. The surgery went great, but the next couple of days were extremely hard. On post-op day six Mason coded and his doctors had to work hard to revive him. Thankfully, he was able to be saved and he was rushed back into surgery to have a piece of his intestine out of his body again. After that, he was on a breathing tube, fully sedated, and he couldn’t eat on his own. At the end of the month, he received a blood transfusion which kept his heart from dropping and he was getting a lot better now, no longer needing to be intubated. Mason remained in the hospital to be monitored and he had the surgery once again to place his intestines back into his body. This time everything remained good, although during the surgery he had a G-Tube placed in his stomach which is how he would be fed. Three months have passed and he was doing better, he had some scary moments but he made it to be one year old. We were all so grateful that he survived everything he went through and in September he was finally home for good. 

Mason is now five years old and healthy despite him still needing his G-tube. We also found out throughout the years that he is autistic and he has little to no vision in one eye but that hasn’t affected him in any negative way. Thankfully nothing medically serious has happened to him and we hope it continues to stay that way. The reason for telling Mason's story is because he

is the reason why I got inspired to be in the medical field. I was always at the hospital watching everything they did to help him get better and it always fascinated me, although it was very hard to watch because he is my family. I also was inspired by how the nurses and doctors treated us, his family, they always made sure that we knew everything that was happening but also comforted us in hard times. Not only did they build a relationship with Mason but also with us. I loved seeing how they were with him even when they would just come in to visit him when they didn't need to. This also caused me to be interested in pediatrics, work with children, because I think being able to help a patient get better medically and then see them continue their life and get older is very rewarding, although sadly that is not always the case. I have always enjoyed helping others and even though it was a hard situation, I am happy that I was inspired and continued to believe that my cousin could get through it. I realized that I want to be the type of person who doesn’t treat an individual like another patient but takes the time to get to know them and their family because from experience it makes a big difference. I will never forget how much of a fighter my cousin is and how his story continues to inspire me and my future.

Rice is Rice--Everett

Walking through the glass-sliding doors, with posters promoting sales and deals plastered all over, I was smacked in the face with the scent of barbeque from four types of meat: fish, pork, chicken, and beef. There was a red giant with white gloves welcoming me and greeting those leaving the place goodbye (apparently he’s supposed to be a kids character). But, the familiar scent (peculiar to outsiders) of street food from fish, chicken (​insides​ of a chicken might I say), and pork stands out like no other. The giant’s name is Jollibee and the place is Seafood City, the land I call my home, my pantry, and my happy place. I see it in such a positive light because it brings together a community that I rarely see anywhere else..an Asian community. More specifically, it brings together a Filipino community. Seeing the Seafood City market whenever I drive down Foothill reminds me of how far Filipinos have come from such a tiny country made up of islands and how they have integrated their culture in America.

The Filipino culture is pretty simple. It is mainly rice and hospitality. It doesn’t matter what kind of rice as long as it is cooked to a perfect level of being neither dry nor moist, suitable for every eater. Rice is to our meals as bees is to our environment: a keystone species. As my parents would say, everyday when I would try to lessen how much of that necessity gets on my plate, “No rice, No power.” In a filipino household, there must always be food, either on the dining table, refrigerator, pantry or kitchen; food must be accessible at all times. Why? It’s our

hospitality! Our arms are welcoming and our homes are wide open. I’d like to warn you, the Filipino household is one of the most difficult places to say no in. More specifically, it is one of the hardest places to say “No” to food in. It’ll seem like pestering and pressuring but it is a normality for Filipinos to be over the top in their hospitality. Every 20 seconds, they would ask if a guest was hungry or thirsty or just want anything. As Ne-Yo once said when he visited the Philippines, “There’s nothing like Filipino hospitality!” —or maybe he was just ​so sick​ of them asking him if he needs anything. 

