# data[].attributes.body
It started out small, we didn't even realize we had known each other before-hand. We met Online a game, we didn't talk much at first but then one single hangout all day leaded to all day for everyday then finding out we had known each other even on another game without knowing. She went from a friend, to a best friend, eventually to a sister. We've never let each other down, we've been there together through everything, no single detail left out. Together we agree we will make our own life together, we'll live together and conquer anything that life will throw out at us, because with her, it's almost as anything is possible.

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We had become brothers and nothing was ever going to split us. Then there was a girl. I supported him, but our time became their time, our hangouts became theirs, his attention hers, and I lost my buddy. I knew I’d lose him, I’d noticed past themes. I was angry, at him, but was called dramatic. I lashed out, though admittedly irrational. We had space, and I grew. I had become a different person, so did he. Yesterday he told me they broke up, through hatred of her I hid a smile. I guess people never truly change, including myself.

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One gloomy day desperate and lost in a world of darkness. Hopeless and lost without the one who loves. I couldn’t find my joy because I lost the one I loved, but the day where I felt numb he found me. He saw me alone and held me close in his arms. He kissed my head and called me his beloved daughter. I felt warm and a weight was lifted. At last, I’ve let go of all for you becasue you are the one I needed. I’m so happy to be here with you. You love me and restore my broken heart my broken mind. I’m valued, I’m worthy and finally, I am no longer a slave to this dark world. You set me apart becasue you made me a shining light of joy and love, oh the love that you gave me, I will pass on this love becasue you are good, you are my healer, my everything. The one I love has saved me.

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A few years ago I learned how to surf, it was calming and peaceful. It had given me an escape to get away from things that were going on or waiting for me when I would get into my car and go back home. I had been surfing for about a year and when I had gotten back home from one of the best day of my life with some friends, it quickly became the worst. My uncle had passed away. I was so close with my uncle that this had set me so far back mentally. I had turned everything off and was set into a depressed and monotonous way of living. I had given up on so many things I loved which had sadly included surfing. After about 3 months of not surfing one of my close friends asked if I wanted to go out and surf for a few hours. I had said no almost 4 times, but he had convinced me which took a lot of time for him to do. When I had gone out with him I was sitting on my board when he say a 5-foot wave coming, which wasn't big, but it was something to ride. So I quickly paddled and caught the wave. All that I could think about with a smile on my face was catching the wave. So It had helped me get out of living the way I was and move on because there were more important things to focus, and bigger things ahead for me. That's why surfing is my love and passion.

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A shower is where I think best. I pick up reoccurring themes there until they are completely resolved, pushed back into distant storage of my memory. I love my family but that's not what this is about. I am fortunate to have a functional family with people who care about me. Yet, I find myself loving my fiends more. I don't know if that's harsh or if it's my fault but it's true. They never associate with my out of necessity and I am more likely to get constructive feedback when I tell them about problems rather than judgement. A family is dependable but a good friend is dependable and will go the extra mile. Be that friend to someone

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I Found Love for Him but His Love Didn't Find Me

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I Found Love for Him but His Love Didn't Find Me

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It was the dawn of a new day, it was the spark of something, all I thought was before it was that I was an innocent thirteen year old girl. I had no idea that something like this would occur. I was supposed to be an ordinary Saturday, that is before I saw you. All of the sudden I saw you and my heart fluttered. It was love at first sight. I decided to not tell anyone and made you my little secret. I knew who you were but you didn't know me. I wanted you but you didn't want me. I think of you every day and I know you as my first love. Eventually you found another girl and left me behind. I may be teased about this, but he will always be in my hear. I my have found something for him but he did not find love for me.

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There is this hole inside of me. I have tried to fill it with worldly things, but nothing was able to fill it. However, I found one thing that is able to fill this bottomless hole as long as I accept it. Without this love I would be on a  dark path, but since I have decided to let this love inside of me I am on a path filled with light. Sometimes I still wander away into the dark path, but the light that shines so bright always brings me back to the love that has changed my life.

