Chat 2021

June 2021

chatham day school presents

STORIES!

. t a h c ART!

arts and literature magazine

www.chat.com

Potter by Jastin, Grade 8 I Am Strange

By N'Tavia, Grade 6 Inspired by I Eat My Peas with Honey by Sean O’Boyle Yeah, I know I seem strange, I am not for everyone.

Everyone isn't for me.

Sometimes I get stares because I'm “tall” for my age, Even though Jordan thinks I'm a leprechaun.

It's weird being mixed though, because it's like I'm not enough of one race because I’m also so many others.

Yeah, I know I seem strange.

But at least I'm still good-looking and a nice bag of pretzels.

Buzzing Bee, Hannah, Grade 7 The Pirate Crew

By Trevor, Grade 5 My family is a pirate crew.

My dad is the captain, leading the crew and driving the ship My mom is the chef, making the food, Thomas works the sails, hoisting them up and down, Aidan is the pirate, stealing the gold My dog is the monkey, jumping around I am the ship, wood, and sails, leading my family.

Wintery Penguin by Benjamin, Grade 4

The Story of Mike Jacky

By Owen, Grade 5 Hi, I'm Mike Jacky, and I am going to tell you about my wacky summer.

So there I was. School just ended, and my mom was driving me to our house. She tells me about this summer camp called Journey Camp. When she asked if I wanted to go, I automatically said, “Yes!” This camp had all the fun activities like water slides, skiing, amusement parks, great food, track, sports of all kinds, and even a private helicopter! So there I was, saying goodbye to my parents, and the bus is waiting for me. My mom says, “Have fun!” So, I go to the third seat and sit down. The next thing I know, another kid sits with me. I ask him if he has ever been to this camp before. He says, “Yes.” He has been there for four years. I ask, “Is it fun?” He says, “Yes, but there are rules, and if you break those rules, there are consequences.” I say, “Ok.” So next thing I know, we arrive and the bus driver says, “Have fun!” and gives me my stuff. When I get off the bus, I say, “Oh my god!

This place is huge!” I hear kids screaming on rides. Then the warden walks up to us and tells us the rules. He says the first rule is to not hurt anybody. The second rule is to listen to the ride’s rules.

The third rule is to not be disrespectful, and the last rule is to have fun.

So I say, “Okay.” When we walk in, the first thing I see is the Rencher Trench. Again I hear loud screams. I ask my counselor about the Rencher Trench. He says, “It is so high that people can’t resist screaming.” The next thing I see is a sign for Willy's Water Fight which begins Saturday. It's only Monday. It’s pretty late, so I go to bed. The next morning the people in my bunk yell, “It's time for a ranch ride!” I ask “What is that?”

Emergency Meeting, Benjamin, Grade 4

The Story of Mike Jacky (contd.)

The next thing I know, I'm in a cart just getting ready to go up on the roller coaster. This other person says, “We're gonna die!” It freaks me out, we are going in loops and loops until I throw up, and then the ride is over. In about an hour, we are headed to the water park. I put on my swimsuit and I hear people talking about the upcoming hike. One kid says it is a virtual reality game, another kid says you will be scared forever if you go on it. The counselor comes in and says, “Ok, water park time!”

When I walk in, I am amazed. It's so huge! After the first ride, I head to the drencher and pretty soon I realize why it is called that.

It literally drenches you! Basically, you get in a tube and go down a big drop and are drenched. Next, I go to another ride called Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee Water. I wonder why there are such weird names. On this ride, the drop is so far I feel like I might die.

Now it's Saturday, and we're going to Willy’s Water War to begin the day and, to end it, we're going to the Rencher Trench! Willy is the warden. There is this floating raft and the first person to get to the middle to get the flag wins! I got a huge water gun to start, and now I’m spraying another kid. He falls off his raft. BAM! He's out!

Some other kid is spraying me because I'm on my way to the flag.

BAM I throw a water grenade at him, and I reach the flag in only two minutes! Here I am, going on the Rencher Trench. When we're going up, I am so scared. Then we're going down! I say, “Ahhhhhh!” because the drop is so big. The ride lasted for 10 minutes. When I got off, I was dizzy. Now I'm going home. I'm gonna miss that camp. That is my story about my wacky summer!

