Friday, June 21, 2024

Free Frogs by SM

Come one, come all, to the free frog store!
There’s green frogs, red frogs, blue frogs galore!
Where did they come from?
They’re from an old chum!
Oops, you tipped them over, watch them soar!

Erased From Existence: The Continuing Saga of Paper & Pen!!!! by KK

Paper: You don’t look like a writing utensil.
Eraser: I am the opposite than that actually.
Paper: What do you and who are you?
Eraser: I am an eraser. And I erase pencil.
Paper: What! How dare you!
Eraser: Chil chill chill. I only erase the mistakes Pencil makes.
Paper: Good. Good.
Eraser: I help Pencil write or draw stuff.
Paper: Nice!
Eraser: In fact I am helping him right now! (pun unintended)
Paper: Really!
Eraser: Pencil is writing this story.
Paper: Are we fake?
Eraser: No you are.
Paper: How about you?
Eraser: I am giving Pencil suggestions on how to write you.
Paper: But-but…

Who’s Fault? by KK

Paper: Who are you?

Sharpie: I am a sharpie.

Paper: What’s a sharpie?

Sharpie: Me.

Paper: Ok?

Sharpie: You will see when I write on you.

Paper: Do it. The person is not at home at this time.

Sharpie: Do you understand now?

Paper: I see… You are like a pen but write thicker.

Sharpie: Correct, I also use a different type of ink.

Paper: What’s the smell?

Sharpie: My ink.

Paper: Your ink smells? Like this?

Sharpie: Yes. So?

Paper: Why is it so bad? Pen and Pencil don’t smell at all. The whole colony of ants ran away!

Sharpie: I don’t like the smell either but you will get used to it. And it isn’t even my fault.

Paper: Yes it is.

Sharpie: No it’s not.

Paper: Then who’s fault is it?

Sharpie: It’s the person who made me’s fault.

Paper: Do you not take responsibility of your actions?

Sharpie: I do. You are the one who asked me to do it.

Paper: You could have said no. Or said we should do it outside so the smell doesn’t stay in the house.

Sharpie: You could have said that too.

Paper: How am I supposed to know that your ink smells so much?

Sharpie: Uhhhh… Sorry?

Friend or Foe? by KLB

Olivia and her best friend, Skylar, were walking to Spanish class in Raleigh Charter High School, North Carolina. Well, they were supposed to be walking alone, but some of Skylar’s other friends had tagged along. Olivia and Skylar had known each other ever since they were born. In school, Skylar was the better known of the two. All the girls wanted to be friends with Skylar, all the boys looked at Skylar, Skylar was the most popular girl in the school—even though she was just a freshman. Olivia tagged along most of the time, and her job was the brain. Everyone knew Olivia, but they just thought, Skylar’s best friend. Oliva had medium long black hair that was always straight, pale white skin, and was as short as ever. Skylar, on the other hand, had long curly blond hair and perfectly sun kissed skin and was one of the tallest girls in the grade. How they became friends again, Olivia has no clue. But Skylar was nice to Olivia.

“Crap!” Skylar exclaimed. “I forgot to do my homework! It’s still in my bag! Liv, can I copy yours? Please? Just this once?”

“Oh! You can copy mine, Sky!” a girl named Samantha offered.

“Same here!”

“Copy mine!”

“Oh, shush!” Skylar said. “I’m asking Olivia—anyway, she’s the only one that I know will get everything right.”

Olivia paused. She knew copying was bad, but she also wanted to help her friend.

“Uh, I—”

“Please?” Skylar cut off. “Pretty please? With the cherry on top?”

“Fine, here you go,” Olivia knew she couldn’t resist Skylar’s puppy dog eyes.

“Yes! Thanks bestie! Here!” Skylar squealed as she threw Olivia a fifty dollar bill. Skylar was filthy rich. She always had the new iPhone, at least five Louis Vittion bags, every single color Stanley, and so much more.

“Uh, Sky? Didn’t you mean a five dollar bill? This is a fifty dollar bill,”

“Oh, don’t be silly!” Skylar said while copying down Oliva’s homework. “I’d give you a hundred, but I only have fives and tens right now. Now let’s go, we’re gonna be late!”

***

Once we got there, we were late. A whole ten minutes late.

“Chicas, care to explain why you’re late?” Mrs. Garcia demanded.

“Well, you see, there was a . . . a busy hallway. So me and Liv took a different route.” Skylar explained. At the corner of Oliva’s eye, she saw Skylar drop a ten dollar bill on Tim Anderson’s desk, the linebacker on the football team. Tim had strawberry blond hair that was never tidy.

“Yeah,Mrs. Garcia, Skylar’s right. I saw a crowd starting to gather when I was heading to class. Plus, Sky texted me.” he said, holding up his phone. Olivia squinted at Tim’s

phone, instead, she saw a group text labeled, Football Team.