But, the culture is more than rice and how nice Filipinos are. Filipino parents strive everyday to come home and see their kids; they come home to them doing their homework or doing nothing at all. It doesn’t matter what the parents come home to because they are just happy they came home. Once the whole family has had their dinner and their run-downs of the day, they go to bed feeling satisfied for another completed day. This may not seem much and that it is a simple life and ask, “Why would they strive for that?”. That is what many Asian families come to America for and what drives their lives. With all their efforts, they pursue their dream for their family of being comfortable and happy and enough. Enough can mean: enough for their kids, enough for their bills, or even enough rice! Enough is what I see in the Asians that go to Seafood City live by. I see nurses coming from their packing their carts full of snacks for their kids and nurses coming to prepare themselves for the night shift. I see elderly couples buying their elderly foods such as bananas and muffin cakes because they have sensitive teeth, teens and young adults hanging out at Jollibee because they need that “chicken-joy”, and the Filipino and Asian workers all doing their best to keep the market clean and running. All these efforts satisfy and mark our days as complete and ready for bed—then, they to do it all over again the next day. 

As a fellow Filipino entering the seafood market, I would notice at first glance the togetherness and communion of the different ethnicities with the same item in their cart. I bet we all know what that ​same​ item is (it starts with an “R”). To others, Seafood City is where “all the Asians go”. The seafood supermarket is a safeplace where our interesting dishes will be free from ridicule and on display, where we can meet other Filipinos and discuss what part of the Philippines they came from, where we can have our breakfast first then grab what we would need for our lunch and dinner too from the market. It is where we get our traditional Christmas lanterns and where we gather the ingredients for a good old homemade meal filled with dishes only we know and love. Our culture, my culture, is here and alive in our community with the establishment of the seafood market and even livelier through the doors of Seafood City and everyone sees that—well, at least everyone who goes to the Party City next to it sees that.

Word On The Block--Moises

All throughout our years at school we have witnessed or even experienced the effect of rumors. Rumors have developed and have become a lot more innovative throughout time. From whispers going in one ear and out the other to posts on social media, it’s as if rumors remain inevitable. No matter what the circumstances are a rumor, both true and false, can be spotted and brought to the surface in an instant. As claimed by the First Draft News article titled “Recent research reveals false rumours really do travel faster and further than the truth” it was stated that “​On average, it takes more than 12 hours for a false claim to be debunked online, according to two recent projects that compared how falsehoods and truths spread.” 

This shows that rumors hold great power, especially those that are not true. But what exactly is a rumor? Well according to Merriam-Webster's dictionary a rumor is a “talk or opinion widely disseminated with no discernible source”. This is interesting because of the negative connotation “rumor” contains. As we see in the definition there is no mention of a rumor automatically being negative. However society has managed to give “rumor” such an impactful connotation that the minute we here the word “rumor” we assume to be informed of something bad. 

Among society, rumors are seen heavily throughout those in school, especially teenagers. Rumors can start from the beginning of a students school years and can last all the way up to a students final years of school. The spreading of false rumors is something almost everybody can relate to. Nowadays false rumors are seen to be a quick form of communication, and aren't necessarily seen as a big deal. This method of communication can be seen everywhere, even among our peers. Many see it as “news” that is spread from person to person by a subtle and calm approach. However this still has the same affect in the long run if it were to be voiced in a shocking and forceful way among others. By being so call “subtle” people spread rumors by possibly saying phrases such as “So word on the block is. . .” or “Guess what happened to. . .” overall both of these examples, and many more, are ways to start and spread rumors that may or may not be true. 

Furthermore, another thing to take note of is that rumors are not always about people. Even according to its definition it is just the speaking of an uncertain topic with no reliable source. Rumors can be seen among objects, places, and many more things in which people can make inferences purely based on what they perceive. It can be inferred that rumors often time get confused with gossip. As gossip is usually targeted for people as their actions contain such great value in which many feel the need to speak on them. Overall rumors both good and bad can easily be seen as trouble. Due to the lack of knowledge and the unreliability of certain sources rumors are another form of lies. Not only do they bring tension among a community but they also bring trouble. And as mentioned before, they are mainly seen among students especially those in highschool. And many know that trouble in high school is cancerous, it needs to be put to an end early before it advances. Therefore “rumors” is a lot more complex than the

speaking of an uncertain topic, but rather the perception and reaction of news in a negative matter. 