DJ Bacon, Benjamin, Grade 4

Planet A-Z 29

By Andrew, Grade 5 It isn’t another ordinary day on Planet A-Z 29 for a 15-year-old boy named Zorik. Zorik is going to get his rocket license today. Zorik has dreamed for this moment his entire life and has been studying for it since he saw his first rocket. He walks into the invisible field where the rocket license tests are held. The Complex needs to be invisible because the plant of A-Z 29 has a lot of enemies who can use the test rockets for their military. A-Z 29 is the smartest, strongest, and wealthiest planet in the galaxy, so they need to be careful. As soon as Zorik walks in, he knows something is definitely wrong.

The Complex is a wreck. The whole building is a pile of rubble, and all the rockets are gone. Zorik immediately knows someone has been here, so he backs away and starts to run. Suddenly, he smashes into the chest of a medium-sized, muscular man. The man grabs Zorik by the arm and tells him that he wants him to drive a rocket. Zorik really wants to, but he knows it would be wrong because the man is an enemy to the man.

Zorik says, “No!” The man asks him again, but this time he pulls out a knife. Zorik still says, “No!” Then he yells, “For my country!” all the while thinking he’s going to get killed. Suddenly, the man smiles, and says it was all a test. Zorik sighs in relief. All of a sudden, confetti and a lot of people appear. They tell Zorik that he is the 100,000,000th person to get his rocket license. Zorik is so happy! Later, he fights in Planet War IV as a rocket driver. He serves very bravely. Zorik is now honored in Planet A-Z 29’s Rocket Driver Hall of Fame.

In the Style of Takashi Murakami, Mia, Grade 4

STILL WE FLY (inspired by Still I Rise) By Grace, Grade 6 You may throw us down, and beat us down You may hurt us with your words, You may stomp us down But still, like a songbird, We fly.

You may love us with your kind heart, You may wrap us in your warmth We feel we can tell you anything because you are always there for us And like an eagle, We soar higher.

We go through a lot And always, you’re still with us till the end Not that we always needed you, You’re just the only person who is there to support us And we feel grateful.

When we aren’t feeling our best, You are there to comfort us, When we were falling by the wayside, You are there to correct the way.

Sometimes I just feel like you’re a part of my family, Loving and caring as you are, God just made you a perfect whole A role model, A leader, A caring person As you are.

When we aren’t okay, You’re there to encourage and cheer us up.

When we get backstabbed or hurt, You are there to stand up for us.

Continually we are still going, Going, Going, Going, Going until we reach the top And as we are, WE ARISE.

Flower, Sofia, Grade 4

Bad Luck by Caleb, Grade 5 The bat was living a life beyond its reality.

Now the bat flew with humans in view.

But then came bad luck.

Thunder comes and lightning attacks.

Hunters come and shoot deer right under you.

The bat never looks beyond reality anymore, Which is a weakness but a truth.

He always looks in front, seeing the bad luck that fires as fast as a bullet missing a shot that goes right at you.

You fall from the sky and hope that dreams are fully fake until you notice that bad luck is within you and me.

Erupting by Andrew, Grade 8

Dream Maker Cade, Grade 5

EDITO RS' CHOIC E

I woke up on a grassy field, soft as an angel's flowing hair. I scratched my head in confusion; one minute I was throwing around a ball on a paved dirt road and the next I was in a grassy field in the middle of nowhere. I had awoken in what seemed to be a forgotten place, and was so surprised that I failed to notice the white silk dress I wore. The white frilly dress met my ankles and whispered in the wind. The wind was soft, and was both distracting and calming me.

I walked around this new place with a lump in my throat, worried I was kidnapped, or worse, dead! I didn't want to focus on that for now. I heard whispers come from behind me in the wind. Sounds of little children giggling stayed with the whispers. I looked back.

Glowing, white childlike bodies laughed and snickered. We made eye contact. Their eyes widened and they ran away from me. I tried to scream for them to come back, but I just made a puff of air. It felt like my voice box was ripped out of my throat, leaving me with only a breath of air.

