Jordan Stubbs
Ms. Lehmann
12 March 2019
English 1-3
James’ Return
James and I have practically been friends since birth. I’d like to think we were meant to be friends, since, not only were our moms’ best friends, but he was born the day before I was in the room right next to mine. Once we were brought home, we’d been at each other’s houses from day one, all seventeen years of our lives. I wouldn’t consider myself very outgoing and adventurous and I’m rather shy unless I am with James. Tall, dark, built, rather attractive, every girl’s dream boy, and captain of every sports team he’s on, he somehow brings out the best in me.
Our favorite place to go is the skating arena. We have gone there every other day or when we need to figure things out. While we were skating on the 30th of May, James told me that he had decided to go to a football camp all summer long, since our senior year was coming up very soon. James stated that he already turned in his papers and was leaving in three days. I knew something was up because he always told me everything. We know everything about each other, so him not telling me kind of hurt. He would leave on June 2nd, and was coming back the 5th of August. Tomorrow. It’s crazy that I have gone over two months without my best friend and I am excited to see him, but I don’t know if I am ready to. We wrote letters to each other whenever we could but he still seemed distant.
“Makayla! Are you going to help me decorate for James’s homecoming tomorrow or not?” Abby yelled at me. James’s mom, one of the nicest people I know, has always thought of me as a daughter. If she knew I liked James, it would be weird for us.
“I’ll be right down!” I called back. Setting down my journal and grabbing a hair tie, I put my messy, curly, hair into a bun, slipped on some sandals, and went down to help. “Sorry it took so long. I got caught up writing. What do you need help with?”
“Can you help me set up the banner?”
“Of course.” I walked over and helped set up the banner and continued to set up all the decorations that we bought and some that we made. Once we were done setting up, I went to my room and finished writing a story for James as a homecoming gift. I woke up the next day with the story still unfinished, and realized I fell asleep. I continued to write and finished it. I got dressed in my new baby pink dress, and walked downstairs.
“Good morning, Flynn,” I said to my baby brother as I picked him up off the floor.
“Hey, Makayla,” I heard a familiar voice call. “You look amazing.” I turn around to see who said that. I saw someone who I have known my while life and have grown to love.
“James!” I ran up to him after I set down baby Flynn. “I missed you!” Tears running down our faces, we hugged for the first time in two months. We went everywhere together and talked about everything that had happened in the two-month period of not seeing each other.
It was about three days after he came back, when he stopped talking to me and started avoiding me. Today was the first day back to school, and the only time he talked to me, was when we were partnered together in science. He continued not talking to me or go within ten feet of me for about three weeks. Seeing him in the hall getting ready to go to practice for basketball, I stopped him and decided to ask why he wouldn’t talk to me.
“Hey, James? Can I talk to you for a few minutes before you have to go to practice?” I asked.
“Yeah. You’re my best friend. Why wouldn’t you be able to?”
“Well, you have just been dodging me lately and won’t talk to me, so I thought you were mad or something. Why do you keep avoiding me?” I said, almost in tears.
“Because I...” he stuttered. Because I think I’m falling in love with you, and I don’t know how to handle it. I’ve never liked someone so much, and I didn’t think it would be you that I liked. I mean, we’ve been best friends our whole life and it seemed wrong to like you. That’s why I have been avoiding you, to hopefully get rid of these feelings. His face was red with embarrassment.
“James...I feel the same why. That’s why it hurt so much when you stopped talking to me. It may be weird, but let’s be honest. Everyone saw this coming.” It all made sense now. Why he left for camp so unexpectedly. Why he seemed so distant, and why he stopped acknowledging me. He gave me a big hug with a huge smile on his face.
“That’s amazing to hear. It’s a good thing, too because I wasn’t getting anywhere with not liking you,” he laughed. “I have to get to practice. See you tonight?”
“You know it,” I giggled. After practice, he came to my house and we went skating. We talked all night and spent most of our time the next day together. Most of our friends found out about us being together, but they never judged. School was starting to get a lot easier now that I could focus. We were in English. We had four days left until our 2nd semester finals. James and I, plus our friends, all studied hard and were ready for our test. I took my test, and surprisingly, got an average of 97% on all of them. I don’t think I have ever been so happy. James passed to, thankfully. It would suck having my boyfriend retake his senior year while I was in college.
“Congrats, James,” I declared.
“You, too, beautiful,” he said before he kissed my cheek. “Ready for graduation next week?”
“Not really, but that’s because I have go many good memories here. I am excited to not have school, though.” I replied. “What about you?”
“As long as I am with you, I am ready for anything.” Blushing, I looked away, we heads to the office to get our graduation caps and gowns. It’s kind of funny how you can fall for the most unexpected people, I thought. I guess you never know.
Ms. Lehmann
12 March 2019
English 1-3
James’ Return
James and I have practically been friends since birth. I’d like to think we were meant to be friends, since, not only were our moms’ best friends, but he was born the day before I was in the room right next to mine. Once we were brought home, we’d been at each other’s houses from day one, all seventeen years of our lives. I wouldn’t consider myself very outgoing and adventurous and I’m rather shy unless I am with James. Tall, dark, built, rather attractive, every girl’s dream boy, and captain of every sports team he’s on, he somehow brings out the best in me.
