Kendall C.

Topic: Girls' educational opportunities

On a Tuesday, as I woke up from a morning of sleeping in later than I usually do, I smelled the comforting scent of my mother’s cooking. I walked into the kitchen, to see her waiting for me with a basket of dirty laundry.

“Asali, can you go clean those for me? Food will be ready for you once you have finished,” my mother told me without looking up from her cooking.

“Yes, Mother.” I carried the clothing outside and started the day’s work.

My life consists of housework, and only housework. I do the chores, and cook the food, and help out my mother, Badeea. My mother always wished that I could have the life that she was unable to have: get a proper education, a nice job, a right to live the life I want to. But that was unable to happen, and there is nothing that I can do about this, and she blames herself for that. I was once enrolled in primary school, but I had to leave because my family could not afford it, due to the lack of education my mother had. But my story is not that different from many girls who live in my country, because there are 34 million other girls, just like me, not getting the right to live the life they long for. I got used to it, though. I knew this was what my life would be like, and there was nothing I could do about it. I mean, that’s just the way things are around here.

***

My best friend Farhia and I live similar lives. She also does not attend school, and spends most of her days taking care of housework, like all girls are expected to do.. But her family wants it that way. They believe that her role as a female is to clean, get married, and have children, whereas my family would do just about anything to give me the life that I want. Sometimes Farhia and I stay up late at night and fantasize about what our future lives will be like; I want to be a licensed nurse and help people, and she wants to be a writer, and leave this country. It’s nice to think about our lives being like that, but we both know those things will never be a possibility for us.   

***

“Wake up, wake up! You have to get there on time,” my little brother, Hashim, said to me as he woke me up.

“Hashim, I’m not going anywhere. I don’t have to get up this early. It’s only 7 a.m.”

“Did Mom and Dad not tell you? You are going to school!”

I could not believe what he had just told me. Don’t get me wrong, I had dreamt of the day that I could have a real life. But I never thought this could actually happen. As I dug through my drawer of clothing to find my school uniform from many years ago, tears of joy started to stream down my face. The only thing that could make this moment better was if Farhia could be doing this with me, but even though I had prayed that she could get everything that she wants in life, I knew that would not be a possibility for her. It pained me to admit it, but there would be no way; she is forced to live the life that her parents want her to have, the life everyone in this country expects  you to have.

***

As we took the trail to the all-girls school, I saw Farhia outside of her house, hanging up clothing to dry. When she looked up and saw me, in my school uniform, it was clear to me that she was at a loss for words.

“So you are going to school now?” Farhia said in a voice that clearly showed her fake excitement.  

“Yeah, but I wish you could be going with me.”

“Asali, we both know that will never happen. But promise me one thing. Achieve everything that you have ever wanted. It will be hard, but do it for me.”

For the second time this morning I was crying, and not tears of joy this time. I felt guilty. I am one of the lucky ones: I get to go to school, I get to live a real life, unlike Farhia and my mother, and many other girls. But I will keep my promise, no matter how hard it will be, and not only will I be doing this for myself, I’ll be doing this for Farhia.

***

Fifteen  years later...

I kept my promise to Farhia: I achieved everything that I have ever wanted. I’m a licensed nurse, I have a seven-year-old daughter named Gulnar, and I help people. The blessings that I was given were not given to Fariah. We are still friends, but it pains me being around her because it is so clear how miserable she is with her life. She had always dreamt of becoming a writer, and getting out of this country, and she can’t have any of that, just because she is a girl. And the worst part is I know that if she were given the chance to go to school, she would have been so happy.

On Saturday night, I walk into my daughter’s room later than I usually do, and I see the comforting sight of her doing her math homework.

“Mother, can you help me with my math homework? You can go back to what you were doing once I have finished.”

“Yes, honey.” I pick up the pencil, and help her with tonight’s work.

Sophie H. & Ashley N.

Topic: Racial stereotyping

One day I was walking around the beach and I heard this lady yelling. So I look over, and I see this white woman harassing a woman of color. There were also two white kids looking at the awful situation, trying to get the tension lower between the two women. The white woman was expressing herself with various rude cuss words against the woman of color, which caused the woman of color to get extremely mad. So I rapidly sprinted to the older-looking kid, the brother, and asked him what started this.

He said, “The white lady came and started it. She thought we were going to get hurt.”

And then I looked at the sister and said, “I don't like seeing people get hurt.”

