"Untitled" by Emmanuel W.

     Bruce’s goal in life was to have the fastest and cleanest car in the world. However there was a problem, he didn’t have the money to fund this dream but was still very lucky to drive his dream car but needed some work that was coming along a little slower then he hoped. This didn’t stop him though from showing it off and making it a big part of his life. One night he took it to a meet with his friend. They were just chilling, looking at some cars when it happened. Someone called them out asking for a race for pinks. Bruce never would have thought he would ever race for pinks because he loved his car too much and never wanted to risk it for anything. However Bruce was extremely frustrated on the disrespect that he received, for what was in his opinion an awesome build, yet nobody appreciated it or understood what he did to get this car with only the money he had. He was tired of these loud mouths claiming their cars were better. Bruce looks over at the guy and says "pinks in hand?" And the guy holds it up taunting him. Bruce says “ok I’m down.” Bruce’s friend tries to stop him saying don’t do it Bruce that car probably has over a hundred grand in repairs under the hood. Bruce laughs and says I got this.  The guy gets in his ricer mustang and they lineup at the starting point. The rules are simple you race half a mile down the strip first one to cross the finish line wins the other person's car. Not yet racing with his new set up Bruce didn't know what to expect but he had faith in his car. The light starts red then yellow then green and they're gone. He takes off but the ricer hits the Nos and starts to pass him and right when he's about to win the turbos kick in and Bruce's car starts to soar and leave the ricer behind him. As Bruce is excited and happy that he just won a new car but before he can his car starts to change and do something different it seems as if his car is kind of getting smaller on the inside it seems that his face is been pushed back by the GeForce as an effect of how fast is going. It seems that the finish line has turned into a bright light as there's no way of stopping his momentum of flying through it. On the other side Bruce find some himself in mid-day light on a regular street. Very confused he looks around and can't believe what he sees; everywhere he is surrounded by the cars that he likes. As he starts driving down the street everybody notices his car and stops, looks and talks about it. Everybody wants to talk to Bruce about his car but he is so shocked that he's in a whole other world. He finally asked where he was and they are responded this is “Nissan Ville.” Bruce could not believe his ears, it's almost like he's dreaming. He is surrounded by people that share all the same interest, love the same things and just love talking about cars, they are just like him. As Bruce goes on throughout the next couple of days he’s having the time of his life just day in day out talking 24/7 about cars and especially the ones that he loves. He's always helping people work on their cars and do stuff to his car. It was the same routine every day, wake up, eat, and work on cars all day. Literally "eat sleep car." The best part is they would go on drives and there were no speed limits. A couple weeks later as Bruce’s supposedly lifelong project of his car seemed practically done because that's all he's been doing along with the rest of the town. This is not a sad thing for Bruce as he knows you can never be finished but it is kind of a wakeup call maybe he has been spending too much time on his car. He tried to look to the other people whose cars are already finished for advice of what they think he should do. However all the responses were the same? “Dude JDM life stance nation bro how could you say that!?” Bruce says “yea I still think that but isn’t there something else you guys want to talk about besides cars?” It seemed as the whole town stopped and looked at Bruce as an outcast and questioned him. Why do you have this car if you don't want it to become your life? As Bruce try to explain that there's more to life than just cars they just laughed and took it as a joke because they knew no other way of life. However Bruce did and still remembered what it was like in the world he grew up in and knew he had to go back. One night during Bruce snuck out of the meet and took off and nobody knew where he was going. As Bruce accelerated his car began to top out he was traveling down the same road which led him here and then all the sudden the car became a little bit smaller there was a light that appeared. When Bruce was on the other side he was sitting at the finish line in his car as people ran up to the side of his car cheering and telling him he won. It appeared as if they didn’t see anything what Bruce just experienced the ricer got out of the car, “Here.” As he tried to give Bruce the keys, Bruce looked up at him smiling, “you can keep it man it was a valuable lesson.” The ricer was puzzled as he walked away confused. Bruce’s close friend asks him, “Why did you do that!  You could have easily taken that and got more car parts.” However as the crowd dispersed Bruce walked his friend over to the hood and popped it, “Honestly I've learned that everybody’s unique. We all have our own interests and there's nothing wrong with becoming the best at what you are interested in but that's what makes us who we are.” “Plus I don't need any car parts!” as Bruce popped his hood all the modifications were still there. 

"Differing Cultures" by Leslie R.

            Life gets hard for everyone. We see the lives of others and compare theirs to ours.  As much as we may appreciate what we are fortunate enough to have, we often get sidetracked and find it hard to remain content and strive to get more. This is due to the society we have been lucky enough to live in, but unfortunately there are many people who aren’t so lucky.

