Final Reflection

1. Did you find that being part of the Hunter College early college program better prepared you for your future college career? How so?
Being a part of the Hunter College early college program opened my eyes to new experiences and helped me to prepare to face being a full time college student. I've learned how to manage my time by creating schedules that balances personal time and studying time. I have also learned to pay attention to my priorities and the quicker I finish my work, the more time I have to myself. I feel prepared to an extent due some valuable lessons and words of wisdom from teachers and other college student but until I actually start, I will not know if it all paid off.

2. What were some obstacles that you faced during the course of this year? How did you overcome them?
I think looking back, "senioritis" was a huge obstacle for me. I complained that since I had already went through 3 rigorous years if high school, I needed a long vacation away from work. I started to miss homework assignments and fall off track. I had to push myself to get back on top of things before my grades started to slip drastically.
Write about a moment of great success that you experienced this year. What happened?
The high grades on my pre-calc exams were moments of great success for me. It felt good to know that I had studied hard and did my best so I knew I deserve those grades.
3. Did you enjoy Fiction Writing this year? What were some of the lessons that you learned this year that you would be able to bring into your writing in the future?
Fiction writing was fun to learn but hard to use in my own writing pieces. I learned that all the writing dilemma I face are common and that it is okay to write "shitty first drafts".

4. What Hunter College courses did you take this year? Which were your favorite ones and why? If there was a course you took that you did not enjoy, what was it and why? I took pre-calc and chemistry 100 this semester. I loved pre-calc because it was easy to understand and I love math. On the other hand, chemistry was terrible. I hated that class, it was boring to learn and hard to understand. It challenged me in ways that shouldn't be challenged.

5. What do you still need to work on in order to be an even more successful college student? How do you plan on working on these skills?
In order to be an even more successful college student I need to work on the quality of my work. I usually dislike criticism, but recently I've learned to embrace it and look at it in a brighter light as a way to enhance my work.
6. Where did you study on the Hunter College campus this year? What facilities did you use at Hunter this year?
On campus, I was usually either on the 4th floor of the library or in a private room studying by myself or in a group. I was in the computer lab sometimes, but since I have a laptop, I rarely used the school's facilities.

7. What have you learned about yourself by being a part of this early college program?
I have learnt that I tend to give up easily on the more challenging things that comes my way and that in those times I should never stop, but instead push myself harder.

8. Where will you be attending school in Fall 2010?
I will be attending Hunter to study nursing.

9. What are your personal goals for the future? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years? In 20 years?
In 5 years, I should be graduating college with a nursing degree and possibly working in Long Island Jewish Hospital. In 10 years, I should be in medical school to become a doctor. My personal goal for the future is to focus on the things in life I want the most and work towards it. As cliche as that may sound, anything is achievable in life, you just have to work really hard to get it.
10. What advice do you have to give to future MHSHS students in order to help them prepare for this experience?
To future MHSHS students, I say focus, time management, study and just enjoy theie senior year because it is the beginning of your college transcript and one year goes away really fast.

Final draft: Struggles of Life

Out of all the places to live, this was my town, Flower Mound, Texas. While every other part of Texas enjoyed the view of skyscrapers and busy streets, Flower Mound was filled with trees that grew too high for anyone to cut and everybody’s backyard looked like a jungle where no wild life or plants could survive. It was around 3:30 in the morning when I found myself shuffling behind these bushes in Carlos’ backyard. I pulled the hoodie over my head and waved my hands signaling them boys to follow me. It was me, Dae-Dae, Danny, Scarface and Bucky and we were the cobras. I told Danny to take the hinges off the back door and walked into the house. Carlos thought he was gonna get away with torching my car and shit like I was ready to put these last three bullets in his head. I walked across the hall, knocked over all his family pictures and kicked them to the corner. I knew his parents went on vacation but I sent the boys to check all the rooms just in case. I carried the gun in my right hand behind my back and put my left hand on his door knob and glanced back for a quick second.
I had promised her so many things as I had held her hands close to my heart for two years. Recently, I could feel her fingers slipping. Ever since my mom died, she tried her hardest to help me pick up the pieces of my life even though I was destroying I every footstep after another.
I removed my hand from the door knob and walked back through the door I came in.
“What’s going on Malcolm?” Dae Dae whispered to me.
“Why you staring into space for knowing we don’t even have the time for this bullshit? If you can’t do it, then I sure will cause I aint no punk.” Scarface said belligerently
“We leaving here, I can’t do this, come on’”! I said angrily
I took off my hoodie, stepped into the car and we pulled off the curb.

It was around Mid-day and the clouds cried all morning, the fogs wouldn't rest and the frigid temperatures made the day extremely gloomy. That didn’t stop me from waiting in front of her door though. I rang her door bell, and it was almost as if she was waiting at the door, listening for me, she sprung out and I lifted her up. I always called her by her last name Parker but she’d always address herself as Rosa Parker. I kissed her on the forehead and held her hands as we glided through the rain. We always took these long ass walks talking bout’ the future and how she wanted to go to Harvard and all these bullshit Ivy League schools. I knew that lifestyle wasn’t for me. I mean, I was an average student and whatever but it was just a waste to spend all that time in school learning the same shit over and over again. I just hated sitting in those packed classrooms having some teacher shove useless information down my throat. I never told her this though, when she’d start talking, I’d just nod my head every five minutes or so while thinking about the life I wanna live. Whenever I was alone, I would blast the music in my room and think about the future. I’d lie on my bed for hours and the only thing my eyes saw was this black hole. I lived in this hole in some forbidden city alone. I’d be sitting in a car, looking at the dead plants and shrubberies around me and it frightened me. I called for Parker, but my echo replied. I’d eventually wake up with tears in my eyes.
One thing I’m always telling her though is that life is too short to dream up some perfect lifestyle we could never really live. For me, the American dream died when cancer took my mother and the government shoved me into some crappy ass foster home. We finally stopped at this bridge and sat on the grass. A couple minutes later, the rain stopped falling and I put my hands around her waist. She turned back and smiled. It wasn’t no regular smile though, it was one of those smiles that made you feel like aint no other troubles in the world. Me and Rosa, we would always sit by the bridge and just talk and watch the sun go down, and the sunset come up. She always wanted us to cross the bridge, but that was the only thing I was afraid of, crossing bridges. I always figured the other side of town would have nothing better to offer me than what I have here. I started to sing Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and I took her hand and started dancing in circles. Suddenly, I felt a cold object pierce my temple and Rosa screamed out.
They slapped me with the gun.
“You think you was slick huh”
They kicked me in the knee
“Coming into my house and you aint do shit. You shoulda killed me when you had the chance.”
They pushed me to the tree with gun pointed to my heart. The other two guys continuously punched me in my stomach until I coughed up blood.
I dropped to the floor, and then held my stomach as if it were falling out.
They kicked me once more and I rolled over.
I don’t know why I took the hit as if I deserved them but I did. I looked up, and they said, “This aint over, next time we find you, we killing you and your girlfriend”
Walking away, they spat on my face and shoved Parker to the ground and disappeared.
Limping, using the tree as crutches, I managed to pull myself up. As my blood dripped to floor, I tried walking to Parker and tried helping her up. She turned away from me as the tears built up in her eyes. She pushed my hand to the side, stood up and began to walk away from me. I followed her, and pulled her hand and she spoke.
“You promised you’d stop that shit,” Parker yelled furiously
“It’s a part of my life, I grew up this way and I can’t change that” I said reaching for her face
“So know my life is in jeopardy because you can’t do the right thing?”
“Babe, I’ll fix this, you’re not gonna die,”
“how? Kill him? I’m through with this” Parker said as she stormed off.
I clenched my teeth and yelled “why me?” I walked back and forth for about five minutes squeezing my fists so hard, my nails pierced my skin and I started to bleed even more.
The moon was shinning extremely bright tonight and I finally decided to walk home, face battered and heart unsteady. I walked a different route tonight, my mind was clogged, and I figured I’d use the time to think. I approached Jerome Ave and across the street was the Mount Dale Cemetery. It was closed and I needed to go inside. I ran across the street, hopped over the cemetery gates and walked to the grave site. It was dark, and the light they had over the graves wasn’t enough to clearly find my way. Finally, I walked up to the big tree and my mom’s tombstone had a glow on it from the moon. I sat down in front of it and hugged it so tight as if it were a real person.
My mom had always told me every morning before leaving the house, “Start working on your president speeches” I’d laugh every time saying “Ma, ain’t no black boy from the hood making it into that white house, maybe I could clean it and that’s as far as I’m going.” Ma had always been so proud of me; she thought I was the smartest person she’d ever meet. Ever since dad went to jail for some drug shit, she had been my rock the whole time. I’d always tell her, momma, you crazy but your all I got and I love you.
One day we were home watching some old ass movie, she told me she was sick, and she’d have to be in the hospital for 6 months. She lied, she had one month to live and when she left me, I was mad. Not even a goodbye, no letter, no nothing. I came home one day, and my next door neighbor was in front of my door with tears in her eyes and sadly, I knew why.
I finally let go of her tomb stone realizing that the tears from my eyes soaked my clothes and slowly trickled down her name, Eva Richards. I needed answers, for the first time since her death I was out of options and I had no one to look to. I left her grave site and walked home.
The morning after, I heard a loud banging on my window and I stormed out the bed and my boys were yelling at me. Them Puerto Rican boys was looking for me and something had to be done. I dragged on my pants and a t-shirt. Pulled the hat over my head and shoved the gun into my back pocket then walked out the door. They lived by Parkers’ house and I was ready to put a bullet in all four of em’. Sitting in the back seat of the car, looking back to yesterday because I knew this might end badly. I needed to have no regrets after this, and I’d just run to another city. I would run away from problems and sadness, run away from what could have been, run away from that foster house, run away from life’s expectations, run away from ruined dreams, run away from discrimination, run away from death and run away from myself. As we approaching their block, I reached for the gun in my back pocket and I placed it on my lap. I spotted them; I crouched down low, put my hand on the trigger and rolled down the window. We turned on their block, and I was ready, they were all on the sidewalk and I raised my gun just a little bit higher. I was nauseous at this point and my hand started to shiver. I was about 300 feet away from them, I just started shooting like a mad man and my friends laughed as they watch the Puerto Rican boys each fall to the floor. One bullet for the pain I’ve dealt with for years. Another bullet is for the person I transformed into. The third bullet for the fears I never overcame. The next bullet is for some sort of peace and acceptance in my life. The last bullet is for the monster I will no longer be. I heard a loud scream; I stopped and saw Parker holding her heart as the blood profusely made puddles on the ground. I dropped the gun, opened the car door and ran to her. I held her in my arms, begging her to stay with me, I apologized for everything, I cried, I promised her I’d cross the bridge but she was almost lifeless, she tried to tell me something, but she struggled gagging up all that blood. She said “I…..”
“I what Parker, I what” I said
“I…….forgive...” she said, and before she was able to finish, she had no heartbeat. I stood up, head up, and walked away without a glance over my shoulders.