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"Another player has joined the game!" I usually play alone. That all changed when I met him. "Mishel" is what my friend and I decided to call him. We'd see him in the hallway and I'd always wave and yell his name from across the quad. One day in class, in 8th grade, I heard he had discord. Then after school every day we'd dm, and he even started playing videogames with me. I was obsessed. My friend then helped me ask him out, but little did I know, that those videogames and dms will be the only way to communicate. A relationship online due to a pandemic. Our connection was stronger then ever, and it was all through games. Now, it's almost been two years, in love with my "Player 2."

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One day I decided to join a new basketball team in fourth grade. It had a girls team and a boys team. I showed up to my first practice and saw this boy that I thought was really cute. They had a couple of siblings on the team and so when I would have sleepovers with the sisters, the brothers would always hear us talk about our crushes and one day they came in and started teasing me about my crush. They said he liked me too, but the funny thing is we barely talked. This went on until I left to a different team and I never saw him again until sixth grade. We still had the same attraction to each other like how we did in fourth grade. We became supper close and then we liked each other again. This happened again in seventh grade and eighth grade. Once we got into high school we become supper supper close and I invited him to my homecoming because I had no one else to go with. We swore we just were going as friends but since then that was never the case. We have been dating since.

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I hope someone makes him feel the butterflies In the stomach I felt when he would kiss me, I hope he get as exited as I did when his name would pop up on my phone, I hope he feels the joy I felt when we would be together, I hope that person makes him smile as much as he made me, I hope he stares at someone eyes and realized how in love he is with them as I did once with him and them I hope she makes him cry as much as he made me, I hope she does not care when he tells her I Love You as he did with me, I hope she uses him the way he used me, I hope she treat him like the best thing shes ever had one second and then treats him like hes worthless the way he did with me, I hope he feels the same way he made me feel.

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"Would you maybe want to FaceTime tonight?" I captioned on a snap when attempting to start a conversation with a boy I found cute. At the time I was so happy that this attempt worked and I was able to start to build a bond with him. Looking back now, I regret even starting the conversation. Without the FaceTime call there would have been no dropping my friends due to his insecurities, no being exhausted at school cause I stayed up arguing the night before, no constant mixed singles, and no other girl. Especially, there would have been no FaceTime.

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I didn't choose football, football chose me.

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I didn't choose football, football chose me.

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I knew from the second I stepped foot onto the field I had fallen in love. Not with a person, but a sport. There was an instant connection and an instant passion. I knew that it was going to become my number one priority and my main purpose. I'm so happy when on the football field and I know it'll never lose that spark from the first time I was out there. It feels like I've spent an eternity with football but it's only been two years. Time flies when you're having fun and this time went by faster than I can blink. There was about a week before the season started when we went through a rough patch. I rolled my ankle and I thought it was minor but I would end up sitting 75% of the season. Even though I had gotten hurt while playing, I was still in love with the sport. Nothing could change the way I see football. To me, its more than a sport. It feels like my second home where I'm welcome and where I can take care of business. Nothing made me happier than hearing that I was cleared to play again. We were reunited once again, but this time I was out for revenge. Not revenge on football but all those who doubted I could get through my injury. Through all the anger and frustration inside me, my love for football shined through. I was upset with all those doubting me and my ability but I had just let it go and do what I know how to do. I ended up returning for our rivalry game and we won. It felt like more than a win in a football game to me. It was my return to my love and I had never felt better about it.

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One night my dad asked if I wanted to surf with him in the morning. I agreed, but stayed up late anxiously thinking about the things that could go wrong. The next day we drove to the beach. When we got there I was not ready to paddle out. After mustering my courage, I made the decision to go catch some waves. After a few falls, I was less anxious because I knew my dad had my back. Once I finally stood up I immediately fell in love with surfing and it is now my favorite hobby.