“Rumor.” ​Merriam-Webster,​ Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rumor.
“Recent Research Reveals False Rumours Really Do Travel Faster and Further than the Truth.” First Draft​, 29 July 2016, firstdraftnews.org/latest/recent-research-reveals-false-rumours-really-do-travel-faster-and-furthe r-than-the-truth/.

Determined.--Nathan

Determined.

It’s 6:00 in the evening. My dad yells from upstairs, “Nathan! Let’s go!” I put aside my homework and grab my basketball shoes to head out to basketball practice. As the sun goes down, my face brightens as time approaches practice, and sooner or later I’m able to clear my mind and forget everything by enjoying and doing what I love. 

The game of basketball. I wasn’t the most skilled. I wasn’t the tallest. I wasn’t the most athletic. I wasn’t nationally ranked. No, I definitely was not the best on the court night in and night out. But I believed in my ability to be the best. This “game” was a necessity, as it began to become an influential part of me and my life. A game that would bring everything out of me: joy, hate, rage, pleasure, passion, and emotion. It was something to lean on when I had nothing to fall back on. I only used the same pair of basketball shoes everyday, didn’t have all of the greatest accessories like others, but none of that mattered. Once, I’d step onto the court, I had one thing on my mind: to forget about everything and just enjoy doing what I love and have so much passion for. Some days I had good games, but there were games that were worse to the point where I had to remind myself, “Learn from this and move onto the next.” 100% effort, whether we were losing by forty or even winning by fifty. To sacrifice my body each play for every

rebound, steal, or loose ball, I always felt a rush of adrenaline and energy flowing through my veins on the court. 

It’s the first half, and my coach substitutes me out of the game to pull me aside. “NATHAN, COME HERE!” I’m standing by as I listen to him yelling at me, criticizing me for the mistakes I had made while I was in the game. I could feel the anger in his breath, like he was breathing fire down the back of my neck. I blocked out his rage and anger and accepted his criticism to not make the same mistakes again. “Yes coach.” The next play, I’m back in the game. I began with fixing my mistakes, not turning the ball over, and hitting all of my shots. “Good job Nathan,” I hear from the bench. I felt so energized and didn’t recognize how good I was playing. 

And then it happened. In the second half of the game, I dribble the ball down court and size up my defender, drive left towards the basket and my knee smashes right into the opposing defender’s knee, and I was on the floor, sweat running down my face soaking my jersey. I stood up tall, enduring the pain so I could finish the game. After the game at home, I felt a huge shock of pain, like my knee was struck with a hammer. My mom came and I told her that I couldn’t bend my leg. My knee was swelling, turning purple and cold. It even felt as if I lost a knee cap from the collision. The next day, my mother and I arrived at my doctor’s appointment, and I’m still struggling to walk straight and symmetrical. The doctor asks, “What happened? How does it feel right now?” I explain and begin to think deeply. So many thoughts were running through my brain. “Is it a fractured knee? Is it only a minor injury? Will I need to use crutches, or even a knee brace? How long will I be injured for?” It was a scary moment for me because I have never been injured or felt physical pain this significant and strong. Even saying that I thought it was a

scary feeling is an understatement. After tuning out the doctor’s boring, long speech about health and my knee, I woke up from my daydream and hear confirmation that the injury is minor and only a knee contusion, bringing me a long sigh of relief. It’s a blessing that it could have been worse than a really bad bruise that would fade away in about a month. The doctor prescribed me crutches to relieve the pain so I can head home and rest. This feeling of relief gave me a sense of gratefulness towards the low degree of the injury. A month goes by and soon I’m allowed to play with full contact at practice and games. However, the game didn’t feel the same as it has been for many years. I wasn’t able to run as fast, and my head wasn’t in the right state of mind. “What’s wrong?” my dad asks. “I don’t know.” Despite stating this, I know that I’m not feeling the same anymore, even not enjoying myself. 

This minor setback didn’t end my career or take anything from me, because this passion I have would remain with me forever. For a long time, I continued to persevere hoping one day I’d feel the same enjoyment again. In the end, It was my own decision to walk away, knowing I would then be able to focus on other important priorities and still fall back on the sport of basketball as more than a game, but as an outlet to this day. Nothing will take my excitement, connection, and passion away from this game.