Draft 8

Out of all the places to live, this was my town, Flower Mound, Texas. While every other part of Texas enjoyed the view of skyscrapers and busy streets, Flower Mound was filled with trees that grew too high for anyone to cut and everybody’s backyard looked like a jungle where no wild life or plants could survive. It was around 3:30 in the morning when I found myself shuffling behind these bushes in Carlos’ backyard. I pulled the hoodie over my head and waved my hands signaling them boys to follow me. It was me, Dae-Dae, Danny, Scarface and Bucky and we were the cobras. I told Danny to take the hinges off the back door and walked into the house. Carlos thought he was gonna get away with torching my car and shit like I was ready to put these last three bullets in his head. I walked across the hall, knocked over all his family pictures and kicked them to the corner. I knew his parents went on vacation but I sent the boys to check all the rooms just in case. I carried the gun in my right hand behind my back and put my left hand on his door knob and glanced back for a quick second.
I had promised her so many things as I had held her hands close to my heart for two years. Recently, I could feel her fingers slipping. Ever since my mom died, she tried her hardest to help me pick up the pieces of my life even though I was destroying I every footstep after another.
I removed my hand from the door knob and walked back through the door I came in.
“What’s going on Malcolm?” Dae Dae whispered to me.
“Why you staring into space for knowing we don’t even have the time for this bullshit? If you can’t do it, then I sure will cause I aint no punk.” Scarface said belligerently
“We leaving here, I can’t do this, come on’”! I said angrily
I took off my hoodie, stepped into the car and we pulled off the curb.

It was around Mid-day and the clouds cried all morning, the fogs wouldn't rest and the frigid temperatures made the day extremely gloomy. That didn’t stop me from waiting in front of her door though. I rang her door bell, and it was almost as if she was waiting at the door, listening for me, she sprung out and I lifted her up. I always called her by her last name Parker but she’d always address herself as Rosa Parker. I kissed her on the forehead and held her hands as we glided through the rain. We always took these long ass walks talking bout’ the future and how she wanted to go to Harvard and all these bullshit Ivy League schools. I knew that lifestyle wasn’t for me. I mean, I was an average student and whatever but it was just a waste to spend all that time in school learning the same shit over and over again. I just hated sitting in those packed classrooms having some teacher shove useless information down my throat. I never told her this though, when she’d start talking, I’d just nod my head every five minutes or so while thinking about the life I wanna live. Whenever I was alone, I would blast the music in my room and think about the future. I’d lie on my bed for hours and the only thing my eyes saw was this black hole. I lived in this hole in some forbidden city alone. I’d be sitting in a car, looking at the dead plants and shrubberies around me and it frightened me. I called for Parker, but my echo replied. I’d eventually wake up with tears in my eyes.
One thing I’m always telling her though is that life is too short to dream up some perfect lifestyle we could never really live. For me, the American dream died when cancer took my mother and the government shoved me into some crappy ass foster home. We finally stopped at this bridge and sat on the grass. A couple minutes later, the rain stopped falling and I put my hands around her waist. She turned back and smiled. It wasn’t no regular smile though, it was one of those smiles that made you feel like aint no other troubles in the world. Me and Rosa, we would always sit by the bridge and just talk and watch the sun go down, and the sunset come up. She always wanted us to cross the bridge, but that was the only thing I was afraid of, crossing bridges. I always figured the other side of town would have nothing better to offer me than what I have here. I started to sing Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and I took her hand and started dancing in circles. Suddenly, I felt a cold object pierce my temple and Rosa screamed out.
They slapped me with the gun.
“You think you was slick huh”
They kicked me in the knee
“Coming into my house and you aint do shit. You shoulda killed me when you had the chance.”
They pushed me to the tree with gun pointed to my heart. The other two guys continuously punched me in my stomach until I coughed up blood.
I dropped to the floor, and then held my stomach as if it were falling out.
They kicked me once more and I rolled over.
I don’t know why I took the hit as if I deserved them but I did. I looked up, and they said, “This aint over, next time we find you, we killing you and your girlfriend”
Walking away, they spat on my face and shoved Parker to the ground and disappeared.
Limping, using the tree as crutches, I managed to pull myself up. As my blood dripped to floor, I tried walking to Parker and tried helping her up. She turned away from me as the tears built up in her eyes. She pushed my hand to the side, stood up and began to walk away from me. I followed her, and pulled her hand and she spoke.
“You promised you’d stop that shit,” Parker yelled furiously
“It’s a part of my life, I grew up this way and I can’t change that” I said reaching for her face
“So know my life is in jeopardy because you can’t do the right thing?”
“Babe, I’ll fix this, you’re not gonna die,”
“how? Kill him? I’m through with this” Parker said as she stormed off.
I clenched my teeth and yelled “why me?” I walked back and forth for about five minutes squeezing my fists so hard, my nails pierced my skin and I started to bleed even more.
The moon was shinning extremely bright tonight and I finally decided to walk home, face battered and heart unsteady. I walked a different route tonight, my mind was clogged, and I figured I’d use the time to think. I approached Jerome Ave and across the street was the Mount Dale Cemetery. It was closed and I needed to go inside. I ran across the street, hopped over the cemetery gates and walked to the grave site. It was dark, and the light they had over the graves wasn’t enough to clearly find my way. Finally, I walked up to the big tree and my mom’s tombstone had a glow on it from the moon. I sat down in front of it and hugged it so tight as if it were a real person.
My mom had always told me every morning before leaving the house, “Start working on your president speeches” I’d laugh every time saying “Ma, ain’t no black boy from the hood making it into that white house, maybe I could clean it and that’s as far as I’m going.” Ma had always been so proud of me; she thought I was the smartest person she’d ever meet. Ever since dad went to jail for some drug shit, she had been my rock the whole time. I’d always tell her, momma, you crazy but your all I got and I love you.
One day we were home watching some old ass movie, she told me she was sick, and she’d have to be in the hospital for 6 months. She lied, she had one month to live and when she left me, I was mad. Not even a goodbye, no letter, no nothing. I came home one day, and my next door neighbor was in front of my door with tears in her eyes and sadly, I knew why.
I finally let go of her tomb stone realizing that the tears from my eyes soaked my clothes and slowly trickled down her name, Eva Richards. I needed answers, for the first time since her death I was out of options and I had no one to look to. I left her grave site and walked home.
The morning after, I heard a loud banging on my window and I stormed out the bed and my boys were yelling at me. Them Puerto Rican boys was looking for me and something had to be done. I dragged on my pants and a t-shirt. Pulled the hat over my head and shoved the gun into my back pocket then walked out the door. They lived by Parkers’ house and I was ready to put a bullet in all four of em’. Sitting in the back seat of the car, looking back to yesterday because I knew this might end badly. I needed to have no regrets after this, and I’d just run to another city. I would run away from problems and sadness, run away from what could have been, run away from that foster house, run away from life’s expectations, run away from ruined dreams, run away from discrimination, run away from death and run away from myself. As we approaching their block, I reached for the gun in my back pocket and I placed it on my lap. I spotted them; I crouched down low, put my hand on the trigger and rolled down the window. We turned on their block, and I was ready, they were all on the sidewalk and I raised my gun just a little bit higher. I was nauseous at this point and my hand started to shiver. I was about 300 feet away from them, I just started shooting like a mad man and my friends laughed as they watch the Puerto Rican boys each fall to the floor. One bullet for the pain I’ve dealt with for years. Another bullet is for the person I transformed into. The third bullet for the fears I never overcame. The next bullet is for some sort of peace and acceptance in my life. The last bullet is for the monster I will no longer be. I heard a loud scream; I stopped and saw Parker holding her heart as the blood profusely made puddles on the ground. I dropped the gun, opened the car door and ran to her. I held her in my arms, begging her to stay with me, I apologized for everything, I cried, I promised her I’d cross the bridge but she was almost lifeless, she tried to tell me something, but she struggled gagging up all that blood. She said “I…..”
“I what Parker, I what” I said
“I…….forgive...” she said, and before she was able to finish, she had no heartbeat. I stood up, head up, and walked away without a glance over my shoulders.

