Isha Bellur

Chapter One:
"Brrrrriinngggg," Hi my name is Ellie Cabret and I'm........late! I have math with Mrs. Jones and she's really strict about tardiness. This is unfortunate for me because my Science class, which is right before math, always runs late and is on the other side of the school. This may not seem too far but it is because my school is one story and huge! It's kind of like in those action movies for me at this time of day. The action music is playing and there I am running in slow motion, will I make it or will I not? I made it but....
"Ellie, why are you late to my class? You know math is the most important subject in school and life! What do you have to say young lady?"
"I'm really sorry Mrs. Jones, it's just that I had science with Ms. Farmer on the other side of the school and she let us out late. I won't let it happen again."
"Hmmm, I see well it's okay but if it ever happens again, it's detention for you. I'll also have to talk to Ms. Farmer about this letting students out late situation"
"Thank you so much Mrs. Jones!"
I went and sat down next to my friend Jess before anything else could happen. Mrs. Jones should tell Mrs. Farmer to let us out on time. I mean, Ms. Farmer is one of my favorite teachers but I don't want a detention! Still it *is* her first year teaching and she's still figuring things out.
The main reason my math class is on the seventh grade side of the school is because I'm in advanced math. If I was in the regular 6th grade math class, my class would be across from Ms. Farmer's. Since I'm in honors math though, I'm on the other side. You might also be wondering why my school is one story. The reason for this is that I live in California where there are a lot of Earth Quakes. Either way I like my school and my friends!

\*
**Finally the bell rings which means I still have a lot more classes to get through! Actually I'm exaggerating. I only have three more classes but it still feels like a lot!**
**"Okay, so today we're starting out a writing project that we'll do for the whole week. Basically we write one piece each day so at the end of the week we end up with five pieces. The types of writing we are doing are, expository, descriptive, narrative, persuasive, and historical. Any questions,?" Mrs. Turner said in English class.**
**"Yes Ellie."**
**"Do we get a rubric with certain requirements?"**
**"No, it's more of a creative project. You are only expected to have correct punctuation and correct easy spelling words."**
**"Okay"**
**I was really excited because I love writing! My classmates however, weren't too enthusiastic. They were even less enthusiastic when they heard we were starting with poetry.**
**I did a poem about fall.**
FallCrisp leaves crunch under my brand new bootsas the wind blows my hair in my face.The world is a blend of orange and red.And I pack away my shorts, T-shirts, and flip flops.And bring out my sweaters, jeans, and boots.The wonders of fall like Pumpkin pie, trick or treating, and jumping in leaves,are almost here.Away are endless visits to the beach and ice cream cones.Fall is a magical dance of cold and warm days.And the smells of cinnamon and spices in shops and stores,give me a tingling sensation.I sometimes wish this season would never end but then comes,Winter with Christmas and beautiful lights,Spring with blooming flowers,Summer with never ending fun times,and finally we're backto beautifulFall.
**I'm pretty proud of it if I do say so myself!**
**Mrs. Turner however didn't feel the same way when I showed it to her.**
**"Mrs. Turner this is my poem. I thought it came out pretty good, what do you think?"**
**"Ellie, first of all you're in middle school and shouldn't be asking for a teacher's approval in everything. Also I don't have time to look at that! Lastly, you finished way too early and put no thought or description whatsoever in to your poem. You need to improve on thinking like a middle schooler and not acting so immature!"**
**I didn't know what to say. I worked really hard on that poem and poured my feelings into it. I slowly walked away, disappointed in myself and feeling like a loaf of bread that couldn't rise.**

I felt like this for the rest of the day and couldn't wait to go home. As I sat on the bus alone instead of with my best friend Claire, I missed how everything was in elementary school. I missed my teacher Miss. Johnson and my colorful little school.
I hoped when I got home everything would be relaxing and normal. Boy was I in for a surprise!
\*

**When I got home, I sat down to eat a snack and do all my homework.**
**I made a beeline for the bag of doritos**
**However, since I was so upset, I was very focused on my homework and got it done very quickly for a change. I know it's usually the opposite for most kids but doing work helps me get things off my mind.**
**Then I could sit down and watch netflix.**
**I was watching netflix for about 2 hours when it happen!**
**All of a sudden the whole house rumbled like a giant was shaking it!**
**The power went out and I fell trapped and crying with pain from the nearby shelf that had partially fallen on me.**