This past summer the idea of other people living with a different mindset became very real to me. I went to visit my family in Nicaragua for the first time since I was two years old. When we landed, I was shocked to see the amount of bright green trees lining the streets and breathe in the fresh, non-polluted air. As I traveled through the country I saw all the beauty the country had. There were dense forests and white sand beaches along the coast. While I was there I saw active volcanoes and waterfalls and was in awe at the beauty of the architecture of the monuments in the capital. It truly felt like paradise where joy and laughter were constant. The people there added to the landscapes and brought them to life even more with their happy personalities and obvious pride in their mesmerizing country. I became infatuated with everything Nicaragua had to offer and couldn’t wait to explore as much as I could in the two weeks I was there.

            

However, all the beauty the country was filled with wasn’t the full story. Life there seemed to move at a different pace than it did in the U.S. All the people I met were proud of the jobs they had and worked hard but never stressed the importance of attaining more materialistic things. Rather, it seemed that no matter what, family was the most important aspect of life and sharing laughs and talking about your day at a dinner table was a daily occurrence. This was surprising to me because most of the time my family ate together and talked but usually we all had to do something else and our interactions rarely lasted an hour at a time.

            On top of the different speeds at which our countries moved, there was a very different lifestyle in Nicaragua. Homes were much smaller than they are in the U.S. and most didn’t have the commodities of washing machines and dryers, or air conditioning. Most people only had a few fans to deal with the extreme heat in Nicaragua unless they were government officials or they had family in the U.S. that sent money to help them pay for such luxuries. Often times, families were dependent on one income and sometimes had more than one family living in one house due to the high level of poverty in the country. People have very low income in Nicaragua and that made it much harder to have things like insurance or proper health care. Old age in Nicaragua was extremely hard because although people are given government pensions, the amount of money they get isn’t nearly enough to pay for all their medicines and bills. Most of the elderly have to work to have enough money unless they have children who give them money or are part of the government, in which case they can retire easily without worrying how they are going to get their next meal. Public hospitals are stocked with very few supplies, have no air conditioning, and charge high prices for medicine and vaccines.

            This was eye opening to me because of course I was aware that people in other countries had less than we did but I had never actually seen it in person. I became frustrated with myself because I took time to get used to the different life style in Nicaragua. I realized how dependent I had been on all the luxuries that we have all the time and when they were gone, it took me some time to figure out what to do with such limited resources. The lack of medical attention in the country and the hardships people had to go through to take care of their families was shocking. I find it interesting how different my life is from that of my family in Nicaragua and how while my family doesn’t struggle as much, there are people who don’t know where they are going to find money to pay for medicine or food and I spend my time worrying about having enough to buy a new pair of shoes. My trip to Nicaragua really opened my eyes to see all the blessings I had in my life and how grateful I am to live in the U.S. and I learned how we should all appreciate the simple things we take for granted because many people in the world don’t have such luxuries available to them.

           

"The Quiet One" by Deven K.

      Robbie was the quietest kid in his class and not many people knew his name, let alone even know he was in their class. Regardless, Robbie was a very heartwarming and kind person who never expected anyone to repay him in anyway. He always went out of his way to help anyone in need, friend or foe. He helped his bullies no matter what they had done to him, as if it had never happened. Many thought it to be strange, but that was just the type of person Robbie was. The main reason why Robbie was like this was because of his mother. She was always looking after others and Robbie had always questioned the motive behind his mother being so kind to people she’d never met or seen before. Every time he would ask, his mother simply replied, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Of course he knew the meaning of the phrase but couldn’t relate it to why his mother was so kind to strangers. He would ask her what exactly she meant but she would give no answer and so he went about asking her at every opportunity he had. No matter when or where he asked her, she replied with the same line, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” One morning as Robbie was getting ready to go to school, he noticed that his mom wasn’t out of bed yet and went to check up on her. Knowing her cheerful self, he thought that there was no way something would be wrong. She was laying in her bed very ill and had told Robbie to call for an ambulance. He asked her what was wrong but she refused to tell him. He would do anything and everything to help his mother in any way because he knew that she’d do the same if it were anyone else in her position. After a month had gone by, Robbie’s mom’s condition worsened and she eventually passed away. Heartbroken, Robbie tried to find meaning to what his mom really meant by everything she had ever told him. As he thought hard about what had caused him to be in this situation, something came to him. “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” Everything made sense. Everything clicked inside his head. Although his mother had seemed very happy and healthy on the outside, what was going on in the inside was a different story, as if she were a book. Thinking to himself he then came up with the reason as to why his mom was so kind to so many strangers. Many people also ask him why he’s so kind to people he doesn’t know or even to people who are mean to him. When asked he’ll say “Just because someone looks happy, that doesn’t actually mean that they’re happy on the inside.” He figured that being nice never hurt anyone and everyone benefits from it, so why not? Some of his friends also asked him why he’s nice, because not everyone will repay him with the same amount of kindness or even at all. Robbie tells them that just the satisfaction of helping someone in need is enough of a reward. On top of his mother’s recent passing, he has to move schools to live with his dad, leaving his friends behind. His dad had suspected that Robbie would be a bit down after having to leave his old home and relocate, but Robbie had acted normally and was already going around helping others as if he had never left home. His dad asked him if he was okay and wondered why he was so kind to others. So he simply replied “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” He was homesick, missed all of his friends, and was quite depressed about his mom. He told no one of the pain he was feeling inside and in doing so, he realized that this is exactly what his mom had done too. So, he helped others and helped himself in the process by doing so, as he enjoyed helping people. While in the process of doing so he thought, “No matter how large or small the deed, a little kindness and positivity can go a long way.” Looking back he now knew what his mom must have felt like back then. At least he found out why he’s so quiet. Info Prompt: D Flash Fiction Title: The Quiet One