I felt feminine hands on my shoulders. A simple touch made a chill run up my spine. A mumble came from the back of my head, but fear paralyzed me and I could not turn around. I was forced to stand there in shock and fear. It sounded like a new language from another planet. Everything was quiet except for the mumbles coming from the woman in white. (continued next page)

Dream Maker, contd.

Her cold, glowing hands lifted off of my shoulders and fell to her sides, meeting with her hips. She looked like a goddess wearing that white flowing dress. Everything she wore was like a pearl, her skin a snowflake on a dark evening. I could finally look back at her. Fear left my gut but flowed into my head. Thoughts piled up inside my head without stopping. The woman flew away, the grass flowing behind her. I had no choice but to follow her. I couldn’t figure out what would be waiting for me at our destination but I needed my answers.

As I walked through the flowing grass with the lady in white, I thought to myself, Could this be earth, a dream per- The woman stopped and threw her arms up to the sky. The mumbling began again. It grew louder and louder, her voice echoing through the flat grass planes.

Her head turned back at me with a huge grin, my heart started to race and I could feel the tension. My breathing got heavier and heavier and heavier….. “AH!” I awoke with a scream. I found myself back in my own fluffy bed. The sun rose up from the dim hills and I was faced with a heavy light beaming onto my face. “That could've been a dream,” I tell myself, or maybe…..it was all real.

I by Fiona, Grade 7 Feelings

by Ethan, Grade 6 Some feelings are shallow, some feelings are deep.

Some make us smile, some make us weep.

Some we love, some we don't.

Some we'll savor, some we won't.

Some grounding, some uplifting, Some long-lasting, some constantly shifting.

No matter what feelings I'm feeling today, I know tomorrow is only a day away.

Faces by N'Tavia, Grade 6

Mr. Murad, by Jastin, Grade 8

The Eye by Emily, Grade 8

Turks and Caicos by Jacob, Grade 5 There are waves that crash on the shore, The sailboats smoothly and swiftly sail on the ocean, The trees are green with long, arm-like branches, The animals run quickly and camouflage in the trees.

The waves make a soothing sound as the bubbles pop, The swimmers dive under as the surfer’s surf over, The boogie boarders smoothly ride the waves.

The sailboats move slowly and smoothly as the speed boats zoom across the ocean, The few paddle boats jump on waves, The yachts go deep in their luxury.

Some trees are tall and some are short, There are bushes that are animals’ homes, And the green grass is so soft.

Some animals eat your food and some just play, Some fly like birds and some run like cheetahs, Some hide to be protected.

The waves keep crashing on the shore, The sailboats keep smoothly and swiftly sailing on the ocean, The trees stay green with their long arm branches, The animals keep running quickly and keep camouflaging in the trees

A Walk to the Beach, Alexis, Grade 7

Cardi B & Nicki Minaj by Grace, Grade 6

Starry Night by Oliver, Kindergarten

Starry Night by Oliver, Kindergarten

View, by Jordan, Grade 7

Sunset, by Alexis, Grade 7

A Wooden Bowl

By Hudson, Grade 7 At the beginning of life, I remember being a seed of an oak tree, in a magnificent forest, at the edge of a fjord, facing the water. I remember, blowing in the wind going through hitting the ground, peacefully. The cold, tantalizing feel to the air, next to giant trees. I landed in a clearing, and slowly, over several days, sunk into the ground.

I was greeted with the fertile soil the ground provided, and a family of earthworms I sensed a few inches away from me, in the underground. That summer, it rained and rained until I started to grow. The rains lasted for 50 days.

I sensed other seeds, especially my friends, were all withering away because the giant trees next to them were taking all of the water and nutrients from the soil next to them.

But not me, I thought as I just pierced the ground, the wind was strong and brought me here. Oh, the beautiful sun! I thought to myself.

“Hey look, someone is popping out from below!” said the closest tree to me, about 2 yards away, “he looks so cute!”

“I am not cute!” I responded harshly.

Although we had a rocky start, this tree soon became my friend.

Around 200 years passed, as I grew. At that point, I fit in with everyone else at the top, covering the clearing that once was.

We went through storms, and floods, and rockslides but we still managed to survive.

