Tag Archives: love

Daily Countdown: TV Shows #18

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#18

Ted Lasso

This is the show that many people made an account to Apple TV + for. Ted Lasso had three seasons on the streamer and was some of the best TV you were going to find.

Ted Lasso was a American football coach who was hired to move to England and coach football (aka soccer to us Americans), despite the fact that he had never coached the sport before.

There has never been a character like Ted Lasso on TV before. I binged the first couple of seasons because I was catching up with all the hype, and I can remember multiple times thinking to myself, “I wish I was more like Ted Lasso.” The constant positives and the humor that he faced every situation was inspiring.

Ted Lasso was played by Jason Sudeikis with such a perfect balance of zeal and down-home-charm. The rest of the cast around Ted was great as well. This included Hannah Waddingham, as team owner Rebecca Welton. Her story arc as the evil owner felt right out of “Major League,” except it took an entirely different path, completely unexpectedly. Bret Goldstein was Roy Kent, aging superstar player who had to come to terms with his skills slipping way. The relationship with Roy and Keeley Jones, played by Juno Temple, was one of the best storylines on the show.

Others on the show included Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammad, Brendan Hunt, Jeremy Swift, James Lance, Andrea Anders, Sam Richardson, Anthony Head, Cristo Fernandez, Annette Badland, Billy Harris, and Keeley Hazell.

Much like the Tick, Ted Lasso became known for his quotes, dubbed Ted Lasso-isms. Here are some of my personal favorites:

  • “Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn’t it? If you’re comfortable while you’re doing it, you’re probably doing it wrong.”
  • “If that’s a joke, I love it. If not, can’t wait to unpack that with you later.”
  • “I always thought tea was going to taste like hot brown water. And do you know what? I was right.”
  • “You know what the happiest animal on earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? It’s got a 10-second memory.”
  • “This woman is strong, confident, and powerful. Boss, I tell you, I’d hate to see you and Michelle Obama arm wrestle, but I wouldn’t be able take my eyes off of it either.”
  • “Sam was more open than the jar of peanut butter on my counter.”
  • “You beating yourself up is like Woody Allen playing the clarinet. I don’t want to hear it.”
  • “It’s just a group of people who care, Roy. Not unlike folks at a hip-hop concert whose hands are not in the air.”
  • “Your body is like day-old rice. If it ain’t warmed up properly, something real bad could happen.”
  • “I promise you there is something worse out there than being sad, and that’s being alone and being sad.”
  • “There’s two buttons I never like to hit: that’s panic and snooze.”
  • “I shouldn’t bring an umbrella to a brainstorm.”
  • “Don’t fight back. Fight Forward”
  • “He thinks he’s mad now, wait till we win him over. He’ll be furious.”
  • “I’m like an incomplete list of Madeline Kahn’s best films. I ain’t got no clue.”
  •  “Well, fellas, if you’re looking for a pep talk from me, you’re in trouble. ‘Cause I’m like Michael Flatley at 11:59 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, I’m tapped out.”
  •  “I’ve had more psychotic episodes than Twin Peaks.”
  • “I do love a locker room. It smells like potential.”
  • “I’ve never been embarrassed about having streaks in my drawers. You know, it’s all part of growing up.”
  • “If the internet has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes it’s easier to speak our minds anonymously.”
  • “You two knuckleheads have split our locker room in half. And when it comes to locker rooms, I like ’em just like my mother’s bathing suits. I only wanna see ’em in one piece, you hear?”
  • “Here’s an idea that’s gonna help a little or hurt a whole lot. Who needs a drink?”
  •  “Well, as my doctor told me when I got addicted to fettuccine Alfredo, that’s a little rich for my blood.”
  • “Guys have underestimated me my entire life. And for years, I never understood why. It used to really bother me. But then one day, I was driving my little boy to school, and I saw this quote by Walt Whitman, and it was painted on the wall there. It said, ‘Be curious, not judgmental.’ I like that.”

I’m Nothing Without You

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Oct. 24                                                                                                             By: Katie Cat!!

I’m Nothing Without You!!

We were on our way to a firework show near the 4th of July. I was so excited because my cousin was going to be there. When I got there my cousin was super excited to see me. We hung out for a while until she saw someone she wanted me to meet. So I said okay, and went with the flow. Little did I know it was this really cute guy. My cousin introduced me to him. “Hi, my name is JJ. What is yours?” I told him that my name was Katie. We hung out together and really got to know each other. 

A year passed, and we became really great friends. My 9th grade year, I was at home getting ready for bead, brushing my hair, brushing my teeth, the usual. I heard a knock on the door. I answered the door to see JJ standing in the doorway. In the yard was a bunch of candles shaped as a heart with the word HOCO? I was speechless. I gave him a big hug, and that was our first so-called date.
The years came and when, and seemed to really fly by. This was it, this was our big day, OUR WEDDING DAY!! And yes, I was still with JJ. We got married and had 2 kids. A boy and a girl. Their names were Ashley and Samuel. Sammy for short. We lived a great life and never had any problems whatsoever!!         The end.

Sarah’s Journey

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Sarah’s Journey

“Beep, beep, beep.” I woke up from my alarm clock on July 28th. It was my 15th birthday. I am so happy to finally be 15! Even though every bone in my body was excited for my birthday, I was also full of hope that my birthday wish would come true. Every year for my birthday, I have wished to go to the big city of New York. I have never been anywhere besides my small  hometown of Sippera, Nebraska. My family and I have never been able to travel due to my Dads condition Multiple sclerosis. It is really hard for my mom to get my dad around places, especially with my 6 siblings. I just really hope my dream comes true. 

