Monday, October 27, 2008

Advice

So, I am currently writing my own story/novel at home on my computer. First I write it down in my blue notebook, then I type it out. I find it easier to think of ideas that way. Here's my problem: I'm thinking of posting a little bit of the story every 3 days or so. Or should I wait until I'm done, then post it? please vote and tell me.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

My story

This is just a short story that I entered in a contest. I hope it does well!


The Yearbook


My least favorite day of the year is picture day. All of the hustle and the fussing over your hair and making sure that you look perfect, it's just not my style. Besides, no school picture I have ever had taken has ever turned out right. One time I looked like a deer-in-headlights, another, I blinked. But, when it's all over with, I can then turn that lemon into lemonade. Want to know how? Two words. Yearbook day. I know it doesn't seem like much, but to me, it's a holiday. As soon as we get our books, I take out my permanent marker and start drawing on some faces! I know what your thinking. I should get I life huh? I can't think of anything more satisfying then drawing over the faces of bullies and jerks at school. It's fun, but one year, something that simple, went horribly wrong....

“April! Hey, April!”

I turned around. My friend Kyda was running towards me. “What?” I said. She stopped in front of me, out of breath.

“I need (huff) your e-mail (puff) address so we can keep in touch over th-the summer.” she said in between breaths. We had just met his year but we had created a strong bond of friendship between ourselves. Even though the last day of school was three days away, we already missed each other.

“Sure.” I said as I started to get out a pencil and paper.

“No wait,” she said and pulled out her yearbook. “write it in here.”

“You already got your yearbook?” I exclaimed. “Where?”

“In the office.”

“I'll be back.” and I was off in a flash, running down the hallway, bumping into people and, occasionally, tripping over my own feet. I yanked open the door to the office and skidded to a halt next to the front desk. The desk was covered in piles and piles of yearbooks. I quickly grabbed one and opened it up to the student pictures section. I went to straight to my picture, ( even though I knew it would be horrible.) Huh. This year's picture hadn't turned out so bad after all. Sure, my hair was slightly frizzy, and my braces said “Look at me!” but overall, not bad. And I—

“April!”

I turned around and once again, there was Kyda running towards me. Oh yeah. The E-mail. I snapped my book shut and took the book out of Kyda's outstretched hands. I quickly signed her book and wrote my E-mail in it.

“Thanks April! See you tomorrow!” and she ran off. Feeling satisfied, with the yearbook under one arm, I started on my way home.


My house was only three blocks away from the school. It took me fifteen minutes maximum to get there, and that was on a day that I walked home with my friends. Today I decided to take a short cut through an abandoned junkyard. Okay, so I wasn't I really a junkyard, but we call it that because it's a big empty lot with a lot of junk in it. Hence the name, junkyard. There is a wooden fence that runs all around the lot with one hole in it big enough for a person to fit through. The idea is to go through the opening and jump the fence on the other side. I went through the hole carefully, so I didn't scrape myself, then began to make my way across the junkyard. Suddenly, behind some rusty motorcycle parts, there was a loud banging noise. I had just started to make my way across to see what it was when a huge purple and blue lizard shot out from the pile and started running straight towards me. I admit, my first thought was, AAAAAAHHHH!!! Then, as I began to register what I had just seen, I didn't know what to make of a purple and blue lizard. Then I ran. I saw the fence ahead of me and realized I had a problem. How was I going to jump a fence, and fend off a giant, three foot long, supposedly non-existent reptilian creature? I skidded to a stop in front of the fence. As I turned around the lizard jumped at me. I screamed and held up the the only thing I had in my hands to defend myself. My yearbook. I heard a thud as it rammed into the book. It dropped on the ground and sat in a daze for a few seconds, then ran off. I stood there for a while, recovering from my adrenaline rush, and stared at my yearbook. It had two fang marks on the front, where the book had been bitten.