**Chapter 2:**
**What had just happen? Was it an earthquake? We get a lot of them here in California but no...that was not like an earthquake. I sat there thinking what to do but then I realized, I got the huge shelf off of my foot on my own and I didn't even realize! Plus my leg should've been seriously broken. I suddenly felt a migraine coming from all the thoughts rushing through my head. Then I wondered, where are my parents? It's nearly 6:00! Also my older sister should've been home from soccer practice an hour ago! Suddenly, as if on cue my mom came in.**
**"Oh Ellie, we were so worried about you," said my mom.**
**"What is going on," I said!**
**"And where are dad and Eden?"**
**"Eden hurt her foot and dad is with her at the doctors," said mom**
**"We are staying home and making dinner until they get back."**
**I didn't know what was going on but I had a feeling it had something to do with me and my sister. I ran up to my room pulling out my notebook. The dark blue bedspread and white furniture, mixed with the white faux fur accents comforted me in a warm way. Now to solve the mystery!**
**Notes:**
**I was at home and a shelf fell on me ~ Eden was at soccer and something happen to her**
**We both hurt our foot.**
**That's all I could come up with. I needed Eden's help when she got home!**

**The English Adventure**
**Nicole**
**Chapter 1**
**It all started on the first day of eighth grade. The first day of the last year of middle school, the first and last year I would go to the same school as my sister, and the year every teacher bugs you about everything you do, saying "this is not going to be acceptable for high school teachers." Trust me if I had a dollar for every time a teacher said that, I would be on a private island near Mexico having the time of my life by now, and I've only been through three periods! Anyway I was going to my last period before lunch excited to get it over with, English with Ms. Sparkles. Ms. Sparkles.....maybe her room is covered in sparkles! As I waited for everyone to get out of the classroom a girl named Megan walked out and said,"She's soooo awesome! Her room is sparkly and colorful, and you should see how young and fashionable she is. English will be a blast!" What Megan said encouraged me because if I've learned anything in my two years of middle school so far, it's that the period you have before lunch should be easy and free. For example, in sixth grade I had math before lunch which meant my mind was racing with thoughts and theories. In seventh grade I had science which meant I was always late to lunch since our experiments took a long time to clean up. Now I have English which should be okay since it's always been a favorite of mine and relaxed me.**
**When I walked in, the woman I saw was the complete opposite of Megan's description. She was tall and wore a beige suit with her hair pulled up in a tight bun. Her back was facing me so I couldn't see her too well. Her classroom was pretty plain except for a giant hi-tech board at the front of the room (not a smartboard). The only true thing about Ms. Sparkles that Megan said, was that she was young.**
**The bell rang as I sat in a seat still taking around the surroundings. Ms. Sparkles turned around and I got a better look at her features. She was actually really pretty, she looked more like one of those ladies on TV that work in a detective office, than an eighth grade English teacher. If she made better fashion choices she would be even prettier. I was dying to pull out my sketchbook and draw her but obviously I couldn't because she was about to take attendance and give us "the speech".**
**What she did next shocked me! She walked around the room as if she was sizing us up. All of a sudden she said to Dylan who was two rows down and one seat behind me,"You're Dylan, you have an older brother who is in the high school varsity football league, kind of a prodigy, and you've been ignored and compared to him your whole life."**
**Wow!**
**She looked at Kim who was two seats in front of me and said,"You're Kim and you've been thrown between your two parents fighting, trying to figure things out on your own for your whole life."**
**And then she looked at me and said,"You're Nicole and you have a younger sister who is constantly in and out of the hospital. Your parents don't even notice you and for years you've been fudging signatures and emails because your parents don't have time for those things."**
**How does she know that?!**
**I suddenly feel everyone's eyes on me and I want to crawl into my desk and disappear.**
**Ms. Sparkles continues,**
**"All of you in this classroom have something like this in your life. This is why you are the chosen ones. Everyone in the school sees me differently, the class before have perfect lives compared to yours. No offense! So they see actual sparkles. However you my people are about to go on an adventure to discover yourselves. You might laugh, cry, or just need a hug but either way, I will be there all along. We'll have an interesting year together 4th period," she said.**
**Just then the bell rang! The period might have been embarrassing but it also felt really short. I don't know how that happen it's like time was sped up. All I do know is English will not be a relaxing subject this year! (entry 1)**