“Skate is Life” -Jordan Powell--Jessalynne

T​he twenty-one
year old upcoming professional skater, Jordan Powell, aka jp0w_ aka my brother, has dedicated all of his time to perfecting his craft. He’s shed literal blood sweat and tears to reach where he is today. He’s been to competitions and had crazy opportunities you wouldn’t believe. I’ve watched him grow into the amazing person he is and I couldn’t be prouder. His passion drives him to be the best he can possibly be. Which has led him to get
sponsorships
Vans, RVCA, Pharmacy BoardShop, Krooked Skateboards, Spitfire Wheels, Thunder Trucks, and Skate Junt. These sponsorships have also led to the releases of his skate videos that thousands

of people have had the opportunity to view. 

He’s been riding since he got his first skateboard when he was two, almost three. His response to how he got into skating was “I always saw the older kids on my block with skateboards and I just liked the way it felt riding it and got hooked.” One of my earliest memories of him skateboarding was when he built a ramp out of a block of wood, fell and cracked his head open. If it were me, I would’ve quite right then and there, but that didn’t
discourage him.
I asked him if he thinks skateboarding is a sport, hobby, or lifestyle, and what he had to say gave me a better understanding about his passion. “It’s all three. It’s a sport

because there’s competitions you have to train for, a hobby because at the end of the day, your board is just a toy, and a lifestyle because all skaters are the same. All we do or think about is skating.” Which I think is funny because the motto he lives by is “Skate is life.”
Just like dancing or singing, skating is also a form of art. “Skateboarding is art for sure. Everyone has a different style,” he says. ​I was told that everyone rides and even stands differently from each other. One night while he was teaching me how to stand, he told me you can either ride regular, which means your left foot is towards the nose and your right foot is near the tail. Or you can ride goofy, which

from

means your stance is irregular because you lead with your right foot while your left foot is near the tail.
Throughout my brother’s whole life, skating was always his number one priority. I can’t remember a time when he wasn’t skating around. You can regularly catch him skating early in the morning to late at night. So when I asked him what would he do if he couldn’t skate, he casually responded, “I would have probably continued playing basketball,” which he was really good at by the way. Throughout our childhood, all of the neighborhood kids would be playing basketball in our front yard for hours. Although he’s good at basketball, I couldn’t picture him doing anything else because skating makes him feel like “the happiest kid
in the world.” 

Of course no one in this world is perfect, but everyone has a role model they look up to. These ideal role models are expected or required to be stellar. For that reason, I wanted to know how he approaches being a role model for younger skaters. His reply to my question was, “I try not to think of it too much, but I also try not to be oblivious to it because I know kids are looking up to me so I
watch what I do.”
I’ve never actually asked my brother who inspired or inspires him in the skate community. So when I did, he told me, “My close friends inspire me a lot. All the homies that skate Fergusson Park in Rialto.” I’ve seen his friends skate, (they’re sooo good) so I’d be inspired by them too. They all encourage each other to do better
and give their all.

The world is enormous and full of so many unique places to visit. So my last question for him was if he could skate anywhere in the world, where would it be. It didn’t take long for him to respond, “Barcelona. They’ve got spots for days!” because it’s such a
beautiful country. 

My brother has gone through some pretty rough times and is still going through it, but it makes me so happy to know that he’s following his dream. So many people have told him he wouldn’t make it far but he’s proved all of them wrong. It makes me even prouder to know that there’s extraordinary people supporting him on this wild journey. He’s gone so far in these recent years, so I can’t even imagine what’s to come in the near future. But anyways click the link

below to go watch his video!!!
https://youtu.be/l-AEy3 825Eg

Mi Abuelita--Princess

From the hills of La Barca, México my great-great-grandmother, Angélica, met the pain of her
life Nicolas Jara, a ranchero from Guerrero, México. Together, the two sought to raise a family in the “free land of opportunities”. Patiently, my great-grandparents obtained documentation to carry out their lives in Azusa, California. Nicolas built his wife a big beautiful 18-century victorian house and small houses on the dirt ranches on San Gabriel Avenue. There, the Jaras extended their family to thirteen children. In 1938, my abuelita Rose Jara is the last born of thirteen. Rose lived a lavish childhood as Nicolas was a very hard working assuring he provided and spoiled his large family. Though, self-independence and hard work were to be taught to all of their children to create a good character. As a result, my abuelita had her first job at five-years-old collecting eggs from the chicken coop from heir ranch. Rose quickly strung her entrepreneur skills and sold eggs at our family restaurant. Additionally, five-year-old Rose had responsibilities at the family Restaurant El Patio. Although, Rose had other desires. 

