We would like to thank... Beth Hagenlocker Wendy VanLandingham Brando Skyhorse ...for making this publication possible.
This book was printed & bound at 826LA West in Venice, California / 2009 Cover art & book design / Adam Jessup www.adamjessup.com
DEDICATION / Jocelyn Ramírez
(I STARTED SOMETHING I COULDN’T FINISH)
Tender, melancholy, even a tad bit whimsical. The Smiths, by and large, captured many of the hidden feelings of the average teenager, both guys and girls as well as the undecided. Their soft yet strong lyrics rang out and reached those with the most sensitive hearts. Together, all four members of the band composed a lot of comfort and even a bit of refuge for those in need of understanding. The drumbeats, guitar rhythms, a bass that was low yet very provocative, and Morrissey’s unmistakablypoignant sonata voice: they were there in swansongs like “The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils,” “The World Is Full of Crashing Bores,” and “Hand in Glove” that were suggestive of Morrissey’s lyricism but also provoked outbursts and fan obsession. Because of Morrissey’s outspokenness, many teens (and other people) wanted to cling to his figure as someone who, ironically, released them from what they were truly feeling. Morrissey was also a strict vegetarian, later a vegan, and was a strong animal rights advocate. He dedicated a very well-known song precisely to this subject, “Meat Is Murder,” and displayed how strongly he felt about the matter. Over time, though, quarrels between the band members that were once small got larger, causing their departure. Morrissey began a solo career, and the other band members Andy Rourke (bass), Johnny Marr (guitar), and Mike Joyce (drums) sought different routes soon after. Even after their breakup, the Smiths are still known for the influence they command today.
Many films have been made with insights about the Smiths or featuring them in a hidden way. The songs bring a wave of nostalgia to the many who felt Morrissey and, ultimately, anyone who loved the Smiths felt. In the end, they started something that couldn’t be finished.
“I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish” is a Smiths single from Strangeways, Here We Come. Jocelyn Ramírez is in the 9th grade.
is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills.
C ONTENTS
This Night Has Opened My Eyes / Karina Aldana .6 Tony the Pony / Julissa Lopez .7 I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday (Jackie’s Version) / Jacqueline Diaz .8 America Is Not the World / Essence Diggs .9 Dear God Please Help Me / Jennifer Lopez .10 Do Your Best and Don’t Worry / Karina Aldana .11 In the Future When All’s Well (Why I’m Thankful) / Sofia Blanco .12 We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful / Cesar Guajardo .13 At Last I Am Born / Karina Aldana .14 I’m Not Sorry / Daniela Martinez .15 I’ve Changed My Plea to Guilty / Margarito Daniel Garcia .16 Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together / Brian & Cameron Menjivar .17 Back to the Old House / Edwin Martinez .18 You Should Have Been Nice to Me / Tania Vasquez .19 Bigmouth Strikes Again / David Lopez .20 That’s How People Grow Up / Lino Lavariega .21 Black Cloud / Brandon Hernandez .22 Idiot Country / Axel Martinez .24 Life Is a Pigsty / Nicholas Perez .25 Unhappy Birthday / Edwin Martinez .26 Because of My Poor Education / Arbaaz Jeerooburkhan .28 The Violence of Truth / Shuayb Jeerooburkhan .29 The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils / Colby Witherspoon .30 Death of a Disco Dancer / Margarito Daniel Garcia .32 I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday (Axel’s Version) / Axel Martinez .33 Fly Trapped in a Jar / Daniel Romo .34 City of Bugs / Lino Lavariega .35 Bigmouth Strikes Again (Again) / Malik Preatto .36 The World Is Full of Crashing Bores / Juan Guevara .37 Money Changes Everything / Brian & Cameron Menjivar .38 Driving Your Girlfriend Home / Cammeron Swartz .39 Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want / Xena Ayala .41 Used to Be a Sweet Boy / Kelly Bissada .42 The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get / Shizuku Ota .43 I Am Hated for Loving / Kimi Murai .45 Beyond Love / Angie Orozco .47
T H I S N I G HT H A S O PE NE D MY EYES
k a ri n a al d an a
This night has opened my eyes As the crickets chirp a lovely song And as the breeze swishes by Making me love this world As the flowers close up for the next day I see an owl hooting in the air As I can see its big yellow eyes As the moon shines as brightly as a diamond But suddenly my mom calls, “Go to sleep, You’re going to be tired the next morning” So I tuck myself in bed And dream more about the night.