**Chapter 2**
**Lunch, this is where you need to make wise choices. You see, where you sit at lunch on the first day of school, is the place you are destined to sit for the whole rest of the school year. I naturally looked around for my best friends. I spotted Grace waving at me with some others around her. I walk over and sit with them glad to have such a close friend who I know would do anything for me.**
**Another thing about lunch is whether you buy or pack. I have to buy since no one in my family has time to pack lunch but if you can I would advise packing. Grace's mom packs her lunch every day. You know the usual stuff like PB&J, pasta, salad, etc. I sometimes get up early to make lunch but I just buy salad or a cheese pizza most days. One time I found a worm in my salad and a piece of rubber tire in my hot dog!**
Ever since I was little, Grace has been there for me. We met in preschool ended up in the same kindergarten class and the rest is history. She's been through everything with me! I remember in first grade when my sister was first diagnosed with cancer, Grace was the one to bring homemade brownies and cookies to me since my mom didn't have time to make them. Such a small gesture mattered a lot. In second grade when everyone found out and stared at me, Grace stood with me and held me up like beams to support a building. We were both so little back then but understood each other so well.
I've been there for Grace too. When her parents got divorced in sixth grade, I was there. We had sleepovers, baked cookies, and practiced basketball to get our minds off of the hardships in our lives. We've lived across the street from each other since preschool so we could both walk across that street with our eyes closed. It's the only bridge that separates us. (entry 2)
***Third Marking period start:***
"What's for lunch today Grace?" I ask.
"One of my mom's new recipes. It's really good!." she says
Grace's mom started a catering business over the summer so she's constantly trying out new recipes. They're all mostly really good but there have been some revolting ones, for example the deviled ham and bleu cheese sandwiches or the caramel frosted frozen fruit salad cake. Today Grace has mini gourmet hamburgers with pasta salad on the side. She also has tropical fruit salad and a mini chocolate lava cake. As you can see, her mom has been trying out miniature sized things!
"Do you want to try a burger. They're so good!" *Entry 1*
I gladly accept because the mac and cheese, and broccoli I'm staring at makes me want to throw up. Some days the food's so unappetizing, that I just buy an energy drink and chips. I'm usually fine with just that until dinner. Dinner is never anything special at my house. When Katelyn (my sister) has a treatment, I'm used to eating a lot of hospital and fast food. That's why even Grace's, mom's normal foods taste amazing to me!

**Chapter 3**
So here are all my secrets revealed. Sometimes I secretly get really mad and jealous of Grace. I mean she seems to have a perfect life! Her parents may be divorced but they're still nice and understanding. Her older sister Gianna is perfectly normal and nice, and well honestly she just gets to be a normal girl. The thing I can never do. Whenever I think this way I get mad at myself because it's not her fault she has a normal life. *Entry 2*
I also get really mad at Katelyn. Because of her, I've been stared at and ignored my whole life. Then I get even madder at myself because everyday she is suffering with cancer while I am perfectly fine and healthy.
I don't know what's wrong with me. I am as selfish as King Louis XVI.
I also should stop getting mad at my parents because they work so hard and it actually is expensive to pay for cancer treatments as well as a whole family. Sigh. Now I feel like a horrible person! *Entry 3*