I spent the whole morning hanging out with my family. “Happy birthday Olivia!” Screamed my best friend Sarah. She was so excited to spend the day with me. Later that night, it was finally time to have a birthday cake. As my dad lit the candles, everyone sang happy birthday to me. It made me feel so special considering I normally don’t get any attention with having so many younger siblings who need my parents attention more than me. I blew out my candles and made my wish. After everyone was done eating cake Sarah and I went to the shed to work on our huge painting of New york city.

My passion was art. I love to draw and paint. Sarah loves art also and wants to get out of this town too. However she wasn’t as passionate about it as me. She is an only child and everyone loves her. Some days I think my parents like her more than they like me. She was what people consider “the golden child.” I got used to it though. One of the things that has helped me get by, is my grandma. Her and I are really close and it feels like she is the only one who understands me. That night we finally finished our painting that took 2 months. My grandma called me that night and we talked for an hour. I went to sleep after that with a smile on my face. 

I woke up the next morning from Sarah calling my phone. “I have huge news! I am coming to your house right now!” Sarah says. A few minutes later Sarah comes running up to my room. She informed me that she submitted our painting to a huge art school in New York, and we got into the program! She knew how much I wanted to go to New York and also how much I love art so she thought this would be perfect. She asked, “should I tell them we are coming?” I said “Yes of course!” Sarah left to go tell her parents and suddenly a feeling of guilt went through my stomach. How could I leave my mom here alone to take care of my dad and siblings. That would be so selfish of me. It took me 2 whole days to build up enough courage to even bring up the idea to my mom. 

I told my mom about my situation. I heard her sigh and I got scared. Even though I thought she was angry or disappointed, I found her words very comforting. “Olivia, I know you feel like you have an obligation to stay here and help me, but that isn’t your job. You need to go out into the world and find yourself. I would never say you couldn’t follow your passion when you are the most selfless person I know.” Hearing these words gave me the courage to leave my family and pursue my dream. 

It was the next week that I left to go and get settled in before my first term started at the end of August. I got on the plane with Sarah, and our flight took off. Hours later, we landed in the big apple. I was so eager to get off the plane and go to our dorm.  However, when we got in the taxi together, New York was nothing like we imagined. People were mean, it was a rainy day, and everyone was honking their horns. Considering all of this, I saw right through the negative with my excitement. Sarah on the other hand, was a tad unsure about the whole experience. 

One week has passed and we have settled. I think Sarah is a little homesick already though. Classes start this morning and I am very nervous, yet am also happy to start improving my art. My first class was about painting. I enjoyed it so much because for once people around me understood me. I met Sarah after lunch and she told me her day has been rough. I gave her some encouragement to keep an open mind. We didn’t have any classes together and while I am used to being on my own, she is not. 

A few weeks have passed and after school one day, Sarah came to me in tears saying, “Olivia, I can’t do this anymore! I miss my family and house and I just really want to go back home!” I was a tad heartbroken but accepted her decision. The next day, she went home. She really didn’t love art as much as me. Even though Sarah had left, I was still happy that I got to do art. 

One month has passed and I got a call. My mom called me in tears saying Grandma was sick and didn’t have much time left. My heart dropped, tears streamed down my face. I told my mom I would be on the next flight home. I couldn’t help but think this was my fault. I left Grandma there and she wanted to help my family but her body just couldn’t handle it. 

As soon as I got home I went to the hospital to see her. I sobbed at her bed side for hours before I could get any words out. My parents left me alone with her to talk. I finally choked up some words and told her I could never go back to art school. Not after this. Grandma got a certain look in her eyes and said,“Olivia, you cannot give up on your dream because of me. I would never forgive myself if you did. This is not your fault. You have a huge future ahead of you filled with joy, sadness, excitement, and fun memories. But you need to go after your dream, go back to art school and remember I will always be in your heart.” She then gave me her bracelet that she had never taken off before and told me to keep it.

I had an entire week off of art school and spent every minute I could at her bed side. 3 days before I went back she passed away. I went to her funeral and barely made it through. I spent the rest of the time I was home with my family. It was time to go back and it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. It helped knowing it is what my grandma wanted. I got on a flight back and once I arrived back, I have never felt so alone. With Sarah leaving and my grandma being gone, it was really hard. I got through art school though and just like that it was the next summer and time to go home.

Going home was hard because everywhere I turned, there were memories of Grandma. My mom knew how close her and I were and helped me through it. Every day that summer I worked on a painting of grandma and I. I never have shown anyone it because it was very personal. I knew it was my best painting so far though. 

3 years have passed and I still miss Grandma everyday. I have a new dream though, the University of CalArts. Since I went to art school, they were very impressed with my resume. However I needed a full ride scholarship to afford it. The only way to do that is to submit my art work to them. I need to submit the best ones and my painting of Grandma is the best.

After much thought, Grandma always told me to chase my dreams at any cost and remembering that, I knew this is what she would want. I looked down at my bracelet from grandma, and wrote my college application about him and submitted my painting  of her with it. 0890

After 3 weeks of eagerly waiting, I got a letter. I was so scared to open it. My mom helped open it and read it to me, and I got in! My whole family jumped with excitement and gave me the biggest hug. The day came when it was time to leave and my family sat me down and told me how proud they were of me and how much they loved me. I took a deep breath, and walked out the door excited and nervous to start my new life. I guess I am not so alone after all.

