how I spent the best 15th birthday of my life...

the FESTIVITIES (a cooler word when in caps lock) started a day early when I arrived at school to receive a puppy-sized elephant--named Willy, after John's very own puppy--and delicious, crumbly, explosive sugar cookies with sprinkles. From there, it moved into my first block, where many people (especially those with a name starting with the letter D) actually remembered the next day was my birthday, without my reminding them. Then, the day slipped into second block, which wasn't anything special, but our test was easier than I thought it would be and the rest of school was fairly uneventful.

And then. JESSICA'S HOUSE. and a Starburst from Joey for my birthday gift. And blank cd's. And funny yearbook pictures. And a lovely chat with long lost Tyler, who I never talk to anymore and who is so ridiculous.

ALLISON'S HOUSE where I ate oysters, chips, brownie's, crackers with cheese, a hamburger, and pasta salad. And where we also sung Your Song very badly for an Elton John fan who has touched Elton John's shoes. Something I was amazed about. And then a whole lot more awesome, a handheld Sudoku, and a fancy pen. Apples to Apples. Beanbag chairs. Therapist (the rapist). Giovagnoli twins. Caroline's bad phone-operating abilities. Sleep (or lack of).

MY SISTER'S BOOKS where I bought books, ate (lots of) good food, read part of a book aloud, wandered around, laughed at Allison, talked about books, shelved books, read hilariously dreadful Knock-Knock jokes, did those little word puzzle things from Trif's class, met an author, at more food, ate even more food, traded in children's books for:

Familiar Heat by Mary Hood
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
Mr. Spaceman by Robert Olen Butler
About a Boy by Nick Hornby
The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty
Music Minus One by Jane Shore
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Searching for David's Heart by Cherie Bennett

Then I came home to find 25 more dollars to devote to Disney World (ugh, I hope I can pay for it...)

Plus, facebook wishes me a happy birthday, and that's what I've been waiting for all my life. *eye roll*

Thanks to everybody in the world who is awesome. You made my birthday awesome. I love you guys. (emilea, a comment is forthcoming)

Heather

theivery

In which Caroline is ripped off, Heather realizes her boredom, and music resounds in the background, playing it's melodic tune that she's fallen very deeply in love with.

I shall blog. Every day. Except for those two VERY fine weeks in which I will be away from my family (yay! You have no idea how much I love that after last night...*sigh*)

Honestly I'm Instability

Show me how to let you in

I'm making mistakes

I'm falling, I'm falling again

I have built all the walls

For no one to use at all

This is overjoyed

Tracing lines in summer skies at night

And with or without a reason why

We'll always be wondering if we're ever right

I'm convinced that if we turned the lights off the world might surrender

I insist, by breaking the rhythms, love will fall into step again

This sound is lacking direction

These empty rooms are a prison

Your words ring hollow and aimless

And you are here denying what?

Oh, this seems out of reach

Taking every breath we'll ever need

With no assurance I can see

We'll unlatch the gate and set them free

I confess I did not even once believe the air would surround me

I can see, by breaking the rhythms, love has found me again and again

This sound is lacking direction

(These empty rooms are a prison)

Your words ring hollow and aimless

And you are here denying what you see

(This heavy breath is a prism)

This time we're all gonna listen

The stage is coming to life now

When you start to sing, "Hallelujah!"

We shut our eyes

And smile to ourselves

~Stairwell Collapse~

And so it begins... The summer of change, of music, of poetry, dancing, memories, and friends.

What do you know? It could actually be fun doing this everyday...

Lila calls,

heather

Hmm...comments on comments

Hello all! (two...) I know I haven't actually posted a real post in a while, so I decided to today (actually, it was even before I read your comment Caroline! Weird, huh?)

Anyways...I just read Caroline's comment on Steph's blog (see below) and felt it necessary to comment on her comment. Well, and on her comment on my blog here. On the last post. About the king of the fairies. I'll do that after the long one, though. So it'll be at the bottom.

Here it is, Caroline's (your) original comment:

Caroline said...

Because I am oh-so-creative (another sign of impopularity) I have compiled a list of the various misdemeanors throughout my school career that have led to impopularity. :D

K)Sing the ABCs when the teacher asks you to recite them. When she repeats herself, say that you can only do it singing.

