Once there was a girl
who had everything The Perfect Family Her mother stayed at home-the perfect housewife spoiling her daughters rotten Her father made the money Her sister-Angela was nice and the high school president, the daughter that got straight A’s, she was always busy Nevertheless, if Angela saw that you needed help She would drop whatever she was doing to help you, because that’s the kind of person she was But, everything soon changed, when she went to see her grandma Her sister came along, to keep her company Singing in the car, they didn’t see it coming towards them until it was too Late…Bright Lights was the last she saw And when she woke -everything changed Once there was a girl who had the perfect family Before everything was destroyed. With her sister no longer there Her Mother didn't talk to her. and when she did? She blamed her-said it was all her fault That She didn't have a daughter anymore Once there was a girl who no longer had everything She had nothing- and no one she didn't know what to do anymore the looks her family gave her… it’s as if they wished she died instead of her sister Her mother moved away. told her father “its for the best” Her father threw himself into work It helped block the pain And when he wasn't working– he was drinking…A Lot Once there was a girl Who didn't have anyone She didn't know how to deal with the Loss of her sister the Loss of her mother the Loss of her father So she called up some old friends And took some pills And fell down on the Cold Hard Ground Never to wake again Once there was a girl Now there’s just skin and bone
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I believe that gym should not be avidly graded, but pass/fail. Gym teachers always say that you are graded for participation, but that is often never the case. Like when it comes to personal fitness testing. For example, one standard for a 14 year old boy is 54 sit ups in 60 seconds. If you don't pass the set psychical standards, then your grade is lowered. I find this insulting and unnecessary. It's already enough to feel embarrassed when you aren't considered "healthy," but it's feels worse when your "unhealthiness" affects your grade. This ties your body image in with grades, which I find unacceptable. No one should be graded because they don't meet certain (often absurd) health standards set by strangers. Another example is BMI. I myself have never passed a BMI test, but that doesn't mean I am unhealthy. It is completely unfair to use a universal standard for health when everyone's body is different and shouldn't be graded.
Land
of the FREE Land of OPPORTUNITY The NEW WORLD But we see people walking out with their arms up We see people unable to breathe We see people called out for their skin Land of the FREE Land of OPPORTUNITY The NEW WORLD Are these nicknames true My mother was afraid of heights. Said that having your feet too high in the air was like trying to see who was taller; you or God? She preached that it was blasphemous to try to build buildings that would scrap the heavens and airplanes that could easily slice the thin clouds. She instructed that no son of hers could ever dream to be an astronaut. Even dreams seemed to ascend too high into the clouds, so she told us not to do that. She built a barbed wire fence around wishing and hoping, and then yelled at us for getting cut. My mother is dead now.
I wish that she were still alive so she could see me in my grand rebellion. It would eat at her so much that I spend my days suspended in the sky and suds. She would yell about the building faces I scale and would resent me for making it by doing the opposite of what she demanded. A man has to have a reason for being a window washer. You don’t climb that high in the air every day without being an adrenaline junkie or someone who has a problem on the ground to run from. It is as if we think we can wash away the broken parts of ourselves by cleaning windows. The crew and I know our roles; many of them do work on the inside, but I prefer to be a window cleaner on the outside. There is something liberating about the wind and being able to look down and remember how small we are, yet, at the same time, being able to look up and see how big our impact is. Humans can shape the skyline and from here they look like ants. Isn’t that amazing? The city sounds like a symphony of car horns and foreign languages, or engines and vendors. I feel lucky when I am in the sky. I feel hopeful. No barbed fence can float in the clouds but some days I feel like I can. It is dirty work but some has got to do it and I am honored that I can be that someone instead of an office drone, bible thumping no one. Apples may fall close to the tree, but if my mother was an apple, then I am an orange. And that is one of the reasons that I wash the grime off of people’s windows; because if I fall here it will not be because she pushed me and will not be compared to fruit trees. If I fall here it is because I was not paying attention. I will die at my own hand, not hers. And my fall from grace will certainly not be the fault of some higher power. I am washing this window at dawn. In the glass I can see my reflection and the sunrise, while still seeing the blinds on the other side. Windows are funny that way; you can look forward and back. I gently stroke the glass, careful not to bang too loudly and awake a sleeping resident. I hum as I work and find that once again I feel meditated and completely tranquil, just washing windows in a kind of trance. They say that every man has a happy place; mine just happens to be a little higher than others. A man pulls back a golden curtain so quickly that I startle and nearly slip off the edge. Can’t romanticize the job too much; it is dangerous. He look embarrassed at me, mouths the word sorry and watched with concern as I rebalance myself, careful