Let's Make East The Best It Can Be! by SS

“What bugs you?” I was asked this summer. The first things that I thought of were stuff like; people who don't like chocolate, sunburns, the color orange. But the more I started thinking about it the deeper my thoughts got and I eventually made my way to bullying. Bullying was really common when I was little even though I didn't notice, kids would make fun of other people if their name was different or hard to pronounce, the kids would be made fun of if they liked different things, ate different foods at lunch, didn't have as many friends, they made fun of other people's height, and how much they weighed. At the time I didn't notice anything was wrong, but looking back at it now I wonder how we let that happen, why was that normal?

My younger sister Sonia (9) has a bone disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (aa·stee·ow·jeh·nuh·suhs im·pr·fek·tuh) better known as O.I. or Brittle bone disorder. What O.I. basically does is make your bones more fragile than average so they break or fracture a lot more often and it usually results in short body structure. In simpler words: She's short.

And some days she’ll come home sad because someone on the bus pushed aside and said, “move kindergartener”. Or she’ll be really sad or grouchy at night-time because some older kids held the bathroom stall shut when she was trying to get out. At the time when kids around me were being bullied it seemed fine, like it wasn’t that important, it was just a joke. But now I see how much bullying impacts the person who is getting bullied.

Now in middle school bullying is a lot more straightforward and sometimes more physical; resulting in fights. People can obviously see that someone is being bullied or bothered by someone else. I have always tried my best to stand up for other people even in hard scenarios, and try not to make fun of other people even if I meant it as a joke.

But now I want to go farther, this fall I'm starting to work with my school to make a new anti-bullying club that will work on inviting guest speakers to talk about bullying at school, be a safe space for students to talk and be themselves, and the group will overall help make my school a better place that is comfortable and safe to all the future students who attend there including my sister. I've heard the saying “one person cannot change the world” but isn’t it one person who starts it all?

Ignore by RE

A tornado of feelings meant to be shared.

Scraping, pushing, against my heart.

Twisting in ways unimaginable to my mind.

Telling me to let it free.

I push it to the back of my mind and let it roam in the jail of my brain.

It breaks free and runs to my mouth and tries to force its way out.

I try to think of things to scare it away but fail just making it stronger.

I try to push it to the abyss of my mind but just add more feelings to it.

Now it only screams one word: Hate.

It runs around like a toddler that learned a new word screaming it: Hate. Hate. Hate.

I don't want to let the feelings go but I feel like I have to.

It pushes its way down to my stomach and jumps around like it's in a bounce house.

I tell myself it needs to be freed but I don't want to do it.

I have to let it free.

It's wreaking havoc everywhere.

No. I can't.

I try one last time to push it away.

I gather my strength to try and push it to the depths of my mind.

I succeed, but I fail to fully trap it.

I leave it roaming around and collecting new emotions letting it grow bigger and stronger.

I feel down, thinking I failed and I'm worthless or it's unstoppable.

That only encourages it more.

Now it's running around with more negative feelings screaming discouraging words.

Now the only thing in my head is: that I'm not good enough.

Because I'm not.

I'm just a kid who isn't strong enough or powerful enough or good enough.

This just encourages it more.

I know I can't let it get out of control but I think: What if I do?

I shake my head and tell myself to focus.

I lose focus when I hear it running around with new words.

I tell myself to ignore it and get rid of it.

So, I do.

I tune out and focus on the real world, not what it's doing,

I feel it shrinking smaller and smaller.

I realize all it wanted was attention.

I should have just ignored it.

Black Mamba Comes Back To Life! by AC

NBA L.A Lakers MVP, Kobe Bryant comes back to life!

Police have noticed a person in a black hoodie with a basketball is roaming around Los Angeles. Police try to catch him but later their ankles are gone and they are dead. 

Police and S.W.A.T members have noticed that the suspect is bald and has brown skin. Police have tried to shoot and even snipe him but he has such good reflexes that the bullets miss him.

Police officer Davis said, “If he is Kobe I will never shoot him. He should live a new life on his own. I don't know why people want to kill him.”

Police are not 100 percent sure if this is Kobe, but if he is, the Police will get a $45,000 fine and he will get to choose if he wants to go to the NBA. If he wants to play, he will automatically join the team he wants to play on. Also, the suspect has been wearing black Kobe sixes (new Kobe shoes) and purple and yellow pants., and wears a purple and yellow shirt underneath his sweatshirt.

Night in the Woods by AV

Alexa and her older brother decided to go on a walk in the woods at night because they were bored. Once they entered the woods, Alexa got scared and told her older brother to leave but he didn't listen to me. Alexa told him again but this time he said nothing but look. They would have never thought that we would have seen such a sight, a dead person.

