Love in Nature’s Place

Fern watched Water. He was such a manwhore. They’d been seperated not one week and there he was pouring the Rockettes. I bet they laughed at all his jokes and told them he was the most handsome man in the world. Fern rolled her eyes. If he could get over her that quickly then she so could she. She looked over to find to see Soil sitting near by. “Hey Soil, how are you tonight?” She said in a super flirty voice.

 

“I’m doing fine thanks.” He said wearily.

 

Fern laughed with a bright smile adorning her face, “Oh you are just so adorable.”

 

“I didn’t say anything funny? What is up with you?” Soil was a bit concerned. He knew that Fern and Water had just broken up. Fern had never showed this kind of interest in him before.
“I just think you are the most handsome man here tonight.” Fern kissed him then peeked over to see Water watching them with a horrified look that he was doing a terrible job at hiding. ‘Good,’ she thought, ‘You deserve that.’

 

“What are you doing Fern? It’s obvious you still love Water.” Soil pointed out when he caught her looking away.

 

“So, it doesn’t matter. Look at him making out with each of the Rockettes. He’s such a manwhore. How can’t he know that the Rockettes are dating your cousins? Who cares about him and his pretty face with his funny jokes? What does it matter that he always told me I was pretty or cheered me up even when I was at my worst? He’s not doing that now. I’m at rock bottom but he’s not here is he? He doesn’t even matter. ” Fern said as tears ran down her face. Soil pointed behind her. “Water” was all she could manage before he was kissing her.
__________________________________________________________________________________
“Come on Water,” Fountain begged “Go out with me tonight. We’ll have fun and you can finally get over Fern.”
“What if I don’t want to? What if I made a big mistake? Fountain, I screwed up and now I can’t fix it.”

“Buddy you need to move on, come out with me tonight.”

 

“You know what. You’re right. I will go out with you tonight and I’ll show her that it doesn’t even matter that we’re done. I’m happy.”
“I think that may be going a bit far, Water. Hey! Who am I to judge? Let’s go for it!” Fountain said knowing his friend would have second thoughts later.

 

Water got there and immediatly saw the Rockettes. He knew they’d wanted to be with him for ages but he also knew they were with Dirt. It didn’t matter though. He needed a one night stand and these girls could give him exactly that.
He flirted with them. They laughed at all his jokes. They gave him the googly eyes as he poured over them. He saw Fern standing over there looking at him. ‘Good,’ he thought, ‘Now you can move on too.’ He went back to concentrating on the Rockettes.

 

When he saw her kissing Soil, he couldn’t take it anymore. He saw her look over and tried to hide the look that was obviously dorning his face. Judging by the smile he got, he wasn’t doing a good job at it. She turned back to Soil and he knew that he needed her back. He made his excuses to the Rockettes and walked over there.

 

The closer her got the more he could hear her, ” What does it matter that he always told me I was pretty or cheered me up even when I was at my worst? He’s not doing that now. I’m at rock bottom but he’s not here is he? He doesn’t even matter.”
His heart broke as he heard these words. He couldn’t believe that he was so stupid to leave her. She turned around and he did the only thing he could think of. He kissed her. It was that one kiss that made him feel better and more whole than any from the Rockettes had. He heard her utter his name in shock.
“I’m so sorry, Fern. I made a mistake. The only reason I came here tonight was because Fountain pushed me out of the house. I hadn’t left since I’d made the worst mistake of my life. I thought about your smile and how just a minute of it could take the worst day of my life and make it the best. I smelled the cakes you’d bake for no reason, then laugh at the memory of how we’d sit and eat the whole thing while watching tv. Everything I did only made me think of you. Please forgive me. I want to come back to you. Let me be happy again.” Water knew he had tears streaming down his face at this point but that was okay because so did she.
“Yes, I’m so sorry Water. I shouldn’t have let you push me away so easily.” He held open his arms and she ran into them without hesitation. He held her tightly so that she wouldn’t float away.

After a minute, he loosened his grip on her and pulled her head up by her chin, gently. Then, with the upmost passion and grace, he placed a kiss upon her lips, which she returned. So much was told to the other through that one simple kiss. They said words unspoken. They told each other things that there were no words for, things that neither of them could define or understand. They pulled back and smiled.

 

“Take me home, Water.” Fern whispered.

 

“As you wish my queen.”