A Dead Man Named Royce

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A Dead Man Named Royce 

Apple    

There was a man named Royce who was in his mid 30s. He was driving back home from a cruise ship and there were a lot of events happening there, fires and heavy smoke. People were scared they didn’t 

 know what to do until Royce came and sang them a song and told them everything is gonna be ok. 

Royce isn’t no ordinary guy he’s a very kind hearted person he would 

do anything to hurt anyone people see him as a bad guy what he’s really not hi i’m willow  his daughter my mom died in 1967 and it’s now 2000 its been hard without her but dad always makes me laugh no matter what he 

always tells me mommy is watching over me im so sad she didn’t get to see me grow and achieve things in life but now i’m doing better me and dad are working on the farm and the crops still so we can harvest the food 

like mom would want us to there’s a big storm coming in and its supposed to be the worst storm yet 10 mins into the storm 

“OH NO THE CROPS DADDDDDDD…..”

“Yes willow hurry”

 “come oh nooo the crops what we gonna do the tornado sirens UHHHHHH dad is that a bad sound.  

“YES SWEETIE GO DOWN STAIRS LOCK YOURSELF IN THE BATHROOM HURRY” 

 “ok dad.hey dad i’m scared.”

 “Ik honey we can do this, it’s almost over.”

the next morning me and dad went to bed  at 11am last night i couldn’t sleep for the life of me we js woke up and the farm is totally ruined there’s no saving it dad is mad and upset at the world rn dad isn’t doing to 

well he’s been not feeling good he’s been going to the doctors a lot more and sleeping more i think dads gonna be in the hospital for a while he’s really sick he has stage 3 cancer he’s very ill rn if i lose dad i lose myself 

and i would half to go to nana and papas for a while until i get a new home 

bc dad can’t take care of me he’s so sick i hope he makes it has the strongest person i losing mom was the hardest i hope it’s not dad next he’s the only person that i can trust an count on ever since mom died dad hasn’t been the same as he was he’s been acting more different like he doesnt wanna get out of bed drowsy tired eyes are read all the time very angry and 

has a attitude he hasn’t been the same since mom died he’s been acting different and he’s been hurting more and more he’s getting really sick and he’s not able to move much his body is ill he’s turning yellow and his eyes are also yellow he didn’t go to the hospital bc he doesnt wanna die yet 

because he doesn’t want me to go to foster care  because he knows that’s not what mom wants for me or dad she wants us to keep the crops going and healthy she wants dad to buy more farm animals so he can make more money and so we can have a meat locker or meat farm mom left a note about what she wants us to do and saying she wants nothing but the best 

for us she’s been wanting to go on a journey round the world but sadly she didn’t get to dad and i knew she wasnt gonna last long she was ill and i feel like dads gonna die and i’m gonna half to do this all by myself and i would half to run the meat factory by myself because dad can’t i refuse to go to 

foster care i would rather go to gigs because i feel safe and i want to be with someone that is family because idk how much longer my family is 

gonna be with me for so im spending as much time as i can w my family before it’s too late bc i already lost mom i can’t lose anyone else and i’m on the verge of losing dad and if i lose dad i lose myself life already isn’t the same without mom life definitely won’t be the same without dad. Dads in the hospital rn im at the farm and i’m helping the crops watering them’’dad;; 

hey willow dads not gonna make it im to sick,,willow’;;; no dad please try please i need u i went home crying my eyes out that night i didn’t know what to think i’ve been crying crying and crying tmr i’m flying out to texas to gamma bc dad isnt gonna make it i’m so sad to leave the farm///the next day doctor.hi willow im doctor chief i’m so sorry to tell u this but your dad has 

passed.willow;;NO DAD PLEASE TELL ME YOUR LYING NOOOOOOO after i found out dad died i was hurting so much gamma is gonna cry so much that’s her last kid her last kid papa is hurting to the hole family isn’t 

right there is so much going on it’s not funny now everyone is saying prayers for the family and to help us there sending money for help they dont know whats gonna happen yet but all ik is that i’m strong and healthy an gmma an papa can do this were an our town are strong tg     

The Mystery Kill

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  The Mystery Kill

      By: Lilly Anne Cooper

One day Serena and her mom were preparing for a football game party. They soon realized they would not have enough food for the party. 

Her mom said,”Go and buy some popcorn from the store. Make sure you get enough for everyone at the party.” 

“OK,” replied Serena,”I will be back.”

  Serena then went to the store while her mom stayed home and finished getting ready for the party. While Serena was in the store she met her friend Blair. 

`“Hi!” said Serena, “How are you?”

“Fine.” Blair responded. “How about you?”

“I am fine, just picking up some popcorn for the party. Will I see you there?”

“ I don’t know yet. I am not feeling the greatest.”

“Aww. Well I hope you feel better. Anyways I have to get going. Bye!”

“Yup,bye.”

Serena then finished getting popcorn from the store and headed home. On her way home she ran into Chuck and his friend group. She hates them. As soon as she saw him she ran the other way and hid in a nearby bush and overheard them talking.

` “I heard Serena is having a party this afternoon. I wonder why we didn’t get invited. I wonder why?” said Chuck.

“Maybe we should crash it.”

“Bro,that’d be fire!!”

“I know right. Does anyone know what time it starts?”

“Umm… I think it starts at 7:00?”

“Ya, that sounds right. Let’s go so we can plan.”

After they left, Serena came out of the bushes and ran home.

As soon as she got home she told her mom what she had heard. 

Her mom told her,”Oh dear! We must not let that happen. I’ll call Chuck’s mother. She can then deal with him”

“OK.” said Serena.