I love my home, I thought. Although it may have not been a tropical rainforest, it was beautiful, and in my book, that surpassed almost all other living things that one would consider to be sublime.

I remember chatting with my fellow trees, about a new owl, or the squirrel that found a home in Bob, the second tallest tree in the forest.

One day, word got around that a tree saw creatures that had two stumps, which we later just called the Two-Stumped horrors, but of course, we saw them as passive creatures at first.

A few days later, they created a tent of a few limbs that had dropped from my friends. They started something us trees called a fire.

At first, we thought that was horrific! We had heard the stories about entire forests burning down, no survivors. But they seemed to harness it in some way that made it safe for us. It also created some nice carbon dioxide for us to munch on, which helped me grow back a limb I had recently lost.

One day, one of the two-stumps took a rock and sharpened it using another rock, and then all of a sudden, cut me down. It happened so quickly (in one day) that it was too fast for me to react. (continued)

Mega Nindora by David, Grade 1

A Wooden Bowl (cont.)

I then got chopped down into smaller parts, and smaller parts and smaller, until they formed what I would later know as a bowl. They then took me into a leather pack, and hiked over my beautiful forest, my home, to a harbor.

I vividly remember the last glimpse of my home, from the perspective of a two-stump, and into a valley, on the other side of the mountains surrounding the fjord.

They moved for a long time until they took me to a much bigger fjord, looking endless. I would later know this as what two-stumps called an ocean.

Next to the ocean, there was a group of tents, almost like a forest of two-stumps. They were all packed next to each other. Most of the two stumps were bringing up the words trade and celts and ship. At the time, this meant nothing to me.

I felt the smoothness of myself. They turned my insides inside-out and polished me! I thought, pondering the meaning of my life. I turned to look around and saw what I would later know as a boat. It was pretty big and seemed to be made of the insides of some of my friends.

There was also another material, what I would later know as cloth.

While I was pondering all of these important things, I barely even noticed that one of the two-stumps picked me up. Put me down! I thought. Though, I then realized that they were most likely not going to do any more harm to me, so I went with the flow and shut up.

They took me on the ship. They put me down in a cave under the main part of the ship. I would later know this as the hold.

All around me I see other trees that suffered the same fate. I notice the two-stumps around me call deformed trees wooden. I see wooden dolls, wooden crates, wooden plates, almost anything that you can imagine that was made out of wood.

I then saw a clearing in the boat, what I would later know that was called a window. I was shocked. I saw my beautiful homeplace of fjords float away. It was the last time I ever saw the place.

I sat there, days on end, in the bottom of a ship, rocking back and forth, back and forth. I noticed that not only was this monotonous place for wooden things, also for stone things too.

These stone things were much harder than wooden things, they also had different purposes.

I found it interesting that the two-stumps have decided that different materials have different functions for the two-stumps. I realized then that while I might not like them, the twostumps were pretty smart.

After roughly 170 days, we stopped. I saw a much larger two-stump community. Most of the two-stumps were saying Celts and Romans and Londinium.

I didn’t know this at first, but this would be my first, and not last, encounter with the Roman Empire.

When we arrived, a different two-stump took me and the other wooden things to what I would later know as a stall. From a distance, I could see the same ship that I had been traveling on was floating away. After a couple of hours of sitting on the stall, the two-stumps went away, and it seemed to be night.

Hugo, by Hudson, Grade 7

A Wooden Bowl (cont.)

It was a cold night, for most people, but I, usually accustomed to below-freezing temperatures, was perfectly fine with it. The night also gave me time to look around at my surroundings, and notice the black widow who was living inside one of the Russian dolls.

Whoever opens that is going to have the surprise of their life! I thought.

In the morning, the traders went back to their stalls.

Around two hours after opening, it seemed one of the two-stumps was interested in buying me.

The idea that I was to be bought by an unknown person seemed preposterous, but looking back, it practically saved my life.

Anyway, right before I left, I saw someone open the Russian doll with a special surprise, but thankfully the person seemed to survive.

The random person took me to a different dock than the one where I came from, but it seemed to be in the same harbor.

I then saw a small little boat with a few boxes inside as I got gently put into a different box next to the other ones.