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Captain

My mother had just been married when she lost her kitten, she was a beautiful tabby cat. It saddened my mother that her cat was nowhere to be found. My parents went to the marina one day for a stroll. My mother asked my father if they could sit down and pray for her lost cat. They sat down on the bench and my father prayed. Before the prayer was finished they heard a loud meow. That wasn’t unusual since there were hundreds of feral cats around. They kept hearing that same meow so they decided to look for the cat. They finally found a small tabby kitten, feral cats often run away from people so this next part was unexpected. The little tabby ran up to my parents in such a sweet way. They named him Captain because he was found there, at the marina, they also say he was a gift from our God.

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I moved to a new city and on the first day of school I didn't know anyone or talk to anyone. I just stayed to myself for a while. One day this girl came up to me and started talking to me and we became friends. She had a lot of friends and almost everyone at the school had a lot of friends or people they talked to. Most of the time I didn't talk to anyone but when this girl would talk to me it made my day because she was the nicest person I have ever met. She would make sure I was happy and made sure I wasn't left out. Overtime we would start talking more and she basically became my best friend, she would always be there for me and I would always be there for her. Fast forward 8+ years later she is basically like my sister, I don't know what I would do without her, she is my Other Half.

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It was 105 degrees and I had just finished laying tar on the roof of my grandparents house with my Papa. I was sitting on the couch sweating, the AC barely worked. I did not have anything to do and was itching to find something to do. So I look around and go to the piano that my Papa often played. I didn't know anything besides Mary had a Little Lamb. This was a horrible start, but something is better than nothing. I get up  frustrated, and go ask my Papa how to play. He teaches me an old gospel song Oh Happy Day, not knowing this was the start of some of my happiest days. I sat for hours trying to communicate this new language called music, and I was starting to get it. Three years later I sit here being very talented in something that only God could have given me. Oh if it wasn't for that AC.

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He was the first to show me real passion and affection. We started as friends, flirting with each other as a joke, but I knew deep down I meant everything I said. That one day when he asked me to be together was when my heart filled up with joy. Seeing how excited he was to be with one another was the best thing I've seen. As time passed, he started to distance himself from me, not wanting to talk. It took forever to move on, but he changed into someone I would hate. I still will forever love him, like I promised.

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Lemons fall to the ground beneath my boots as I wrestle the tree above. The sun beams harshly on my shoulders as I make the trek through the orchard, back to the house. The day is long, the night sweet. Blood orange juice drips down my chin as I suck on a thick slice of fruit. It feels so safe to know a place, when no place has ever known you. Being young and new is hard to grow out of and leave behind. But to have these acreages to serve – though not my own – it’s being home.

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One day, after school hours I was walking out of the volleyball game and there he was straight ahead of me. A few weeks went by and my best friends sent me his Instagram and we started talking, hung out a few times, and just got to know each other. We always went out but was too shy to even make a conversation, it took a while till we just clicked. I started seeing him more and more at school but was never able to build up the courage to go up to him. I remember going home and just regretting not talking to him, but I would be on the phone with him all night. I would get butterflies every time I saw him or even said a couple words, but that all changed. A month went by and we were closer than ever, there wouldn't be a time when we weren't together. We would go out till dark and just talk for hours to the point where I forgot I even had a phone and a time to be home. Ever since October 2022, we have never left each other's side and till this day that boy is my best friend and lover.

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The way people can uplift others is so amazing to me. How easy it is to make someone day with a compliment or observation. I was at my friends house after getting a haircut playing board games with my friend. I was having a bad day and wasn't feeling like myself. My friends grandma walks in and the first thing she does is mention my haircut. The simple comment about my haircut made my entire day and left me with a smile. That day she encouraged me to realize how something so little can mean something so big which led me to trying to make other peoples day. I hope that everyone can experience a situation where they're day was brightened and took action to pass it on.