They then continued to get ready for the party.

People then started to show up and Serena turned on the football game. She then went to talk to her friend Blair.

“Hey, Serena!” said Blair.

“Hey! What do you think of the party?”replied Serena.

“It’s pretty nice.”

“Thanks! Hey, if you see Chuck or his gang here let me know please.”

“Why?”

“Because when I was on my way home from the store I heard them saying they were gonna crash the party. When I came home and told my mom she said ‘I’ll call Chuck’s mother. She can then deal with him.’ and I’m hoping that no matter what they don’t show up.”

“Ya, that’s fine. I will let you know if I see them.” 

“Thanks Blair!”

“No problem.” replied Blair.

A while later Chuck and his gang arrived uninvited. Serena went up to Chuck.

“Why are you here Chuck? I heard you from the bushes by the supermarket and how you were gonna crash my party.”

“You were the one who tattled on me to my mom. You will regret that.” replied Chuck.

“I hope you know that if you even attempt to do anything bad I will call the cops.”

“Oh crap,” Chuck said sarcastically,”like that ever stopped me.”

“Yes I know. But I also know how scared you are of your mom.”

“Umm? What are you talking about?” Carrot said nervously.

His mom then arrives.

“CHUCK STEVEN ROGERS!! GET YOURSELF IN MY CAR RIGHT NOW YOUNG MAN!!” yelled Chuck’s mom.

“OK, mom!!”

“Good,” said his mom,”I hope you do.”

After Chuck left, the party moved on and everyone enjoyed themselves. All of the sudden there was yelling and screaming. Serena rushed over to see what all the commotion was about and she saw her best friend Blair lying there dead with a cheese spreader stabbed at her side.

“AAAAH!!!!” Serena screamed. “Mom! Somebody! Call 911!! Hurry!!”

“What? What’s going on?” Serena’s mom said as she called 911.

Paramedics then arrive at the same time as Blair’s parents walk in.

“Oh my!” Blair’s mom said faintly. “Oh dear!!” she said as she fainted.

  A Couple Of Weeks Later

It was now the day her funeral and everyone was wearing all black and were sad and droopy. 

“Serena !! Come on, we have to get going. We’re gonna be late!” said Serena’s mom.

“I’m coming Mom!” Serena said as she ran down stairs to the kitchen.

At the funeral Serena went to find Blair’s parents and she said her condolences.

“I’m so sorry for your loss. I really hope they find who did this.” said Serena.

“You’re the one who did this! You ungrateful spoiled little murderer!!” yelled Blair’s parents.

“I would never do that and you should know  that by now. She was my best friend.” replied Serena as she started sobbing.

After the funeral Serena had to go to the police station and get an interview done.

“Did you tell them everything sweetheart? Even what Blair’s mom said?” Serena’s mom said as she saw Serena leaving the interview room.

“Yes mom. I did.”

“OK, good.” replied her mom.

The next day Serena’s mom got a call from Blair’s mom saying that when she was going through Blair’s room she found a suicidal note in her diary it read,

Dear whoever finds this. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t bear the pain anymore. To prove that I am writing this I will give you date time and how I did this to myself. I did this to myself on November 16, 2017 at about 1:30 PM. You found me lying on my bed with a rope around my neck. I’m so sorry Mom and Dad. On the next page there is another note. I want you to give it to Serena, my dearest friend. Again I’m so sorry. If you want to know why I hid another note in my room somewhere. I will not give away where it is because I want Serena to find it. I hope you forgive me.(: 

Yours truly,

Blair

Serena then realized that Blair planned on killing herself after the party. She had to go find that letter in Blair’s room. She then went to Blair’s house and knocked on the front door. Blair’s father opened the door.

“Come quickly. I don’t want her to find out you were here.” 

“Why?” said Blair.

“Because she hates you!” he said, surprised. “Do you not remember what she said to you at Blair’s funeral?” he asked.

“Yes, I do. And I understand why you want me to hurry. So I will hurry.”

“Have fun then. Er, I don’t really know what to say. Good luck?” He said confused.

“It’s fine.”

She then went to Blair’s room and right away went to look under her bed. There she found an envelope named Serena. Serena then opened it and it read.

Dear Serena, I figured that this would be the first place you would look. You may think that this will tell you why I committed suicide but it’s not. I know that you like mysteries so I put some hint cards around. So here is your first clue.

I’m part of something tall and blue, that is why I chose this clue. I can be soft and fuzzy or or just plain muddy but you should know they keep me warm when I’m in a winter storm.

Serena read the riddle again and again. She then decided to try and figure it out by going piece by piece. She then figured that Blair was probably referring to her dresser in the first sentence. She then tried to think of what was soft and fuzzy. She got it! It was her sock drawer. She ran over and opened the drawer to find another clue.

I’m filled with clothes, but I’m not a drawer, waiting for someone to open my door. 

Serena got it right away; it was her closet. When she opened it, sure enough there was a note.

You figured out the other clues, now I’m in the blues.

Serena I figured this was gonna be a little harder so I am giving you a hint. I go there when I’m sad.P.S. This is the last clue.

Serena thought for a moment and ran to the attic. It was where Blair liked to hang out. Serena knew Blair liked to hide behind all of her stuffed animals that were in the attic when she was sad. So she moved the stuffies and found a lock box, but it was not locked. She opened it and found a letter, Blair’s favorite stuffed animal, some candy and a little wrapped box. Serena decided to open the letter first.