“This Night Has Opened My Eyes” is a Smiths song from Hatful of Hollow. Karina Aldana is in the 4th grade.
6
T O N Y TH E PO NY
ju lis s a lo p e z
Once there was a pony with a ponytail. Her name was Tony. She lived in a house in Venice. They took her out of the house. Then she had to move and lived in a backpack. She disappeared. The backpack was on a kid and the kid was in school and Tony the Pony was not in the backpack. They never saw her again.
“Tony the Pony� is a Morrissey song from Kill Uncle. Julissa Lopez is in the 1st grade.
7
I KNOW IT’S GONNA HAPPEN SOMEDAY (JACKIE’S VERSION)
ja c q u e l in e d i az He is so cute. I know it’s gonna happen someday. It all started with my sister’s boyfriend who has a brother. He is tall and he also has a lineup (haircut) and he likes wearing “C” hats. He isn’t mean; he is sweet, not like other boys I know. We went to the beach. We were both shy. When we got there, we were walking together and he told me I was PRETTY and I told him he was CUTE. Then I knew he was making a move. We went to go eat after that, and I was still thinking he was going to make a move. I think he wanted to tell me something, but he was too shy, so I bet it’s gonna happen someday. We also talk every single day, but we’re taking it slow as friends, so we’ll see what happens.
“I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday” is a Morrissey song from Your Arsenal. Jacqueline Diaz is in the 6th grade.
8
A M E R I C A I S NO T THE WORLD
e ss e n c e d i g g s
Most people think that America is the world. It’s not. There are six different settled continents out there, oceans that need to be explored, and galaxies untouched! There are other places on Earth, not just America. There’s Egypt in Africa, Paris, and Ireland. Where do you think music came from? California? Percussion mostly came from Neanderthals. I don’t think they were found in Colorado, either. To make a mistake, say America is the “world” because it’s the wealthiest country.
“America Is Not the World” is the opening track from Morrissey’s You Are the Quarry. Essence Diggs is in the 6th grade.
9
D E A R G OD PLEASE HE L P M E
je n n ife r l o p e z
Dear God, I want you to help me because I want you to help the Earth. You could help me take care of the Earth by cleaning the Earth really clean. We will not be throwing cans or wrappers or candy on the streets. We will not do that because that is not taking care of the Earth. We will try to take really good care of the planet because we are wasting trees and a lot more things. We will try to take really good care of the Earth. Sincerely, Jennifer Lopez
“Dear God Please Help Me� is a Morrissey song from Ringleader of the Tormentors. Jennifer Lopez is in the 3rd grade.
10
D O YO U R B E ST A ND D O N ’T W ORRY
k a rin a a l d an a You do your best and don’t worry by: Doing your responsibilities Like doing your chores and cleaning the floor By eating your food Like good hot soups and not Fruit Loops By learning at home and at school Like taking a bath and doing your math By trying new things Eating snail soup at Thanksgiving Going on a roller-coaster Seeing weird animals at the zoo Hearing strange words I never heard before That’s how you do your best and don’t worry
“Do Your Best and Don’t Worry” is a Morrissey song from Southpaw Grammar. Karina Aldana is in the 4th grade.
11
I N T H E F U TU R E W HE N AL L’ S WELL
(WHY I’M THANKFUL)
s o f i a b lan c o THANKFUL: Tutors that help me, Happy holidays, A turkey that I eat, Not being a turkey because we kill turkeys, Kind people … eating turkey, Funny people … eating turkey, Ugly people (unfortunately, eating turkey), Last but not least, everyone eating turkey and having happy days.