to not drop anything. Sorry he mouths again and with my hand, I gesture that it’s no problem. With the adrenaline of a near death experience making me feel giddy and sick, that small hand movement takes most of my concentration, the rest of me just begs my legs to stand still. I keep cleaning the window. There isn’t really much else to do in this situation; giving up now would mean re climbing the building and losing pay, plus scaling down unscheduled on this shaky legs would result in a battle with gravity I would lose. The man too continues about his day. He rests at the desk pushed against the window. He appears to be jotting down a few notes. I focus on the shine of the window, trying to give him as much privacy as I can, while climbing the side of house. His room is a well furnished one, every chair exactly where it should be. No shoes litter the floor. Homes that do not look lived in smell of a particular set of sadness and cleaning ammonia. I finish the window so that it matches the clean interior. My head bends down, glancing at me feet, when I notice the man is crying. He is looking right at me and crying. People have played ‘missed a spot’ with me before. I have had people open their blinds undressed and fail to close them, but I have never seen someone so naked, anything so personal as a man crying at dawn. I place my hand out, undoing all of my work in a single touch. I hope he recognizes my hand flattened on cold glass as one that is trying to lift him up. He smiles, tears streaming down his face. He mouths sorry again and I do not know how to ask him why or explain that everything will be okay. Glass has never been thicker, stronger. Sorry he mouths and I watch as the tears drip off the bottom of his chin and collect in a salty puddle, which is not all that different from the sea. We stand like this for a while until he remembers to be embarrassed and shuts his blind. I grew up in a small town that was wedged into a valley. All around us rocks blocked off the sky and it seemed that all the light we got was achieved through fluorescent bulbs. It was a bible town where the church stood directly in the center, so no matter where you went you passed that big red door and were reminded that God could see you now and that God could see you always. I never climbed up the rock walls that surrounded us because they went straight up and the only ropes you could possibly grab onto were rattle snake tails. And I thought that I would never be able to touch the sky, that I would stay in that dreaded town and spend my Sundays in those dreaded pews with my mother who refused to listen to me. I thought I would grow up encased in layers of hate, rock, and shadow, as if where you are from determines how you become, which it does and it did, for I would not have moved into this city if I had not first lived in the opposite. My rural town that I despise so much is who I thank everyday for getting me here. My mother who told me not to go high is why I climb everyday and those stone walls that blocked my sun are why I bask in it. But I also have my town to thank for this confusion and deeply rooted self loathing. I wash the rest of my windows, trying to scrub away this boiling feeling about the man who I will probably never see again. At the end of the day it is just the end of another day. Another tower that I have climbed. Another paycheck that I have collected. But at night when I try to sleep memories keep waking me and suddenly thoughts that I have suppressed are pouring out. I cannot stop thinking, crying and it feel like sick. I had buried this, taken care of it. Like an emotional boomerang, my fears, my past have flung back at me. I see my mother, her face. I can taste her perfume and feel the fake flowers on her church hat. It is the day of my fourteenth birthday. My face is painted a deadly shade of pink and the corners of my mouth quiver as I try desperately not to cry. She is yelling. Telling me that I must pray for my sins, that what I am lusting after is disgusting. I am disgusting she says. And I know I am and that I will always be and the only thing I want is to die. She slapped me and I felt that I deserved it, knew that it was my fault. I did not know that holding a boy’s hand would mean my eternal damnation but from then on I have known it was wrong. It seems that no matter how high I climb, the amount of years and miles that I put between the past and I, I still cannot admit... I do not sleep that night but instead find that the monsters do not live in the closet, but under my bed. Leaving my closet for, well, you guessed it . The next morning I get a call. My supervisor says that one of the people whose windows I cleaned asked me to take a second look at the window. He yells at me that time is money and that this is coming out of my pay. I head back to the tower to reclimb. I know already which window it is. The city is working its magic again and I remember that I got myself here. Pulled myself up a cliff drove for miles and landed here. The man is waiting for me, and I take out my sponge. When I lean against the hard glass of the window however, he puts his hand up. Stop. He opens his window and I slide in. “Honey, I’m home.” Sophia Bush was born on July 8, 1982 in Pasadena, California, which is about 2,702 miles away from Philadelphia. Her father, Charles Bush, is an advertising and celebrity photographer. Her mother, Maureen Bush, runs a photography studio. She attended the University of Southern California for three years, and she majored in Journalism and minored in Theatre. She did not graduate due to receiving the role as “Brooke Davis”, a preppy cheerleader and fashion designer, on the WB TV series One Tree Hill (2003). She is now currently working on the NBC series Chicago PD (2014) as “Erin Lindsey”, a detective in an intelligence department in Chicago.