1)Be the Teacher's Pet.

2)Read. Write mean things about classmates in a journal that will inevitably be
discovered and read aloud at some point.

3)Get really unflattering glasses that are bright blue in color and Harry Potter in style. Attempt to make friends in your class.

4)Spend a lot of time with one close friend. Cry when Heather rats you out for talking in the bathroom and you get detention.

5)Sing a song by the Cheetah Girls for your fifth grade talent show.

6)Confide your crush on a popular guy to Heather, because she'll repeat it a bit too loudly and the popular girl will hear you and then everyone will find out on field day and you'll have to go home sick.

7)Write a boy who likes you a list of reasons why you hate him so much. Include a limerick about his teeth. That's sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

8)Find a small group of friends who are equally uncool(but equally awesome, too) and do bizzare things. Have marker wars, randomly burst into song. People will think you are in a cult and not talk to you because you might offer them red Kool-Aid. Encourage this rumor.

9)Behave in a relatively anti-social manner when not with your friends (you know, the kids in the cult) and refuse to tell the popular people what that thing you're writing down is.

(Surprisingly enough, they still want to know.)

Email me at the Plenty of Paper address(it's on Heather's comment) and put Caroline in the subject line. :)

<3>

PS: Awesome contest idea!

June 3, 2008 8:45 PM

Here's my response: (I was originally typing it in as another comment on Steph's blog, but decided it would be better suited as a blog post.) Also, my numbers corollate with her (your) numbers...well... grades

K) You know what's really weird? I did that too! haha. My kindergarten one is...sort of like the ABCs one. Count to 483 when your teacher tells you to count to 100 (even when she tells you to stop, you just walk away, still counting)

1) Does proving your first grade teacher wrong in math because you did it the way the third graders do and that's not a first grade requirement count as being a teacher's pet? (ahh, now I'm all nostalgic)

2) I...hmm...I don't know. I guess I read, but I can't really count just a few months as a whole grade... I think leaving the class for about an hour and a half every day to do testing so that I could officially leave the class made me unpopular... sort of. *shrugs*

3) Come into the class a quarter late, a year younger, and a lot smarter (but don't be in the specialized classes--Beach--so that the people not smart enough to be in those classes spend more time with you and begin to hate you.

4) Haha...I remember that. It was a very entertaining moment...back when we hated each other...you were such a loser, lol. JK! (okay, so I'm not, but I didn't say you are now). For some reason, make Reid Simpson not like you so that you end up loosing your best friend because she's close to Reid and decides to be a conformist.

5) you will never live that down!!!! Anyway: Spend every recess in the music room with your two BEST friends in the whole world and pop blown up ziploc bags. Once the first graders come in, help them out with their instruments. Don't make any contact with another fifth grader.

6) Roll your eyes at immature popular boys. Become friends with unpopular people (ahem, Caroline). Make fun of this kid that stares at you all the time and then if you glance at him he says "Why are you staring at me???!!!???" Laugh about aforementioned kids stalker skills. Sit at a table with your dork magnet best friend for lunch. That is sure to bring those pesky dorks to your table as well. Play the Guess The Fruit game every day. (I really did set my unpopularity in stone in sixth grade, didn't I?)

7) Hmm...I can't think of anything... Oh! Always be in a group with people you don't like (and nobody else does) in english class.

8) This was a good year for us. Marker wars...random song outbursts... Mine: Sing Spice Girls songs with Allison every day outside. Say you hate Mr. Bankert's class. Say you like Mrs. Gordon's class. Make fun of popular guys for their english papers (AAAAATTTTTUUUUKKKKKAAAAAMMMMAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Have very awkward moments where friend of aforementioned popular guy says that you and popular guy should date because you bicker like an old married couple.

9) Do not answer when questioned. Say 'nothing' a lot. Become Nerdfighter. Don't answer questions about the song your singing (where would America be?), the binder cover your drawing (...so JOKES...), or the hand motion your making. Wear confusing (and AWESOME) t-shirts. Don't answer when people ask you about it.

It's a complicated art I've perfected.