You did it Serena!  Now you are probably wanting to know why I killed myself. So here it is. The reason I did it was because of my mom. She always doubted me and made me do things that I didn’t want to do. Like for example, She tried making me sell my favorite stuffed animal and you know how much I love him that is why I included him in this box. Now please open the present.

Serena listened and opened the present. It was a locket necklace with a picture of her and Blair. When Serena saw it she broke down in tears. She then wiped her eyes, picked up the box of things and headed downstairs. On her way down she stopped in the bathroom and quickly washed her face. As she was washing her face she realized that the party was on the 15 and the letter said it was on the 16. She was confused that maybe she just decided to do it earlier. But she didn’t think that was the case. She took all of the letters to the police station and told them everything that she thought of. The police were very confused and decided to investigate further. 

Will I Find Her?

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 Will I Find Her?

Author: Kannie Kj

On September 1st in Miami Florida Maria and Sasha, two best friends, are so excited to start school volleyball. They have been playing with each other for years now, and this is their Junior year of highschool. Tryouts start after school today, Maria is feeling good about tryouts and sure she will make it to varsity like every other year, but Sasha on the other hand wasn’t feeling so good about tryouts this year.

 Maria tries making her feel better, “hey, are you feeling any better about tryouts after school,” said Maria.

 “Not really,” said Sasha.

 “I don’t know why your so worried, we always make it on the team,”

“ I know Maria, but this year just feels different and there’s so many more girls this year that i might not make it.” 

“Oh, come on you can’t think like that just be the confident person like you always are.” 

Sasha Nodded her head and gave Maria a smile that looked faked, then she left for her last class of the day.                                 

The last class of the day was coming to an end and Maria was so happy to finally be on the court after the summer break that felt so long to her,  she rushed to the locker room to put on her shoes, knee pads etc. She waits in the locker room for Sasha. It’s been some time and all the other girls are in the gym by now and it was only her in the locker room so she decided to go without sasha. Tryouts started and there were a lot of people, a lot more than last year. The tryouts start with serving and Maria tries to find Sasha but no luck, She’s starting to think she didn’t come at all. The volleyball coach already knows Maria since she was on the team previous years. The coach already knew Maria would make it, but she is worried about why Sasha isn’t there.

 She calls Maria to ask why Sasha didn’t make it to tryouts, “Maria! Come over here,”said coach Gabby.

Maria runs over quickly, “yes coach gabby,” Said Maria.

“Where is Sasha, she’s not the type of girl to be late to tryouts,”

“Uh, I’m not sure, she didn’t tell me anything about what she is doing after school.”

“Oh don’t pull that with me, you to are like glued together and always know where the other one is”

“I don’t know where she is,” said Maria “i’m telling you the truth”

Coach replies “Are you covering for her?” “did she doing something bad”

  “Nope’

“Hmm okay just go back to tryouts”

She returns to tryouts while Coach Gabby gives Sasha’s mom a call. Sasha’s mom, Vannessa, answered. Coach Gabby asks if Sasha was going to come to tryouts, Vanessa said she thought she was already there…

After coach and Sasha talk about what they are going to do Coach hangs up the phone. She tells the girls that are still playing volleyball that she will be right back, Maria is guessing it’s about Sasha. Coach Gabby rushes to the office to ask if anyone is still in the school, The office lady replies, 

“Nope just the girls for volleyball tryouts, why is something wrong?” 

Coach Gabby says,

 “We might have a student missing.”

 The office lady panics and Coach tells her who the student is and they start making phone calls. Meanwhile in the gym, all Maria can think about is how she is gonna have to be on a team for the first time without her best friend Sasha, and now she will have to find a new partner for warm-ups. Coach Gabby finds out that Vannessa and Sasha’s dad are divorced and Sasha doesn’t  see her dad at all anymore. They do some more research and find out Her mom has full custody of Sasha because the dad did some jail time for unknown reasons. Coach Gabby’s heart sinks at the thought of what she thinks happens, she tells the front office lady to check the cameras to see if Sasha left with anyone. Coach returns to the gym shortly after. Maria looks at the way coach gabby is entering the room, she looks like she doesn’t have a thought going on in her head and looks like she is about to throw up. 

It was time to dismiss the girls from tryouts, “Ok girls, good job i’ll tell you who made the teams tomorrow morning. All the girls leave, at Maria’s house she calls Sasha  hoping for an answer but no one does, she’s starting to get worried about her. A couples hours latter Maria gets a notification on her phone, she reads 

“Amber alert for Sasha williams”

Her eyes widen as she keeps reading. It says her dad stole her from school and the car that she took her in is an old worn down jeep” she runs to go tell her mom and they both break down in tears. Maria can’t believe her best friend is kidnapped and if she’s ever gonna be found or what her cruel dad will do to her and how scared she is. After she calms down a little she thinks back at school, she thinks about how she was acting at school and how she was so anxious. Maria wonders if she knew something like this was going to happen. Maria calls Vanessa, Sasha’s mom, to see how she is doing. 

“Hey Vanessa, how are you doing,” said Maria’s mom. 

“As best as I can,” said Sasha’s mom”

A couple weeks go by and no new news and Maria makes a lot of new friends but she still thinks about Sasha dailey and wonders where she’s at or even if she’s still alive. Coach Gabby can see that Maria’s volleyball performance has not been like she usually plays and thinks that because of Sasha’s disappearance. A year or so goes b y and on the news a car crash is found with 2 dead in divalus that are reported to be Sasha and her dad… With a note that looks like Sasha’s handwriting that said 

“Sorry mom and Maria” 

No one knows why she was sorry. They had her funeral and Sasha’s mom moved away. 