Sophia Bush should be an inspiration to women everywhere. She believes that women are beautiful, and they do not need to starve themselves in order be skinny. On the show One Tree Hill (2003), her character also believed in this. She would refuse to use models that were insanely skinny, and she even made a shirt that said “Zero is not a size.” In the first episode of season five, she said “Anorexia is a disease. It is not a fashion statement.” Her passion for body image issues is not just an onscreen act. In 2010 the well-known clothing store Urban Outfitters designed a t-shirt that had the words “Eat Less” written on it. Bush, being a strong promoter of healthy body images for women worldwide, decided to boycott the entire fashion outlet. She spoke out to her fans by writing posts on her blog that were against Urban Outfitters. She wrote: “Ladies! This is OUTRAGEOUS. I hope none of you will stand for being told such a thing, in such a way. Being healthy, eating right, and staying active is one thing. Being told to starve yourselves by a fashion company? Not cool.” She also wrote a letter to Urban Outfitters and told the company exactly how she felt, which she posted on her blog and said: “To promote starvation? To promote anorexia, which leads to heart disease, bone density loss, and a slew of other health problems, not least of all psychological issues that NEVER go away? Shame on you. I will no longer be shopping at your store…” She wrote another letter that said: “You should issue a public apology, and make a hefty donation to a women’s organization that supports those stricken with eating disorders. I am sickened that anyone, on any board, in your gigantic company would have voted ‘yes’ on such a thing, let alone enough of you to manufacture an item with such a harmful message. It’s like handing a suicidal person a loaded gun. You should know better.” She was seen wearing a shirt that said “0 is not a size” in an attempt to show women that they do not have to starve themselves to be a size zero just because it is socially correct to be skinny. She wants women to be themselves, even if they aren’t a size zero. Anorexia and bulimia are serious diseases that should not be taken lightly, and they should not be used to make a profit. Although it is far
My country is part of me It is close to me As I hit the floor I am breaking open in front of them the blood spilled from me is such a sweet nectar
The dogs come and touch it hesitantly with their tongues, wondering if it is still fresh There is the expression of walking on eggshells But I believe it should be more literally referred to as walking on broken bones Hearing each splintering crunch as your heart leaps into your throat, choking you as you realize what you have done Every foot step is killing something No one is innocent in a world full of murderers Each night there’s the continuous ritual of bandaging my self esteem and self worth These bullet holes will stay lodged in them for days Americans, we have been blessed with the right to bare arm Arms full of cuts and bruises Oozing and cursing we bend down on our knees, showing our wrists to the heavens and ask why I am still waiting on a reply People are laughing in the next room and their happiness is not shaken by my despair They are so… carefree We wish we could be like them But if I put on their masks for a day would I really be so happy? My bare feet catch on splinters and protruding rusty nails as I wonder The nails must have been new and shiny once, never needing a reason to burst from the wood and scream please, let me go TIme must have once been kind on them Now however it is just an angry landlord waiting for them to run out of rent money This is not a permanent stay One day everyone must pack up and move on I don't know why I’m writing this I have never been one for dark things The rich silt and prosperity brought by the mighty Nile and the deserts to left and the right of the vast land, along with many other factors allowed for the development of one of the world’s greatest civilizations to have existed. The North African country bordering the mediterranean sea between Libya and Gaza strip today attracts tourists from all over the world but unfortunately has struggled economically over the past few decades. The Egyptian culture has been and still exists to be one of the most fascinating cultures around the globe.