So that's comment on comment numero uno. Comment on comment numero dos:

Caroline said...

I'm going to be extremely hypocritcal and tell you that I'd like for you to write a blog entry.

I know.

You've written one more recently than I have.

That's why I'm not rudely demanding that you write another blog entry. It's a polite request. What I am demanding is that you let me read this story (the one in the post below) because it sounds really amazing and I really want to.

<3>

PS: I really thought I'd commented on this already.

PPS: Who is this king of fairies person?

June 3, 2008 8:57 PM

You are being hypocritical. But I forgive you. I shall put said story on website (that one, that the totally unbiased civilian's name linked to? yeah, that one). I'm not very far, though. I'll be writing more in the next couple days. I really thought you'd commented on it already, too. This kind of fairies person is Oberon. I introduce you. He left a comment on The Ravenous Reader's blog. Here it is:

Oberon said...

......sometimes.....i talk to strangers.......what?

June 1, 2008 9:47 PM

Yes, and so I went to his blog and left a comment asking him if he was the king of the fairies. This was the reply:

Oberon said...

......thanks for your comments and.....yes.....i'm king of the fairies.

June 2, 2008 10:59 PM

So now we're all caught up on the commentary comments, so I'll stop saying the word comment. Right...NOW.
(comment)

Heather (I feel like Maureen Johnson now)

I encourage you to click on all the links. =D

Friends

after everything has been said and done
after the food has been cooked and eaten
after the dishes have been cleared and the table wiped down
I realize...There is at least one thing I can be thankful for.

The arguments, the fights, the make-ups, the break-ups, the insults, the bickering, the orders, and the annoyances can be ignored and the spotlight can be put on the thing I'm grateful for, My Best Friends.

Of all the things in my life, my best friends are what holds me together, help me handle the tough times, and give me honest criticism without being painfully harsh. They are the ones standing in a circle around me, pillars holding up the heavens, holding up my hope, keeping it from crashing down.

Whenever I need them, they're always there. I don't need my biological family, they are my real family. They are my real sisters.

They are always waiting in the wings to catch me if I fall. Always there to pick me up whenever I can't get up on my own. Always there to help me forget the bad memories, feelings, and thoughts and remember the good times we've had. They are always there, preparing for the worst, and making these times the best.

I am grateful for:

Caroline--My best best friend. For always being there to spend hours discussing books that we've already spent collective days discussing. For being such a good writer and inspiring me. For sharing common interests with me and making me feel like there is someone else out there as crazy as I am. For helping me become myself and not fear what people think of me. For being the perfect other half of those ridiculous best friend heart necklaces, you know what I'm talking about and your the one with Best written on it because you are the best. For always listening to what I have to say, even if I'm not saying anything. For knowing me. For being my best friend.

Courtney--God, how I love you in all your insane drama. For always being the strongest needle and thread I know, being able to patch things up after we have an argument. For being a friend amongst enemies. For staying by my side, even when you don't want to be there. For following me and keeping in step, never missing a beat. For being a good friend and understanding how I feel. For helping me let out my thoughts in angry rants. For giving me an outlet to turn to when I need someone. For being there.

Chloe--My rock. My steady hand. For being there to drop everything when I need someone to help me laugh. For being the hug that I need. For not letting petty things ruin our friendship. For being as ambitious as you are. For your insane hand gestures :). For letting our joke arguments go on and on, keeping something constant in my life. For being ready to kick anybody's ass that ever hurts me. For loving me.

Danielle--The abnormal creature. For being so ever-changing, bringing new spice to my life every day. For being so insanely crazy(and yes I do know that is redundant). For being an amazing artist. For helping me create the stories that I call my good times. For making me realize how great I've had it the past 5 years. For holding on through all of these years. For sticking with me no matter what. For being you.

Allison--My entertainment--in a good way. For being my sun, able to light up any day. For being so ditsy sometimes and accepting it(because you aren't really that dumb). For helping me accept myself. For making it through one year and sticking around for plenty more. For loving unconditionally. For being so nice whenever I need something nice said about me. For joining us willingly without fear. For being happy.

I love you all 10 times over, no 100 times, no 1,000,000:)♥
couldnt live without any of you. You are my life.