The white woman then accused the woman of color of kidnapping the kids This made the sister run into her older brother’s arms and tear up. It seemed that the woman of color was being greatly affected by the offensive words the white woman was using. You could easily notice this based on her facial expressions and the tears running down her face.

Once the white woman got tired of arguing, I went up to the woman of color, who was now hugging the kids, and I said, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened?”

The woman said, “Well, I just wanted to take my kids to the beach!”

And in that moment, in my head, I was like, wow, that’s their mom! I felt so bad for them once the woman of color told me that the kids were hers and that the white woman had made false assumptions. So I asked her kindly, “Is there anything you need? Some money? A ride home…?”

And she replied, “Excuse me? Are you assuming that I have no money? No car? How do you think I got my kids and myself here?!”

And in that moment, I realized that I myself was making assumptions about this woman of color! I was assuming she was poor and didn’t have a car to take her kids back home in, just like the white woman earlier had been assuming that she couldn’t have been the mom of two white children.

After I apologized, I got into my car and started to drive home, thinking about what had just happened at the beach. I even started talking to myself about the whole situation: “Why did I even ask that?! She looked like she knew how to take care of her kids.” I abruptly stopped my car at the red light two miles away from my house. “What would have happened if i hadn’t said that…?” Once I got home, I went straight to my room, thinking, “I have never stereotyped people ever in my whole life…” I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. I complained to myself, saying, “What would have happened if I hadn't said anything or done anything?... I don't stereotype people based on their color… Or do I??”

And at that moment, I realized I do stereotype, and once I noticed, I stopped. It felt like the whole world just froze, and I felt every emotion in one, together. I felt horrible about myself for what I did to the woman who, because of me, got stereotyped twice in one day.

Mahalia M. & Lily R.

Topic: Animal euthanasia

I knew that it was time. She had been suffering for too long now. She hadn’t been breathing well for the past few days, and just yesterday she was vomiting everywhere. Saige, my dog, was falling, and I didn't want her to suffer. Turns out, I was the one who didn't want to suffer.

Saige had been sick for the past two years. Now there was no cure. My parents had gotten her for me when I was 18 as an early birthday present, right before my parents business trip to Oregon with their co-worker (my mom’s best friend) Sylvia. I guess it was to say sorry for not being able to be there for my nineteenth birthday. It was just me and Saige after they left that morning. Two days later, while my parents were still on the trip, it was my birthday. I took a walk with Saige early that morning.

Later in the evening, I was going to go out to dinner with Rachel. I was going to drop off Saige at Rachel's mom's house so Saige and Sasha could hang out. (Sasha is Rachel’s dog and Saige's best friend; they have been friends for as long as I could remember.) We then would drive to Las Vegas for the weekend. We drove off early in the morning, a day before my birthday. In the middle of the week, on a Wednesday, I got a call from Rachel's mom. I was hoping Saige hadn’t gotten into any trouble.

I put the phone on speaker so Rachel could hear.

“Hi, Mrs. Ramirez. Is everything okay? Is Saige alright?”

I heard her about to speak, but then she paused. I was starting to get a little worried.

“Um, hello?” I said, getting a little nervous.

“Hi Bella... Saige... I know she has been dealing with cancer for the past two years now, but she is acting really weird today… She's not wanting to eat at all. All she's been doing is lying around not wanting to do anything. She doesn't even want to play outside with Sasha… Maybe she could be a little homesick, but I don’t know. She has never acted this way before.”

I could tell that Mrs. Ramirez was stressed out by the way she was talking. So I had to stay calm for her, to let her know that everything would be okay. Even though deep inside I was extremely worried.

“Thank you for letting me know, Mrs. Ramirez. You don't have to worry. Rachel and I will be on our way right now.” And I hung up.

We were finally at Rachel's house around nine hours later. I rushed inside without even know that the car was still moving when I got out.

I walked inside.

“Saige???”

I saw her lying down in the corner of the living room. I started running toward her. She was on the floor, breathing slowly, with faded eyes like she was close to meeting death itself. Rachel and I picked her up from the floor and put her into my car. We were heading to the vet.

I kept saying to myself, “Stay, please. Stay... with… me.” I started to cry onto her golden fur. I knew she never liked the vet. When we got there, I picked her up again and went walking into the vet with a tear down my face. I went to the front desk of the vet. At the front desk I was crying so much I could barely speak. Once they called Saige and me into the operating room, I felt my heart drop. I put Saige on the table, crying my eyes out.

They said, “We have to put her down. She is in a terrible state.”. I looked at the doctor, then at Saige.