Religion Following the tradition of previous civilizations, the people of Egypt used to believe in a polytheistic religion, however- after being conquered by many other great civilizations- it was the Arabs who brought Islam in Egypt, in the 7th century. Egypt has since then been a dominant Islamic state and a center of Islamic education and tradition. Today, almost 90% of people of Egypt’s total population are Sunni Muslims, along with a minority of Coptic Christians who make 8.5% of the total population, and 1.5% of other christians. Religion has a very big impact on the Egyptian society- social implications and people’s actions are heavily influenced by the personal beliefs of people. For example, pious individuals commonly blamed Egypt’s lack of faith for the country’s setbacks and defeat in the war of 1967. Comparing the importance and the topic of religion in the Egyptian culture with my culture, I find a lot of similarities between the two. First of all, the society that I come from is also heavily influenced by Islam- Pakistan (my home country) has the second largest Muslim population in the world. Also, the teachings of Islam can clearly be seen being implied by people in their daily lives and especially in politics. Women are bound to be modest and conservative, congregational prayers are often huge, religion and propaganda; the best combination a politician could possibly use to exploit people’s beliefs and thinking in such a religious society, etc. Also, 76% of Muslims in Pakistan are Sunni while the rest, 26% being Shi’ites. Economics Occupying the northeastern corner of the African continent, Egypt is bisected by the fertile Nile valley where most of the economic activity takes place. The Egyptian economy is the twenty fifth largest in the world and is mainly based on Agriculture (a huge number of people in Egypt are settled near the Nile) , Industries (textiles and cotton), and Tourism. In contrast to being one of the richest civilization of ancient times, the Egyptian economy has suffered in the recent past. With a weak economic foundation in the past few decades, low living conditions and limited job opportunities for the average Egyptian have lead to public discontent. After the unrest erupted in 2011, political uncertainty caused economic growth to slow significantly, reducing the government’s revenues. Tourism, manufacturing, and construction were among the hardest hit sectors of the economy, pushing unemployment rates up. Since 2011, Cairo has drawn down foreign exchange reserves and has primarily depended on foreign assistance, particularly from Gulf countries. Economics in my culture differ from the Egyptian society. The soil that I was born and raised on is very fertile and so, agriculture is still the main source of living for many- nearly 45% of the total population of Pakistan relies on agriculture to feed their families. However, sadly, that fertile land is by and by getting more and more polluted by industrial waste and household garbage, which people dump in rivers, fields etc. Other than agriculture, construction and manufacturing also occupy a good amount of labor force- the overall population is growing rapidly and most of the areas are growing into urbanized locations. The increasing pollution and all the cons are mainly an outcome of the lack of education- literacy rates are generally low and due to numerous other counterparts- non educational attitude, fundamentalist beliefs, politics,etc- there are a lot of people who do not understand the importance of quality education. Government Egypt today exists as a republic with the President having majority of the power. The president dominates the two chamber legislature- the lower people’s assembly and the upper Consultative council. There are 27 administrative subdivisions known as the governorates. The president possesses virtually unrestricted power to appoint and dismiss officials including the vice president, the governorates, prime ministers and members of council of ministers, and military officers. Egypt has a mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil law and penal law, Islamic religious law and vestiges of colonial- era laws. Until a year ago, I lived all my life in a republic, however, different from the Egyptian republic. Unlike the Egyptian government, there are no governorates back there government but the president does have the power to dismiss the prime minister and appoint someone else. In my culture, religion plays a big role when it comes to the legal system and law.The legal system is based on two systems; the Shariah law (Islamic law) and the secular law. Apart from the court, a lot of people in the rural and undeveloped areas consult religious scholars or the elderly people of the society for guidance in their personal matters and they act as judges, giving the final verdict. Family Structure The Egyptian family structure is very interesting and again, heavily influenced by Islam. It is customary to have extended