Death by Handbells

You see officer, the situation is unusual but not unexpected. Both Jen and Caitlin hated each other. Earlier tonight, they were at it again, arguing. Jen always borrowed money from Caitlin but never payed her back. I heard that Jen even stole it a few times. I also heard that Jen owed Caitlin over a thousand dollars. Well, tonight, their fighting was even worse than usual. In fact, it’d never been so bad. People kept trying to break it up but no one could. We gave up and just watched them. It started with words and slowly elevated. There was slapping, then punching, and then Jen just walked away. Well, Caitlin, who I heard from Katie, who heard from Jane, who overheard Marissa, who was talking to Alex, who talked to Caitlin’s cousin’s girlfriend’s sister, that she has a wicked temper. Well, Caitlin picked up a D7 bell and threw it at Jen. Then Jen just turned around and screamed. She sprinted toward Caitlin who’d already picked up another bell, a C6,  and was flinging it at Jen. Jen got one, a G5, and threw it at Caitlin, and that’s how it went until Caitlin picked up an F4 and Jen picked up an A4, then they hit each other on the head at the same time. They dropped and that’s when we called you guys. That’s how it happened officer, I swear. Just ask anyone, I’m not lying.

Blue Christmas

Christmas is a time of joy for everyone. Everyone except Leah that is. You see for Leah, Christmas is a time of more sorrow than usual. When she was eight, Leah’s father abandoned her and her mother, the day before Christmas. The next year her mother committed suicide, on Christmas. Over the next five years, she went through three different foster familes and four different schools. This year she was with a family who was trying their best to “fix” her and they were determined to not give up. Leah had been with them for just over two years. After her mother had committed suicide, Leah hid away. Kids started to bully her and so she became angry and violent, but she was also sad at the same time. She’d throw punches at a kid and then run off and cry. She’d developed though, when Leah hit kids now she didn’t cry anymore. She just stood there and then later cried at home. Everyone assumed she was crying because she’d been caught and that she was throwing punches as a form of rebellion.
Leah couldn’t take it anymore. There were cuts up and down her arms and around her body. She wore long sleeves constantly and no one ever noticed. No one noticed Leah except when she hit and was violent. She was just a part of the backround. Her foster family never noticed her, they rarely tried to make conversation with her at the dinner table and only occasionally noticed when she said something related to the conversation. Leah was nothing and no one would miss her.
That’s why on Christmas morning, five years after her mother’s death, Leah found herself standing in the bathroom with a bottle of pills in her hand and a warmth bath sitting there. Leah stepped into the bath with a handful of the pills and swallowed them. She sat there waiting for them to take over and kill her.

Red: A poem

Red is the blood that slowly drips from the knife,

just pulled from a soul once living.

Red are the lights that shine with the blue,

as the man responsible is taken to jail.

Red is the ink that flows from the pen,

as the editor works to perfect the piece.

Red are the bulls on the can,

that keep her from sleeping at her desk.

Red is the light opposite of green,

that stops the cars.

Red is the stop sign,

that everyone ignores.

Red is the little notification in the corner,

telling you there’s something new for you.

Red is the background of your favorite blog,

filled with posts that just make your day.

Red is the tattoo on the foot of a young girl,

one of a simple heart with wings.

Red is the stripe of a candy cane,

sweet with peppermint.

Red is cherry bread,

sweet and warm.

Red is apples,

crisp and juicy.

Red is pain,

the kind that no one can see.

Red is the blood dripping from the blade,

as a young girl makes another cut in her arm.

Red is happiness,

as we open another can of Coke.

Red is the succulent strawberry,

giving us nourishment.

Red is the juice that we drink,

pleasing our tongue.

Red is the color of the team,

that’s going to win the World Series this year.

Red is us,

the people of this earth.

Red runs through our hearts and veins,

separating the living from the dead.

The Technological Murder

“He was killed with a what?!”

 

“An Ipad, first generation”

 

“I want the hard drive, gotta be a reason the killer chose that weapon.”

 

“That’s going to be a bit of an issue sir.”

 

“Why the hell so?”

 

“The killer used that hammer over there to smash the hard drive.”

 

“Wait, so let me get this straight, the killer used the Ipad  to kill the man but then used the hammar to smash the hard drive?”

 

“Yes Sir.”

 

“Okay what else do we know about our vic?”

 

“Mr. Jones, 36, high school teacher.”

 

“You talk to anyone?”

 

“Yeah one of his colleagues says he teaches all the German classes and wasn’t well liked.”

 

“Start checking his students’ alibis.”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

Quick Note, If you all would please check out this link  it’s the story of my bullying expirences and something I think everyone needs to see. 