“In the Future When All’s Well” is a Morrissey single from Ringleader of the Tormentors. Sofia Blanco is in the 3rd grade
12
WE H AT E I T WHE N OUR F R I EN D S BE C O ME S U C C E S SF UL c e s a r
g u a j ar d o
Every time you become successful and you have a girlfriend, they hate you. They complain for five or ten hours. For example, Stevie Wonder one time became very rich. Steve Wonder’s girlfriend talked and complained so much that Stevie Wonder became blind. Another example happened when the leader of the UCLA Jerk Kings drove his girlfriend home and she complained for twentyfour hours. He had to dance on her head so she would quiet down. When Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, she complained for thirty hours about how bad her songs were and how bad her singing voice was. Michael Jackson sang so loud back at her that she was catapulted to Las Vegas. (That’s how he became the King of Pop.) Lisa Marie landed at the Les Cockaroach Hotel in Las Vegas. Or it might have been a Motel 6, I’m not sure. When you hear complaining, you know you’re successful.
“We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful” is a Morrissey single from Your Arsenal. Cesar Guajardo is in the 6th grade.
13
AT L A S T I AM BORN
k a ri n a al d an a
At last I am born, looking at my parents, meeting them, wondering who they were. They seemed happy to have me. I didn’t like being in a dark place, but now I can see everything. As I cry for more food, I get used to my parents and feeling my mom’s hands around me. I sleep in my warm bed. When I wake up, I learn more about the world. I spend time wondering more about different things and listening to my mom’s bedtime stories. But suddenly I grow up and then my mom has another baby, so then I have to learn how to care for my sister.
“At Last I Am Born” is the closing track from Morrissey’s Ringleader of the Tormentors. Karina Aldana is in the 4th grade.
14
I ’M N O T S ORRY
d a n ie la m a r ti n e z
A boy named Dulce kicks a girl named Joss in the stomach. Then Joss says, “Stop, I don’t like it! You’re mean. I’m going to tell on you.” Then Dulce punches her in the stomach with his hand. When she goes towards the teacher, Dulce says, “I’m going to tell the teacher about it first!” “No, you’re not!” “Yes, I am!” Then the girl, Joss, goes and is faster than the boy! She gets to the teacher and tells her what happened. The boy, Dulce, kicked her with his leg and then he punched her in the stomach. He gets benched. It’s too bad he’s not sorry.
“I’m Not Sorry” is a Morrissey song from You Are the Quarry. Daniela Martinez is in the 1st grade.
15
I ‘ VE CH A N G E D MY P LEA
margarito d a n ie l ga r c i a
T O G U I LTY
A guy named Danny went to court because they said he stole a video game. Then his brother Joe came and said, “He’s guilty.” Then Danny told the truth and said he was guilty. “I’ve changed my plea to guilty.” Then Danny went to jail for three months.
“I’ve Changed My Plea to Guilty” is a song from the reissue of Morrissey’s Viva Hate. Margarito Daniel Garcia is in the 5th grade.
16
A N G E L , A N G E L , DO WN W E G O T O GE THER
brian & cameron m e n jiva r
Once upon a time there was a funeral for a bad man. An angel came and took him into the ground. He asked, “Where are you taking me, Angel?” The angel replied, “Someplace people hate.” The bad man said, “Candy Land?” The angel said, “Satan.” So they got to Satan and he said, “You know why you are here.” The bad man said, “Yes.” Satan destroyed the angel and attacked the man. Satan said, “You’re my slave.” The man was repaid for what he did.
“Angel, Angel, Down We Got Together” is a Morrissey single from Viva Hate. Brian and Cameron Menjivar are in the 4th and 8th grade.
17
B A CK T O THE OLD HOUSE
e d win mar ti n e z
The girl used to live in the house. The girl went back to the old house at midnight. She saw a light on inside. She heard a dog howling. Then her teeth started to chatter. She went inside and locked the door. There was a killer, Jason, inside. It was quiet and she went to the old kitchen. She used to cook there when she lived in the house. She went to her old bedroom and Jason jumped out of the closet! Then Jason grabbed her and killed her. Then Jason’s friend looked for a boy to kill!