7th Draft- Story

Out of all the places to live, this was my town, Flower Mound, Texas. While every other part of Texas enjoyed the view of skyscrapers and busy streets, Flower Mound was filled with trees that grew too high for anyone to cut and everybody’s backyard looked like a jungle where no wild life or plants could live. It was around 3:30 in the morning when I found myself shuffling behind these bushes in Carlos’ backyard. I pulled the hoodie over my head and waved my hands signaling them boys to follow me. It was me, Dae-Dae, Danny, Scarface and Bucky and we were the cobras. I told Danny to take the hinges off the back door and walked into the house. He thought he was gonna get away with torching my car and shit like I was ready to put these last three bullets in his head. I walked across the hall, knocked over all his family pictures and kicked them to the corner. I knew his parents went on vacation but I sent the boys to check all the rooms just in case. I carried the gun in my right hand behind my back and put my left hand on his door knob and glanced back for a quick second.
I had promised her so many things as I had held her hands close to my heart for two years. Recently, I could feel her fingers slipping. Ever since my mom died, she tried her hardest to help me pick up the pieces of my life even though I was destroying I every footstep after another.

I removed my hand from the door knob and walked back through the back door.
“What’s going on Malcolm?” Dae Dae whispered to me.
“Why you staring into space for knowing we don’t even have the time for this bullshit? If you can’t do it, then I sure will cause I aint no punk.” Scarface said belligerently
“We leaving here, I can’t do this, come on’”! I said angrily
I took off my hoodie, stepped into the car and we pulled off the curb.

It was around Mid-day and the clouds cried all morning, the fogs wouldn't rest and the frigid temperatures made the day extremely gloomy. That didn’t stop me from waiting in front of her door though. I rang her door bell, and it was almost as if she was waiting at the door, listening for me, she sprung out and I lifted her up. I always called her by her last name, parker but she’d always address herself as Rosa Parker. I kissed her on the forehead and held her hands as we glided through the rain. We always took these long ass walks talking bout’ the future and how she wanted to go to Harvard and all these bullshit Ivy League schools. I knew that lifestyle wasn’t for me. I mean, I was an average student and whatever but it was just a waste to spend all that time in school learning the same shit over and over again. I just hated sitting in those packed classrooms having some teacher shove useless information down my throat. I never told her this though, when she’d start talking, I’d just nod my head every five minutes or so while thinking about the life I wanna live. Whenever I was alone, I would blast the music in my room and think about the future. I would dream up the same thing over and over again; small house in Agrestic, this big town in Canada. I’d open my own shop, something like carpentry or some other trade. I’d have this beautiful wife who makes food like my ma did and have two kids. I loved the simplicity of it. One thing I’m always telling her though is that life is too short to dream up some perfect lifestyle we could never really live. For me, the American dream died when cancer took my mother and the government shoved me into some crappy ass foster home. We finally stopped at this bridge and sat on the grass. A couple minutes later, the rain stopped falling and I put my hands around her waist. She turned back and smiled. It wasn’t no regular smile though, it was one of those smiles that made you feel like aint no other troubles in the world. Me and Rosa, we would always sit by the bridge and just talk and watch the sun go down, and the sunset come up. She always wanted us to cross the bridge, but that was the only thing I was afraid of, crossing bridges. I always figured the other side of town would have nothing better to offer me than what I have here. I started to sing Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and I took her hand and started dancing in circles. Suddenly, I felt a cold object pierce my temple and Rosa screamed out.
They slapped me with the gun.
“You think you was slick huh”
They kicked me in the knee
“Coming into my house and you aint do shit. You shoulda killed me when you had the chance.”
They pushed me to the tree with gun pointed to my heart.
“This aint over, next time we find you, we killing you and your girlfriend”
Walking away, they shoved Rosa to the ground and disappeared. Limping, as my blood dripped to floor, I tried helping her up. She turned away from me as the tears built up in her eyes. She started walking home, head down and in silence. I followed her, and pulled her hand and she spoke.
“You promised you’d stop that shit,” Parker yelled furiously
“It’s part of my life, I grew up this way and I can’t change that” I said reaching for her face
“So know my life is in jeopardy because you can’t do the right thing?”
“Babe, I’ll fix this, you’re not gonna die,”
“how? Kill him? I’m through with this” Parker said as she stormed off.
I clenched my teeth and yelled “why me?” I walked back and forth for about five minutes squeezing my fists so hard, my nails pierced my skin and I started to bleed even more.
The moon was shinning extremely bright tonight and I finally decided to walk home, face battered and heart unsteady. I walked a different route tonight, my mind was clogged, and I figured I’d use the time to think. I approached Jerome Ave and across the street was Mount Dale Cemetery. It was closed and I needed to go inside. I ran across the street, hopped over the cemetery gates and walked to the grave site. It was dark, and the light they had over the graves wasn’t enough to clearly find my way. Finally, I walked up to the big tree and my mom’s tombstone had a glow on it from the moon. I sat down in front of it and hugged it so tight as if it were a real person.
My mom had always told me every morning before leaving the house, “Start working on your president speeches” I’d laugh every time saying “Ma, ain’t no black boy from the hood making it into that white house, maybe I could clean it and that’s as far as I’m going.” Ma had always been so proud of me; she thought I was the smartest person she’d ever meet. Ever since dad went to jail for some drug shit, she had been my rock the whole time. I’d always tell her, momma, you crazy but your all I got and I love you.
One day we were home watching some old ass movie, she told me she was sick, and she’d have to be in the hospital for 6 months. She lied, she had one month to live and when she left me, I was mad. Not even a goodbye, no letter, no nothing. I came home one day, and my next door neighbor was in front of my door with tears in her eyes and sadly, I knew why.
I finally let go of her tomb stone realizing that the tears from my eyes soaked my clothes and slowly trickled down her name, Eva Richards. I needed answers, for the first time since her death I was out of option and I had no one. I left her grave site and walked home.
I heard a loud banging on my window and I stormed out the bed and my boys was yelling at me. Them Puerto Rican boys was looking for me and something had to be done. I dragged on my pants and a t-shirt. Pulled the hat over my head and shoved the gun into my back pocket then walked out the door. They lived by Parkers’ house and I was ready to put a bullet in all four of em’. Sitting in the back seat of the car, looking back to yesterday because I knew this might end badly. I needed to have no regrets after this, and I’d just run to another city, run away from problems and sadness, run away from what could have been, run away from that foster house, run away from life’s expectations, run away from ruined dreams, run away from discrimination, run away from death and run away from myself. As we approaching their block as I reached for the gun in my back pocket and placed in on my lap. I spotted them; I crouched down low, put my hand on the trigger and rolled down the window. They turned on the block, and I was ready, they were all on the sidewalk and I raised my gun just a little. I was nauseous at this point and my hand started to shiver. I was about 300 feet away from them, I just started shooting like a mad man and my friends laughed as they watch the Puerto Rican boys each fall to the floor. I heard a loud scream; I stopped and saw Rosa Parker holding her heart as the blood profusely made puddles on the ground. I dropped the gun, opened the car door and ran to her. I held her in my arms, begging her to stay with me, I apologized for everything, I cried, I promised her I’d cross the bridge but she was lifeless, she tried to tell me something, but her body wouldn’t allow her and she just bled to death.