families- uncles, aunts, grandparents, etc live in the same household. Following what has long been the Middle Eastern tradition; these large families are patriarchal and girls in families are protected by her brothers who may also accompany them in public. Traditionally, marriages are arranged between heads of families, often with little input from the couple involved. Parents play a big role in planning their children’s future and children assume the responsibility of supporting and caring for their parents in their old age. Family structure in my culture is pretty much the same as it is in the Egyptian culture. The difference is that it depends on whether you are referring to the family structure of families in rural areas or advanced, urban cities. In the rural areas, most of the families are extended families because it is easier and cheaper when everyone is contributing to the same household. In these areas, parents do play a big role in deciding their children’s future. There aren’t many resources and opportunities in these remote areas so many of the children grow up first helping their sisters and moms with work in the house and when they are strong enough, they start assisting the men of the family in agriculture. On the other hand, in urban cities, nuclear families are more common although close ties with relatives are still maintained. Parents do play a role in planning their children’s future but it is relatively small. Families are more independent and self sufficient. You can say that these families are more westernized. Social Structure and Interactions The Egyptian social structure is a bit hierarchical. Greetings are often elaborate- phrases used for greeting depend largely on the individuals’ social classes. Generally, people of the same sex greet each other by shaking hands and kissing once on each cheek. Men greet women with a handshake only if the woman stretches out her hand first. Good friends of the same sex may walk hand in hand, an engaged or married couple may walk arm in arm, otherwise a man does not touch a woman in public. It is considered improper to use first names unless one invites one to do so; good friends do exchange first names in informal settings but not in formal ones. Most men go to coffee shops to relax, play board games, meet with friends etc. Wealthy men often go to private clubs to socialize. Visiting is one of the most important pastimes in Egypt- it demonstrates the importance of a relationship. Married children often go to visit their parents on Fridays and weekends. Soccer is the most popular sport, arousing great enthusiasm and inspiring a lot of fans. The ways and customs of socializing are a bit different in my culture. The way of greeting generally is very different from the Egyptian culture, people of the same sex shake hands and say the Salam. If the meeting comes after a long time, they may hug each other as well. There is no hierarchy or class system; each and everyone is considered equal. The ways of socializing generally depends on what gender you belong to. Men usually go out to various entertainment spots, functions, parties etc to entertain themselves. For women, it depends from family to family: some families are very strict and don’t allow their daughters and wives to hangout with their friends anywhere else except their houses, while others are flexible and the women of the family are allowed to hangout with friends, play games in the streets etc. Visiting relatives, cousins etc is one of the most common practices in my culture; it demonstrates love, closeness and hospitality. Cricket is the most popular sport by far. There is nothing else that attracts more attention among teenager boys than cricket. Elderly women like to cook and invite friends and relatives on dinners while elderly men go out to sit and talk and relax with their fellow friends. Bibliography 1."Egypt." World Explorer. FIU college of Business and Administration, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2014. <http://webpath.follettsoftware.com/resource/ viewurl?encodedUrl=keZ8pL8j9gKBTdMZILLConltxVtxtKyWG1Ydi1T--1A&version=1&appsigna ture=Destiny&appversion=12.0.6.2+%2812_0_AU2_RC2%29>. 2. Fay, Mary Ann, et al. "Country Studies." Federal Research Division. Lib. of Cong., 27 July 2010. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. <http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ egtoc.html>. 