Our favorite place to go is the skating arena. We have gone there every other day or when we need to figure things out. While we were skating on the 30th of May, James told me that he had decided to go to a football camp all summer long, since our senior year was coming up very soon. James stated that he already turned in his papers and was leaving in three days. I knew something was up because he always told me everything. We know everything about each other, so him not telling me kind of hurt. He would leave on June 2nd, and was coming back the 5th of August. Tomorrow. It’s crazy that I have gone over two months without my best friend and I am excited to see him, but I don’t know if I am ready to. We wrote letters to each other whenever we could but he still seemed distant.
“Makayla! Are you going to help me decorate for James’s homecoming tomorrow or not?” Abby yelled at me. James’s mom, one of the nicest people I know, has always thought of me as a daughter. If she knew I liked James, it would be weird for us.
“I’ll be right down!” I called back. Setting down my journal and grabbing a hair tie, I put my messy, curly, hair into a bun, slipped on some sandals, and went down to help. “Sorry it took so long. I got caught up writing. What do you need help with?”
“Can you help me set up the banner?”
“Of course.” I walked over and helped set up the banner and continued to set up all the decorations that we bought and some that we made. Once we were done setting up, I went to my room and finished writing a story for James as a homecoming gift. I woke up the next day with the story still unfinished, and realized I fell asleep. I continued to write and finished it. I got dressed in my new baby pink dress, and walked downstairs.
“Good morning, Flynn,” I said to my baby brother as I picked him up off the floor.
“Hey, Makayla,” I heard a familiar voice call. “You look amazing.” I turn around to see who said that. I saw someone who I have known my while life and have grown to love.
“James!” I ran up to him after I set down baby Flynn. “I missed you!” Tears running down our faces, we hugged for the first time in two months. We went everywhere together and talked about everything that had happened in the two-month period of not seeing each other.
It was about three days after he came back, when he stopped talking to me and started avoiding me. Today was the first day back to school, and the only time he talked to me, was when we were partnered together in science. He continued not talking to me or go within ten feet of me for about three weeks. Seeing him in the hall getting ready to go to practice for basketball, I stopped him and decided to ask why he wouldn’t talk to me.
“Hey, James? Can I talk to you for a few minutes before you have to go to practice?” I asked.
“Yeah. You’re my best friend. Why wouldn’t you be able to?”
“Well, you have just been dodging me lately and won’t talk to me, so I thought you were mad or something. Why do you keep avoiding me?” I said, almost in tears.
“Because I...” he stuttered. Because I think I’m falling in love with you, and I don’t know how to handle it. I’ve never liked someone so much, and I didn’t think it would be you that I liked. I mean, we’ve been best friends our whole life and it seemed wrong to like you. That’s why I have been avoiding you, to hopefully get rid of these feelings. His face was red with embarrassment.
“James...I feel the same why. That’s why it hurt so much when you stopped talking to me. It may be weird, but let’s be honest. Everyone saw this coming.” It all made sense now. Why he left for camp so unexpectedly. Why he seemed so distant, and why he stopped acknowledging me. He gave me a big hug with a huge smile on his face.
“That’s amazing to hear. It’s a good thing, too because I wasn’t getting anywhere with not liking you,” he laughed. “I have to get to practice. See you tonight?”
“You know it,” I giggled. After practice, he came to my house and we went skating. We talked all night and spent most of our time the next day together. Most of our friends found out about us being together, but they never judged. School was starting to get a lot easier now that I could focus. We were in English. We had four days left until our 2nd semester finals. James and I, plus our friends, all studied hard and were ready for our test. I took my test, and surprisingly, got an average of 97% on all of them. I don’t think I have ever been so happy. James passed to, thankfully. It would suck having my boyfriend retake his senior year while I was in college.
“Congrats, James,” I declared.
“You, too, beautiful,” he said before he kissed my cheek. “Ready for graduation next week?”
“Not really, but that’s because I have go many good memories here. I am excited to not have school, though.” I replied. “What about you?”
“As long as I am with you, I am ready for anything.” Blushing, I looked away, we heads to the office to get our graduation caps and gowns. It’s kind of funny how you can fall for the most unexpected people, I thought. I guess you never know.
Narrative Reflection Questions
- List one thing you've learned from writing this paper that you can apply to other writing assignments. What will that look like?
- I have learned when to break for a new paragraph. This will help me know when a new paragraph needs to start and if it needs to keep going in future assignments.
- I was asked to write what the characters learned throughout the conflict. I wrote the ending and made it more clear on what the characters learned. I learned that I need to make things more clear.
- Using literary devices, first person point of view, dialogue. I met this by creating different ways to express characters feelings and emotions.
- I would give more detail and create the characters better
- I am proud of the way I incorporated the past to define the story better.