“Back to the Old House” is a Smiths B-side from What Difference Does It Make? Edwin Martinez is in the 2nd grade
18
Y OU S HO U L D HAVE B E EN N I C E T O ME
tania
v a sq u e z Tania does not like her teacher, and he’s concerned about her. She doesn’t like him ‘cause he didn’t give her a licorice. She won’t like him until he gives her more licorice. “My teacher is super mean,” she says. One day Tania says that she’s going to run away from that place forever. Then she gets her Tinkerbell pencil box and she goes to the only place she thinks people would give her licorice, the candy store. Inside she sees a man. The man says to Tania, “I LOVE TRE. Forever. AND HE LOVES ME.” Tania says, “But Tre is my boyfriend! How can you say that?” The man replies, “Let’s go ask him to tell us himself.” Tania says, “You don’t need proof if a boy likes me, because he does. He likes me a lot!” The teacher wanted to break Tania and Tre up ‘cause he’s jealous. He should’ve been nice. “You Should Have Been Nice to Me” is a song from the reissue of Morrissey’s Southpaw Grammar. Tania Vasquez is in the 7th grade
19
B I GM O UT H STR I KES A G A IN
david lopez
It all started because I was smart and he was jealous. In my class, we waited thirty minutes for recess. When recess finally came, I was playing sockball when I saw Jessie the Bully was trying to hit a girl. I ran as fast as I could and I tackled him down. He started to cry because I tackled him. The girl told me thank you. My emotions were jumping up and down with excitement … because she is the girl I like very much.
“Bigmouth Strikes Again” is a Smiths single from The Queen Is Dead. David Lopez is in the 3rd grade.
20
T H AT’ S H O W P E O PLE G ROW U P
lin o l a var i e g a
It is weird how people grow up. As you grow up, your bones get bigger. They also get stronger. As you may know, you lose bones. When you are a baby, they look like twigs. You might grow up to be bigger than your parents. Your voice might become deeper. That’s how people grow up. What are you going to do when you grow up? My answer is be a dog walker or police officer.
“That’s How People Grow Up” is a Morrissey single first included on the album Greatest Hits. Lino Lavariega is in the 4th grade.
21
B L A CK C LO UD
b ra n d on h e rn an d e z
The war started one morning on a beautiful day. People were having tea, women were smelling flowers, everybody was smiling. Then! Aliens came out of the ground from nowhere in groups. They started to fire on the whole town, there were guns everywhere, and people started running. They called the army, but the army was too weak for the alien guns. It looked like they used T. rex bazookas. The city was dark as a cave and all the people were hiding in a base. But then a new kind of army showed up! They called themselves “The Gears.” They helped different countries fight their wars. Now the whole world was under attack, and they had to help themselves before everyone was dead! The captains were named Marcus and Cole, and there was a rookie named Carmine. Marcus was sent to jail because he didn’t follow orders and he killed his dad. Then Cole went to his cell and gave Marcus armor to fight. When Marcus got out they saw six bad guys. A team was trying to help Cole and Marcus kill them! There
22
were many aliens outside then! Marcus and Cole took cover, but out of nowhere a huge spider came out! A helicopter flew in and shot the locusts. Marcus and Cole jumped into the chopper and shot the spider, got Carmine, and flew back to the city.
“Black Cloud� is a Morrissey song from Years of Refusal. Brandon Hernandez is in the 5th grade.
23
I D I O T C OUNT RY
a x e l m a rt i n e z
Once upon a time there was a country called Idiot Country. Some idiot people lived their lives there. Idiot people.
“Idiot Country� is a Johnny Marr song, released on the self-titled debut album by the group Electronic. Axel Martinez is in the 3rd grade.
24
L IF E I S A P I G ST Y
n ic h o la s p e r e z
My life is a pigsty. I hate it very much. Whatever I touch turns into worms. I am treated like a slob. I will clean the pigsty. My friends and family will be nice to me. Now I am rich! I never have to think about being a slob anymore. I hear pigs eat mud. But now that is over. Now I hear people and things. Whatever I touch turns into money. Now I will be like that for the rest of my life.
“Life Is a Pigsty� is a Morrissey song from Ringleader of the Tormentors. Nicholas Perez is in the 5th grade.