There was a little place where I could peek out to see what was happening and I saw some sort of fight going at the trading post. Things were flying, and all I thought was to be glad to be safe.

I was in the boat for a day.

A day later, I was picked up and put at the back of a horse with a different guy riding there.

For a few days, we were on the horse.

After that, we seemed to have arrived at a village called Parisiorum.

The town that I would later know as Paris.

Mhm. I know.

Call me when you travel back in time 2,000 years and visit London and Paris in less than a month.

Anyway, I didn’t get to see much, as for me and the rest of the things in the boxes were parked next to where the two stumps were sleeping that night.

The next day, he took me and we were on what two-stumps call the road.

We were on the road for a few weeks when we reached our next stop.

Lugdunum, which would later be called the town of Lyon.

For some reason just about every single town that I stopped at is still a town today.

The two-stump exchanged some food and other two-stump necessities.

After that, we followed a river through the countryside in modern-day southern France.

A few times we saw another traveler on our route on the river, with other boxes and bowls and other two-stump commodities.

We then stopped at our final land stop, Arelate which would later be known as Arles. The town was quaint and had easy access to the mediterranean sea. The two-stumps, as other times, spent the night there and exchanged stuff for two-stump food and whatever else they needed.

A Wooden Bowl (cont.)

The next day, the two-stump exchanged me and the other cargo onto a boat.

The next few months, we stayed on the boat, going back and forth and back again 1 trillion times.

It was hard to tell what was in the other boxes, as they were all tightly packed together. This ship was a lot cleaner than the other one, for no apparent reason.

It was a quiet boat and a long journey. The perfect recipe for relaxation.

Eventually, we arrived at the Roman capital. There is no need to say the name. It is extremely self-explanatory.

I got taken out of the boat, to a mere forest of two stumps. They were all squirming around like little raisins and it made me dizzy.

I got thrown into a bag and taken to the potter.

I never forgave what he did.

He decided that it would be a good idea to cover me in terracotta so that he could make more money.

The experience was nauseating.

After that, I got taken to a guy named Felix and took me to a Roman town called Lauriacum.

This particular two-stump used me a lot. Now that I was terracotta, I could be used as a bowl as a means of transferring two-stump nutrition and hydration. I was passed on many generations. And before I knew it, I was in the dark ages.

Those were dark times. But still, I managed to get around.

A few years later a new church was built in town and was a good example of gothic architecture. (I had been studying two-stump architecture for many years). They put me in there as their “historical collection” and I sat there for hundreds of years, gathering dust. Fast forward 800 years and it was the 21st century. Of course, I hadn’t yet known about the marvels of engineering the two-stumps had accomplished.

One day, in the year 2003, I was transferred on to a plane and sent to the new twostump forest, New York City. I had been dusting in the “basement” of the church of St. Laurenz and now I was to be displayed in one of the most prestigious museums on Earth, the Metropolitan Museum of art.

It was a stark contrast from dusting in a gothic castle for 800 years.

Now, I have a description below me, and I sit in a glass case as two-stumps observe me.

I doubt they know my full story, but I think they know at least half of it because I was placed in the Roman Section at the museum.

If you want to, you can see me. I am a terracotta bowl from the Roman Empire.

Just don’t forget to wear a mask. Or at least that’s what all of the two-stumps from the museum say.

If only I could tell them, how I come from Norway, and my experience as a onestump.

More commonly known as a tree.

Stalker, by Dylan, Grade 7 TW: Mentioned attempted suicide (not graphic), stalking, attempted murder, death. No graphic descriptions of blood or gore.

I opened my eyes to burning bright lights. Men and women in blue surgical masks clouded my vision, poking around somewhere I couldn’t see. Red and blue lights were flashing on tiny screens, a record of life, lines spiking up and down and up and down and up and down and up. Staring down at my arms, I discovered long cords snaking out of them. Attempting to sit up granted me a sharp pain in my neck. I cried out, and the people turned their heads, attention on me.

“He’s awake,” one of them whispered.

“Hello, sir,” a woman said. She was standing next to the bed beside another woman, notepad in hand. “My name is Dr. Spencer.”