I told myself, while looking at Saige on the operating table, “You have been my friend for a while. I don't want to let you go, but … I have to stop your suffering.” Fiction became a reality. “I LOVE YOU, SAIGE… But goodbye my friend, until we meet again…” the doctor walked over to the syringe. Then he walked back to the table and … injected her.

At that moment she lost all life in her and started to close her little eyes, and her paw slowly fell out of my hand, and her last teardrop fell down her soft golden fur. I felt better knowing we were able to end the pain, but I knew I would miss her so much. I took her collar off as I left the room Thinking, as I held her, the only thing I said was I love you, Saige. I hope she knew how much I won't forget her. Thank you for everything.

As I walked out, I felt that she was walking with me and barking happily like she always did.

I called my mom back to tell her what had happened.

“Bella, are you OK?”

“S-saige d-died.”

“I'm going over there now.”

She arrived.

“MOM I MISS HER SO MUCH!”

My mom gave me a tight hug.

“I love you, Mom,” I said.

“I love you, too.”

Once I got home, I placed Saige's collar next to my bed, trying to convince myself that she was still here with me and that she was still alive. I thought I felt her presence on the sofa with me, and I immediately burst into tears because I felt like I saw her still, but wasn’t here anymore.

I cannot believe she’s really gone now… and letting her go, I feel like I could have done more, and now I feel so guilty.

The loss of a pet is unbearable. But I had known the end was near. She became a huge part of our lives... especially mine. Her bed is empty now, and I don't hear her footsteps following me around everywhere I go. Everything reminds me of her. I feel her, but she's not here anymore. Everyday I wait and listen hard enough to maybe hear her bark again, but I knew that it was time.

She had been suffering for too long. Saige, she was falling, I didn't want her to suffer. Turns out, I was the one who didn't want to suffer. She was beautiful and sweet and I'll love her forever.

Nadia D. & Aaliyah R.

Topic: Animal hoarding

It was a long chilly evening. A family was coming back from their mother’s sister’s house, and in the car it was silent, and you can feel all the disappointment coming off the car like always. By the time they got home, Kira had told Millie to go to her room, and Kira had told Daniel to go downstairs. When he came downstairs, they started to have a conversation about taking a break for a while. While they were talking, Millie over heard and was thinking how this was going to all unfold. After that, Millie went to sleep. The next morning Millie woke up with her  puppy on her bed and some pancakes on her counter. Then Kira started to talk about how her relationship with Daniel wasn't going well.

Once they had told Millie the bad news, she started to cry because she was sad and never in one million years would she have thought her parents would go through a divorce. She was holding back her tears, so she went to go feed her puppy so she could get it out of her head. Then her dad left for his room and started to pack his stuff. While he was packing, Millie was thinking, What was happening? Why was he going to leave? To cheer herself up, she went to go play with her  puppy to get the thought out of her head. Twenty minutes later, she saw her dad walk out of the door nervously, looking like he was about to burst in tears.

***

Two months later, Daniel would see a dog on the street. He took food to the dog, and the dog took it, but as Daniel started walking to his house, the dog went in front of him and stared at him.

So he followed the dog. The dog took him to a big building, and behind it there were five little puppies and their father. They were yelping. So he took them and helped them, and once he took them to his house, he was thinking, ‘’I need to go get the dogs food and toys.” So he went, and when he was running to the store, he also thought that these dogs give him company because he was really lonely. When he came back from the store, the dogs came running to him because they could smell the dog food coming off from the bag.

***

Two weeks later, he started to have  trouble taking care of them. One of the puppies, Lucy, looked like she had a medical condition because when she would walk she would bump into things. Daniel thought she was gonna go blind. So he went on the internet to find out what was happening to her. He was extremely stressed because he didn't have the money and shelter for all of the dogs. He really still wanted to give Lucy a checkup but knew it was too expensive and he wouldn't have any more money for the rest of the dogs.

But he still tried to keep them all fresh and clean. After he had left his family, he had to move into his own proper house. It was a pretty small house, a good house for one person. So it was really hard for him, and he was really trying to give the dogs a good shelter. But none of the puppies or dogs had a lot to eat. They would all be crying because they were starving. Daniel came to the devastating conclusion that he was going to take them to the shelter so they could have a family that could provide them good shelter. He made this decision because he was not wealthy and didn't have a choice because the dogs were starving and had no food. Daniel couldn't afford to have these dogs and puppies.