Where Were You?

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Where Were You

By Sam Gas

     The crowd was yelling and hollering “Lil-y Lil-y Lil-y!!!” and I could hear my mom cheering for me. I had won and then I saw her. My sister’s name is Lola and my moms name is Suzie. My dads name was Allan, I was about 10 years old when my sister went missing. It was about four years ago. 

When my sister got kidnapped, my dad left because he was so sad about it. My mom hadn’t been around the house much so I went to school.  After school I have my swim team, and swim practice is over at about 5:30. I usually babysit my neighbor’s kid on Thursdays and Sundays until 6-11, but they usually get home earlier because they dont want me up too late. I get about 30$-40$ a day, and I’ve been saving up my money in case Lola ever comes back or is found. We could go to the movies or go shopping together or basically just do girly/sister things together.

I’ve always wondered if my sister came home, what my dad would do. Sometimes I wonder what she looks like,what she’s doing,what she’s wearing, if she’s even still alive… but I say hi to her friends all the time. They’re always asking how I’m doing. Lola was into volleyball,she was also sweet, nice, and caring. She also had dark purple hair and she was always so pretty with or without makeup.

I have to swim at 4:00pm today but I think I’m going to go to the pool at 2 so I can get some more practice because in 2 weeks I have a swim meet that I HAVE TO win. I was walking to the bus stop and there’s this billboard of missing kids and I don’t see my sister there. I know she was up there before because I stapled it extra so the wind wouldn’t take it because it’s happened before. I’m just confused who took it down. Could she be in this town and the kidnapper took it down?  What happened to my sister’s missing photo?

 The bus finally came andI was frustrated about my sister’s photo being gone. I’m looking out of the bus window onto the trashed streets and the color of everything just looks dull, like if my town had the colors washed out or just they all faded. I see trash blowing with the wind down the empty streets with no cars but there’s random tweakers down them. I see stray cats jumping out of dumpsters or chasing birds.  You ever feel bad for them, because I do. I wonder where the cats’ owner or mom is at or if any of these cats ever had an owner to show them love or if they have ever felt someone’s touch because the tweakers ain’t good for them. 

I finally made it to the pool 

“Isn’t it a bit early, Lilly?  Swim team practice doesn’t start for another hour or two,” said the lifeguard.

 “You know you have to get extra practice to win right?” I said back to him.

 He just chuckled and walked away. I start walking into the locker room to shower and change before I get into the pool and that’s when I started to feel lightheaded. I took the old people’s shower because it has a chair for you to sit on and I was just gonna sit down and get changed and showered and ready for my swim. I started to hear my sister and for a second I thought she was in this locker room with me, but I knew it was just because I was lightheaded so I just stayed in the shower a little bit longer. I finally am getting into the clear water but it looks blue because of the paint. The water feels  warm at first but then when I got more into the water it was near freezing at first and then I went underneath the water and when I came back up it wasnt cold anymore. 

I like swimming because it keeps my mind off of things especially home things and how my sister still isn’t back and keeps my mind away from thoughts that are like “is Lola even still alive?” or the thoughts of imagining what Lola is going through right now I don’t know just everything has felt so odd, when she went missing she was at a volleyball game and after. Well after she never came home, my parents and I just thought she was at a friend’s place because she always did on Fridays. I just miss my sister.

It was a Saturday morning. My mom and I were waiting for my swim number to come around for me to swim my laps.  I had a headache so I went to the locker room to get away from all of the noise, when I heard my number get called. I ran out and grabbed my goggles and swim cap and went over to the diving block. My timer lady asked if I was ready and I said yes, I got up there and got into my starting position and then BEEP. I dived off into the water. I felt free but pressured. I gave three dolphin kicks and then made it to the surface. I was swimming faster than ever before. I can hear my movements underwater and I feel the water moving with me. I was turning my head to the side and lifting it out of the water to breathe after every 10 strokes. Every time I go to breathe I look at my mom. She seems so proud so I’m guessing I’m winning. Then suddenly I look over to  hear my name being chanted and it’s my sister’s whole friend group going “Lil-y Lil-y Lil-y” that made me go faster. I touch the wall and get up and out to breath and I look at my competitors and they’re barely half way done so I am so proud of myself. So I’m walking over to my mom and suddenly a girl walks over to her and my mom starts to cry and calls me over.  I start running towards her and the girl turns around and looks at me. 

I know those eyes. I know that smile. That is my sister’s hair. I am more than happy. I am crying, I have my sister back and I’m so so happy, I gave her a hug and then asked 

“How? What? Where were you?”

“I’m sorry sis. I know it’s been awhile but I tried escaping and it never worked until now.  I heard about you joining the swim team. I’m so proud and I’ve been in a dude’s basement for some time but I’m here now, but can we please go home”

I started running over to my swim members to tell them this exciting news and that I was leaving and then I slipped and it went blurry and sounds were muffled and then it turned black.   

Grief-Stricken

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Grief-Stricken

By: Sofie Mintz

I love gymnastics! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of the wind rushing through my ears as I run through my routine. We have a competition coming up in a month, and we practice every day. I am especially good at the bars, but I’m also skilled at the balance beam.

My name is Ellieanna Ericson, but I prefer to go by Ellie. Although I am an only child, I consider my teammates my sisters. Right now, I’m in school, sitting in my favorite class, social studies. My teacher is discussing George Washington and how he became the first president.