Aunt Delilah's Books
Chapter 1: Buthen
Delilah Warren cooked, and she didn't just cook anything, she was the strangest yet most creative chef in perhaps the whole world. She could cook anything from savory pastas, to moist and fluffy cakes, to creamy soups, and best of all cookies! Delilah made any cookie there was! The classic chocolate chip cookie, a brownie cookie, an apple pie cookie, and even a mac and cheese cookie! You name it and Delilah will bake it.
She was born in a small town in England called Berkshire, and lived with her mom, dad, and younger brother Tom. Now if you got a tiny peek at River Bend, you would see a picture of beautiful greenery and cottages with a little town centered, and in the midst of it all a river right on the side. How Delilah was such a good cook, was a mystery to all since her mother was the art teacher who could make a culinary cuisine on a canvas but in real life she just made microwave and frozen meals. Her father was the lawyer who could cook up the solution to a lawsuit, but didn't even know how the stove worked! Her brother was the MVP of every sport who could heat up the game, but definitely not the oven. The only person who taught her how to cook, was her Grandma Gerry.
Grandma Gerry was Delilah's mother's mother. She visited once a year at Christmas time for one week. When Gerry came, Delilah would grease up her pans to show her everything she practiced and to learn more. (entry 3)
Gerry herself wasn't a world class cook. She cooked well but not amazing. The best thing she made was cookies, and taught Delilah every recipe she had.
Gerry would say,"Now what shall I teach you first my Darling D?"
In response Delilah would say,"I want to learn cookies my Great G!"
This was a ritual Delilah and Gerry started when Delilah was merely five years old. Whenever Gerry came over Delilah felt warm and fuzzy inside. This was because Delilah didn't fit in anywhere else in her family or her school. At school all the kids were either jocks, brainiacs, or artsy. Her dad fit in as the smartest of brainiacs, her mom was the most amazing artist she had ever seen, and her brother could probably live on sports instead of food. This was why Delilah had no friends.
\*Delilah's house was pretty small the way houses go. It was small but at the same time it was cozy. Every corner was perfectly furnished courtesy of Delilah's artistic mother, and the house was always tidy and organized courtesy of Delilah's organized father. Their living room looked like it had been pulled out of an old Victorian house, with a big Victorian sofa and chair, both of which had a brown base and white cushions. They both had pillows the same color as the cushions with brown fringe. To finish it off, they had an old grandfather clock, a brown coffee table similar to the base of the sofa, and a stand with their old TV. The kitchen had white tiles with brown wooden cabinets, and white and brown marble countertops. Her room itself though, was a mish-mash of many things. The bedding was a plain white bedspread with a patchwork quilt on top. The desk was organized with just some standard pencils and pens for homework, and the walls were plain white with recipes tacked all over. This drove her mother crazy because, as she always said, "a decorative house is a blessed one." (entry 4)\*
One day when Delilah was 12, her parents sat her and her brother down to talk.
"This can't be good," said Tom.
"I know they never talk to us like this," said Delilah.
"Kids you know that money has been kind of tight for us," said her mother.
"Your father just finished law school and finally found a job last month. They gave him a promotion by offering him a better job."
"Well that's great news," said Tom, but Delilah knew something was coming.
"There's one catch though," said her father.
"It's in America"
"What! We're moving to America? No!," cried Tom, making the whole house rumble.
Delilah wasn't sure how she felt about this. Sure she would miss Berkshire, but she actually thought it might be an interesting experience! But then she remembered and her face clouded over. She would be thousands of miles away from Grandma Gerry! Suddenly the room felt like a hot cloud was surrounding it.
"Kids it'll be lots of fun! You can make lots of new friends, try new things, we'll have a really big house, and maybe we can even get a dog!," said her mother.
Tom perked up at this but Delilah still wasn't sold.
"How about Grandma Gerry mum?" asked Delilah.
"Oh darling I already asked her to join us but she said could never leave sweet little Berkshire. I'll miss her just as much as you will. Say, maybe I myself can learn to cook a little!"
Delilah was still upset but she forced a smile because her mother really was trying to make her happy.
"Okay mum," said Delilah.\*Finally moving week came. Delilah's mother got surprise parties and gifts from students, her father got awards and acknowledgements, but worst of all her brother was the king of the school while no one payed attention to Delilah. Her mother as a teacher felt pity for her and let her skip school. Delilah was tired of being alone her whole life and finally felt ready to move! The best thing that happen though, was Grandma Gerry coming to spend time with her Darling D. (entry 5)
Chapter 2:They pulled up in front of Heathrow Airport sucking in their last moments in England."Mum, dad why do we have to leave!" pleaded WilliamThe living room was very cozy with an L shaped burgundy sofa with grey patterned pillows, and a big whitish gray faux fur rug on the floor. There was also a small grey wood coffee table organized with a few nick nacks on a tray in the center, and a gray wooden TV stand for their flat screened TV.

The Crystal PrincessChapter 1:It's that time again, they are coming! I must hide everything and fix the place, or else it is certain death for me.......no they can't kill me, it would ruin their whole society. I hurry and pry open the wooden notches, to stuff everything in there. Then, I rip off my exercise clothes and try to look as princessly as possible. I put on the standard gray dress they give me every birthday, do my hair in a french braid, and sit like a helpless little princess in a wooden chair reading a big dusty book!I hear a knock at the door and find that they're here. Two men and a woman; Miles Henry, Griffin Timber, and Abigail Smith, are here to torture me in a refined way. They jostle in, taking notes and whispering to themselves like scientists studying some science experiment; me. I sit looking helpless and dainty, having done this 7 times already. By now I have it down but it was much harder before. *Entry 4It all started on my eighth birthday, I woke up in my white bed with its shining blue comforter, just like my whole room. Most girls have a ruffly pink room when they're little but I had a blue one. It never bothered me though, liked it! Anyway, back to the story.....*