"How We Became Best Friends" By Melodie B

               It was just a normal day in December but to be specific it was the eighteenth. One of the coolest guys on campus named Mason just happened to be my "idiot" best friend. He of course had a girlfriend and if you ask me I didn’t really like her all that much. I mean I didn’t know this girl named Mariah but as rumors spread I had the thought of not liking her for my best friend. There were all types of things I didn’t like about her like the fact she never pays attention to mason. Throughout the days of their relationship I wondered why he would even bother to give her just a little of his time. And one day I finally got to meet her on December eighteenth.  
 
            On this certain day it was kind of cold, it was lunch time, and I was in protective best friend mode. As mason introduced me to her I noticed her goofy smile at first. At this time I didn’t know what to say honestly so I just said hi as she had did. All these thoughts were going through my head and I couldn’t believe that she was my best friend at first sight. In my position it was weird because I started off not liking her and then wanting to be her best friend. So till that day we became friends. Throughout all that time I loved hanging out with her and I really got know her.
   
So in the start of eighth grade that’s when we started to really build a strong friendship because we got the same per class. And a day just happened to come where Mariah was really in a deep sad mood. We were in the weight room but girls were on the bikes, and I kept trying to cheer her up but nothing worked. I had tried anything you could think of but I couldn't get Mariah to smile not one time. Eventually we walked out and I asked what's wrong and before I knew it she was in thousands of tears.
   
             As I was in that moment something inside of me said grow up and be there for her. I'm the moment yes we were friends but I hugged Mariah and said everything would be okay. When she had cried all over me she realized something. When I asked Mariah what that something was she said she realized it was the day she figured out who her best friend was. I smiled at her and never forgot the day we became best friends.

"The missing turkey" by Alejandro M.

     There was once a house that liked the holidays so much, every time it was overdone. The kings were that family. The kings tried so hard to impress their children, abby and jake. But this thanksgiving will be different from the rest. Jake woke up on thanksgiving eager and ready. The day had just begun as the birds started there chirping he knew today would be special. He went downstairs and saw mrs king starting to make the mashed potatoes. “Son will you go with your dad outside and get the turkey?” She said. Jake went outside and saw it. A nice juicy plump turkey. It's been here for a week he even named it. Joe was its name. He couldn't kill his friend, so he took it inside. He went to tell his sister about it so he left it on the counter. He went up and said “Abby Abby i brought in the turkey help me hide it so the don't kill Joe.” She said ok and they went downstairs to find him. But he wasn't there. They searched everywhere for joe. even asked the neighbors. They asked their dad tom he said he hasn't seen him but he took them to the neighbors the jetsons. They were making a ham. Ema the neighbor said happy thanksgiving. She said she hasn't seen joe but they'll look for him. The basement was the a unknown land in the house. But they checked everywhere. They went outside and looked in the treehouse he wasn't there but they kept looking.They went thru the house and looked everywhere they went in the rooms,bathrooms,closets everywhere. But there was no sign of Joe. As mom began to set the table he knew he had to tell her. He started, ”mom.” But then she said what's that sound in the chimney. As jake went he heard gobble gobble. So that's where it was, lucky we didn't turn it on. They had dinner and everyone was happy, accept the turkey.

"Homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks!!!!!" by Bryce G.