6th Draft - Story

Out of all the places to live, this was my town, Flower Mound, Texas. While every other part of Texas enjoyed the view of skyscrapers and busy streets, Flower Mound was filled with trees that grew too high for anyone to cut and everybody’s backyard looked like a jungle where no wild life or plants could live. It was around 3:30 in the morning when I found myself shuffling behind these bushes in Carlos’ backyard. I pulled the hoodie over my head and waved my hands signaling them boys to follow me. It was me, Dae-Dae, Danny, Scarface and Bucky and we were the cobras. I told Danny to take the hinges off the back door and walked into the house. He thought he was gonna get away with torching my car and shit like I was ready to put these last three bullets in his head. I walked across the hall, knocked over all his family pictures and kicked them to the corner. I knew his parents went on vacation but I sent the boys to check all the rooms just in case. I carried the gun in my right hand behind my back and put my left hand on his door knob and glanced back for a quick second.
I had promised her so many things as I had held her hands close to my heart for two years. Recently, I could feel her fingers slipping. Ever since my mom died, she tried her hardest to help me pick up the pieces of my life even though I was destroying I every footstep after another.
I removed my hand from the door knob and walked back through the back door.
“What’s going on Malcolm?” Dae Dae whispered to me.
“Why you staring into space for knowing we don’t even have the time for this bullshit? If you can’t do it, then I sure will cause I aint no punk.” Scarface said belligerently
“We leaving here, I can’t do this, come on’”! I said angrily
I took off my hoodie, stepped into the car and we pulled off the curb.

It was around Mid-day and the clouds cried all morning, the fogs wouldn't rest and the frigid temperatures made the day extremely gloomy. That didn’t stop me from waiting in front of her door though. I rang her door bell, and it was almost as if she was waiting at the door, listening for me, she sprung out and I lifted her up. I always called her by her last name, parker but she’d always address herself as Rosa Parker. I kissed her on the forehead and held her hands as we glided through the rain. We always took these long ass walks talking bout’ the future and how she wanted to go to Harvard and all these bullshit Ivy League schools. I knew that lifestyle wasn’t for me. I mean, I was an average student and whatever but it was just a waste to spend all that time in school learning the same shit over and over again. I just hated sitting in those packed classrooms having some teacher shove useless information down my throat. I never told her this though, when she’d start talking, I’d just nod my head every five minutes or so while thinking about the life I wanna live. Whenever I was alone, I would blast the music in my room and think about the future. I would dream up the same thing over and over again; small house in Agrestic, this big town in Canada. I’d open my own shop, something like carpentry or some other trade. I’d have this beautiful wife who makes food like my ma did and have two kids. I loved the simplicity of it. One thing I’m always telling her though is that life is too short to dream up some perfect lifestyle we could never really live. For me, the American dream died when cancer took my mother and the government shoved me into some crappy ass foster home. We finally stopped at this bridge and sat on the grass. A couple minutes later, the rain stopped falling and I put my hands around her waist. She turned back and smiled. It wasn’t no regular smile though, it was one of those smiles that made you feel like aint no other troubles in the world. Me and Rosa, we would always sit by the bridge and just talk and watch the sun go down, and the sunset come up. She always wanted us to cross the bridge, but that was the only thing I was afraid of, crossing bridges. I always figured the other side of town would have nothing better to offer me than what I have here. I started to sing Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and I took her hand and started dancing in circles. Suddenly, I felt a cold object pierce my temple and Rosa screamed out.
They slapped me with the gun.
“You think you was slick huh”
They kicked me in the knee
“Coming into my house and you aint do shit. You shoulda killed me when you had the chance.”
They pushed me to the tree with gun pointed to my heart.
“This aint over, next time we find you, we killing you and your girlfriend”
Walking away, they shoved Rosa to the ground and disappeared. Limping, as my blood dripped to floor, I tried helping her up. She turned away from me as the tears built up in her eyes. She started walking home, head down and in silence. I followed her, and pulled her hand and she spoke.
“You promised you’d stop that shit,” Parker yelled furiously
“It’s part of my life, I grew up this way and I can’t change that” I said reaching for her face
“So know my life is in jeopardy because you can’t do the right thing?”
“Babe, I’ll fix this, you’re not gonna die,”
“how? Kill him? I’m through with this” Parker said as she stormed off.
I clenched my teeth and yelled “why me?” I walked back and forth for about five minutes squeezing my fists so hard, my nails pierced my skin and I started to bleed even more.
The moon was shinning extremely bright tonight and I finally decided to walk home, face battered and heart unsteady. I walked a different route tonight, my mind was clogged, and I figured I’d use the time to think. I approached Jerome Ave and across the street was Mount Dale Cemetery. It was closed and I needed to go inside. I ran across the street, hopped over the cemetery gates and walked to the grave site. It was dark, and the light they had over the graves wasn’t enough to clearly find my way. Finally, I walked up to the big tree and my mom’s tombstone had a glow on it from the moon. I sat down in front of it and hugged it so tight as if it were a real person.
My mom had always told me every morning before leaving the house, “Start working on your president speeches” I’d laugh every time saying “Ma, ain’t no black boy from the hood making it into that white house, maybe I could clean it and that’s as far as I’m going.” Ma had always been so proud of me; she thought I was the smartest person she’d ever meet. Ever since dad went to jail for some drug shit, she had been my rock the whole time. I’d always tell her, momma, you crazy but your all I got and I love you.
One day we were home watching some old ass movie, she told me she was sick, and she’d have to be in the hospital for 6 months. She lied, she had one month to live and when she left me, I was mad. Not even a goodbye, no letter, no nothing. I came home one day, and my next door neighbor was in front of my door with tears in her eyes and sadly, I knew why.
I finally let go of her tomb stone realizing that the tears from my eyes soaked my clothes and slowly trickled down her name, Eva Richards. I needed answers, for the first time since her death I was out of option and I had no one. I left her grave site and walked home.
I heard a loud banging on my window and I stormed out the bed and my boys was yelling at me. Them Puerto Rican boys was looking for me and something had to be done. I dragged on my pants and a t-shirt. Pulled the hat over my head and shoved the gun into my back pocket then walked out the door. They lived by Parkers’ house and I was ready to put a bullet in all four of em’. Sitting in the back seat of the car, looking back to yesterday because I knew this might end badly. I needed to have no regrets after this, and I’d just run to another city, run away from problems and sadness, run away from what could have been, run away from that foster house, run away from life’s expectations, run away from ruined dreams, run away from discrimination, run away from death and run away from myself. As we approaching their block as I reached for the gun in my back pocket and placed in on my lap. I spotted them; I crouched down low, put my hand on the trigger and rolled down the window. They turned on the block, and I was ready, they were all on the sidewalk and I raised my gun just a little. I was nauseous at this point and my hand started to shiver. I was about 300 feet away from them, I just started shooting like a mad man and my friends laughed as they watch the Puerto Rican boys each fall to the floor. I heard a loud scream; I stopped and saw Rosa Parker holding her heart as the blood profusely made puddles on the ground. I dropped the gun, opened the car door and ran to her. I held her in my arms, begging her to stay with me, I apologized for everything, I cried, I promised her I’d cross the bridge but she was lifeless, she tried to tell me something, but her body wouldn’t allow her and she just bled to death.