“Nice to meet you,” I mumbled. I couldn’t talk very loudly, for my lips were chapped and my voice felt like it hadn’t been used in years. “Why am I here?”

Dr. Spencer hesitated as if she wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell me. Her colleague nodded, however, and so she spoke. “Well, sir, it seems as if there has been a suicide attempt.”

“I tried to kill myself?”

“You were found in your bedroom closet, hanging with a rope around your neck. Can you remember anything from the past 48 hours?”

Could I remember anything? I didn’t think so. And if I could, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell this woman. I frowned. “No. I’m sorry.”

Dr. Spencer nodded, and one of the other doctors scribbled something onto a clipboard.

She then smiled at me sympathetically. “That’s probably a good thing. The pain you went through must have been terrible. Oh, one more thing. Do you know anyone by the name of Jacob Abbot?”

I froze. Something about that name made me uneasy. I cursed my brain for not remembering what. I shook my head slightly, for I still could barely move my neck. “I don’t. Who is he?”

“His dead body was found in his home a few days ago. He’s your neighbor,” Dr. Spencer told me. Her face had the expression of someone who had seen something they can’t forget.

I sucked in a breath, eyes widening. “Oh. That’s terrible. My condolences.”

Dr. Spencer nodded absentmindedly, her focus apparently on something else. “It is.” She turned back to me, making a few hand signals at the people who had been working on my broken body for the past few minutes. “Okay, we’re going to give you some anesthesia and laughing gas to ensure you don’t feel any pain for this next step in your healing process.”

The doctors injected something into the nape of my neck and I could only count to twelve before darkness shrouded my thoughts and I fell into a deep sleep.

---

Stalker (cont.)

I watched him. Night and day, I alternated shifts and positions, scouting out the house until I knew it like my own. Any and all free time I had I spent staring at the little two-story home with the dark green shutters. He drove me to the point of insanity. But I wasn’t going to let a little slipup in my cracking mind stop me from completing my daunting task. It excited me, knowing that no one else was aware of the act that was going to ensue.

I remember a day when I was so sure I could finally do it, I was so certain that I knew exactly how, exactly when. I planned to the finest detail.

Staring at the single car in the driveway, the small crack of light that shone from one of the bottom-most windows that only he and I knew was the kitchen closet light that never turned off, I waited patiently for the light in the bottom left to flick on. This was my sign that he had sat down with a drink to start his work. When it did, I smiled. It was all coming together, after months of studying his character and home, hours upon hours of endless waiting and watching.

I pushed myself up from my squatting position on the damp grass. I had found a spot behind a bush in the empty lot right next to his house that was invisible to everyone unless they stared straight down from my bedroom window. No one ever came into my house when I wasn’t there, so I was certain that I went unnoticed to everyone who just happened to glance in the direction of the deserted lot.

Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I walked the few meters to his house as casually as I possibly could. To others, I might have been the friend stopping by for some chatter or dinner, or the neighbor coming to offer some moral support, the brother or cousin saying hello because he was in the area.

I glanced up and down the street with a bored face, as if I was merely scanning the area for activity because I was uninterested in everything else, and then opened the door quietly. It shut with a soft click. I knew by this time that he was focused enough not to notice the sound and that he never remembered to lock his front door.

Walking softly across the entryway, I turned into the living room, keeping my steps as silent as I possibly could. Holding my breath just as I had practiced over the past few months, I slowly turned the corner into the large office space.

And then he was there, chin resting on his hand, staring intently at the computer screen in front of him.

I froze.

It was like time had stopped all of a sudden, the invisible hands that went around and around halting, shuddering, and then resuming at an unfathomable speed.

He looked up. As we made eye contact, I felt something dark shatter into a million shards of hatred, burying themselves deep inside me and consuming all sanity that was left in my already splitting, splintering mind.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?”

My body was shaking violently at this point, my quivering hands covering my mouth so I wouldn’t speak. I could not let him know my voice.

“Excuse me? Sir? How did you get in here? I’m calling the police.” (continued)

' S R O EDIT E C I O CH Columbus Circle by Alexis, Grade 7

Stalker (cont.)