Love is Louder: The Real Story

So today along with my FridayFlash and my post over on Silver Pens (a WordPress blog where a bunch of teens talk about writing.) I’m going to let you all in on a very special story, mine. This isn’t a biography though, it’s a memoir of my bullying experiences. I will admit I almost chickened out this week but then something happened and it made me realize that by posting this I was doing the right thing. For those of you who’ve followed me from the beginning will remember the story I posted a few months back titled “Love is Louder” well as the title suggests, this is the real story. For those of you who haven’t read that one, I suggest reading it after this but that story is a fictional tale about the life of someone who was bullied. I came to the decision to do this after I read someone’s story that was given to me by a friend. So with formalities out of the way, let’s get on with it.

Our story begins in December of 2004, the winter of my third grade year. It was the last day of school before Christmas break. I was passing out a paper when I felt myself falling, then landing on the leg of a desk. I willed myself not to cry and made it until I was out of the classroom on my way to the nurse’s office. It hurt like hell. The teacher asked if I was tripped and since I wasn’t sure and I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble I said no. You see I was a bit of what they call a goody-goody. I later found out from a friend that I had indeed been tripped but she didn’t say anything. I don’t remember anything else happening for the rest of the year.

This brings us to the 2005-2006 school year also called my fourth grade year and the first of several years of hell.  I was different. I didn’t believe in matching clothes. I wasn’t allowed to have a sharpie, yes a sharpie. I got made fun of for not having one. I also had a large imagination that I still have. At this point, most people stopped believing in Santa and what not. Someone even told me that Santa wasn’t real but I didn’t believe her. I had a pink eraser, you know the thick ones, that I named and treated like a pet. Some of them threw it away and I believe they were laughing at me as I looked everywhere in my desk and pencil bag looking for it. There was also the rumor that was spread, either in fourth or fifth grade not quite sure which,that said I ate grass. Yup, you read that right but here’s the thing is that was really horrible.

So let’s talk about fifth grade a little bit. I tried to be popular. I’d been on the cheerleading squad since third grade, I’d later be on it until eighth grade, and I’d seen in all the shows that, that made you popular. I had a Webkinz which was what was in at the time  but for some reason I was still made fun of occasionally. I always turned in my homework on time and was still your basic goody-goody. I remember that they brought me to tears in sixth grade, can’t remember why but I remember my class getting yelled at while I stood in the hallway trying to stop crying then when I walked back in they all stared at me. I got a slight break in seventh and eighth grade, at least to the point where if they were doing it, I didn’t know about it.

This brings us to last school year, freshman year. It started out fantastic. I was going to an all girls school that was nearby but considered “out of district” so there were only twelve of us going three of which were good friends of mine and  the others who weren’t any of them, well one but she now pretends that I don’t exist. This part of it starts about midyear, oddly enough when I met my current best friend whom was in none of my classes and I only had one lunch with not counting the days we had two lunches. One of my “good friends” whom I had come to this school knowing, sorta turned on me. She just started out by going online and finding the fanfictions I had put up and purposely leaving mean comments on them but I had no proof that it was her. At first I approached her and asked if it was her, and then believed her when she said no. At the time, I had bragged about my fanfictions because I loved writing them and I was happy. Then I started talking about a chat room I hung out in and she found it then came in and was quite troll like, my other “good friend” joined her in this particular act. At this point, I’d started back up with fanfictions and soon after found out it was her. When  I approached her about it again, she told me it wasn’t her but when I got home, there were lovely reviews on the first and second chapters of several of my fanfictions. It was at that point I was sure it was her. She now bashes every opinion that anyone has that is different then hers.

And that’s my story. Yup, not too long you see but quite damaging. I’ve become kind of shy. I participate in class and force myself to get up in front of people but I am less likely to compliment a stranger and it scares me to stand out. I know I have lots of issues from it none of which I’m going to name but bullying IS a SERIOUS problem. So, best wishes to all and if you want to help this organization is dedicated to spreading the word about bullying.

So best wishes and no bullying to all! Remember this, Bullying is a problem that CAN BE STOPPED!

A 9/11 Fiction Story

For those of us in the US, 9/11 is Sunday and it’s a very significant day. This stories in memory of those who died and especially their families. 

 

I was five years old when the planes hit. Lizzy had just turned one. My mom had gone to meet her friend who worked in the Towers for breakfast that morning. She called us at 10:30. She told dad to give me the phone and I’ll never forget the exact words she said to me, “Alex sweetheart, I know you don’t like your sister right now but you’re her brother and you need to protect her from everything and make sure she knows that I’m watching you guys. Alex, I’m proud of you, remember that okay? No matter what you do I’m proud. I love you so much buddy. Now give your daddy the phone.” Mom didn’t come home that night…or every again.