Daniel was already going through a lot. He was really going to miss them. The next rainy morning, he took all of his dogs to the shelter. He was shedding tears all the way there. He had said goodbye to all of his dogs. His heart was broken because his dogs gave him comfort and gave him company because he was alone and did not want to feel that pain anymore. His last words to them was goodbye, and he gave them hugs and kisses. Just like the ones he had once given his daughter.  

Baron T.

Topic: GMO use on animals

Once there was a boy named Jeff who lived on a farm, and he had screaming goats, big cows, and tiny loud chickens. He would do chores around the house and in the yard. He and his family has a big business: they sold meat to companies called Wellmart, Treeget, and Consco.

He also had a vegetarian friend who did not like the way meat was produced. He thought it was inhumane and cruel. His vegetarian friend was okay with the boy killing animals, but he wanted Jeff to do it without using GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and not in a cruel way. He also disapproved of how the animals are kept in small cages and fed fake food. Jeff wanted to alert his parents about this so they could put a stop to it.

Jeff told his mom, “...and that we should stop using GMO food because it is not good for us to eat and it's not good for the people buying it at the store. We should feed the animals real food, real hay, real corn, not that fake stuff.” The parents did not want to do that because that would mean getting less money when they sell the meat. So Jeff came up with a plan to sneak real food into the animals' diet.

As Jeff snuck into the barn late at night while the floorboard creaks behind him, trying not to step on any sticks or make any loud noises, he tried to find the GMO food bag and replace it with real food he bought from the store the day before. But when he picked up the GMO food, it all fell out of the bag and made so much noise that he thought the neighbors heard. So he had to go back inside to get the broom. He successfully got the broom and swept it up. And then he replaced it, but he ripped off the GMO food label from the GMO bag and put it on the Real Food Bag so when his parents got up in the morning to feed the animals, they actually fed them the real food. The reason why his parents didn’t want to feed the animals real food is because the fake food makes the animals grow faster and makes the meat taste better so the stores can sell it at really low prices. So when he put the real food in there, their animals weren't going to grow as fast. It was about a month later when they had bacon for breakfast and his parents said to him, “This meat tastes strangely good.”

And then one day his parents were reading on the newspaper about side effects of eating meat. And then they realized that meat isn't good for you with GMOs and fake protein in the food. And so from that day on, they stopped buying meat and giving meat to their local stores because they realized what was happening to the people in their town from their GMO meat, and they felt so bad that they decided to just become vegetarian because they knew it wasn't good for them.  

Elizabeth G.

Topic: LGBTQ youth

“They Let Go of Me”

Maddie (Daughter)

I turn back to take one last look at my parents, and I see the door slam shut in front of me. I look at the house I have lived in my whole life until now. I start to leave the porch and walk somewhere. I have lost everything. I have no hope. This is what happened.

***

I walk downstairs to come out to my parents. I turn off the TV in the living room and sit in front of my parents.

“Hey, I need to talk to both of you,” I say, nervously.

“Sure, you can tell us anything!” my mom replies. Here goes nothing... I think.

“I’m lesbian...” I say. I wait for a reaction.

“You’re kidding, right?” my mom says, her voice breaking.

“No, why would I lie to you?” I say.

“Get out of our house, you sin!” my dad yells, angrily.

“S-sin?” I say under my breath.

“G-go pack your things,” my mom says, looking at the floor.

“Why?” I ask, looking her in the eyes, pleading.

“You’re a s-sin, that’s why!” my mom says, reaching for the couch to sit, crying.

“Why?!” I yell, crying. I run upstairs and start packing my things. I run into my sister’s and brother’s room and look under their beds. I find a box I put there a couple of years ago. I open the box. Good, it’s empty. I put a letter and some pictures inside and put the box on top of their dresser. I also put one in my mom’s room, but not one for my dad because he was the most harsh with me.

Ava (Mom)

I see my husband shut the door on my first born. My baby is gone. I run upstairs and shut our bedroom door. I’m about to sit down when I notice a box on the dresser. I walk to the dresser, still in tears. I grab the box and sit on the bed and open it. Inside there is a note. I read it.

Hey, Mom.

I left this note because I feared this would happen, and I hope this letter helps.

I probably shouldn’t have left you this letter. Oh, well. Anyways, I wanted to say that I love you, and I hope to see you again soon. I love you.

Love,

Maddie

I’m sorry, my baby girl. I wish I could help you, but your father… I start to pray. “Please, God, take care of my baby, protect her, give her food and shelter. Please, Mary, watch over her, and take care of her, please.”

I go downstairs to talk to my husband. “Hey, honey,” I say.

“Hey, sweetie,” he replies.