At that moment, I felt all the adrenaline that was building up rush out in a turmoil of flying fists and he was knocked out cold. I took the first deep breath I had in too long. He wasn’t dead. He wasn’t gone. He would still haunt me, take over me, destroy my every essence until my obsession was too much. I didn’t kill him that day. Part of me wished I had. But the moment wasn’t right, the timing, everything had been wrecked to its core and so I decided to leave him there to wonder what had happened that next morning.

--[ to be continued. ]

Greg and The Great Football Story!

By Anthony, Grade 5 The Miami Dolphins Have Won The Super Bowl! The MVP is Greg Larson!

(Flashback 1 year ago) “Goodbye Mom, goodbye Dad. It's time for football training!” I told them. I’m really excited, but a little nervous too.

“Don't worry honey, you're the quarterback and the captain of the team. I believe you can do it!” my mom said with excitement. I can almost see the happiness in her eyes.

“Goodbye,” I said holding back my tears.

I stepped out the door and walked to the bus stop. While I was waiting for the bus, a kid walked by wearing a Miami Dolphins shirt and hat.

I asked, “Hey little buddy! Are you a fan of the Miami Dolphins?”

He gave me a response that shocked me. “Well, yeah I am. I just hope they do well this year. You know, you look a lot like the new quarterback, Greg Larson.”

My eyes opened wide when he said that.

“Well, I am in fact,The next Greg Larson! Want me to sign your hat?” I asked.

“Sure. That would be awesome! My name is Anthony, by the way.” He handed me his hat, which I gladly autographed.

“Goodbye, Mr. Larson. Please try your hardest to win the Super Bowl, or at least make it to the playoffs!”

My determination to win the Super Bowl kicked in.

“I can’t let that little kid down… “ I thought as he walked away and disappeared in the distance.

The team bus finally came to a halt. It almost missed me, because it stopped 15 yards from the actual stop.

“Are you Greg Larson?” the bus driver asked.

“Yeah, I am!” I said.

“Are you ready for football training?” he asked. Before he could finish speaking, I ran on the bus as fast as a kid on Christmas morning.

Nobody really spoke to me on the bus, but I did meet somebody who seemed really nice.

His name was Eugene Rogers. He was a wide receiver. *** The bus arrived at the training camp. Our team had to get off and go to the field. Our coach told us to group up by offense and defense (meaning offensive players go in a group and defensive players go in a separate group).

“Alright, listen up maggots! I'm Mr. Brent, and I will be your training coach. You will do as I say, or you will face the consequences. Defensive maggots, you're up!”

Each defensive player lined up for the drills. I was actually surprised by the defensive players' performance.

Greg and the Great Football Story (cont.)

“Alright defensive maggots, it's time for you to go sit on the bench… It's the offensive maggots’ turn! Get over here!” Coach Brent screamed.

We jumped off the bench and ran like a bear was chasing us! We got there in no time.

“Now, you listen to me!” he exclaimed. I looked at him like I was a tough guy, but I actually was really anxious.

I can almost feel the butterflies that were floating around in my stomach. I clenched my fists and said, “Yes sir!”

“You're going to do three drills and you’re going to do them great. The Dolphins are the underdogs, and it's our time to win!”

“The first drill is a quick release and short passes drill,” Coach Brent said.

“One eighty, OMAHA OMAHA!!! Set … HIKE!” I looked around and found my wide receiver. I threw a button pass, and he ran down the field.

“Second drill. We are working on running!”

I was not a very good runner, but I tried my best.

“BLUE 42! Hike!”

While I was running, a defensive player charged at me. I did a spin move and kept running.

“Third drill! Long passes.”

“Red 90. Red 90. Set, hike!”

The wide receiver ran down the field. The wide receiver is the guy I met on the bus, Eugene Rogers.

He caught the ball so easily, it was like he had glue on his hands!

For the next few weeks, we did similar drills like the ones on the first day. By the final week of training, it felt like we had a good shot at making the playoffs.

Then, the football season started.