5th draft- story

It was around 3:30 in the morning when I found myself shuffling behind these bushes in his Coolio’s backyard. Out of all the places to live, this was my town, Flower Mound, Texas. While every other part of Texas enjoyed the view of skyscrapers and busy streets, Flower Mound was filled with trees that grew too high for anyone to cut and everybody’s backyard looked like a jungle where no wild life or plants could live. I pulled the hoodie over my head and waved my hands signaling them boys to follow me. It was me, Dae-Dae, Danny, Scarface and Bucky and we were the cobras. I told Danny to take the hinges off the back door and walked into the house. He thought he was gonna get away with torching my car and shit like I was ready to put these last three bullets in his head. I walked across the hall, knocked over all his family pictures and kicked them to the corner. I knew his parents went on vacation but I sent the boys to check all the rooms just in case. I carried the gun in my right hand behind my back and put my left hand on his door knob and glanced back for a quick second.
I had promised her so many things as I held her hands close to my heart for two years I had held unto her heart in glass case and recently I could feel my fingers slipping. Ever since mom died, she tried her hardest to help me pick up the pieces of my life even though I was destroying it.
I removed my hand from the door knob and walked back through the back door.
“What’s going on Malcolm?” Dae Dae whispered to me.
“Why you staring into space for knowing we don’t even have the time for this bullshit? If you can’t do it, then I sure will cause I aint no punk.” Scarface said belligerently
“We leaving here, I can’t do this, come on’”! I said angrily
I took off my hoodie, stepped into the car and we pulled off the curb.

It was around Mid-day and the clouds cried all morning, the fogs wouldn't rest and the frigid temperatures made the day extremely gloomy. That didn’t stop me from waiting in front of her door though. I rang her door bell, and it was almost as if she was waiting at the door, listening for me, she sprung out and I lifted her up. I always called by her last name, parker but she’d always address herself as Rosa Parker. I kissed her on the forehead and held her hands as we glided through the rain. We always took these long ass walks talking bout’ the future and how she wanted to go to Harvard and all these bullshit Ivy League schools. I always told her that lifestyle wasn’t for me. I mean, I was an average student and whatever but it was just a waste to spend all that time in school learning the same shit over and over again. I just hated sitting in those packed classrooms having some teacher shove useless information down my throat. I never told her this though, when she’d start talking, I’d just nod my head every five minutes or so while thinking about the life I wanna live. One thing I’m always telling her though is that life is too short to dream up some perfect lifestyle we could never really live. For me, the American dream died when cancer took my mother and the government shoved me into some crappy ass foster home. We finally stopped at this bridge and sat on the grass. A couple minutes later, the rain stopped falling and I put my hands around her waist. She turned back and smiled. It wasn’t no regular smile though, it was one of those smiles that made you feel like aint no other troubles in the world. Me and Rosa, we would always sit by the bridge and just talk and watch the sun go down, and the sunset come up. She always wanted us to cross the bridge, but that was the only thing I was afraid of, crossing bridges. I always figured the other side of town would have nothing better to offer me than what I have here. I started to sing Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and I took her hand and started dancing in circles. Suddenly, I felt a cold object pierce my temple and Rosa screamed out.
They slapped me with the gun.
“You think you was slick huh”
They kicked me in the knee
“Coming into my house and you aint do shit. You shoulda killed me when you had the chance.”
They pushed me to the tree with gun pointed to my heart.
“This aint over, next time we find you, we killing you and your girlfriend”
Walking away, they shoved Rosa to the ground and disappeared. Limping, as my blood dripped to floor, I tried helping her up. She turned away from me as the tears built up in her eyes. She started walking home, head down and in silence. I followed her, and pulled her hand and she spoke.
“You promised you’d stop that shit,” Parker yelled furiously
“It’s part of my life, I grew up this way and I can’t change that” I said reaching for her face
“So know my life is in jeopardy because you can’t do the right thing?”
“Babe, I’ll fix this, you’re not gonna die,”
“how? Kill him? I’m through with this” Parker said as she stormed off.
I clenched my teeth and yelled “why me?” I walked back and forth for about five minutes squeezing my fists so hard, my nails pierced my skin and I started to bleed even more.
The moon was shinning extremely bright tonight and I finally decided to walk home, face battered and heart unsteady. I walked a different route tonight, my mind was clogged, and I figured I’d use the time to think. I approached Jerome Ave and across the street was Mount Dale Cemetery. It was closed and I needed to go inside. I ran across the street, hopped over the cemetery gates and walked to the grave site. It was dark, and the light they had over the graves wasn’t enough to clearly find my way. Finally, I walked up to the big tree and my mom’s tombstone had a glow on it from the moon. I sat down in front of it and hugged it so tight as if it were a real person.
My mom had always told me every morning before leaving the house, “Start working on your president speeches” I’d laugh every time saying “Ma, ain’t no black boy from the hood making it into that white house, maybe I could clean it and that’s as far as I’m going.” Ma had always been so proud of me; she thought I was the smartest person she’d ever meet. Ever since dad went to jail for some drug shit, she had been my rock the whole time. I’d always tell her, momma, you crazy but your all I got and I love you.
One day we were home watching some old ass movie, she told me she was sick, and she’d have to be in the hospital for 6 months. She lied, she had one month to live and when she left me, I was mad. Not even a goodbye, no letter, no nothing. I came home one day, and my next door neighbor was in front of my door with tears in her eyes and sadly, I knew why.
I finally let go of her tomb stone realizing that the tears from my eyes soaked my clothes and slowly trickled down her name, Eva Richards. I needed answers, for the first time since her death I was out of option and I had no one. I left her grave site and walked home.
I heard a loud banging on my window and I stormed out the bed and my boys was yelling at me. Them Puerto Rican boys was looking for me and something had to be done. I dragged on my pants and a t-shirt. Pulled the hat over my head and shoved the gun into my back pocket then walked out the door. They lived by Parkers’ house and I was ready to put a bullet in all four of em’. Sitting in the back seat of the car, looking back to yesterday because I knew this might end badly. I needed to have no regrets after this, and I’d just run to another city, run away from problems and sadness, run away from what could have been, run away from that foster house, run away from life’s expectations, run away from ruined dreams, run away from discrimination, run away from death and run away from myself. As we approaching their block as I reached for the gun in my back pocket and placed in on my lap. I spotted them; I crouched down low, put my hand on the trigger and rolled down the window. They turned on the block, and I was ready, they were all on the sidewalk and I raised my gun just a little. I was nauseous at this point and my hand started to shiver. I was about 300 feet away from them, I just started shooting like a mad man and my friends laughed as they watch the Puerto Rican boys each fall to the floor. I heard a loud scream; I stopped and saw Rosa Parker holding her heart as the blood profusely made puddles on the ground. I dropped the gun, opened the car door and ran to her. I held her in my arms, begging her to stay with me, I apologized for everything, I cried, I promised her I’d cross the bridge but she was lifeless, she tried to tell me something, but her body wouldn’t allow her and she just bled to death.