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The game of golf is a sport that I fell in love with at a very young age. My dad and grandpa took me out to play and that is what got me hooked. I eventually started taking it seriously and with that came even more enjoyment in the game because I am always trying to get better everyday and that is the fun part. Obviously with every sport there is going to be up and down's, but with golf, it takes that to a different level, which makes the sport even more fun.

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One time I made a grilled cheese sandwich but I made a mistake. I accidentally burned the bread and the cheese wasn’t even melted. I thought I had to start over, but then I remembered a trick my mom showed me once to fix burned bread. Her trick was to use a butter knife to scrape off the burned outside of the bread. This gave me another idea. The cheese wasn’t melted, so I microwaved the sandwich. After the sandwich was microwaved, the cheese melted but the bread became soggy. I thought I had to start over, but then I figured that I could just toast the sandwich to fix it. In the end, I thought the sandwich would be gross but it turned out almost normal. I am glad my parents taught me to find solutions instead of giving up.

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A couple years ago, I began handling tech for my church's Youth Group doing the camera graphics. I handled the slideshows and music at first with slowly being introduced to more such as handling some of the lighting as well, and while it had been difficult at first I received advice and tips on how to make it all work much better,which made me feel much more comfortable doing it. Gradually, I fell in love with doing it every Thursday. It gave me something to look forward to, and became more a part of it than I had been before.

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The love we feel when surrounded by the people who love us is unmatched. The wave of gratitude. The laughter and tears we share, the pain and fear. We are born with the need to be loved and to love others. We take it for granted. We never truly know how much we love someone or something until it's gone.

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back in December of 2022 was when i fell in love with what who i thought was the love of my life. we would hangout every single day during school and after school i would always be spending time with her, whether it be spending time in her bedroom watching movies or walking to the mall after we got out of class, any excuse to spend time with her i would take that opportunity. even though we were just friends at the time my heart would skip a beat anytime she would touch my hand or when she would rest her head against my shoulder and would look up at me with her grayish blue eyes. i made the biggest mistake of my life during late December when we where watching a show on her couch when she turned to me and asked if she could kiss me, i knew i should have told her no and that we where just friends and she had a boyfriend but i was head over heels in love with her so i let her anyway. little did i know that only a few months later i would rather die than spend any time near her.

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There is nothing like a sisters relationship. You can have fights, but you will always come back together. My sister doesn't like it when I take her clothes, and I don't like it when she takes my perfume to her house. Despite those things, we love each other. We have seen things that we can only confine in each other in. She has gone through things that I am going through, we can talk to each other and come out the other side still best friends.

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Home is where you feel welcomed and loved. Where you are filled with joy and laughter. All can be found outside of those four walls and with those you enjoy. When you are out with friends and your smile is bigger than it has been you are at "home". Filled with happiness and laughter hoping your time together never comes to an end.

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When I was little I always told my mom if I could have a brother, because playing with your sisters isnt the same since most of the time they dont want to do scary stuff like climb a tree or play with a football cause there too scared it might hit them. But then I met my cousin, and although I dont remember how I met him I do remember that me and him just clicked, and that we were inseparable. And after a while we decided to call ourselves borthers because we looked alike and always got compliments about it. But the thing I mostly like was how me and him were just always out and about doing something, i even remember just me and him washing cars on the street for 10 bucks, and we made bank. But till today me and him still consider each other brothers, and Im gonna make sure that never changes.