 

Five years after that day, my dad remarried. I don’t like this woman, Janice, but since dad’s been with her it’s the happiest he’s been since mom died. I got a stepbrother out of it, Richard. He’s seventeen and I’m only allowed to call him Rick when Janice isn’t around. She hates nicknames. She calls me Alexander and Lizzy, Elizabeth. I almost forgot! Dad and Janice had a kid together, Amanda. (I call her Mandy when Janice isn’t around.) Mandy turned two in July.

 

But, back to the topic at hand. During the week it happened, I see my mother’s grave three times. I take Lizzy at some point in the week like we do every week. Then we have a tradition starting on the 7th.

 

On the 7th my dad goes alone. He visits mom’s grave once a month.

 

On the 8th, Janice drags us to the site and her, Rick, and Mandy honor all the dead in the Towers. Lizzy, Dad, and I honor all the first responders. Janice only thinks about the corporate people working there and that the first responders weren’t trying. Dad and I know they were trying to save as many people as they could and that’s what I’ve taught Lizzy.

 

On the 9th,Dad and Lizzy go and visit mom’s grave alone then head to the site and spend more time alone there.

 

On the 10th, Dad and I go to mom’s grave then head over to the site.

 

On the anniversary the three of us rewatch the newscast then visit mom’s grave again and have a picnic with her. The day is rounded out with another trip to the site where we give every emergency personnel we see a flower, a hug, and a thanks. Janice and Rick know to avoid Lizzy and me on this day. We cry in our room at night but if they come near we get really angry. Lizzy and I are really close. It’s my way of protecting her. Tonight, we’ll sleep in my room. We know the bad dreams will come but they won’t be as bad as the one we wake up too on September 12, 2011. The one that starts with Janice’s scream.

A Love Story

Jessica didn’t even want to be here. She would have rather gone out with her boyfriend. He’d asked her if she wanted to go out this evening but she’d been force to tell him no because her mother had forced her to come here. It was a masquerade ball for teens. It was just the teens from her mom’s work so Andrew couldn’t come with her. She wasn’t going to have a good time.
She felt a tap on her shoulder, which stirred her out of her trance, and saw someone standing there, “Shall we dance?” The stranger (she refused to think “handsome stranger,” too cliché plus she couldn’t even see his face) bowed & held out a hand. “Why Not?” she thought as she gracefully nodded and took the stranger’s hand. She was never going to figure out who this was, although his voice sounded familer, she shook it off.

 
They stepped onto the one place she had been avoiding all night just as a slow song came on. Jessie and the stranger danced to the music. She was being cautious and didn’t want to go to far because, while she’d never see this man again, she just couldn’t deal with the guilt of knowing she’d cheated. The boy was a fantastic dancer and seemed to be acting just as cautious as Jessie was. His eyes, well what she could see of them through the mask, they looked so familier. They couldn’t be…no they weren’t… but it would fit with the voice. No, that’s impossible. Jessie missed her boyfriend so much, she was seeing and hearing things.

 
When the song ended Jessie bowed to her partner and thanked him for the dance. She tried to walk back to the corner where she had been standing but someone grabbed her arm. It was the same boy she’d just danced with. “Well, I”m here, so I see no reason not to dance.” So Jessie danced a few more songs with him before another slow song came on. Jessie felt more comfortable now and stood closer to the boy. It felt like she’d known him for a while. Jessie was standing close enough that she happened to catch what the boy smelled like. Like his eyes and voice, the scent was familier and comforting. She really needed to see her boyfriend soon or she was going to go crazy. “Wait a minute,” she thought “There is no going to, I am crazy. There is no way Andrew is here.” Just as the last song finished she heard a clock strike midnight. She had to get out of there or she was dead meat. She bowed to the boy then dashed out the door. In her rush to leave she had accidently lost her wallet, which had been attached to her leg because you never know when you need money. The boy she’d been dancing with all night saw this and picked it up. He’d give it back to her eventually.
Jessie got to the car and was almost home before she noticed that her wallet was gone. She was dead. She tried her best to keep a straight face and not let on that it was gone. If her mother had found out she’d lost her wallet… Jessie shuddered inwardly at the thought.