3. "The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency- the World Factbook. Historical Collection, 15 Apr. 2007. Web. 21 Oct. 2014. <http://webpath.follettsoftware.com/resource/ viewurl?encodedUrl=gUreQblm5nG6zM4UdZA3y4twJGljSGLPd_YqX-D33R4&version=1&appsigna ture=Destiny&appversion=12.0.6.2+%2812_0_AU2_RC2%29>. She was there. I saw her. Only for a little bit at first, but then a glimpse of her sleeve, and the stone washed blue of her jeans. I ran after her what I would have thought to be the perfect one, until another flash of long blond hair, Designer shoes, and pink crop top. That one in my head is the only one worthy of a fairy tale ending the girl who I just saw a glimpse of. I followed the second girl for what seemed like eternity until I came upon her castle a three floor six bedroom house. Looming over the side if the house the flag made of the shiniest silk you have ever seen patterned with pearly colored swans and a nighttime sky between the esher like flag. She was the one who would be my choice, the one who would excel above the others. The one for me. She was going to be my fairy tale queen to rule beside me, forever. She will be my happily ever after. The one who I have been searching for as long as I can remember. I know she is the one for me, until she turns around and reveals a mangled homely face with acne and she has big nerd glasses I was foolish for thinking for a second she would be the only one worthy of me. I quickly run away in search of another girl. One who is beautiful and perfect. That's when I run right into the girl. Wearing her "My Chemical Romance" black band shirt, ripped jeans, jet black hair with bright green tips, and her black eyeliner I know she will be my princess, my forever, as my fairy tale queen. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to run into you," I nonchalantly said, "the name is Arthur, prince Arthur," trying to pull off "being cool"
"And the significance of this is?" She asked slightly annoyed, " I'm Gem Dale, could you now move I am going to be late and my mom needs me at home," she said very obviously ticked off. "Oh yea I'll move-" I was beginning to say, "That's all I have to hear, move it bub," she commanded and shoved me out of the way and ran off. " THAT'S NO WAY TO TREAT A PRINCE!" I yelled to her back as she was going. Just before she turned the corner I saw her stop, turn around and look at me almost to say "I'm sorry and really love you but am to tough to admit it" and ran off. Gems POV: I really loath guys like Arthur. Te ones who think they are princes or kings. Sends shivers down my spine. I got home all ticked off and all at Arthur and my mom to make things worse was arguing with dad, "WHY DID YOU LET HER DO THAT?!" Mom screamed, "SHE COULD HAVE GOTTEN LOST!" "SHE IS A USELESS GIRL!" My father replies, "DON'T CALL MY DAUGHTER USELESS AND GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" My mom yells, I know immediately they are talking about me and my father letting me take a walk in a thunderstorm the other day. "YOUR HOUSE?!?! THIS IS MY HOUSE PRACTICALLY! WHO PAYED THE TRUST?!? WHO PAYS THE BILLS?!?" I guess my father forgets that all he does is sit on his butt and watch tv all day while mom works her butt off working triple shifts at the diner to make minimum wage. "I DO CLARK!" Mom screeches at my father. I don't know why they don't get divorced, I mean they hate each other and practically stare daggers at each other all day everyday. SLAP! I hear my father's hand come down across mom's face, hard. I run in the kitchen and scream, "WHY DID YOU HIT HER? WHY DO YOU HATE ME? WHY DO OU HATE US?" I feel his hand hit my face harder than he hit mom and said, "SHADDUP YA STUPID GIRL!" I raced over to the phone and called 911 on my father. The conversation with the police was easier than you woulda thought, "Hello 911 what's your emergency?" "See my father just slapped me and my mother very hard, my face is bruising and her nose is bleeding," "Okay has this happened before?" "Yes twice, now please come," "Dearie we need your address," "6702 spring drive," "Okay we are headed right over," "Thank you g'bye," and with that I hung up the phone to see a raging bull (aka my father) right in front of me, "What have you DONE?!" My father asks raising his hand as soon as there is a knock on the door. Mom jumps and goes and gets it, finally the cops are here and not a second late. They arrest my father for abusing his spouse and child and take him away. My mother starts crying, "I can't believe that I loved him," she sniffled, "It's okay he doesn't deserve you anyway," I tried to calm her down with that. It just made it worse. I called the diner and told them that my father had just been arrested and mom won't be coming to work for the next week. I knew tomorrow the phone calls would start coming in from relatives to mom saying that they should have never gotten married and such. Arthur's POV: I found her the perfect one Gem. But she seemed to hate me...I wonder why. I came home after playing baseball with my friends to my mom baking nice chocolate chip cookies, "Hey mama," I said taking a cookie on the cooling rack, "Oh! Hi darling how was your day? Do you want some milk with your cookie? How about a nice smoothie?" She asked, "I'm okay mom really I just want to do some homework and then clean my room," I replied lazily, "Oh how responsible is my little baby doing his homework first thing after school," mom cooed scruffiling my dirty blond hair. I went upstairs to my pristine room and took out my work that I understood completely and breezed through. I decided to draw Gem when