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I still remember her scent and the way she made me feel. We were really awkward at first because we were both quiet. She barely had any friends and she was the nicest girl i've ever met. A couple months into the relationship we started to get comfortable with each other and started to match clothes. We didn't go to the same school but we found a way to make it work. She lived close to me and would visit me when my parents weren't home or sometimes she would skip school just to see me because i was always at my house. I remember all those times when she would just hug and give me kisses. I miss when she took my glasses off and put them on herself. We would play video games when we weren't with each other. I remember staying up with her until 6 in the morning just talking to eachother the whole time and making eachother laugh. She would comfort me when i was feeling bad. She was the one who taught me how to dance. I never told anyone until now and my parents don't even know this existed. She always got jealous when i talked to girls that weren't her. I remember her long black hair and the way she always looked at me. She said that she liked my smile and called me handsome all the time. I remember her scent that she left on some of my clothes and how she always left her scent there. I really don't know how it all happened so quickly. Everything was going well until one day she said she needed a break. Things haven't really been the same since. I miss her long black hair rubbing against my arm and wish i can go back to experience it again.

6/23/23 was when i met her.

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It all starts when you meet them, you feel something that you don't even realize is a feeling. It feels like you're gonna throw up or turn into a cricket with all the jumping and twitching you're doing. Then that feeling turns into a memory as the days pass and you start to feel a new feeling. This one is more complex and less describable. You just know that you care for the other and you always want the best for them. As this feeling becomes a memory and the memory of the other feeling becomes an even further memory. You have already found that feeling that you weren't searching for, but it found you, Love.

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Wendy walked along the beach with jacks and they were talking until the sun had set and all of a sudden jacks sees something glissen, a diamond. The diamond was blue a sparkly, he knew Wendy loved the color blue and he also knew he was the love of his life. He quickly grabbed the diamond, got on one knee and proposed

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Growing up I always loved horses and finally got to start taking lessons 7 years ago. I have worked very hard for the opportunities that I have now but whenever I need a break from things I can go ride and it brings a great peace to my life. It has let me meet really cool people and brought me amazing friends as well as bringing fulfillment to my life.

-SB

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Grandpa, do you remember when you would wake me up at the crack of dawn, with your fluffy robe and slippers on, letting me wear one of your jackets to take me in your bright-neon yellow Hummer? We would take a drive to our favorite donut shop and watched the sunrise at silver strand beach: the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand, the birds starting to chirp, the red-orangish hues of the sun rising across the horizon. These, these were the days I always looked forward too. You my wonderful caring Grandfather. Thank you.

-DL

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My dad got me into biking when I was 9, I wasn't sure what mountain biking was but I was ready to try it. All I knew about bikes was how to ride one. Then I started really enjoying it, it became a safe space, just me and the trail. Within the next couple years I was riding more and more. I continued riding with my dad and with friends, soon I started getting better. Every day I spent biking was a good day, but that meant the days I didn't bike weren't. I got more ambitious as the years passed and ended up hurting my arm bad. I couldn't bike for at least a month, it was really hard to lose that part of my life even for a little bit. Then my grandpa died, I was really close to him and it was the first real loss I had. The loss of family devastated me and without the escape of biking it was hard to cope. Eventually I was able to ride again and got to process the loss. I'm glad I have the opportunity to act on my passions but it's also important to find a healthy balance.

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One day me and my family went to the park to play soccer I never really liked soccer but then yet again I never really tried to play it as we started to play I stared to love it more and more I couldn't stop playing it, it was so funn after playing I realized I have found my new passion. Ever since that day I have been playing everyday practicing .

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The night becomes still and quiet. The silence speaks louder than the voices I've heard throughout the bright, vibrant day. Talking after talking, voice after voice. Yet, now during these quiet hours, a melodious story plays in the back of my mind. Lyric after lyric describes my entire existence. The art of expressing emotions I never even fully understood, calms my rapid restless mind. Even sounds describe feelings, with no need for big fancy words and elaborate explanations. Each song speaks to me directly, sometimes even more so than people themselves. At times, the most comfort I receive is from sound and song that may just be telling a completely different story than my own. With music so beautiful and sounds so other-wordly, they make my own story slightly more colorful, and life much less dull.