Suddenly, the intercom buzzes, and Principal Jenson’s voice comes on:  

“Ellieanna Ericson, please come to the office. Ellieanna Ericson to the office.”  

I stared at my teacher, who motioned for me to come to the front.  

“Go down to the office,” Mrs. Heart, my teacher, said. “You won’t miss anything.”  I nodded and left the room, wondering if I was in trouble. I hurried down the stairs and to Principal Jenson’s office. When I arrived, Principal Jenson was standing outside her door as if she had been waiting for me.

“Come in, my dear,” Principal Jenson said, waving me into her office. I sat down in the chair across from her as she settled into her seat at the desk. “I have some troubling news for you. Your mother had to go to the hospital this morning.”

“What!?” I exclaimed, shocked. When I left for school that morning, Mom had seemed perfectly fine. “Why?”

“She was having brunch with your neighbor when she started choking. Your neighbor tried to help her, but they couldn’t dislodge the food, so she called an ambulance, and they took your mother to the hospital.”

“Will Mom be alright?” I asked anxiously.

“Yes, they’ve connected her to a breathing tube,” Principal Jenson assured me. If you’d like, I can call your father to come and pick you up to see your mother.”

“I would appreciate that,” I said, feeling relieved that Principal Jenson wouldn’t make me return to class. Principal Jenson called my father, hung up, and said, “Your father is on his way. You can get your backpack. I will inform your teacher that you won’t return today.”

“Thank you, Principal Jenson,” I said, feeling grateful. I left the office and went to my locker to grab my stuff. Dad was waiting for me when I returned to Principal Jenson’s office. He hugged me, thanked Principal Jenson, and we went outside to our car.

On the way to the hospital, I asked tentatively, “Have you seen Mom yet?”  

“No, I was going to, but something came up that I had to work on.”  

“Do you think she’ll die?” I asked.  

“No, I don’t think she will die,” Dad responded.  

For the rest of the drive to the hospital, Dad and I remained silent. When we arrived at the hospital, I was feeling very nervous. Dad noticed because he stopped, turned around, and said, “Hey, I know you’re feeling nervous, but it’s going to be alright. Mom might look a little different with all of the tubes, but inside, she is the same Mom. She still loves you.”

I took a deep breath and we walked inside. Dad talked to the lady at the front desk, and she told us to go to room 437 on the third floor. Dad opened the door when we arrived at Mom’s room, and I followed him inside. Mom was lying on her bed, and Dad was right; Mom did have a lot of tubes, but she didn’t look that different. She still had the same loving and beautiful face, but she looked weak. I went around to her side of the bed, and she smiled at me. I smiled back and brushed the back of my hand across her cheek. Mom reached up, took my hand, and pressed it to herself.

“Honey,” Mom said softly, “I love you, always remember that. I will get better, and I will be home soon.”

“I love you too, Mom,” I said, and then I broke down. I curled up beside Mom on her bed and cried. After Principal Jenson had told me that Mom was at the hospital, I felt the tears coming, but I had forced myself not to cry. Now that I had seen Mom and was at the hospital, I started crying. Mom rubbed my back as I lay there crying on her shoulder. After a while, I stopped crying, but I lay still on the bed, and Dad kept standing where he was.

Soon, Dad said, “I think it’s time to let your mother rest, Ellie. Anyway, it’s almost dinner time.” I nodded, hugged Mom one more time, and then followed Dad out, like a sad puppy. When we got home, I went to my room to practice for our competition. Four years ago, when I decided I wanted to start gymnastics, Mom and Dad bought a balance beam and a set of uneven bars. I started my routine on bars, but I kept messing up. Finally, I got up, threw myself on my bed, and started crying.

“Ellie,” Dad called upstairs, “time for dinner.” I wiped my eyes on my sleeve and went downstairs for dinner. Dad probably noticed that I had been crying, but he didn’t say anything. That’s one thing I love about Dad—he respects my space and my emotions. 

The next day was Saturday, so as soon as I finished getting ready and ate breakfast, I ran upstairs to practice my routine a couple of times before I needed to leave for gymnastics practice. I messed up a few times, but unlike last night, I didn’t break down in tears. I just kept going.

Ten minutes later, I was getting out of Dad’s car when I heard someone yell my name. I waved to Dad as he drove off, then turned around just in time to see one of my best friends run up to me and give me a big bear hug. 

“I missed you so much!” Alyssa exclaimed excitedly. 

  “I missed you too!” I replied with just as much enthusiasm. “How was your vacation?” 

  “it was awesome!” Alyssa chattered about her trip to Hawaii as we got ready for practice and headed out to the mats. We had been best friends since kindergarten. 

  “Alright, girls,” Coach Lilly called, motioning for us to gather around her. “We have a big competition coming up, and we need to practice. Are any of you doing bars?” 

  I raised my hand along with a few other girls. 

  “Okay, you can go and start working on your routines, but remember, we only have two sets, so you’ll have to take turns.” 

I nodded and followed the other girls to the two sets of bars. While waiting for my turn, I put chalk on my hands. When it was my turn, I started my routine, but halfway through, I fell, landing on my hand. I clenched my teeth against the pain and started again. You might wonder, why didn’t I wait until my turn again? Coach Lilly has a rule: if you fall during your routine, you have to keep practicing it until you don’t fall. 

  Unfortunately, I fell again at the same spot. I tried over and over, but I kept falling at that same point in my routine. Eventually, I gave up and sat down on the side of one of the mats. I watched the other girls run through their routines; only a few of them fell, and if they did, it was only a couple of times, unlike my six falls.