I was done that, my mom did sometimes call me "art". "ARTHUR DARLING COME DOWN AND WATCH THE NEWS!" My mother yelled up the steps to get me, "OKAY MA," I yelled back. Oh how I loved the news. I rush downstairs and to my horror see Gem on the screen with tears running down her face "were is her mother?" I think. I see a huge man (possible a father) lumber into a police car muttering something. I gasp and try to call her on my iPhone 17 (eleven generations ahead of everybody else) and I hear a familiar icy voice on the other end, "What do you want Arthur?" Gem grumbles, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, I saw the news. Sorry about your dad, he saved you from harm and that is why you are crying, then he got framed, and THAT'S why your crying, right?" "Wrong I called the cops on him he slapped me and mom so I called them," she replies, "It's mom and me-"I try to correct her "I COULD CARE LESS!" She screams and then the line goes dead. Gem's POV: I now hate this Arthur dude more than ever after he called and thought my dad was a hero, first off I don't need a knight in shining armor... I can rescue myself. I hate the world and all of its stereotypes! I go crazy watching Disney princess movies and their mass sexism ( besides brave and maybe Mulan) creating the image that girls have to wait for their Prince Charming to come along and make them live happily ever after. NO THAT IS NOT HOW IT WORKS! Arthur the jerk thinks it does and I am apparently his princess who he has to save. Well guess what Arthur I AM FINE. After the phone call I went upstairs to see what mom was doing. She was answering all the angry calls that came and writing them down and crying harder and harder every time she picked up the phone. I ran to mom and hugged her. She was shocked, I was shocked and I think everyone in the world for that moment was shocked. Apparently people don't expect me to go around hugging people. "Let's hang up all the phones and not come out of the house for a while okay?" I suggested to mom, "okay," she replied We both squealed and said "fault in our stars quote" then started giggling like mad women. So that's what we did. We stayed inside with the door locked and curtains closes, to watch tv all week. I swear we never once moved unless we were getting food. Then the one person who couldn't make my life any better but tried his hardest to. Arthur came over to see if I needed help, "Gem it's me Arthur I was wondering if I could come in and talk to you," I heard the voice that I loathed, "Go away I don't want a sympathy brigade," I grumbled, "I'm sorry I can't hear you, are you in there?" Arthur says in a sing-song voice, "BUZZ OFF I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" I scream back, "Oh okay, umm bye then, I guess," he says crushed. I actually felt kinda bad about what I did, for once. But he shouldn't be sticking his nose in other people's business. Arthur's POV: Seeing, well NOT seeing Gem in school worried me. So I payed her a visit. Just to be rudely dismissed as nosy. Can you believe it? NOSY?! I am never nosy. I was just trying to be helpful. I guess. Anyway I even brought food for them. Gem didn't want it and said she was "fine" and "didn't want anything". I guess she was just feeling really ungrateful, gosh if she is going to be my queen I hope she is feeling peppier when she is older. Anyway when I came home defeated mom asked, "What's wrong dearest?" "Oh, Gem didn't want to talk...about anything," "Dear love is an art, and art cannot be rushed," "Alright mom I am going upstairs," I sighed, "Love you," she said, "Me too," I responded half heartedly. Gem's POV: "I AM NOT AFRAID TO KEEP ON LIVING!" Sings my lovely iPod spurting out Gerard Way's voice. I crank down my headphones and look at the clock, 11:36 pm it reads, I suddenly have a wave of fatigue crash over me as I roll over and go to sleep. I sleep so well that I forgot to dream. I wake up to this, "GEM! GEM! WAKE UP!" It's mom, screaming, "Whaaat?" I groan, "YOUR FATHER IS BEING ALLOWED TO VIST US AND HE IS COMING OVER THE WEEKEND!" I bolt upright, this can't be happening, I think, "Mom what is today?" I ask suddenly panicked, "FRIDAY!" Mom screams and starts running around frantically, "Mom calm down okay? We have to show him that our life has gotten better and that we don't need him, not like we have been avoiding the human race all week," Mom looks really confused, "We have to clean up and restock the fridge and actually look like people," I say to clarify for her. It looks like a lightbulb has gone off over her head, "Oh! So let's get started!" She exclaims. I grumble and mumble then get up and actually get dressed. I start heading downstairs for breakfast when I hear a knock on the door, it can't be Arthur cause he's at school, I think so I make a quick detour to the door. It is not in fact Arthur, I don't know who it is but they want to see mom and I refused to let them see her, "Ummm...she's at the...store, yea at the store," I lie, "Then why is a