25
U N H A P P Y BIRT HDAY
e d win m ar ti n e z
I am Edwin. I am going to have a birthday on the 28th of November! Let me tell you a story about an unhappy birthday. First, I was wearing a Happy Birthday shirt. I put my face in the cake. Then I cleaned myself. I went to look for sand to play in, and it was in the park. I played sand tag with my cousins Rivaldo and Alex and they were running and they put sand on my eyes. I said, “I am not your friend!” Then I went to open my presents. Then I was shy. I opened one present and then I saw, in the box, a small, pink, ugly pig! The pig said, “I am not a present. I am a real pig. I should be at the farm.” The farmer, a man, was looking for his pig named Frankie. The pig knew where the farm was. The pig left. I saw his footprints. Then I followed
26
them and knew that he had gone to the farm. I kept following the tracks and I saw a lot of animals like little mice and horses and ducks. Frankie came and I said to the man, “Is it good if I borrow a horse? Then I will bring it back to you.” The horse and I went to play in the sand again. All the kids were scared. I felt very confused.
“Unhappy Birthday is a Smiths song from Strangeways, Here We Come. Edwin Martinez is in the 2nd grade.
27
BE C A U S E O F M Y PO O R
arbaaz je e ro o b u r k h a n
ED U C AT I O N
My name is Bob the Hobo. I live on a sidewalk at the corner of “ABC” and “7-Eleven.” I’m a hobo because of my poor education. I am unlucky that I only finished preschool because the teacher kept on yelling at me. Now I ride the rails with the best hobos, though. I take my skateboard and grind on the railroad tracks. Now I’m a liquor store clerk. I got the job because I went to Ask.com and asked how to get a minimum wage job. Yesterday I had a holdup and the holdup was by my old hobo buddies. They like pulling a prank on me, but they really wanted some French wine, something with class. I gave it to them. I love my job! The next day I went to visit Malcolm X. I know him because my sister had married him recently. I was invited, but I had just moved to an apartment in Harlem. We always go to Denny’s for dinner. Then he brings me to the Marriott to party.
“Because of My Poor Education” is a Morrissey B-side from “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris.” Arbaaz Jeerooburkhan is in the 5th grade.
28
T H E V IOL EN C E O F TR U T H
sh u a y b j e e ro o b u r kh a n
This is about violence. Once there were two businessmen named Ricky and Alphonzo. They lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Then they got in a fight! They got in a fight over a Big Mac. Businessmen like them only like to eat greasy foods and get fat. They got in that fight because Ricky suggested that they should have gotten the Happy Meal and gotten the toy that comes with it.
“The Violence of Truth� is a Johnny Marr song released with The The on Mind Bomb. Shuayb Jeerooburkhan is in the 2nd grade
29
T H E T E A C H ER S ARE A FR A I D O F T HE PUPILS
c o lb y wit h er s p o o n The things that happened in this story made the teachers afraid of the pupils. At the beginning of the story one of the students went outside, he saw the teacher, and then he karate chopped him in the nose and gave him a broken nose. Max, the kid in the 4th grade, got sent to the principal’s office because he told Mr. Martinez, “Your mama’s so fat, she met Billie Jean … and she said, ‘You are not my lover!’” In the middle of the day Julie said, “Mr. Martinez, you are the worst teacher ever at Westminster. If you ever sat down in a chair, you would cause the entire world to have an earthquake.” And then he sat down, and the entire world had an earthquake. The next part of the day was when Ms. Quebec took a DSI and played Super Mario Brothers inside the class, and everybody said jokes about how fat Ms. Quebec’s mama was. Then she said, “My mama has been dead for thousands of years, and she lived during Kunta Kinte’s day.” Meanwhile, the kids in Mr. Alvarado’s 7th grade math class went to the bathroom and took Mr. Alvarado
30
in with them and threw wet paper towels at him. The boys went in the girl’s bathroom and they started to hypnotize the girls to make them go in the boy’s bathroom to put Mr. Alvarado in the trash. In Ms. Hannah’s English class every student said they were sick and they were right and they threw up on her. At the end Mr. Martinez and Ms. Quebec turned into superheroes and they destroyed the kids because f.y.i, the kids were actually robots. You shouldn’t talk about people’s moms.