“Why did you kick out Maddie? I mean, was that really necessary?” I ask.

“Honey, if we had let her stay, she would've been a burden to this family, and we would’ve been outcasts!!” he yells, slamming his hand onto the table.

“But she is your child! She is YOUR little girl!” I yell back, crying.

“SHE IS A BURDEN!!”

“Who are you worried about more? Our daughter? Or our reputation?!” I yell.

“Our rep-- Our daughter,” he finally decides.

“Then why did you kick her out?” I ask, calming down.

He doesn’t respond after a while and finally says, “I’m going for a walk.” He grabs his jacket and slams the door behind him, leaving me here alone.

Maddie

I have been walking for days, and I’m so hungry. Every day I’ve been afraid that one morning I just wouldn’t wake up, but thankfully, I’ve always been wrong. I bet my parents haven’t been worried about me at all. I have tried to get a ride, but many cars just pass by. I don’t know what to do now. I have no one to help me out this time. I’m all alone. I’m really dehydrated. I think if I just keep walking, my body will eventually wear itself out. I hope my mom and my siblings have seen my boxes that I left, I think. I haven't eaten in days, or weeks even, I've lost count. I finally get to a city. I walk around until I feel very dizzy, and rapidly the ground comes up to meet me.

***

I hear beeping like a heart monitor. I can hear conversations, but I can't talk or see anything. The beeping gets slower, and I feel like my body is slowly failing. The beeping starts to get really slow, like beep…………… beep…………… beep…………… beep. Am I in a hospital? No. No! I can't be. Does my family know? How did I end up in a hospital?! Will I ever see my parents again?! No. No! You can’t think like that, Maddie!

“Doctor, the patient is dying!” I hear a female voice scream. Is she talking about me?!

“Start doing CPR,” another voice says. This time it’s a male.

No! I can’t die! I have to see my family!  At least… one… last… time… Hopefully the doctor doesn’t let me die! I feel very sleepy... I’m so tired… I feel like I’m dying. Who knew dying would feel so peaceful? NO! You can’t think that way, you have to fight, don’t leave your family! I feel so relaxed, and I’m so close to going into the light... I go towards it. Suddenly I can hear a faint knock on wood...

Ava

I knock on the door, tears stinging my eyes. I open the door to find my daughter surrounded by doctors and nurses.

“What’s going on?!” I yell.

“Ma’am, you can’t be in here right now,” a nurse says to me, pushing me outside.

“What are you doing?!” I ask the nurse.

“Trying to save your daughter’s life!” the nurse replies.

“She’s dying!” I yell. I cover my mouth with my hand and crouch down, crying. “You can’t let my baby die!”

“We’ll do everything we can!” the nurse says. The nurse runs back into the room to help the rest.

***

I sit in the waiting room. I have waited for about thirty minutes. Finally, a doctor comes out, and I stand up, expecting my baby to have survived.

“I’m sorry, miss, but she didn’t survive. She died of starvation and dehydration,” he says, sadly.

“No! She can’t be gone! You’re wrong!” I yell, crying.

“I’m sorry, but we did everything we could. Would you like to see her?” he says.

“Y-yes,” I manage to choke out. We walk back to her room. I stand there, about to open the door. I open the door. It makes a cracking noise, and there she is, my little girl, laying more still than I have ever seen her. I walk over to her bed and hold her hand. Her hand is so cold.

“I’m sorry, my baby. This is all my fault. I wish your father had never kicked you out. I’m so sorry!” I say, crying.

***

I get home, and Max and Melanie are already home. So is my husband; he’s in the kitchen.

“Kids, I need to tell you something!” I yell.

“Yeah, Mom?” Max asks.

“Today I got a call from the hospital, and they said that your sister wasn’t feeling too good.”

“H-hospital?! Why wasn’t she here at home?!” Melanie asks.

“Your father… kicked her out for being a lesbian. But, when I got to the hospital she was… dying,” I say, choking up, and slowly crying.

“Dying!?” Max yells.

“She died thirty minutes after I got there,” I say, crying harder.

“M-my sister is g-gone?!” both Melanie and Max say, tears welling up in their eyes.  

“I know... I’m so sorry!” I say. We sit there, crying and hugging each other.

Melanie

My sister died today. Now I’m afraid to tell my parents the truth, fearing that the same fate awaits me. I used to tell my sister about my secret, and she would help me, but now that she’s gone, I can only hope that I can trust my brother and he won’t say anything. The truth is… I’m a…

Not all children that are kicked out make it out alive. Help those children that are in need.