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June 6th, 2013 my favorite player was playing in a series only a few people make it to the NBA finals. Down 3-2 in the series the Miami heat needed someone to reel them back to win this series. And no one better than LeGoat James, Lebron James. The Greatest of all time was the answer for the Heat in a game 6 elimination game he had a beautiful game. Going 32/11/10 getting them that game 6 but it wasn’t over because they had a tough game 7. But Lebron had an answer for that domination going 37/4/12 and winning his first of 4 rings. The best to never do it.

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It was October 13th of 2023, my favorite artist released "A Great Chaos." Ever since then, my interest towards Ken Carson has only grew more. Ever since the start of his career, he has grown and his music is just one of a kind. The one thing I love about Ken Carson is how consistent he is with all of his releases. Some of the most wise words I've ever heard from ken Carson were "Don't be a judger," towards people. After all its one thing to know that Ken Carson is my favorite artist and his music cannot be remade by any other.

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After wondering where that hoodie had been when you needed it. After going and brushing your teeth. After thinking up all of your funny jokes only after you had had the chance to use them. You finally lie down in a warm bed. I love my bed. You fall asleep very quickly and just as quickly if not quicker than you fell asleep, you wake up. In that same warm bed, now in the cold morning. So you must leave your bed as all that it ever was. A warm bed. I love my bed.

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Practice 3-8 everyday, making many things like having free time and just doing homework more difficult. But I didn't care I was young. Time commitment, money commitment, pretty much commiting everything about me to this one thing. Gymanstics was my home, until it turned toxic. With a random coach who didn't like me, saying my thighs were to big compared to the other girls. That's the moment I lost myself, I lost my first love. My dreams and my view on myself weren't the same. Even after going back to what I loved, it wasn't the same anymore.

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5 days before new year's. I stared at the calender, what was I to do with my time left? I pondered; it truly was food for thought. At this minute, I truly was ready to arrive to peace in 5 days. There was no fear. Suddenly, I felt a vibration next to me. My phone, 12/25/22 9:32AM, I read the words "Hello" from an unknown number. Despite it being unknown, I knew exactly who it was. My best friend I hadn't spoken to in 5 years. I'm not sure how I knew, but something in me just did. We talked, and talked, and talked for those 5 days until the hour before new year's, the day I had been pondering for months, I questioned what I should do. I decided I wasn't ready. As peace had found its way to my door, greeting me with open arms, so I had no reason to seek it out myself.

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A relationship that has had a lasting impact on my life is with my old friend, Giulianna. We met in art class, where we bonded over our interest in music.. I vividly remember the times we sat next to each other in class. We spent every weekend calling on the phone. She was a year younger than me so when I started freshman year of high school we got pulled apart and busy schedules made it hard to stay connected.

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Dark and alone thats what my life was for years until her. We started hanging out little chats here and there, but those short text turned into hour long conversations about what we love. All my life is when im with her is color, and light. My days feel shorter when im with her, minutes turn to hours because we lose track of time when we´re together. Iḿ always at peace, and a sense of comfort and clarity always washes over me when im by her side. At this point we don´t even have to speak because we both know sometimes words don´t need to be said just comfortable silence. I look forward to the days where were old and gray reminiscing of the good old days. My best friend,my rose. Oh how i love you.

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The day was bright and sunny, and the air was smooth. We walked out of the parking garage and moved over to the entrance. As I wait for our tickets to finish scanning, I smell a hint of sweetness. A hit of warmth and joy, even more than the day was already giving. I must find this scent. I began to frolic along the brick path as that sweet smell began to stick with me. It's following me. It's luring me into its trap. The scent filled my brain with funny gases, which made me feel like I was floating. I rush through the crowd, trying to find that smell I've longed to smell even more. “I'm getting closer and closer. I can feel it, "I tell myself. Then I see what I've been looking for all this time. A true blessing to the eyes and nose. The churro stand.