“Alright,” Mrs. Garcia growled. “Take a seat. Also, Ms. Skylar, it would be Liv y yo. I teach EspaƱol, not english.”

Olivia and Skylar made their way to the back of the class. Luckily, there were two open seats in the corner of the classroom. Well, it wasn’t really lucky for Olivia, as she liked to sit in the front. “Why sit in the front? The front has all the nerds and the back has all the boys,” Skylar always says. Olivia liked to sit in the front because then she could pay attention more. She was, after all, a straight A student. The only thing that Sky ever did was talk to all the boys.

***

After “horrible” (that’s how Skylar describes it) Spanish, we head to lunch!

“Oh! I almost forgot to tell you! Do you wanna come to the football game tonight? I can get you really good seats!” Skylar yelled.

“Maybe. What time?” Olivia wondered aloud.

“It’s at six. It’ll probably end at nine or so,” Skylar answered.

“Darn. I can’t. I still have homework to do, wash the dishes, all that stuff.” Olivia said, secretly glad that she couldn’t go. Skylar was the cheer captain, and she loved it.

“What do you mean, ‘wash the dishes’? Don’t you have someone else to do it? Like a maid or a butler?” Skylar demanded.

“No, Sky. Not everyone has a personal maid, you know.” Olivia teased.

“Whatever, you know that you’re missing out on a lot, right? If we win this game . . .”

“I know, I know.” Oliva said. “Where are we sitting today?”

“Well, yesterday it was just us, so how about this time we sit with the other cheerleaders and football players, you okay with that?”
“I guess,” Oliva sighed. She wasn’t a cheerleader, unlike Skylar. She hated eating with them, but she did it for Sky.

“Let’s go, then!” Skylar exclaimed. The table was right in the middle of the cafeteria, so everyone could see them.

Yay.

“Hey guys!” Skylar said. “Are you excited for the game tonight?”

“Heck yeah!” Tim responded.

“We’re gonna crush them!” Stacey Taylor, one of Skylar’s cheerleading friends, yelled. Stacey had long brown hair and offen braided it during class when she was bored.

“Love that energy!” Micheal Jones, the quarterback, said while punching the air. Olivia felt butterflies flutter in her stomach. She had had a crush on Micheal since the third grade. Micheal had jet black hair and tan-ish skin.

“Woohoo!” Skylar cheered.

“Please,” Ms. Mara’s cold voice interjected. “keep your voice down, or else there will be consequences . . .”

“Please, keep your voice down, or there will be consequences,” Skylar mocked. “I mean, honestly, it’s getting a bit old, you know.”

“For real,” Micheal agreed. “The only one who likes her is Elona—”

“—and no one likes Elona!” Skylar finished.

“Exactly!” Micheal exclaimed.

Olivia scrunched her eyebrows. Elona was a girl in their grade. She had crooked teeth and a long oval shaped head. Really short dirty blonde hair and a creepy smile. She was a math nerd like Olivia. Olivia never understood why people hated her, as Elona was always nice to them. Skylar must’ve noticed her scrunched up face because she said,

“Are you okay, Liv?”

All the sudden, in four words everybody was looking at Olivia. Waiting for a response. Olivia flushed bright red. “I-I’m fine. Just . . . Elona’s always nice to me, I guess.”

“Well,” Micheal started. “of course she’s nice to you, no offense or anything, but you’re a nerd!”

Olivia looked down and her lunch tray. Maybe it’s better if I say nothing at all.

***

Olivia was chilling on the couch, feeling content. She had finished all of the stuff she needed to do, so right now she had some free time. Until, of course, Skylar texted her.

Hey girl! Did u finish ur homework? The score’s 32-19!!!! Come! Pls!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, Skylar. Fiiiiiine. As long as u get me a good seat! Olivia responded. Olivia grabbed her coat and texted her mom telling her she was going out.

Once Olivia got to the game, she regretted it. Olivia had ADHD, which didn’t help the situation whatsoever. Olivia spotted Skylar and saw her waving her over. Olivia made her way to Skylar. Once she was there, Skylar yelled,

“Guess what?! My coach just told me: I’m doing a special part! At the end of the game! Sit right over here!” She pointed to a seat right next to all the football players on the bench.

“Cool! Good luck!” Olivia replied.

Skylar had to go back to cheerleading, leaving Olivia to watch boring football games. Lucky her.

The game kept going on and on, until Olivia saw something that peaked her interest. It was Elona Miller, sitting alone on the top of the bleachers. Well, she wasn’t really alone, as a group of boys looked like they were picking on her. Olivia liked Elona, she was nice. She might look . . . strange, but it didn’t keep Olivia from being nice to her and standing up for her. It was nearing the end of the third quarter, so she thought she should have plenty of time to have a talk with these boys.