Hyla H.

Topic: LGBTQ equality

Coming Out of the Dark

It’s dark. Too dark to see anything. I can hear water dripping, though, and it’s freezing cold. Maybe I’m in a cave? My thoughts shift to a light as I notice it for the first time. How do you miss a light when it’s so dark that you can’t see? I walk toward it. Reaching it, I realize it’s a candle. There are more candles; I follow them. I read their labels: blood red, deep orange, bumblebee yellow, Kelly green, Carolina blue, Prussian blue, amethyst purple. If I’m not mistaken, this pattern is the colors of a rainbow… I think I learned that in History… You must be wondering, “Wait… what? She learned that in History?! Hasn’t she at least seen the rainbow flag before?!” Well, to tell you the truth, I haven’t. There hasn’t been a rainbow since 2018 (that was twelve years ago), and it’s been illegal to sell rainbow flags since Mark Quence became president. I find a graveyard, filled with old, ripped, rainbow-colored flags. People are gathered around an empty grave, including my parents, my friends, and- MARK QUENCE?! They’re all looking at me, a lot of them mad, and one wears a mask and holds an ax. I read the tombstone: Here lies Hailey Faith Hazel Hill, 2012 - 2030.

Crying, I fall on my knees, somehow landing in front of the person in the mask, who I realize is the executioner. He swings his ax, and everything goes black as I scream…

***

Having woken up still screaming, I stop and sit up, glad to find myself in bed, in a cold sweat.

“Honey, are you okay? We heard a scream.” My parents have run into my room.

“I’m fine, Dad, I just had a bad dream. That’s all,” I say, smiling up at him.

“You’ve been having a lot of bad dreams lately. What’s up with you? Do I need to get you a counselor?”

“No, sweetie! She doesn’t need a counselor,” my mom answers, finally saying something. “She has us.” Turning to me, she says, “You know you can talk to us about anything, right, Hailey?”

“Of course I do,” I reply, crossing my fingers behind my back. I love my parents, but I can’t tell them my secret. You see, it’s illegal to be a member of the LGBTQ community. If someone comes out, they have to go into hiding to avoid being executed. I recently realized I’m bisexual. So I lie, and distance myself from everyone at school. I have friends, but they don’t know a lot about me. I’m the mysterious girl hiding in the hood.

***

A few hours later, I arrive at school. Getting off the bus, I join my friends.

“Hey! Hailey! I thought you only use the bus when you don’t wanna be around your parents. Is something wrong?” my best friend, Elisabeth asks.

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just had to lie to them, that’s all,” I answer, once again crossing my fingers behind my back. I mean, I did lie to them, that part’s true, but that’s not all; I don’t want them on my case. They can’t find out that I’m bi! No one can. I have to keep this a secret if I want to live. I doubt a life in hiding will save me from death for long.

“Really? Why?” my other best friend, Sarah, asks.

Uh-oh. Have to think of something fast! A flyer catches my eye. “The party tonight! I told them you and I were staying at Elisabeth’s house,” I say. That’s right! The party. I completely forgot.

“Wait, you’re coming?!” my boyfriend exclaims.

“Honey, when do I not go to a party?” I ask. “I mean, that’s how I met you.”

“Uh….”

The whole group laughs, except for him; I guess he’s still embarrassed.

***

“Mom, Dad, can I have a sleepover with Elisabeth and Sarah tonight? We’ll go to a party first, but don’t worry, we’ll stay safe!”

“Of course you can, sweetie!” my mom answers.

“If you want to go, you have to tell us what your nightmare was about, and make sure you stay away from boys,” my dad adds.

I can’t lie. Not this time. It was easy before, but this time it’s different. It’s too challenging to come up with an entire nightmare, especially one that would leave me screaming it was so scary. So, I guess have no choice but to come out. Here goes nothing!

To be continued…
The rest of the book comes out May 2019

Lydia H.

Topic: Veganism

My eyelids slowly opened, and I see my ceiling. It has white chipped paint and looked like it was painted years ago, which it was. I rolled over, my eyes quickly widened, and a big smile appeared on my face. I almost forgot today would be my first day on my father's farm. I hurried out of bed and quickly put on my clothes. I was wearing a long black thermal top with carpenter jeans that were a little too long on my legs. I reached for my black felt cap and headed to get a quick breakfast. I chose a cup of milk and some bacon that my dad had made previously. I ate it quickly and went on my way to meet up with my dad.