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Every morning on my way to school, I would walk past a guy who always had his headphones on, completely absorbed in his own world, with a soft smile on his face. Part of me couldn’t keep my eyes off him. One morning, as I walked by, he looked up and our eyes met for just a second. That brief moment felt electric, and I found myself looking forward to seeing him every day. I began to notice the small details about him, like how he tapped his foot to the beat, the books he carried, and the way his eyes lit up when he smiled. Even though we never exchanged words, those fleeting glances became a sweet, unspoken part of my daily routine. It was a simple crush that made my morning walks to school feel a little more special.

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I met him back in 5th grade, we knew of each other but never talked to each other. One day, I got a friend request from him, I accepted it. We started talking daily and there wasn't a day that we weren't calling or texting each other. We would constantly flirt playfully with each other, we would also say "I love you" to each other all the time. I would remember even the smallest details that he would tell me, but after a while, he doesn't text me as often as he used to and started dry texting me. I thought that maybe he was just tired or not feeling himself, then I figured out that he liked my friend, I was heartbroken but I just supported him, because I didn't want to seem like I was being possessive over him. We kept in touch for a while, would text here and there and then one of my friends told me that he has been doing the same thing to her that he did to me, she told me that he was just doing that to keep his options open. I wasted 2 years on him.

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The wind whistled past as I navigated the narrow mountain trail, tires crunching over fallen pine needles. My friend rode ahead, their laughter mingling with the distant rustle of trees. It wasn’t just biking—it was freedom. On these trails, I felt alive, the world reduced to the rhythm of my breath and the pull of the earth beneath my wheels.

When we stopped for water, they pointed to the horizon, a patchwork of greens and blues. “Life’s like this trail,” they said. “Twists, turns, but always worth the climb.”

They’re right. Out here, everything makes sense.

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When I was a freshman, I liked Ryder, however I was very close friends with this boy named Ben. Ben liked me and he ended up asking me to homecoming. I said yes because I liked him as a friend. I didn't know that Ryder was going to ask me to go with him that same day. I went to homecoming with Ben but after I decided that I would tell Ryder that I liked him. He ended up telling me first and now we have been dating for a year.

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When I was a freshman, I liked Ryder, however I was very close friends with this boy named Ben. Ben liked me and he ended up asking me to homecoming. I said yes because I liked him as a friend. I didn't know that Ryder was going to ask me to go with him that same day. I went to homecoming with Ben but after I decided that I would tell Ryder that I liked him. He ended up telling me first and now we have been dating for a year.

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I went to school with this lovely boy I knew from middle school. Although we never talked much, we still said "Hey" once in a while. I found out I had a class with him, a friend, and an old friend. Surprisingly, we all sat together in the same row, and we all became friends. When my birthday was coming up, we were already talking to each other more, and enjoyed each other's presents. On my birthday, he called me beautiful, and he told me he missed me a lot, and I really fell for him. I told my grandmother about it and she thought it was "puppy love", which I thought was funny. He always told me he missed me and loved me, but the next day I found out he was talking to other girls, and even my best friend. I came to school really sad. When I got to my class with my friends, our seats got moved, and he sat with my best friend, and ended up getting together on the same day. One year later, whenever a boy calls me "beautiful", I think about him because he was the first boy to ever compliment me.

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I turn my head away from him, the one who’s never left my side. Suddenly I take a wrong turn, and I can’t find my way, but when I look over my shoulder, there he is, right where I left him. His love is pure and forgiving, yet my shame pushes me away from him once again. I become harried in shame, consumed by the world, and overwhelmed with the feeling of hopelessness. But, no matter how far I run away from him, he always catches me when I fall. His love is comforting, warm, and everlasting. His love never fails.

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I was bored and it was only Tuesday. I had nothing to do. I finished my homework for the week and all my chores. And we were locked in the house because of covid. My sister Livy was cleaning her room again. She walked out and asked if I wanted her old kindle. Finally something to do. I wasn't much of a reader but why not. I took the device and found one of her old books. I started reading and within minutes I was hooked and I knew this was my new favorite thing.