“Excuse me, are you bothering Elona?” Olivia asked as politely as possible.

“What’s up with you, Davis?” One of the boys demanded.

“I prefer to be called by my first name, thank you,” Olivia shot back.

“Whatever. Now answer his question!” Another boy snapped.

“Well, what’s up is that Elona here is minding her own business, and you start to pick on her! What’s up with that?”

“Well, she’s not doing our homework anymore!” One of the guys said. “I-I mean—”

“You dufus!” Another guy yelled.

“You all are dufus’! You can’t even do your own homework!” Olivia snapped. “Now get away! Or I’m telling!”

So then, all of the boys, while glaring at Olivia, left Elona.

“Thanks,” Elona squeaked.

Olivia kept on talking to Elona, as she thought it was far more entertaining than watching football. They talked and talked, and Olivia was having a great time. Before she knew it— the game was over.

“See ya later, Elona!”

“You too!” Elona called.

Oh, shoot! Olivia thought. I didn’t watch Skylar’s performance! I should go and find her! Once Olivia found Skylar sitting on a bench talking to all of her cheerleading friends.

“Look who finally showed up, girls.” Skylar said while glaring at Olivia.

“Look, Sky—”

“No. Don’t waste your time. You chose Elona, someone you barely even know, to talk to like it’s any other day, over me, your best friend since birth! I told you this was important to me! I wanted you to watch! But no. Once I finished, I looked at your spot to see you gone! And then, to make matters worse, we lose the game! Micheal informs me that Little Miss Perfect has gone to talk with her nerd bff! Ridiculous!”

“Please, just let me explain—”

“No. I’ve had it with you, Olivia. I’ve made plenty of excuses for you. Plenty. This is where I’m drawing the line.”

“What do you mean, ‘drawing the line’? I let you copy my homework! I let you—”

“NO! Do you think I want to always eat lunch with you? Do you think I want to watch a movie instead of going to the school party? NO!”

And after all of Skylar’s yelling, she stormed off with all of the cheerleaders shooting death glares at Olivia.

***

The next few weeks were quiet. Skylar avoided Olivia, occasionally trying to trip Elona in the halls. Olivia and Elona had gotten closer over those weeks, eating lunch together, studying together. She liked it. No one asked Olivia to copy homework, and no one paid her fifty dollar bills for it either. It was relaxing. Olivia thought she’d hate not being friends with Skylar. No. To be honest, it was getting tiresome for Olivia. She didn’t wanna have to know the new “trend,” or have the newest clothes. She just wanted to be herself. And she didn’t wanna have to hate Elona to be friends with Skylar. Being kind is more important than being cool or popular.

When We Sculpted the Sky by ABV

When we sculpted the sky,
it was a beautiful day.
The sky painted blue
and the clouds painted gray.

It was oh, so perfect,
‘till it started to rain.
And all the huge puddles
seemed to be stains.

After thousands of years,
the pollution puffs came.
Then we knew that the world
would not be the same.

Rock Paper Scissors Shoot by KI

Rock Paper Scissors Shoot
Comic debate!
Vr. 1 Scissors vs Paper

Scissor: Time to start moving. Again.

Paper: P...Please don’t hurt me.

Scissor: I have to.

Paper: Please!

Scissor: I don’t care!

Paper: …

Paper: …

Paper: (mumbling)

Paper: You have to be used to even be useful!

Scissor: How dare you!

Scissor: I am far more superior than you! I win against you in Rock Paper Scissors too!

Paper: (scoffs) Yeah in a game!

Paper: You sometimes can’t even cut through cloth even though he’s softer!

Scissor: It’s, It’s the friction!

Paper: What does friction have to do with clothes?

Scissor: Everything!

Paper: Well, if you’re so sure, try to cut some steel, you oaf! That doesn't have much friction, does it?

Scissor: I can’t cut through steel! That’s a type of mineral and a mineral means a type of rock. And I LOSE against Rock!

Paper: And I win against rock!

Scissor: Aaah!

10 minutes later

Paper: Are you done?

Scissor: …yes.

Paper: You’ve defeated me again.

Scissor: ?

Paper: Are you blind? I’m in 12 million pieces both literally and mentally!

Scissor: Oh.

Paper: (sighs) This is why I hate scissors.

Scissor: Oh

Paper: (sighs)

The Bear Without Hair by LN

There once was a bear without hair.
He tried and tried, but all he could do was eat meat pies.
One day he met somebody named Pete, who had some hair to spare.
The bear without hair smiled and said; “How kind of you to share!”
The bear without hair now was the bear with lots of hair to spare!