  Eventually, Coach Lilly noticed that I wasn’t practicing and came over to see what was wrong. 

  “Hey, Ellie,” she said. “What’s wrong?” 

  “I keep messing up,” I muttered. 

  “Everyone messes up,” Coach Lilly tried to reassure me. 

   “Yeah, but I messed up at the same spot every single time.” 

“That just means you need to practice more,” Coach Lilly said. “Why don’t you go try it again?” 

“Okay,” I agreed. I got back in line and put more chalk on my hands. When it was my turn, I took a deep breath and started my routine again. This time, I didn’t fall at the same spot as before, but I did fall just over halfway through. I kept practicing my routines until it was time to leave. I hopped into the car just as Dad asked, 

“How was practice?”

“It was good,” I said, “I kept falling off the bars.”

“I’m sorry, did you keep trying?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t until I gave up, sat out a while, and tried again that I finally did better. The last time I ran through my routine before you picked me up, I had performed perfectly,” I exclaimed happily.

“Good for you!” Dad said, smiling at me. I smiled back at him. We got back home and I ran upstairs to read one of my favorite books. I lay on my stomach on my bed and started reading for, like, the fourth time.

I finished the book and sighed. I wish there were a second book, I thought. I took a drink from my water bottle that I kept in my room and put chalk on my hands. I took a deep breath and started my routine. I didn’t fall, but I messed up a couple of times. I kept practicing until Dad called me downstairs for lunch. I walked downstairs to the smell of my favorite lunch; pulled pork and green beans. Mom and Dad have always switched which days they cooked for as long as I can remember, if Mom cooked on Monday, Dad would cook on Tuesday, and they would switch off every other day.

The next morning, I was up and ready for gymnastics practice long before Dad was up. I chalked up my hands and started on my bars. I fell several times, but I didn’t let that get to me. I needed all of my enthusiasm and happiness for practice, and letting myself think about how bad I was doing was going to take that away. After I had run through my routine a couple of times, I started a new book until Dad was ready to drop me off at practice.

“Hey, where are we going?” I asked, realizing that we weren’t going toward the gymnastics studio.

“I thought we could pay a visit to your mother,” Dad said without looking up from the road. “If that’s alright with you.”

“Of course,” I said, surprised that he would think that I wouldn’t want to see my mother. “I’d love to see Mom.” We pulled into the hospital parking lot, got out, and went outside. Dad talked to the lady at the front desk, and she waved us to the hallway. Dad and I found our way to room 437, where I opened the door and went over to Mom’s side.

“Hi Mom,” I said, smiling at her.

“Hi sweetie,” Mom said weakly, but she smiled back at me. She squeezed my hand. “Are you excited for your competition? Do you think you are ready?”

“Yeah, I’m excited,” I said, adding, “I think I will be ready if I practice more.”

Dad and I stayed in Mom’s room talking to Mom until it was time for us to leave for gymnastics. I waved to Mom as we left her room, and I saw her wave back. We drove to the studio, and as I got out, I was nearly tackled to the ground. As Dad left, I wrestled myself away from Alyssa and walked with her into the studio. Coach Lilly talked to us about the competition and then she dismissed us to go work on our routines. As I waited for my turn I chalked up my hands and when it was my turn I started my routine off perfectly but then fell from the highest bar and landed on my hand. Pain shot up my fingers, up my wrist, and into my arm. I curled up into a ball and as much as I wanted to not cry, the tears flowed down my face anyway. My teammates surrounded me but they backed up when Coach Lilly told them to. She helped me stand up and walk over to the bench near the bars. When the other girls noticed that I would be alright they started practicing their routines again.

“Are you okay Ellie?” Coach Lilly asked concern filling her face.

“I will be,” I mumbled wincing in pain. “Eventually.” The tears kept flowing down my face.

“Does it hurt that bad?” Coach Lilly asked. I shook my head, took a few deep breaths, and started speaking.

“A couple of days ago my Mom went to the hospital because she was having a lot of trouble breathing. I’ve visited her twice once the day she was admitted to the hospital and then this morning. I’m scared that she won’t live long enough to go to my competition.”

“Ellie,” Coach Lilly scooted closer to me and hugged me. We stayed there until she pulled away and wiped my tears away. “Your mom is a strong and loving mother. I’m sure she will be fine, and even if she doesn’t make it, she will be in your heart.” 

I nodded and stopped crying but I still felt horrible.

“Can I see your wrist?”

I nodded and Coach Lilly gently lifted my wrist and rubbed it. I winced but stayed still.

“I’ll be back,” Coach Lilly left but was soon back with adhesive tape. She sat down next to me and wrapped my wrist with the tape. When she was done my wrist instantly felt better, but it was still sore when I rotated my wrist. “Do you think you can practice?”

I hesitated then nodded. I stood up and got back in line. While I waited my turn, I chalked up my hands. When it was my turn I took a deep breath, jumped up to the bar, and started my routine. It was perfect! I kept working on it until Dad picked me up. At home, I ran upstairs, threw myself on my bed, and started reading.

The day of the competition I was very nervous but I remembered what Coach Lilly had said a couple of weeks ago. That morning as Dad drove me to the competition he said, “I have a surprise for you, but you won’t find out until it is your turn.” I was very confused but we have a rule in our house to not guess the surprise before you find out.

When it was my turn I smiled at Coach Lilly, took a deep breath, and completed a perfect routine on the bars. I was so happy, and then I noticed a familiar face in the crowd; Mom.  I gasped and ran to hug her. I was so happy that she was out of the hospital. That night I found out that I had won the competition!