4th Draft-Story

It was around 3:30 in the morning when I found myself shuffling behind these bushes in his backyard. I pulled the hoodie over my head and waved my hands signaling them boys to follow me. It was me, Dae-Dae, Danny, Scarface and Bucky and we were the Cobras. I told Danny to take the hinges off the back door and walked into the house. He thought he was gonna get away with torching my car and shit like I was ready to put these last three bullets in his head. I walked across the hall, knocked over all his family pictures and kicked them to the corner. I knew his parents went on vacation but I sent the boys to check all the rooms just in case. I carried the gun in my right hand behind my back and put my left hand on his door knob and glanced back for a quick second. I had promised her so many things as I held her hands close to my heart. For two years, I had held unto her heart in glass case and recently I could feel my fingers slipping. I removed my hand from the door knob and walked back through the back door.
“What’s going on man?” Dae Dae whispered.
“What we doing out here?” Scarface said belligerently
“We leaving here, I can’t do this, come on’”! I said angrily
I took off my hoodie, stepped into the car and we pulled off the curb.
It was around Mid-day and the clouds cried all morning, the fogs wouldn't rest and the frigid temperatures made the day extremely gloomy. That didn’t stop me from waiting in front of her door though. I rang her door bell, and it was almost as if she was waiting at the door, listening for me, she sprung out and I lifted her up. I always called by her last name, parker but she’d always address herself as Rosa Parker. I kissed her on the forehead and held her hands as we glided through the rain. We always took these long ass walks talking bout’ the future and how she wanted to go to Harvard and all these bullshit Ivy League schools. I always told her that lifestyle wasn’t for me. I mean, I was an average student and whatever but it was just a waste to spend all that time in school learning the same shit over and over again. I just hated sitting in those packed classrooms having some teacher shove useless information down my throat. I never told her this though, when she’d start talking, I’d just nod my head every five minutes or so while thinking about the life I wanna live. One thing I’m always telling her though is that life is too short to dream up some perfect lifestyle we could never really live. For me, the American dream died when cancer took my mother and the government shoved me into some crappy ass foster home. We finally stopped at this bridge and sat on the grass. A couple minutes later, the rain stopped falling and I put my hands around her waist. She turned back and smiled. It wasn’t no regular smile though, it was one of those smiles that made you feel like aint no other troubles in the world. Me and Rosa, we would always sit by the bridge and just talk and watch the sun go down, and the sunset come up. She always wanted us to cross the bridge, but that was the only thing I was afraid of, crossing bridges. I always figured the other side of town would have nothing better to offer me than what I have here. I started to sing Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and I took her hand and started dancing in circles. Suddenly, I felt a cold object pierce my temple and Rosa screamed out.
They slapped me with the gun.
“You think you was slick huh”
They kicked me in the knee
“Coming into my house and you aint do shit. You shoulda killed me when you had the chance.”
They pushed me to the tree with gun pointed to my heart.
“This aint over, next time we find you, we killing you and your girlfriend”
Walking away, they shoved Rosa to the ground and disappeared. Limping, as my blood dripped to floor, I tried helping her up. She turned away from me as the tears built up in her eyes. She started walking home, head down and in silence. I followed her, and pulled her hand and she spoke.
“You promised you’d stop that shit,” Parker yelled furiously
“It’s part of my life, I grew up this way and I can’t change that” I said reaching for her face
“So know my life is in jeopardy because you can’t do the right thing?”
“Babe, I’ll fix this, you’re not gonna die,”
“how? Kill him? I’m through with this” Parker said as she stormed off.
I clenched my teeth and yelled “why me?” I walked back and forth for about five minutes squeezing my fists so hard, my nails pierced my skin and I started to bleed even more.
The moon was shinning extremely bright tonight and I finally decided to walk home, face battered and heart unsteady. I walked a different route tonight, my mind was clogged, and I figured I’d use the time to think. I approached Jerome Ave and across the street was Mount Dale Cemetery. It was closed and I needed to go inside. I ran across the street, hopped over the cemetery gates and walked to the grave site. It was dark, and the light they had over the graves wasn’t enough to clearly find my way. Finally, I walked up to the big tree and my mom’s tombstone had a glow on it from the moon. I sat down in front of it and hugged it so tight as if it were a real person.
My mom had always told me every morning before leaving the house, “Start working on your president speeches” I’d laugh every time saying “Ma, ain’t no black boy from the hood making it into that white house, maybe I could clean it and that’s as far as I’m going.” Ma had always been so proud of me; she thought I was the smartest person she’d ever meet. Ever since dad went to jail for some drug shit, she had been my rock the whole time. I’d always tell her, momma, you crazy but your all I got and I love you.
One day we were home watching some old ass movie, she told me she was sick, and she’d have to be in the hospital for 6 months. She lied, she had one month to live and when she left me, I was mad. Not even a goodbye, no letter, no nothing. I came home one day, and my next door neighbor was in front of my door with tears in her eyes and sadly, I knew why.
I finally let go of her tomb stone realizing that the tears from my eyes soaked my clothes and slowly trickled down her name, Eva Richards. I needed answers, for the first time since her death I was out of option and I had no one. I left her grave site and walked home.
I heard a loud banging on my window and I stormed out the bed and my boys was yelling at me. Them Puerto Rican boys was looking for me and something had to be done. I dragged on my pants and a t-shirt. Pulled the hat over my head and shoved the gun into my back pocket then walked out the door. They lived by Parkers’ house and I was ready to put a bullet in all four of em’. Sitting in the back seat of the car, looking back to yesterday because I knew this might end badly. I needed to have no regrets after this, and I’d just run to another city, run away from problems and sadness, run away from what could have been, run away from that foster house, run away from life’s expectations, run away from ruined dreams, run away from discrimination, run away from death and run away from myself. As we approaching their block as I reached for the gun in my back pocket and placed in on my lap. I spotted them; I crouched down low, put my hand on the trigger and rolled down the window. They turned on the block, and I was ready, they were all on the sidewalk and I raised my gun just a little. I was nauseous at this point and my hand started to shiver. I was about 300 feet away from them, I just started shooting like a mad man and my friends laughed as they watch the Puerto Rican boys each fall to the floor. I heard a loud scream; I stopped and saw Rosa Parker holding her heart as the blood profusely made puddles on the ground. I dropped the gun, opened the car door and ran to her. I held her in my arms, begging her to stay with me, I apologized for everything, I cried, I promised her I’d cross the bridge but she was lifeless, she tried to tell me something, but her body wouldn’t allow her and she just bled to death.

3rd Draft -Story

It was around 3:30 in the morning when I found myself shuffling behind these bushes in his backyard. I pulled the hoodie over my head and waved my hands signaling them boys to follow me. It was me, Dae-Dae, Danny, Scarface and Bucky and we were the Cobras. I told Danny to take the hinges off the back door and walked into the house. He thought he was gonna get away with torching my car and shit like I was ready to put these last three bullets in his head. I walked across the hall, knocked over all his family pictures and kicked them to the corner. I knew his parents went on vacation but I sent the boys to check all the rooms just in case. I carried the gun in my right hand behind my back and put my left hand on his door knob and glanced back for a quick second. I had promised her so many things as I held her hands close to my heart. For two years, I had held unto her heart in glass case and recently I could feel my fingers slipping. I removed my hand from the door knob and walked back through the back door.
“What’s going on man?” Dae Dae whispered.
“What we doing out here?” Scarface said belligerently
“We leaving here, I can’t do this, come on’”! I said angrily
I took off my hoodie, stepped into the car and we pulled off the curb.
It was around Mid-day and the clouds cried all morning, the fogs wouldn't rest and the frigid temperatures made the day extremely gloomy. That didn’t stop me from waiting in front of her door though. I rang her door bell, and it was almost as if she was waiting at the door, listening for me, she sprung out and I lifted her up. I always called by her last name, parker but she’d always address herself as Rosa Parker. I kissed her on the forehead and held her hands as we glided through the rain. We always took these long ass walks talking bout’ the future and how she wanted to go to Harvard and all these bullshit Ivy League schools. I always told her that lifestyle wasn’t for me. I mean, I was an average student and whatever but it was just a waste to spend all that time in school learning the same shit over and over again. I just hated sitting in those packed classrooms having some teacher shove useless information down my throat. I never told her this though, when she’d start talking, I’d just nod my head every five minutes or so while thinking about the life I wanna live. One thing I’m always telling her though is that life is too short to dream up some perfect lifestyle we could never really live. For me, the American dream died when cancer took my mother and the government shoved me into some crappy ass foster home. We finally stopped at this bridge and sat on the grass. A couple minutes later, the rain stopped falling and I put my hands around her waist. She turned back and smiled. It wasn’t no regular smile though, it was one of those smiles that made you feel like aint no other troubles in the world. Me and Rosa, we would always sit by the bridge and just talk and watch the sun go down, and the sunset come up. She always wanted us to cross the bridge, but that was the only thing I was afraid of, crossing bridges. I always figured the other side of town would have nothing better to offer me than what I have here. I started to sing Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and I took her hand and started dancing in circles. Suddenly, I felt a cold object pierce my temple and Rosa screamed out.
They slapped me with the gun.
“You think you was slick huh”
They kicked me in the knee
“Coming into my house and you aint do shit. You shoulda killed me when you had the chance.”
They pushed me to the tree with gun pointed to my heart.
“This aint over, next time we find you, we killing you and your girlfriend”
Walking away, they shoved Rosa to the ground and disappeared. Limping, as my blood dripped to floor, I tried helping her up. She turned away from me as the tears built up in her eyes. She started walking home, head down and in silence. I followed her, and pulled her hand and she spoke.
“You promised you’d stop that shit,” Parker yelled furiously
“It’s part of my life, I grew up this way and I can’t change that” I said reaching for her face
“So know my life is in jeopardy because you can’t do the right thing?”
“Babe, I’ll fix this, you’re not gonna die,”
“how? Kill him? I’m through with this” Parker said as she stormed off.
I clenched my teeth and yelled “why me?” I walked back and forth for about five minutes squeezing my fists so hard, my nails pierced my skin and I started to bleed even more.
The moon was shinning extremely bright tonight and I finally decided to walk home, face battered and heart unsteady. I walked a different route tonight, my mind was clogged, and I figured I’d use the time to think. I approached Jerome Ave and across the street was Mount Dale Cemetery. It was closed and I needed to go inside. I ran across the street, hopped over the cemetery gates and walked to the grave site. It was dark, and the light they had over the graves wasn’t enough to clearly find my way. Finally, I walked up to the big tree and my mom’s tombstone had a glow on it from the moon. I sat down in front of it and hugged it so tight as if it were a real person.
My mom had always told me every morning before leaving the house, “Start working on your president speeches” I’d laugh every time saying “Ma, ain’t no black boy from the hood making it into that white house, maybe I could clean it and that’s as far as I’m going.” Ma had always been so proud of me; she thought I was the smartest person she’d ever meet. Ever since dad went to jail for some drug shit, she had been my rock the whole time. I’d always tell her, momma, you crazy but your all I got and I love you.
One day we were home watching some old ass movie, she told me she was sick, and she’d have to be in the hospital for 6 months. She lied, she had one month to live and when she left me, I was mad. Not even a goodbye, no letter, no nothing. I came home one day, and my next door neighbor was in front of my door with tears in her eyes and sadly, I knew why.
I finally let go of her tomb stone realizing that the tears from my eyes soaked my clothes and slowly trickled down her name, Eva Richards. I needed answers, for the first time since her death I was out of option and I had no one. I left her grave site and walked home.
I heard a loud banging on my window and I stormed out the bed and my boys was yelling at me. Them Puerto Rican boys was looking for me and something had to be done. I dragged on my pants and a t-shirt. Pulled the hat over my head and shoved the gun into my back pocket then walked out the door.