“The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils” is the opening track from Morrissey’s Southpaw Grammar. Colby Witherspoon is in the 6th grade.
31
DE AT H O F A DI SCO
margarito d a n ie l g a r c i a
D AN C E R
There was a disco dancer that died because he was dancing in the street. Then everybody started laughing, because they hadn’t laughed in a long time and they needed somebody to die.
“Death of a Disco Dancer” is a Smiths song from Strangeways, Here We Come. Margarito Daniel Garcia is in the 5th grade.
32
I KNOW IT’S GONNA HAPPEN SOMEDAY (AX E L’ S V E S I O N)
a x e l m a rt i n e z I know it’s gonna happen someday, that someday I’m going to drown. So I’m never going in the water because I’m going to drown, I tell you. So if you invite me to the pool, I will say no. You guys understand. NOW LEAVE ME ALONE! I will never go to the water.
“I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday” is a Morrissey song from Your Arsenal. Axel Martinez is in the 3rd grade.
33
F LY T R A P P E D IN A JAR
d a n ie l ro mo
I trapped a fly. And I’m such a good guy. It tried to get away, But I said, “No way.” It was small, black, and fuzzy Like a dog that is furry. I used a very, very fat jar, And if I hit you with it, you’ll get a scar.
“Fly Trapped in a Jar” is a Johnny Marr song released with Modest Mouse on We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. Daniel Romo is in the 4th grade.
34
C IT Y O F BUGS
l in o l a v a r i e g a
City of Bugs is one of the best cities in the world. In this city there are a lot of these animals in sewers, houses, trees, and wires. A raccoon lives in the sewer, too, eats a lot of food, and gets fatter and fatter and explodes. And another raccoon gets run over.
“City of Bugs� is a Johnny Marr song released with the Cribs on Ignore the Ignorant. Lino Lavariega is in the 4th grade.
35
B I GM O UT H STR I KES A G A IN
(A G AI N )
m a l ik p re a tto Once upon a time there was a kid named Bigmouth Jones. They called him Bigmouth because he told everybody’s secrets. One day when Bigmouth was at school, a kid named Jauhn Lucha told him that he had a big rash on his backside and told him not to tell anyone. Then Bigmouth went into the bathroom to do some business up in there. After he was done with his business he saw his best friend named Kabuchi and told him Jauhn’s secret. Then Kabuchi told this guy who told this guy who told this guy who told everybody in the school. The next day Jauhn found out that the school knew that he had a rash and jumped that Bigmouth in the bathroom.
“Bigmouth Strikes Again” is a Smiths single from The Queen Is Dead. Malik Preatto is in the 6th grade.
36
T H E W OR L D IS FUL L O F CR A S H ING B ORES
ju a n g u e var a Once a big dog was walking by the street and he heard a crash. It was a puppy driving a car. He was talking on the phone while he was driving. He was also reading a book and eating at the same time, so he wasn’t driving well. You shouldn’t eat and read while you’re driving. The puppy was heading home because he was thirsty. A policeman came to his house and arrested him. But before he could be put in jail, the big dog came from a helicopter and rescued him.
“The World Is Full of Crashing Bores” is a Morrissey song from You Are the Quarry. Juan Guevara is in the 3rd grade.
37
M O N E Y C H A NGE S E V E RYT H ING b r i a n & c a m e r o n
m e n jiva r There was a person who was very grumpy and very poor. If he got very angry, he would hit something. They guy who collects the rent came and made him pay rent for the condo. He hit the table and it broke. Then, on the news they said, “The richest person lives close now.” The grumpy man went to the richest man’s house. He broke into the house through the window. The grumpy man took all the money he could take in his sack and his pockets. He ran home so fast that he almost tripped over a crack. The rich man saw that he didn’t have much money, so he told a cop to check the houses around for a lot of money. Then the cop came to the grumpy man’s home after he figured it out. The cop knocked on the door. The grumpy man loved the money, so he wouldn’t give it up. The grumpy man hid the money, and then the grumpy man opened the door. The cop checked the house and found the money. The cop said, “You’re under arrest.” The grumpy man thought that money doesn’t change anything.