As young as she was, Rose knew she was destined to be an artist. She attended Citrus High School then further pursued her academic career at Mt. Sac College. When Rose started college she immediately drowned in the art department and dedicated countless hours at the studio, eventually declaring an art major. Rose eventually ventured to different colleges for art. LA Trade Tech was Rose’s favorite college where she experienced various opportunities to expand her art career as a technical illustrator.

While focused on art, Rose met her first husband, Abu Rodriguez at Mt. Sac. Soon after, my abuelita was pregnant and gave birth to her first son, Ruben. My grandparents had five children and raised them in adjacent houses of my abuelita's home in Azusa, California. Rose eventually gave up her art passion to become a full-time mother of five and a waitress at our restaurant. My abuelita faced many challenges after this adjustment. My abuelo was a very abusive drunk that would torment Rose and their children. While raising five teenagers by herself and awaiting for an angry spouse to arrive home, Rose had enough. 

In 1976, my abuelita gave her life to the Lord, moments before committing suicide. While joining gangs and running the streets of Azusa, Rose’s children indirectly led her to her death. Until weeping Rose felt the presence of the Lord comfort her and surrounded her with happiness. Moving forward, God came first in Rose’s life. She divorced my abuelo after twenty-seven years of abuse and remarried her best friend, Herman. Rose, through the love of God, has been stronger throughout her lifetime. 

My abuelita has faced many challenges throughout her life yet she smiles and holds out loving arms for others. Rose is a loving mother of five children, a grandma of eleven and a great-grandma of twelve. Claiming her parent's house as hers, Rose welcomes everyone to her victorian home, where she cooks fiedo y frijoles for family and friends. Despite Rose’s challenges, the grace of God enlightens her mind, body, and soul to live her life to the fullest with kindness and love for all.

What is Fear?--Trenton

Merriam Webster defines fear as “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by
anticipation or awareness of danger.” Fear is more of an emotion that cannot be expressed through words but rather experience. Some believe they fear spiders and critters, others believe they fear death; the truth is, people fear what they don’t fully understand. Fear forces us to act on our primal instincts to survive causing us to act one of two ways. According to Medical News Today, fear causes a person’s heart rate to rapidly increase while hormones are released throughout the body to prepare it’s muscles for action. With the muscles prepared, the mind can now make a decision: it can either choose to run away, or stay and face their demons. Those who choose to run away are mocked and criticized by society for not having the courage to fight back. Then there are those who choose to act on their violent instincts and fight to face their fears; unlike the others they are viewed as strong, brave and are often considered the “heroes” of the story. Now what if I were to say there is actually no difference between the two kinds of people. Unknowingly the mind is always making decisions that it believes will bring an individual closer to happiness. This way of life is what has taught and continues to teach us right from wrong; in addition to when and when not to act. So even though the ones who choose to run away are not viewed as heroic and brave, both sides are choosing survival and happiness. Fear kicks this instinct into overdrive because whatever the mind doesn’t understand, it views as a threat to its main goal of happiness. What people do not realize is that fear is what drives us to be the best version of ourselves. We fear failure and disappointment, therefore, we use this fear to push us to study more, work harder, and train faster. Without fear, there would be nothing driving us to be who we wish to be, there would be chaos, and life as we know it would be in disarray. There

would be no fear of punishment, causing our moral rules and laws to be thrown out the window; there would be no fear of disappointment and failure causing us to regress into the worst possible version of ourselves. Fear is a necessary evil in life. Fear pushes us to survive and follow the rules. This fear causes us to evolve and become the person we were destined to be. Fear shows us who a man really is, because when fear is instilled in a man’s heart they decide to show their true colors and either, rise up to the man they desire to be, or drop down and become what they fear most. So, what is Fear? The answer to that question is too complex to understand. It could be the force that pushes us to be the best version of ourselves, or it could be what pushes to follow the rules and comply to the world. The truth is, there is no real answer to this question, but rather an infinite number of theories that our mind is trying to provide us because the mind itself doesn’t fully understand what fear is.