**Cotton Candy**
**A wisp here, a wisp there, like a cloud you would float away on,**
in a deep, foggy, soundless sleep.
Soft and bland then sticky and sweet,
Like a cotton ball turned into caramel sauce
Delightful taste combined with perfect texture
Nothing could be better!
As the pink and blue polyfill makes its way into your mouth,
it melts into a sweet sticky syrup
Filling your whole body with a warm feeling
Like you're running on an endless rainbow,
surrounded by neon green grass and bright blue skies,
in a world made of candy!
And then you swallow.
Giving you a sensationally sweet feeling,
As if the sun is shining down on you,
making you feel like you're flying through puffy white clouds.
And you open your eyes and find that you're back where you started.
The feelings wash away.
Like the car wash coming to an end.
Or the sun setting to reveal the dark night sky.
But all is not finished for,
The saccharine candy has left you to be satisfied.
Leaving you with a happy, tinkly feeling
For the rest of the day!(Entry 6)
**4th Marking Period**
The Crystal Princess
Chapter 1......Continued
*I ran down the stairs into mom and dad's arms as they sang happy birthday to me! I could smell mom's famous chocolate chip pancakes and a tall glass of frothy white milk, like a marble sheet was sitting there waiting for me alongside. As I dove into my breakfast, all the relatives called wishing me a happy birthday and everyone was so happy it seemed like they were trying to preserve it. Later I would find out why! Then it was finally time to open my presents, which were more than usual but being an 8 year old I didn't care. First came Aunt Pilar, which was a small box filled with everything I would ever need to style, cut, or fix my hair. I know she owned a hair salon but I didn't understand why I would ever need so many hair supplies, or how they all fit into the box. Next came outfits that "grew with me" from Uncle Horin, A snack box from Aunt Cicero, and a survival kit from Great Uncle Jim. I was thankful for all the presents but I wondered where all the toys and fun things were!* **(entry 1)**
Finally there were two things left in the pile, both were rather small. The first was from Grandpa who had passed away last summer.

**I am from......**
I am from an ice cream sandwich
from the truck with the giant ice cream cone
that you could hear playing music, all through the neighborhood.
I am from a pink and purple barbie dream house
that was taller than me, and seemed life sized,
with the dozens of barbies I would spend hours dressing up.
Wondering what it would be like to be them!

I am from Kraft mac and cheese,
from the blue and yellow plastic cup
that was transferred to my favorite thermos
for my favorite steaming hot lunch.
I am from sayings like, *Don't you worry*
and quotes of Tom Brady and Lebron James.
From football every Sunday and Thursday night

I am from fresh cooked food
from the spices mingling mixed together
from the smells wafting through the house
I am from a stuffed lamb
from the soft fluffy fabric
that I couldn't spend a night without,
all the way home.

I am from being taught to always help others.
To be nice to everyone no matter what.
From donating to Goodwill and sitting with the new kid.
I am from a family
who love each other at the end of the day no matter what
From good grades, and dance, and doing what I want.
I am it all!

**Wednesday Mansion:**
Once upon a time there lived an actress named Sylvia. She was a very famous actress and good at what she did, so naturally she had a lot of money. After her newest movie, Potato Popstar, was released, she decided to buy herself a nice big new house. Coincidentally, a beautiful mansion had just been put up for sale and obviously Sylvia decided to check it out. It was an extravagant house with, marble floors, spiraling staircases, and room after room, all unique in their own way. This pastel popping house was just like Sylvia's personality, so she bought it on Tuesday and was scheduled to move in on Thursday.
Finally the day came and by Thursday evening, everything was moved in and Sylvia was tired but very excited. She decided to go up to her room to her room to take a nice soothing bubble bath. However, when she got there the mirror wrote, there were what looked like jelly crumpets.
Aw! How sweet of the previous owner, she thought. But when she bit into a crumpet, oozing blood came out. Sylvia was scared. She thought about calling her manager but "such an actress" he would call her. It was probably just a coincidence.
The rest of the week went by fine and soon it was Wednesday night. Sylvia had just gotten back from a party with her friends and was ready to go to bed. However, when she was dozing off, the ghosts came out from the hollow haunted walls. They tortured Sylvia until she died. It was a slow torturous death.
Sylvia was one of the many, who died in Wednesday Mansion. Every person who has tried to move into Wednesday mansion, has bought it on Tuesday, moved in on Thursday, and murdered on Wednesday. Now that Wednesday mansion has been destroyed, the ghosts wander around and on every Wednesday, find a new victim!

**Could There Be:**
Could there be a replica, an identical copy of me?
Or could there be a person or two who I don't know, but they know me?
Cold there be another, intelligent life form in the universe?
Could there be a day where, not a light shines through this earth?
Or could there be a night where, the opaque lights blind us to our knees?

**Haikus:**

Bluesky, azure, cobaltindigo, turquois, are coolI just call it blue!

**The Secret of Patton Middle School:**
Back way, way, way before any of us were alive, before even the oldest person living on earth, was a mansion. Now you're probably thinking, "so what, there are a lot of mansions," maybe you even live in a mansion yourself!