2nd draft-story

It was around 3:30 in the morning when I found myself shuffling behind these bushes in his backyard. I pulled the hoodie over my head and waved my hands signaling them boys to follow me. It was me, Dae-Dae, Danny, Scarface and Bucky and we were the Cobras. I told Danny to take the hinges off the back door and walked into the house. He thought he was gonna get away with torching my car and shit like I was ready to put these last three bullets in his head. I walked across the hall, knocked over all his family pictures and kicked them to the corner. I knew his parents went on vacation but I sent the boys to check all the rooms just in case. I carried the gun in my right hand behind my back and put my left hand on his door knob and glanced back for a quick second. I had promised her so many things as I held her hands close to my heart. For two years, I had held unto her heart in glass case and recently I could feel my fingers slipping. I removed my hand from the door knob and walked back through the back door.
“What’s going on man?” Dae Dae whispered.
“What we doing out here?” Scarface said belligerently
“We leaving here, I can’t do this, come on’”! I said angrily
I took off my hoodie, stepped into the car and we pulled off the curb.
It was around Mid-day and the clouds cried all morning, the fogs wouldn't rest and the frigid temperatures made the day extremely gloomy. That didn’t stop me from waiting in front of her door though. I rang her door bell, and it was almost as if she was waiting at the door, listening for me, she sprung out and I lifted her up. I always called by her last name, parker but she’d always address herself as Rosa Parker. I kissed her on the forehead and held her hands as we glided through the rain. We always took these long ass walks talking bout’ the future and how she wanted to go to Harvard and all these bullshit Ivy League schools. I always told her that lifestyle wasn’t for me. I mean, I was an average student and whatever but it was just a waste to spend all that time in school learning the same shit over and over again. I just hated sitting in those packed classrooms having some teacher shove useless information down my throat. I never told her this though, when she’d start talking, I’d just nod my head every five minutes or so while thinking about the life I wanna live. One thing I’m always telling her though is that life is too short to dream up some perfect lifestyle we could never really live. For me, the American dream died when cancer took my mother and the government shoved me into some crappy ass foster home. We finally stopped at this bridge and sat on the grass. A couple minutes later, the rain stopped falling and I put my hands around her waist. She turned back and smiled. It wasn’t no regular smile though, it was one of those smiles that made you feel like aint no other troubles in the world. Me and Rosa, we would always sit by the bridge and just talk and watch the sun go down, and the sunset come up. She always wanted us to cross the bridge, but that was the only thing I was afraid of, crossing bridges. I always figured the other side of town would have nothing better to offer me than what I have here. I started to sing Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean and I took her hand and started dancing in circles. Suddenly, I felt a cold object pierce my temple and Rosa screamed out.
They slapped me with the gun.
“You think you was slick huh”
They kicked me in the knee
“Coming into my house and you aint do shit. You shoulda killed me when you had the chance.”
They pushed me to the tree with gun pointed to my heart.
“This aint over, next time we find you, we killing you and your girlfriend”
Walking away, they shoved Rosa to the ground and disappeared. Limping, as my blood dripped to floor, I tried helping her up. She turned away from me as the tears built up in her eyes. She started walking home, head down and in silence. I followed her, and pulled her hand and she spoke.
“You promised you’d stop that shit,” Parker yelled furiously
“It’s part of my life, I grew up this way and I can’t change that” I said reaching for her face
“So know my life is in jeopardy because you can’t do the right thing?”
“Babe, I’ll fix this, you’re not gonna die,”
“how? Kill him? I’m through with this” Parker said as she stormed off.
I clenched my teeth and yelled “why me?” I walked back and forth for about five minutes squeezing my fists so hard, my nails pierced my skin and I started to bleed even more.

1st draft - fiction story-not full, where I first started

I jumped out the bed, threw on some Levis, a white shirt and walked out the door with my North Face book bag on my right shoulder. The sun stroked my face on every footstep as I ran to the tree across the street. I stood there waiting for her. The smile on my face widened as she approached me, Diamond was what I called her.

Journal #8 Sexual Deceit

It was mid august and Jerome was back from his work trip to Paris working on a scientific experiment cloning genes. The sun glazed our faces as we took our morning jogs through Clarenton Park.
"So how was your trip" I asked.
He took one big bite into the apple, slowed down and said "it was fine, I accomplished alot"
"That sounds exciting" I said with a smirk and continued jogging. Jerome and I have been engaged for about 6 months after the water fall proposal last December at the Chamberlain Hotel. A couple weeks later, I realized that I was losing a lot of weight and I'd wake up with coating of bad tastes in my mouth which I found very unusual. My body told me something was wrong so I finally went to the doctor. Do I have anything contagious? Will I die? Is there something wrong with the baby? Is it something I ate. Caught up in my thoughts, the doctor tapped my shoulders and brought me into his room. I layed down and watched as he poured the gel over my stomach and stared at the moving life on the screen. I was still in the first trimester so it was difficult to tell if anything was significantly wrong. Doctor Mann tookk my temperature and looked in my mouth. I had a knawing fever and he took out a cotton swab and I drenched my saliva on it.
Minutes later he came back and told me that I was HIV positive and that if I had the baby, it would also be HIV positive. I grabbed my purse, slipped my shoes on and left. With tears in my eyes I handed Jerome the engagement ring and walked away.

Journal #7

Getting off the bus, I dragged my husband Mark into the Car dealership. "Honey look at the small Honda to your right, it would be perfect for us" I said.
"We talked about this, cars cost alot of money and it needs alot of attention" he replied.
"I love cars and I am tired of taking the bus and watching my friends drive their new cars" I said.
" Cars need gas, gas is expensive and don't forget insurance. If there's a problem, you have to take it to the mechanics which cost even more money" Mark said.
"I understand that a car maybe a lot of responsibilty but I know we can handle it and we will grow to love it." I said in anguish
"I really don't a car, but I will think about it" He said.

**I couldn't think of a supermarket scene that wouldnt be the same as everyone else's so I used cars.

Journal #6

a)She prayed that one day god would take her life because it was hard to live.
b)Lucifer, her step dad continued to torture her with his words.
c)Suanna's sister died at birth.
d)The mother was helpless and stayed married to Lucifer
e)One afternoon, Suanna killed her parents and drank coffee over their dead body.

Her eyes could fill a stream and her heart bled as she layed on the floor as a fetus and rocked side to side as she prayed that one day god would take her into his heavens. Lucifer, her stepdad was always torturing her with his harmful words that made Suanna's life unbearable. Months before, her mother gave birth to an already dead baby and that left the household even more numb. The mother felt helpless but she continued to stay married to Lucifer even after he made her lose the baby. Eventually, one afternoon Suanna Killed her parents and drank coffee over their dead body.

Journal #5

1st Perspective:

It was around Mid-day and the clouds cried all morning, the fogs wouldn't rest and the frigid temperatures made the day extremely gloomy. The boiler in the basement wasn't working again so charles grabbed the old robe hanging on the closet door, grabbed his cane and headed for the basement. He groaned and mumbled something in hebrew as he approached the last step. He tried turning knobs and checking the water but the loud thump stratled him and he bumped his head on the pipes. He turned around, and he saw a shadow and heard another thump. He walked closer to the sound and saw three rats run from the boxes of old pictire frames and bike parts. As Charles began to walk upstairs, he heard his door open and shouted "Who's there, Who's that". Suddenly footsteps drew closer and Charles gripped the stair handle and lifted his cane in the air.