The Dream Coaster--Rafael

It was a hot summer day, blue skies, birds chopping in the trees, freeways filled with loud, noisy cars. Today was the first time, I was gonna be able to experience the fun-filled adrenaline of an amusement park. Driving to the amusement park, my stomach had become filled with great zeal and anticipation. How would the roller coaster be? I asked myself. We then arrived and heard the clanking of the moving rides and screams of people on them. I was excited but apart of me was a little scared as I could feel myself breathing exceptionally fast. At the line of entry, I had seen this beautiful girl at the front of the line. She had beautiful, long, silky black hair with nice honey, caramel skin. Oh was she beautiful! I then entered the park and looked for the park map. I noticed that this day, the amusement park had opened up a new ride. To get over my anxiousness of riding roller coasters, I chose to get on this one. Surprisingly, she was in line to get on the ride. In the line, you could hear the other passengers speak of the thrill and suspense they had experienced on the ride. After waiting in line, it was my turn to get on the ride and the girl didn’t have anyone riding with her as well so we sat together. I then proceeded to introduce myself to her and told her how beautiful she looked. She just laughed it off and said her name was Alex. The amusement park worker came by to make sure we were strapped in. In this moment, I started to feel butterflies in my stomach. It was time to take off. “ Hello riders, Prepare to be thrilled on Cyclone’s Plunge! 3, 2, 1 GO!.” The ride was beginning, the seat we were in starting to incline higher and higher. You could feel the hot sun blazing upon our faces “ Clank, Clank”. The sound of the roller coaster brought a rush of concern . This lasted for an eternity it seemed like, my nerves becoming worse and worse. Looking over, you could see the whole city, everything so small. Alex looked over and saw that I was scared. We then got to the top and the ride had stopped. Alex then leaned over and as soon as she leaned in to kiss me on the cheek, “ Attention riders, this coaster has experienced a malfunction”. At this moment, I didn’t know how to feel. I thought to myself, should I be scared or excited that this beautiful girl had just tried to kiss me. “ Attention Riders, The ride is now working.” Dramatically, the ride took off and as we were about to experience the drop our cart broke loose from the track. We were about to experience the end of life,when suddenly I awoke screaming “AWE!”. I laid in bed, blinking, heart-beating fast trying to calm myself down when my mom came running into the room. She asked what was wrong but I told her nothing. She then said , “ Okay, well get ready today we are going to the new amusement park.” As I lay there, I thought to myself, “ Oh Hell No.”