Week 1: Cincinnati Bengals Final Score: Miami Dolphins: 27- Cincinnati Bengals: 14 We won our first game of the season! I got two rushing touchdowns. The reason for this is because our coach made us do a fake pass and fade left into the endzone. Eugene Rogers got a touchdown by jumping over a Cincinnati Bengals defensive player. The other touchdown was by our tight end, Tom Smith.

Week 2: Los Angeles Chargers Final Score: Miami Dolphins: 14- Los Angeles Chargers: 13 Game 2 was taken by us.

“37 seconds left on the clock… Miami Dolphins are in range of a field goal or two-point conversion. Can they win against the Chargers, or will they lose their second game?” the announcer asked.

I was determined to win. I rolled up my sleeves and --- “TIMEOUT! MIAMI DOLPHINS!” the referee yelled. Coach pulled me aside and said, “You're going to pretend like the running back has the ball, but you're going to run to the right and throw to Eugene Rogers at the other side of the endzone.”

I did exactly what Coach said and we won the game.

Greg and the Great Football Story (cont.)

Week 3: Chicago Bears Final Score: Chicago Bears: 0- Miami Dolphins: 7 This game was tight, but we still got the winning touchdown. It was a 54 yard Hail Mary.

Week 4: Buffalo Bills Final Score: Buffalo Bills: 32- Miami Dolphins: 45 “Yes!” I thought when we won the game, “We only have one more game, and if we win, we will be undefeated in the regular season!”

This game was a good game on our part. Each team was scoring left and right. I didn’t get a single rushing touchdown. I only threw passes and one handoff.

Week 5: Seattle Seahawks Final Score: Miami Dolphins: 21- Seattle Seahawks: 15 We became undefeated in the regular season!

We only won because the Seattle Seahawks accidentally left Eugene Rogers open in the endzone, which let our team score the game-winning touchdown.

Playoff Time!

Week 6: Baltimore Ravens Final Score: Baltimore Ravens: 3- Miami Dolphins: 17 This game was a breeze. The opposing team only made one field goal. Our team went to the next playoff game! Unfortunately, Eugene Rogers got hurt.

Week 7: Indianapolis Colts Final Score: Miami Dolphins: 16- Indianapolis Colts: 12 Our team was going to the AFC Championship! We beat the Indianapolis Colts! Tom Smith did amazing that game, scoring most of the points with both touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

AFC Championship: Kansas City Chiefs Final Score: Kansas City Chiefs: 34- Miami Dolphins: 35 “The Miami Dolphins are going to the Superbowl!!” I screamed in the Kansas City Chiefs Stadium. The crowd booed us as we left the stadium.

Anthony (cont.)

THE SUPER BOWL: Seattle Seahawks vs Miami Dolphins Final Score: Miami Dolphins: 23- Seattle Seahawks: 21 It was a close game. The announcer said, “12 seconds left. Miami Dolphins out of field goal range. Can they do it?”

My palms were sweaty and I had a headache. Worst of all, our backup for Eugene Rogers got hurt. Right when we were going to give up, Eugene Rogers came back on the field.

Our coach pulled me aside before the final down and said “Throw a Hail Mary to Eugene Rogers. Trust me on this.” I looked at him like he was crazy, but I had to obey Coach Brent.

“OHIO OHIO! OMAHA 36! Set…..hike!” I squeezed the ball so hard. Suddenly, I had a memory of the little kid named Anthony from the beginning of practice. I can't forget what he said: ”Please try your hardest to win the Super Bowl.” “I have to do this!” I told myself.

I threw the Hail Mary to Eugene Rogers and he caught it with one hand over the defensive player with one second left on the clock!

The announcer said, “The Miami Dolphins have won the Super Bowl!” The crowd went wild! Confetti rained down as I held the Lombardi Trophy.

(25 years later) I stand at my induction into the Hall of Fame ceremony. The announcer says, “And I am proud to announce, Greg Larson is in the Hall of Fame as the best quarterback to ever live!” We did it!

THE END

Gratitude by Dylan, Grade 7

EDITORS' CHOICE

EDITORIAL TEAM Alex Terpstra Dylan Parks Gavin Lowenberger Ms. Greenspan

special thanks TO MS. BABINGTON FOR ALL THE TECH SUPPORT!

made with canva. design and layout by dylan parks.