“Money Changes Everything” is a Smiths B-side from “Bigmouth Strikes Again.” Brian and Cameron Menjivar are in the 4th and 8th grade.
38
D R I VI NG YO UR GI R LF R I EN D HO ME
c a m m e ron s w ar tz
Part I There was a couple named Sara and Josh. Josh had picked up Sara to take her out on a date to a movie. The movie they saw was “Zombieland.” After that they ate some pizza and talked to each other. Josh and Sara had talked about their future and their upcoming marriage, which was to be in four months. They started to talk about their vows. Josh’s said, “I’ll never cheat on you.” When Sara and Josh left the café, Josh told Sara, “Get in the car so I can drive you home.” During the drive home, Sara was wondering how her wedding was going to turn out. Part 2 During the drive home, Sara asked Josh, “How’s our wedding going to turn out, Josh?”
39
Josh said, “I don’t know, my dad is paying for the wedding.” Six blocks from Sara’s house, she was wondering if her parents would be there. If they weren’t, she decided she would take Josh upstairs to her room. “Finally we’re home,” said Josh. Sara had asked Josh if he would like to come in, because her parents’ car wasn’t in the driveway. They went inside up to Sara’s room, and they talked. Part 3 While they were talking, Josh started to stare at Sara and she stared back. They locked lips. Sara’s parents started to pull up in the driveway, but they didn’t hear ‘til they heard the door slam shut. Josh had to hide or climb out of the window! They both heard footsteps. Josh hid beside the bed. Sara’s dad opened the door and he said, “I heard footsteps.” Sara said, “That was me.” Part 4 Four months later, Sara and Josh are getting married and now he no longer has to drive his girlfriend to her home!
“Driving Your Girlfriend Home” is a Morrissey song from Kill Uncle. Cammeron Swartz is in the 7th grade.
40
PL E A S E , P L E A S E , PLEASE, L E T M E GE T W HAT I WANT
xena ayala One day this girl named Kelly really wanted to go to her friend Kimi’s house, but Kelly’s mom said that she couldn’t go because Kelly’d had a wild Christmas party the night before. By not letting her go to Kimi’s house, Kelly’s mom was punishing her for having a wild Christmas party. Kelly was not happy about this. Kelly begged her mom all day, but her mom didn’t budge. Kelly was an only child, and had been used to getting what she wanted. While Kelly was at home, miserable, Kimi, Xena, and Lauren were having a blast at this guy Wyatt’s house. At Wyatt’s house there were two other guys named Kyle and Jeremy. They were all hanging out in the backyard talking. As they decided to go into Wyatt’s room, Kimi looked at her phone and saw that she had five missed calls from Kelly. Kelly was at home begging her mom to let her go, but Kelly’s mom said, “NO! If you keep asking me I’ll keep you at home for the whole weekend!” Kelly didn’t care and kept begging her mom, but the answer was always, “No!” Finally Kelly stopped whining and complaining, which was highly unusual, and still her mom didn’t let her go. Too bad for Kelly! “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” is a Smiths B-side from “William, It Was Really Nothing.” Xena Ayala is in the 7th grade.
41
U S E D T O B E A SWE E T BOY
k e l ly b i s s ad a
One day a girl named Kimi met a guy on Facebook named Liam. She texted him every day and night. They never went to sleep, and they texted every single second of the day. They were very sweet in all their text messages, but they never met each other. Then one day after that, Kimi went to finally meet Liam and her friend Kelly was with her. They met in Los Angeles behind Mar Vista Elementary School. Liam brought a friend too, but Liam was acting different. Kimi went to give Liam a hug, and he stiffened. Kelly and Kimi went home and Liam stopped texting her the next day, so Kimi and Kelly got together a week after Liam stopped texting Kimi. Kelly and Kimi called him a million times and left him many voicemail messages, and a few days after that he said that he hadn’t had his phone. But Kimi knew that was a lie because one of her friends had seen him with his phone, texting. It took a while for Kimi to get over him, but she always will have some of that pain in her memory and heart. He used to be a sweet boy.