It Takes Two...--Leah

Once upon a time there were two star-crossed lovers...just kidding, my story isn’t that
basic. Although, it may as well be as complicated and beautiful as a Disney fairytale from your childhood. So here it is, two girls from different parts of the world. One from the states, a typical “Cali Girl”, and Dutch Girl far off in the quaint city of Uden. They lived their lives very differently, one grew up in a small town and passionately played the game of soccer. The other girl lived across the world, in an even smaller town, riding her bike around town with her friends alongside. Soon both would experience a change of lifestyle. The “Cali girl” would move 80 miles away from Home, to a foreign desert land. She viewed this as world against her happiness, thinking, why do I have to leave everything I know? In the meantime, the small town Dutch Girl was facing greater struggles as she now lived in the icky heat of Florida and was attempting to learn english. By the next year, both girls had adjusted to their new life, however, for the Dutch Girl, she had to face another move and this is when our story begins. If you hadn’t already figured it out, I’m the “Cali girl”, and the Dutch Girl, that’s my best friend Jordan. Jordan and I met on her first day of school, November 5th, 2015, which we also made our Best Friend-aversary. Jordan was this exotic creature to all of us. We were all so fascinated by this girl from the far away place, the Netherlands, with her light eyes, fair skin, and perfectly wavy-curly hair which frankly could be a description of anyone but just knowing she wasn’t American made her different. Our story began that day when she asked someone to take her to the bathroom. As we were about to reach the bathroom, she goes “Oh okay. I got it from here.” And before looking around, she confidently walks straight into the boys bathroom. As you can imagine, I was dying of laughter, while Jordan walked out in complete terror of what she had just done. From that day forward, we were completely and utterly inseparable, how could we not be. We did everything together, from simple sleepovers and coffee-study dates, to adventures to Disneyland, Catalina, Washington D.C., Netherlands. Our time together was always memorable: it was full of laughter to the point of tears, jokes that no one could ever understand, blurry pictures that failed to ever capture a single perfect moment between us, and videos of our nonsense and gibberish that a photo could never capture. It was a friendship everyone wished they had and it definitely was not one I ever thought I was lucky enough to have. Nearly two and a half years after we met, I had to move again and Jordan was the one person I was not ready to leave. Jordan left every summer to go back Home, and that year she was going to be gone when we moved. It was sad to think that she would be there to ship me off but we decided that the following summer, she would take me on her annual trip to the Netherlands. We had over a year to plan this trip but at the time, it was the one thing we could hold onto. In the meantime, between the two of us, we were able to convince one of parents to reunite us at least once a month. Later that year, Jordan called me saying she had some bittersweet news and it was exactly that; the following summer, Jordan and her family were finally going to move back Home. I wanted to be happy for her but I was already living far from my best friend and now we were going to be in different time zones. This was difficult for both of us, we were officially on a

countdown, but we promised to make every moment count. The next summer came and we were off to the Netherlands. For three weeks, Jordan and I explored her home country, her hometown, and all the foods we could get our hands on. Not only was it the most amazing trip ever but travelling there comforted me knowing and seeing the home Jordan was going back to. I had the privilege of meeting her family and childhood friends but it broke my heart when I realized that for seven years she had been away from Home. After our trip, we were down to one year. We had already experienced and managed a friendship after my move giving us the confidence that we could maintain a friendship despite this distance. During our last visit, I gave her a hug, and I told her, “I’m not going to say goodbye, because one, it will never be goodbye but also because this cannot be the last time we see each other”. Over a month later, on July 2st, 2018, Jordan moved. We never did have a chance to see each other again, and as upsetting as it was, I truly believe it was meant to be that way. I miss her everyday, but I take comfort knowing she is Home and she is happy to be Home. If you watch Grey’s Anatomy, you know that line “you are my person”; Crisitina was Meredith’s person and even when Derek stole her heart, Cristina was still her person. Well Jordan is mine, she is my person and even with my Derek, she’ll always have a special place. Jordan is 5,579 miles away, and nine hours ahead of me.We don’t have the privilege of talking everyday and most of the time we do, one of us is asleep so we play this endless game of phone tag but we still know we have each other. You always hear “long distance relationships don’t work” well that’s crap because she is there and I am here and our friendship lives on. Any, and every relationship takes two people and if this relationship has taught me anything, it’s the value of a fighting for someone; and I don’t mean at each other but with each other. Our friendship is epic, it was destined to be epic, and sadly, a little complicated. So yes, it’s not exactly the typical Disney love story with the perfect ending, but it doesn’t have to be because it’s a true, and beautiful friendship. Despite our distance and change of address, we refuse to let it tear us apart. So that is my twisted, destined to be together, star-crossed, epic friendship and honestly it’s a pretty cool one. I hope you can see that when two individuals are willing to put in the effort, any relationship can survive. So with any relationship, any relationship worth the fight, put in the effort. The beautiful thing about this is that it could go for any relationship; so don’t let go, it’s too easy to let go, fight the fight and know that it will be okay. Don’t ever lose faith in someone you feel is worth the fight and effort because one day it may surprise you. I have taken what I have learned from this friendship into another relationship, and it surprised me but I’m grateful that I put in the effort despite the challenges. But you have to do your part first, it’s a two way street because it takes two...