Who doesn't love the olive garden breadsticks ? These mouthwatering
breadsticks are obviously the main reason anyone goes to olive garden. This
has been a favorite for many households. Now you won't have to go to a
restaurant to get a delicious tasting meal , you can cook it right in your
home.
ingredients:
1. yeast
2. sugar
3. salt
4. vegetable oil
5. all purpose flour
6. melted butter
7. garlic powder
8. parmesan cheese
9. oregano
10. warm water
I nstructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. add 1 1-2 cups warm water (not boiling)
3. one tablespoon of yeast
4. Sugar
5. 4 1-2 cups of flour
6. teaspoon and a half of salt
7. two tablespoons of vegetable oil
All of those go in a mixe r
7. Turn mixer on until it forms a nice ball of thick dough
8. Get a separate bowl and spray it with non stick spray
9. Put dough from mixer in bowl and spray the top of the dough with
nonstick spray to prevent crust on the top
10. let sit for 45 m in.
11. get out a board and put flour all over it and on your hands
12. roll out the dough in a rectangle ( not to flat)
13. cut into sticks
14. roll those sticks
15. lay out on pan and let it sit for another 45 m in.
making the sauce
1. In a separate bowl you are going to put melted butter
2. 1-8 of a teaspoon of oregano (rub in between your fingers to
activate oils)
3. 1-2 a teaspoon of garlic powder
4. 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
5. mi x all of it together
6. Brush on your breadsticks
7. put in the preheated oven
8. wait 12 to 15 m in.
9. Start to sell the awesomeness!!!!!
10. when it has a nice golden brown color to it take it out and put
some more of the sauce on it
11. serve

"Untitled" by Deonte F.

“It’s not a mask it’s my face” said the middle aged high school girl told the boy, while he was staring into his beautiful eyes. As for the boy he assumed it was a mask because she had no friends but the boy decided to be her friend and maybe become more. Even though the kids made fun of her because of her face, you can tell that they were jealous because it was only the girls that talked about her. A few weeks passed and Kayla and Kaleb became very good friends and whenever they talked about Kayla Kaleb of course stood up for her and even though Kayla didn’t know that Kaleb had a crush on her. Kaleb knew that HOMECOMING was around the corner and he had already bought two tickets for Kayla and himself. Two days before HOMECOMING Kaleb had asked Kayla if she would like to go to HOMECOMING with him…. With a pause Kaleb said and my girlfriend, Kayla just smiled and blush and giggled the word yes. With the both of them enjoying each other’s company laughing and holding hands now that they were dating Kaleb lost most of his friends but he didn’t care because he had Kayla in his life and with HOMECOMING here Kaleb picked up Kayla that night. As they walked onto the homecoming floor everybody laughed at them because of Kayla. Of course Kaleb go mad grabbed a mic and explained to everybody how perfect and wonderful Kayla is to him and they’re just jealous because she is more attractive than all the other girls in the school. After Kaleb’s speech about Kayla she cried tears of joy and after the HOMECOMING judges came up to announce the HOMECOMING Queen and King most of the votes went to Kayla and Kaleb with them winning they became the schools power couple and known as the ASB presidents and spent the rest of their life together.      

"Lost" By Andrew A.

                On a stormy night in the forest a family was camping out. The family consisted of a mother, father, son, and daughter. The son’s name was James and the daughter’s name was Alex. The family was camping in the forest as a family vacation. The family did not have any communication to the cities close to them.

            As the night grew longer, the temperature dropped lower. James was trying to think of other ways to stay warm in the cold while the rest of the family huddled together. James then got up and gathered branches. James gathered branches to make a cover for them to catch the rain. For the cover, James used three layers of blankets to catch the rain. Then he used the remaining branches to start a fire.

            Although James plan was working, it did not last a long time. Then without him realizing, James wandered off from the family. Even though James wandered from the family, he had enough supplies in his backpack that he carries around to last him 5 days. James tried to retrace his steps to make it back to the family but the rain washed his tracks away. By the time James reached the spot where he began he noticed it was morning and that he was traveling in circles.

            3 days passed since James became lost. James was running low on food, water, and other supplies. He tried several times to call the police and his family but had no luck. Then when he was trying to call again, James noticed a shiny necklace on the ground. James picked it up and saw that it was his sister Alexis’ necklace. He then saw a trail of blood pointing north. James quickly followed the trail and found Alexis on the ground. James picked Alexis up and took her where there would be less rain on them.

            James laid Alexis down next to a tree.  He examined her body to see where the bleeding was coming from. He then saw that there was a big scrape down her leg. James grabbed bandages from his backpack and rapped it around Alexis’ leg. He then got 2 thick branches and smoothed them out to help Alexis walk around. Alexis woke up later that day. Her memory was foggy but she told James what she remembers about what happened to her. Alexis and the rest of the family were looking for James until they fell down a cliff. Both their mom and dad died.

            5 days passed since James was separated from his family. In that time, James found his sister, but lost most of his food and water. James only has 1 water bottle left and 1 small fish. James decided that they should start walking to civilization. James and Alexis walked for miles and miles but still did not find any civilization. While they were walking, Alexis feinted to the ground. James rushed to her side to see if she was breathing. Alexis was breathing but had a high fever. James stayed with Alexis giving her warmth and the last of his supplies.  Soon, James started to get a fever. With no supplies, James believed that there was no hope until he felt his body lifted from the ground. He then opened his eyes slightly to see a paramedic team and an ambulance carrying him and Alexis to safety. That’s when he realized that he was going to survive.