“Used to Be a Sweet Boy” is a Morrissey song from Vauxhall and I. Kelly Bissada is in the 7th grade.
42
T H E MOR E Y OU I GNO RE M E , T H E C L OSE R I G ET
s h iz u k u o ta Once upon a time there was a little girl named K, and she lived in a big castle in the middle of the forest. She had many animal friends, but she did not have many human friends. She was lonely some rainy days. She was loved by all the people in the village, her mom, and her dad, but she did not know many kids in the village because she did not have the chance to be in school. So one day, she left her house without telling anyone in her family. No one knew that morning. But then when they found out, her parents panicked. They sent many people to find her. When K was walking she decided to go to the village school. She had enough education, but she wanted to make friends. When she got to the school, they said that she could get in right away. When she got in the room with this one girl, she started imagining her. Then she started liking her in a way that was really different. This was the first time she found out. And when she got in the school there was a
43
school pet. It was a dog, but the dog did not like her, so the dog ignored her. But the more the dog ignored her, the more she fell in love with it.
“The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get� is a Morrissey single from Vauxhall and I. Shizuku Ota is in the 8th grade.
44
I A M H AT E D FO R L O V IN G
k im i mu r ai
One day I met this guy on Facebook. I already kind of knew him through my friend, but I never had really talked to him in something like a real long conversation. Then it finally happened. When we first started talking it was kind of boring, but then I realized he was starting to flirt with me so I started to flirt as well. I started to look at his pictures and I realized he was pretty cute. I wanted him really bad. I decided to give him my number. Whenever he texted me I felt more and more in love with him. He was so sweet, and he told me he loved me. He also said I was the most amazing girl he had ever met and that he would never leave me. One day he told me that he wasn’t sure if he liked me anymore. Once I read that, I couldn’t feel anything. A tear ran down my face. I was heartbroken. I soon found out he was also deeply in love with his ex-girlfriend, Irene. Then about two days later (after two of my friends, my ex-boyfriend, and I came back from ice skating) he told me he loved me and he said he wanted me to love him. I believed him. The weekend after that we finally met in person, and we kissed.
45
The next day he ignored me completely. He never ended up telling me he didn’t love me anymore. I had to find out through all his friends and it made me even more furious. That night, as I stared at all the wonderful things he said, I started to miss the feeling in my stomach when his lips had met mine, but there was another feeling. It was sorrow. I missed the way he told me he loved me, but now all I could hear was my heart breaking into millions of pieces. Now this is known as my worst summer love story.
“I Am Hated for Loving� is a Morrissey song from Vauxhall and I. Kimi Murai is in the 8th grade
46
B E Y O ND LO VE
a n gi e oro zc o
Well, love could mean many different things. Many girls have been through love, and they know how it feels to love someone really important in their life. Sometimes you think you love someone, but you never know until you really feel something for them. At the same time, you should never cry over a guy that isn’t worth your time, because it makes you shady. I personally believe in love, because I think if you really like someone there’s nothing more worth it than telling them. They may give you a chance. You should let out your feelings of how you feel about them. I’m saying this because I’ve seen so many of my friends and important people go through love the wrong way. There’re many different things that you can say to that one person in your life, but love is something too important to be said out of habitual manner or brought up to make a conversation. I tell someone I love about it because if I tell you, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I love it when a guy says that to a girl, because it brightens my day. There’s many people in this world; there’s not just
47
one person. If you think to yourself about reasons you don’t deserve someone else, then don’t cry for them, because they’re not worth your tears. They’re not even close to being worth your time. You have to find a person that’s really worth your time, because somewhere out there, there is a loved one in your life who might not be the person you’re with. You may think you love him, but you really don’t, and if you really love him then be with him. If other people tell you to break up or something, don’t listen to them, because all they’re doing is trying to not make you happy.
“Beyond Love” is a Johnny Marr song released with The The as the closing track on Mind Bomb. Angie Orozco is in the 6th grade.
48