I met him in front of where the dairy cows were kept and was quite excited. I had never actually gone into the farm because my dad had always told me I was too young. I never knew what he meant by “too young.” He hugged me and had a big smile on his face.

“Son, sometimes you may see things that you don’t want to see, but it’s business.”

“What would be things I wouldn’t want to see? It can’t be that bad, right?”

“Some people can’t handle it, but they are just animals, they can’t understand it.”

I didn’t answer and started walking to the door. My dad walked in front of me and opened the door slowly. Then he stopped and laughed because he forgot to tell me what I was going to do. He told me I would be helping a mother cow give birth to a baby. He never revealed the other thing we were going to do. If he did, I would’ve said no right then and there.

He proceeded to open the door. When we got in, it was kind of dark, and the walls looked dirty. They looked as if they hadn’t been washed in years. Then I took in a breath of air, and it smelled so gross. I almost gagged in my mouth. We started to walk to where I was supposed to have my first job, and as I was walking, I couldn’t help noticing that all the cows were hooked to machines, unable to move. I didn’t ask because I thought it was normal and nothing was wrong with it. I kept walking and was wondering why none of the cows had their babies with them. If they are dairy cows, shouldn’t they have babies? These thoughts raced through my mind but never seemed to get out then. When we finally got to where the mother cow was supposed to give birth, we were both happy to see that she already was finished and needed no help. My dad went next to it and told me to push the baby cow and lead it out of here and into the field.

“Why?”

“Because we need the baby to not be with his mother.”

“Why wouldn’t you want it to?”

“Because we need the mother’s milk, and if the calf stays, it’ll drink all of the product.”

I felt guilty about doing it, but did as my dad said. I pushed the cow in another direction, away from the mother, as my dad guided us into the field. We were greeted with a big truck that would take the calf away to a seperate farm called a veal farm, which means it would be used for meat. I carried the heavy calf, carefully trying not to hurt it, into the back of the truck. I hesitantly closed the back of the truck. Before the truck left, I asked Larry, the worker who transported some of the animals, if the mother would ever be able to see him again. He answered with a quick no. I tried to stall him by asking him questions, like where the calf would go, if he enjoys his job, things like that, so he would take a little longer. Alas, Larry drove away into the country to drop the calf off. To my surprise, the mother cow ran crying as her baby was being taken away, but the cow could run only so long until it was blocked by a fence. I watched in regret as the truck left. I watched it until it was no more than a speck in the distance.

What had I done? I had taken a young innocent baby from its mother. That milk I drank didn’t sound as good as it had before. My dad patted me on the shoulder and told me I did a good job. My dad told me to go home and rest, and I started to make my way towards my house. My thoughts took over, and I quickly started questioning myself. Would I have wanted that to happen to me? Is this all worth it, just for a cup of milk, or some cheese on my sandwich? Surely not. I thought about how I could help prevent this from going on, or at least make it happen less often.

After I got back from the farm, I told my father that I was too tired to work for the rest of the day. I searched to see if it was a normal thing to take away babies. That day on the farm, I learned, wasn’t even the beginning of what they did. I found out many things they do not only to cows, but to other animals. I learned that the first day male chicks are born, they are killed because they don’t lay eggs. Imagine being killed because you weren’t a girl! I searched ways to help decrease the suffering of animals, and I came across veganism. I began cutting out lots of things from my diet, like Doritos, cheese, meat, and poultry. I knew that if I were vegan, I would be helping not only the animals, but also myself. Till this day, I still wish I had saved that calf. Why didn’t I?

Chelsea J.

Topic: Immigration and children (inspired by the book Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario)

Imagine arising in the morning from a long night to your grandmother sobbing; realizing your mother isn’t home in the morning to cook your breakfast like she is always. Asking for answers, but not given any. In this case, it’s not an imagination for Enrique; it’s the reality. Enrique's mother, Lourdes, has decided to leave Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for the United States. She knows that if she doesn’t make an effort to find a better job, her children won’t make it past the fourth grade. Lourdes doesn’t want her children to grow up in extreme poverty, as she did. She begins her journey to the United States with hopes of getting a job there, sending money back to Enrique and Belky so that they get better housing, better school opportunities, and better healthcare; those are her three main priorities for improving the lives of her children. Lourdes only plans on leaving for a year. She leaves Belky with her sister, Rosa Amelia, and leaves Enrique with his paternal grandmother. Lourdes makes sure that she doesn’t hint to her children about her decision; she doesn’t want to worry them.