Her brother said, "let's turn back!" We tried running back but got separated from each other and couldn't find the way back to our house. But after a couple minutes of searching Alexa heard a loud scream from behind me but before she could scream, she was yanked away by her brother who said to never look the creature in the eyes.

The moment you see his eyes your body becomes a part of the monster. My brother also said that that wasn't the only person he had killed. While trying to find the way home, he saw at least 50 others. 

"This creature has committed homicide, and we are his next targets. 

But suddenly they hear rustling, and we decide to stay still and not utter a word.

Couple minutes later, my brother accidentally falls out of their hiding spot and gets exposed to the creature. Alexa didn't look until the thing had left. Once the creature left, I looked down and saw him dead like the others. Alexa wanted to let all my tears out, but she couldn't, or the creature would know she's here.

Ten minutes later Alexa jumped down from the tree and saw her brother's body up close but when she looked a little closer at the body there was a message on the body that read, "I know where you are hiding. I see your every move. You can't hide.”

 Alexa instantly started crying because she was the next victim, and he knew where she was. She heard rustling behind her, and she looked the monster IN THE EYE and never forgot that moment the rest of her life.

*This story has been edited for appropriateness for a G-rated Website.

Anti-violence pill! by EP, RR, KP

Person 1:Introducing..the anti-violence pill! With this new technology, you can go from this: with a sports commentator voice; {person 2 about to smack person 3 over the head with a book, brings it down}; {Person 1 *turns to face Person 2 and Person 3, they freeze in place}

Person 1: NO. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS. (cough cough) anyway- this:(points at chaos freezing in place, person 3 about to be hit in the head by a book) To this!

(person 3 and Person two trade books and shake hands, you can tell person 2 is upset that violence is no)

Person 3: now I don’t have to fear leaving the house! (person 2 creepy smile with a thumbs up facing the crowd, they look at each other smiling and continue to trade books and talk)

Person 1: symptoms may include, vomiting, diarrhea, being smothered by a strange man in your sleep, bloating of the intestines, a swollen head, allergic reaction may include death or a crippling fear of ducks. Do not take this pill if you are allergic to this pill. If emotional damage occurs, contact your local necromancer.

Person 3: oh look! a duck! (pointing at a random human in the audience)

Person 2: (runs out of the room screaming, VERY DISTRAUGHT)

Person 3: no wait!! I didn’t mean it! (running out behind person one

Person 1: (sighs deeply, pinching bridge of nose. Walks out of the room) behind them)

Person 1,2, and 3 stick there heads back into the door: the anti violence pill (SUNG)

All In Your Head by IS

Kat woke t0 a loud voice in her head. For a few moments she just sat in bed, refusing to open her eyes. She didn’t listen to what the voice was saying, but it sounded nothing like her own drowsy thoughts. She groaned, coving her face with her blanket. “Shut upp..” She muttered to the voice in her head.

The voice paused for a moment. “You can hear me?” The voice said slowly, in a much quieter tone of voice.

Kat was already falling back asleep, so the voice yelled out something else and woke her up again. She sat up grumply, finally giving in and forcing herself to get up. She yawned, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “What time is it..?” She muttered to herself as she glanced at the small black alarm clock by her bed, grabbing her small black-rimmed glasses. “4:32am” It read as the numbers came into focus.

“You’re finally awake.” The voice in her head grumbled, “took you long enough.”

“Who are you-?” Kat said out loud quietly, looking around her room for the source of the voice. “And why did you wake me up at 4:00 in the morning??”

The voice tutted, “I’m not in your room.”

Kat paused, she glanced over at her window before asking, “Then.. where are you? And how are you talking to me so clearly if you’re not in my room?” Her voice was skeptical.

The voice paused, “I actually don’t know where I am.” The voice said slowly. And Kat raised an eyebrow.

“Well.. who are you, then?” She asked slowly, fidgeting with some of her hair.

“Oh, my name is Phillip.” He replied.

Kat nodded a bit, “I’m Kattie, but you can call me Kat.” She said, still glancing around her room to try to find him. “And.. what do you mean by you.. ‘don’t know where you are?’”

Phillip went quiet for a few moments before replying, “I’m surrounded by darkness. Except for- well, it almost looks like a screen, but basically, I can see what you see, I’m pretty sure.”

Kat paused, “What?” She asked again slowly, thinking that she misheard him somehow. “So.. what you’re saying is that- you're in my head?” Kat said out loud, something clicking in her mind.“Huh.. maybe,” Phillip said slowly, “but.. how?”