When I got home, I was still shaken up by the experience. I passed my mom without saying anything and went straight to my room. I got on my bed and stared at my yearbook. The puncture marks were glowing purple slightly. What just happened? I thought. I had no idea what attacked me, and I had no way of knowing. I opened up my book. Nothing seemed damaged from the inside. As I thought about what I should do, I began to doodle in my book. I drew devil horns, a tail and a forked tongue on Jessica Taylor. She was the bossiest girl in the school and I hated her. She was also the biggest brown-noser and always sucked up to the teachers. On Derek Mathews picture, I drew big black glasses and wrote nerd in big bold letters to the side with an arrow pointing to him. He really wasn't a nerd, he was a football star. I was just jealous of him for being popular I guess. I was working so hard on my doodles now, that I had totally forgotten about the lizard that had attacked me. Then it was Kyda's turn to have her picture drawn on. I never did anything mean to hers. This year I drew angel wings with a halo on her head. She would get a kick out of that! She was anything but! She was the type who would rig a door to have a bucket of water dumped on your head. Anyways, by the time I was done practicing my artistic skills, it was time for dinner. I went downstairs and had a normal conversation with my parents and didn't say anything about the lizard to them. I'm not sure if it was because I forgot, or that I thought they wouldn't believe me. But, either way, they never found out.


The next day at school was typical until lunchtime. I sat down at a table and saw Kyda come into the lunchroom. Her hair was neat and her clothes were absolutely perfect without a single stain. This was so unlike her. She sat down next to me.

“Hello, April. How has your day been?” she asked as she laid a napkin on her lap. I stared at her.

“Fine, until you came in and totally confused me.” I said. She batted her eyelashes and said innocently:

“I don't know what you mean.”

Now I was starting to get annoyed.

“Knock it off Kyda, you're creeping me out.” I said impatiently. Her eyes actually started to tear up.

“Am I doing something wrong? I hate to do things wrong! Please correct me in my flaws!”

I stared at her. I would have said something more, but just then, Jessica Taylor stormed into the lunchroom.

“OUT OF MY WAY!!” she yelled as she shoved people aside. Mrs. Kenna came to the rescue and tried to calm her down.

“ Jessica what are you doing? Please stop!” she said.

“DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!” she said and she shoved Mrs. Kenna to the ground. What in the world was going on? It only got weirder. Derek Mathews came in with big black glasses on. He was carrying all of his textbooks under one arm and had his calculator in the other. He sat down next to his bewildered friends and started pouring over the books.

“Dude.” said one of the jocks. “What are you doing?”

“Can I help it if I want to study for the quiz?” he said in a (could it be?) nasally voice.

Something weird was definitely going on. Either they had a sudden personality change or–oh no. It couldn't be. The yearbook? I couldn't remember exactly what I had drawn but I couldn't find out now, I had left the book at home. I would just have to endure the rest of the day and wait until school got out.


I ran all of the way home. When I reached house, I slammed the door shut, and ran to my room to find my little brother Caleb looking at my yearbook.

“What are you doing?” I yelled. He jumped and slammed the book shut.

“Nothing.”

I looked at him suspiciously as he walked out of my room. I thought I saw him tuck a pen in his pocket. I quickly grabbed my yearbook and flipped through the pages. Sure enough, Jessica was a Devil, Kyda, an Angel and Derek, a nerd. But it didn't seem like Caleb had done anything to any pictures. Whew! Well, now what was I going to do? I had complete power! I could write down next to everyone's picture that they loved to serve me, or I could – huh? I was starting to feel weird. My stomach felt like it was shrinking, and my hands felt hot and cold at the same time! My head was spinning! What was happening to me? The answer popped into my head. My brother. I flipped to my picture in the yearbook. A horrible sinking feeling came into my already tormented stomach. My brother had drawn me as a snake. I had reptilian slits for eyes and a nose. I had scales across my face and a forked tongue. Even as I stared at my picture, I could feel my self shrinking and elongating. My last thought was wondering what my mom would think about having a snake for a daughter.


Michaela Labit

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

My Life Right Now :

Ok, so.... This year I just started at Timpview High School. The first term is almost over, I'm still not used to all of the homework. I'm on the Timpview freshman/sophmore soccer team and my club team, the Provo Burn. Season just ended and I am glad! Somedays I had 5 games in a week! That is a lot to juggle! :)