As Enrique begins to grow, he becomes more aware of everything that involves his mother and the reasoning behind his mother leaving at such a young age. The separation between mother and son has really dictated Enrique’s future. Enrique has shuffled from one family home to another, while his sister Belky attends a good school and is well taken care of by her aunt. Enrique is forced to sell food and spices while still a child, in order to help pay for family expenses. He lives with his paternal grandmother for most of his young life but is eventually kicked out of her home when he begins to rebel. Frustrated with his mother, his own issues of abandonment, and the death of his beloved uncle, Enrique turns to drugs for comfort. Although Lourdes sends Enrique and Belky gifts quite frequently, even so, the gifts are no substitute for her physical presence. Enrique’s drug addiction continues to escalate until his drug dealer threatens death upon one of his close relatives because of unpaid debts. Enrique takes the easiest route, which is to steal all of his aunt's jewelry to pay off his drug dealer. He is eventually caught by the police, and once again kicked out of his home. He concludes that his mother's presence might help, so he decided to journey to the United States to try to get away from his problems in Honduras.

Enrique journeys through Central America and Mexico on his way to the United States. He departs with little money, a change of clothes, and his mother’s phone number written on a scrap of paper. Enrique attempts the dangerous journey eight times before he succeeds. During his first seven attempts, he is severely beaten, robbed, deported, and humiliated. However, he never gives up. Migrants often battle against starvation, dehydration, and exhaustion while on the journey. Most migrants fail to make it as far as the U.S./Mexico border. Enrique is not one of them. Lourdes, all the way from North Carolina, successfully contacts a smuggler to help Enrique get across to the U.S. Once Enrique makes it into Texas, he feels a sense of relief, comfort, and happiness that no drug has ever given him. The smugglers inform Enrique that he will be dropped off at a gas station, where another smuggler from their same network will take charge to drive him and four other migrants east, to Orlando, Florida. Driving in a car is a luxury for Enrique. Orlando is where Enrique’s stepfather agreed to pick up Enrique. After the long drive from Texas to Orlando, Enrique meets up with his stepfather. When Enrique interacts with his stepfather for the first time, Enrique instantly recognizes him from a video that was brought back to Honduras, by a family who had visited Lourdes in the United States. Shortly after meeting up, they begin their eighteen-hour drive back to North Carolina, where Lourdes is impatiently waiting for Enrique to arrive at her home. On the way there, they don’t speak, and Enrique falls asleep.

Enrique awakens in panic. “Are we lost? Are you sure we aren’t lost?”

Enrique’s stepfather gently responds, “No, but we are very close.”

***

Another long hour goes by. . .They are rapidly driving on freshly paved roads, through pines and elms, past billboards and fields. The hour finally comes to an end. Enrique and his stepfather finally arrive at Lourdes’s North Carolina mobile home. Enrique gently opens the door; she is eating breakfast in her kitchen table with her back to the door. He lightly taps her from behind. She slowly turns around with a frightened face; soon enough, she realizes that it’s Enrique.

“Son, you're here! Hijo, Estas aqui!” she says.

“Yes, Mom. Si, mama.”

She then reaches to his forehead and lightly kisses him on the forehead. Neither of them cries, but instead, they tightly embrace each other.

***

Even so, the reunion they both imagined is soon shattered by reality. He felt that if he found her, all of his troubles would go away. With each passing day, Enrique’s resentment grows. He knows that he doesn’t hate his mom, but after months with his mother, he can no longer contain it. He snaps at Lourdes: he begins by telling her about how lonely he felt when he was moving from house to house, and that she didn’t care enough about her children to stay with them in Honduras.

He continues, “People come here to prosper. You have nothing here. What have you accomplished? Maybe if you hadn’t left me at such a young age, I wouldn’t have turned out like this!”

Lourdes begins to feel guilt and hurt, but she doesn’t show it. Instead, she shows Enrique that he is terribly mistaken. Every time he asked her for something -- a TV, a soccer ball, or clothing -- she sent it to him. She admits to him, for the first time, that she had to live in extreme poverty while living in the United States independently.

“You are who you are because you didn’t want to study. I wanted you to study. Instead, you chose to do drugs!” she adds. “If I had continued to send you money, you would’ve spent it on drugs.”

Lourdes continues by telling him that she also lived in poverty when she was little. She tells him, “I’m truly grateful for what your grandma was able to give me and your aunt. I’m not an ungrateful brat like you!”

As a result of Lourdes trying to do good for her children, all she gets in return is one ungrateful child who doesn't realize the struggles and sacrifices his mother has gone through.