2nd Perspective:
It was in the middle of the recession and the American dream dwindled quickly for the Cuevas family. Jose Cuevas needed money desperately for his daughter whom cancer got a hold of. Chemotherapy cost them their house and the Van they've been living in isn't cutting it for all five of them. As the provider, he felt helpless and he had to change that or else his only daughter would die in six months. Jose waited until mid day and even though the weather was bleak, he still followed through. It was the smallest house on the block and he went in through the back gate. He slowly pushed the door open and stuck he head in and looked around. It seemed quiet so he stepped in. Walking towards the bedroom, he heard a loud thump comming from the basement, he walked over there and took out the baseball bat. He was willing to do whatever he could to get some money for his daughter. He got closer to the door and turned the door knob.

Journal #4

Walking on Broadway, seconds before I approached the intersection of 59th street and Lexington, I quickly pushed my back against the wall as two cars collided right before my eyes. Still pressed against the bricks, I saw the airbags in the two taxis come alive and the sounds of ambulance sirens drew closer. It happened so quickly, my heart and my mind was still in shock but I ran over to the cars shoved my stethoscope in my ear and dialed 911.

Journal #3 (Backwards Plotting)

“Aww, Sofia… I‘m sorry for your loss… I know that he’s going to be missed a lot… He was such a great man!” Over and over again friends and family members kept coming up to me giving me their condolences. Everyone thinks they really knew my father, “the perfect man!” To the world, he played a role people adored. The single father raising his daughter after his wife abandoned them, working two jobs, and always helping out everybody in the neighbor. But only I knew who Victor Morales really was.

As I walked down the aisle getting closer to the casket; the tension grew stronger and stronger as I got closer his body. “Sofiaaaaa (sing song voice) come here baby” Victor had said. “Yes daddy?” Sofia had said. “Daddy doesn’t feel well honey” Victor said as he began to undress her. “Daddy why are you taking my clothes off? It’s not bath time….” Sofia said. “I know honey, but daddy needs to feel better.”
Every time daddy would say this I would close my eyes to get through it and win the lollipop he would always promise me. But this time it really hurt and daddy made me position myself like a dog on his bed. “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” “Oh dear I am so sorry that you’re taking his death so hard; he was such a great man” said my neighbor as she hugged me and rubbed my back. Little did she know that I was screaming at the memory of the pain that I had felt, not his death.
I got home and my answering machine flashed a bright red light reminding me that I had two missed calls and messages. I figured that it would be more pathetic condolences from family members I've never even met. However, I listened anyway and a man by the name of Rodriguez wanted to meet with me to discuss Victor's will. He mentions that considering I am his only beneficiary, I had to come and sign some papers. Already dressed and his office not being too far I went over right away to get it over with. When I arrived, his secretary apologized for Victor's death; I nodded and walked into Mr. Rodriguez's office. "My condolences, your father was a good man" he said. I told him I was in a rush and he told me that Victor left the house for me and everything that was in his bank account. I signed the papers and left.

After talking to the lawyer, I started to walk around the neighborhood and without noticing it there was the house that has haunted me all of my life. In that house I would pray for someone to rescue me, I would pray for my mother to be like a hero I’d wish that he’d stop touching me however my wish never came true. The day I left my house I said to myself that I’d never come back to this house. In an attempt to calm my nerves I decided to smoke a cigarette. I wanted to enter the house but the traumatic memories rushed back into my mind and stopped me from entering. All I wanted was to make the house disappear. I threw the cigarette on the “Welcome” mat outside of the front door. Smoke then came from the mat and then ignited a fire. I lighted another match and threw it on the mat. Little by little the house was burning. As it disappeared, so did my memories.

Slow Motion

The Black SUV approached the corner of Hollis and Colfax then came to an abrupt stop. The windows were tinted and the wheels were spinning. Minutes later, Mikey turns the corners in his grey hooded sweater and his pants saggin so low, you'd wonder why he'd even put a belt into it in the first place. His eyes were focused on the pavement and his hands were tucked into his sweater as he slowly apporaoched the SUV. The windows rolled down and two hispanic men sat in the front. "Wheres my money?" said one of the men in a rustic voice that would give anyone chills. "I don't got it" Mikey whispered. "You don't got my money" then man's voice raised. "It was a bad week" said Mikey. Before the men said one more word, Mikey noticed the loaded gun in the driver's hand and took off on foot. He ran through Lesley Projects and turned on Murdock avenue. He hid behind a dumpster to catch a breath then dashed through the alley after he saw the blinding headlights of the SUV. He ran to the end of the alley and tried to climb over the barbed wire as his right foot got stuck in between the wire and he gave up. The guys jumped out the SUV and shot him in the head twice. Mikey had no real family, he had lived at the homeless shelter since the house fire killed his parents in 1998. He had dropped out of school in the 7th grade because to him, it was a waste of time. He tried commiting suicide but never worked, it was his time to go. Mikey dropped to the floor, covered in blood as the SUv sped off.

Flash Back

"Table for two please", Carl said softly. The waiter scurried over to them and quickly showed them to their seats. Sasha held her head down into the menu, eyes penetrating as if she were planning on disappearing somehow. I'd remember the good days. The sun was shining and we were even more playful than the children at the park. Then I had started woring late because Carl got laid off from the paper factory and my regular eight hour shift wasn't cutting it. I stepped foot into the house around 1 a.m and Carl was right there with this weird look in his eyes. I had never seen this before. He grabbed me and threw me on the floor, complaining about how his dinner wasn't on the dinner and he was starving. He had kicked me in my stomach, calling me out my name and the pain felt sharper than any knife. I looked up, and there he was with that same smirk on his face while he asked me if i was ready to order

film script

Person A: “Where are you going”!
Person A runs up to Person B and stands right in their face. (I’ve been trapped inside this house for days! Please take me with you)
Person B: “Out” (Please, please, stay home! I bet she’s gonna ruin the surprise)
Person A: “What about the boxes” (Why are these empty boxes in the garage?)
Person B: “I’d like to go for a walk” (hopefully her curiosity gets to her and she opens the box)
Person A: “So would I” (…)Person B: “you stay here” (please just stay with the boxes)
Person A: “Why would I” (why can’t I go? Is he hiding something, he’s just a little too happy)
Person B: “Stay here” (stay here! If she doesn’t open the boxes soon, I will”)
Person A: “Why” (I really want to take a walk so stop trying to stop me)
Person B: “The boxes” (open the damn boxes!)
Person A: “Let both of us go”
Person B: “Why don’t you carry them?”
Person A: “Me” (before I couldn’t go walking and know he wants me to carry boxes?)
Person B: “Let’s go for a walk”
Person A: “What about the boxes”
Person B gets down on one knee, opens the box and then proposed to person A
Posted by Zahura at 4:49 PM Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Google Buzz

Amazing.

tell me whats wrong
tell me the story
about another Bomb
but please dont bore me
its the opposite of boring to the core in
to take a tour in a movie where its pourin
from the shore in, fightin in the mornin
the heat sun scorchin, carryin the torch in
remember the porch and, how it wasnt important,
but now im fightin this war and, ive become a war man
with whore hands, with more war planned,
let the president be tore and damned
see i never understood that i could lose my life
cause i grew up in da hood fighting the poor fight
and ill never understand why we shoot the afghan
from the innocent to every last political man that stands
its looking like a genocide, playing god with hands
the middle easts a puppet, so fuck it says Americans
im confused by clues of conspiring news and whats true
whats not if the seas red not blue your shot
a bullet wound can be fatal, all chance and luck
so go ahead and spin the dradel, see who gets struck
were deployed as toys like a game played by a little boy
but the murder on the screen isnt as real as it seems
when your literally standing at the scene, your a oiled up machine
born for peace, washed to kill, you teenage feen
i see red, to the led in my gun
and im fed lies to think this is fun
they hide the reality from the people
because a lie wont hurt you but the truth is lethal
the people pleed to stop the killings
but you were taught to have no feelings
to struggle through the pain, till your driven insane
to the point the pain remains in your body re-imaged in your brain
its chilling, and my family picture, makes me miss her
at night i can hear my baby girl whisper
daddy daddy go get the bad guy
i wanna see you soon so please dont die
daddy daddy i know your doing it for good
but people say America aint doin what it should