 

 

The next morning at school Jessie saw the boy she’d been thinking about the entire time at the dance, Andrew. She walked up and kissed him on the cheek. They talked until the bell rang and when it did, Andrew put something in her hand. It was her wallet. “Maybe I’m not going crazy,” Jessie said to herself as she gave her boyfriend another kiss on the cheek and headed off to class thinking about how the whole thing reminded her of some fairytale.

A Storm

It was three in the afternoon when the storm began. She was sitting by the window watching the sky like she did every day after school. She noticed the dark clouds moving in toward her. She sensed there was a storm brewing but she didn’t move from her seat.

 
It started with the rain. The rain came down slowly at first but picked up speed quickly. Next came the lightening, streaking across the sky. First it was hidden in the clouds but she saw the bolts of light up the dark sky. After the lightning appeared, the thunder made itself known. The loud claps shook her tiny house. A few moments later, the wind whooshed through the trees and around the bushes. About midway through the storm, hail appeared and tapped on the window where she was sitting. She didn’t move though. She sat there taking it all in.

 
Just as quickly as the whole show began, it ended. She waited until the last of the hail hit her window, the last gust of wind ran through the trees, the last clap of thunder shook the yard, the last bolt split the sky, and the last rain drop fell until she got up from her seat and did her homework.

Young Love Part 2

They broke apart.

“Carrie, I hate to ask you this but, I have go to tell Jeremy about his girlfriend being a cheater, will you come with me?”

“Of course I will. You’re going to need someone to be there in case it backfires and I’m ecstatic that you picked me of all people.”

“Thank you. God, you so sweet. What did I do to deserve you?”

“You were adorable,” she teased. “Now come on, I know your stalling. Grab your sweatshirt, let’s go.” She grabbed a sweatshirt for herself then pulled him out of her room and down the stairs. They stepped outside and the cold hit them. They quickly put on their sweatshirts then started down the street to Jeremy’s house.

They talked about things that had been going on in their lives. Both of them avoiding the topic of what was to come. Carrie had to admit. She was dreading this as much as Mike was. Jeremy was one of the first guys, other than Mike of course, to see past the fact that she was a sixth grader and welcome her as a friend.

All too quickly they reached Jeremy’s house. Mike looked to Carrie and she squeezed his hand in assurance. He responded by holding her hand a little tighter.

Jeremy’s mom let them up to his room. Mike and Carrie walked in and saw Ashley sitting on Jeremy’s lap.

“I see you haven’t told him.” Mike said who had been secretly hoping she would have.

“What do you mean?” Ashley said, a warning look in her eyes.

“Tell me what?” Jeremy asked, confused on the whole situation

“Nothing,” Ashley quickly said.

Not seeing a better way to do it, Jeremy ripped off the bandage and said, “Your girlfriend is a cheater. She kissed me after practice.”

Jeremy looked at Mike, so many questions going through his mind. He decided to start with, “What proof do you have?”

Carrie, who had been silent through the whole ordeal, spoke up saying, “I saw her do it. I was waiting for Mike because I was finally going to tell him I had a crush on him and I just happened to look over because I thought someone was staring.”

“Well, you kissed me back.” Ashley argued.

“You what?” Jeremy said shooting dagers at his friend.

“I was staring at my girlfriend, noticing how pretty she looked with her glasses that she hates for no good reason because they look adorable on her and I was so caught up in admiring her and working up the courage to ask her out, I thought she was the one kissing me.”

“Okay, we’re going to talk about the liking a girl and getting a girlfriend without telling me in a second. First, Ashley, get the hell out of my house and if I ever see you around here again I will me taking a fist to your face. Also, come back begging for mercy and Mike here will be putting the fist in your face, and trust me when I say that you want it to be me that hits you.” Jeremy said stern and anger.

Ashley huffed and walked out of the room but not before kissing Mike again. This time knowing exactly who it was, he pushed her away. Carrie, pissed that this chick had not only kissed him once today but had the nerve to do it again in front of her, put her fist into Ashley’s face. The boys were surprised at the small girl’s strength when Ashely’s nose started to bleed.

“Oh yeah,” Jeremy started, a mix of stunned, delight, and anger, “I forgot to say, if you mess with Mike here, Carrie here will be putting a fist to your face. Now, get the hell out of my house.”

Ashley ran out of the room and down the stairs. As soon as he heard the front door slam, Jeremy lost it. He broke down in tears. “I really liked her. I may be a hockey player but I can’t get a date. She’s the only one who even wanted to go out with me. I’m going to die alone.”

“Come on buddy, We’ll go buy you some ice cream.” Mike told his friend. Jeremy nodded and The trio started their trek down to the local ice cream parlor.