car in the driveway?" He interrogates, "That's my father's car," which isn't totally a lie my father did go out and buy it (although it was mom's money) he wasn't buying it, "Your father got arrested remember? You called the cops on him," this man was obviously annoyed at my stalling, "She...walked?" I say but it sounds like I am asking them, "Your stories aren't matching up," he says playing "detective" "Honey who is it?" Mom calls down from the top of the steps. Crap, mom heard me, "You were lying!" He says pushing me aside to the ground and going into the house, "NO!" I cry getting up, "No?" He asks whipping around, "Don't go in there, don't talk to my mother, don't even dare to take a step closer," I growl walking up to him as he stands in front of the door and then, "Oh!" Mom says surprised, I half expect her to let this man into our house then her voice turns cold, "what are you doing near my house?" She has started to fume and the man quickly backs away and says, "I just wanted to say hi, Valerie," he says, "just wanted to check in on ya, I saw the news, I'm really sorry," he finishes looking ashamed, "We'll you have now SHOO!" Mom dismisses him, "come on Gem we are going inside," she says as she shoots one last icy look at him and slams the door in his face. When inside I look for answers, "Mom who was that? It looked like you knew him," I asked, "Oh I knew him," Mom says shaking her head as if she was trying to get a bad memory out if her head. Then she started breathing heavily, "Who was he?" I ask her, not quite finished with our little session, "That my darling girl was the man that might have been your father if I had said yes. That was my old fiancé, I stopped it from happening because he was cheating I found out, the day before our wedding. Apparently she was mad at him for lying and it didn't work out," she told me. And my eyes grew as wide as dinner plates as I let this all sink in, "Who was his other?" I asked hoping this wasn't a step to far, "Kirsten," she answered, "But aren't you and Kirsten best friends?" I ask becoming as confused as I will possibly ever be in my life, "why would she do that?" "Oh hon, we weren't always best friends, we both hated him so much that we got together to talk about it, and became best friends," she says as if it was a simple thing. In my mind it was to much so I went upstairs to start cleaning for my father's visit in a day, I could hear mom laughing softly downstairs at my somewhat confused reaction to her news. Arthur's POV: Having Gem always reject me is tiring and unexpected, since you know I am one of the most popular kids in school. And am mighty good looking if I do say so myself (which I do). Any way I was taking a stroll after school and I decided to go to her house to you know say hi. I realize I have been a little harsh on my future queen and I should form a friendship with her first. I reach spring drive in all of its melancholy glory. It gives me the chills walking down the dead end. All the buildings are dark and small, the yards are tiny, and there is trash scattered around. It looks like a dump, in my opinion. I reach 6702 and just as I was going to knock the door swings open and there is Gem with a bag, "Oh it's YOU" she says in a harsh tone, "Yes it is me, I see that you have decided to come out of your house," I say in a equally pleasant tone, "Yea my dad's coming over for a visit tomorrow an' I was sent to restock the fridge and get some detergent for the dishwasher," she grunts, "Do you want me to come with you?" I ask because it is a longish walk, "Fine, if you honestly need to. I'm not forcing you to. I will actually discourage it for you," "Great! I'm coming," I respond. Gem walks off and immediately shoves on her headphones and I see her scroll through her music on her iPod. Way to be social I think and jog to catch up to her. Gem's POV: Great now I have to deal with Arthur while I go to the store. The walk was actually quite nice because I wasn't talking at all to him. Until the very end where he muttered something to himself about how the economy is in a horrid state and I laughed, "What's so funny?" He asked confused at my sudden outburst of the sound of joy. I of course responded with a quick nothing and went back to walking. 30 Minutes.
people walked into the capsules in groups of 20 or 30, some knowing each other while others not at all. Filled up the large “ovoidal capsules” some sitting Down some standing Up. Looking out the glass windows, at the beautiful view below all except… three people. A young women and man, along with a small child looking like the former they didn’t stand, by the glass gazing out at the view. They didn't sit, looking at the beauty They stood in the MIDDLE. looking - gazing at each other the young man holding out a diamond, the young women staring in shock. the little child looking on confused - about what was going on they KISS the women says ‘yes’ and they continue the ride. Pointing out sights, to the child with a smile on their faces |