Experiment #5// The Library/An iPhone that loves its owner

“This anatomy test is going to kill me.”

Jade said as she took the steps two at a time up to the library.

“You’re so dramatic.” Ally said, pushing Jade’s shoulder. “You have gotten an A on every test so far and all you ever do is study!”

“Not true!” Jade defended.

Ally continued on, ignoring her friend. “And, Dr. G loves you, so he’ll grade easy.”

“Whatever.” Jade huffed.

The Library was quiet as usual. Students sat at tables and in cubicles, studying away for their next exams. The librarians here were strict, keeping everyone quiet and in line with only a glare at most. They had hawk-like senses and Jade could only hope that Benny wouldn’t make a scene.

Jade and Ally sat down at a table in the corner of the room, far enough from the door so that they wouldn’t catch the draft. The tall shelves housing many books put Jade slightly at ease that any sounds Benny made would be buffered by the structures. The girls pulled out their notes and textbooks, laying them all out on the table. Jade held her breath and reached her hand down into her bag.

The moment her fingers touched Benny’s smooth screen, he was happy as a clam.

The loudest clam in the world.

“OH JADE I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!”

Jade quickly folded her hands around the small device and slammed it into her chest, hoping that the fabric of her shirt would muffle Benny’s cries. Everyone had their eyes on her and Ally as she gave the crowd an apologetic smile.

“Turn him down!” Ally whispered to her.

“I’m sorry,” Jade whispered back, “his volume is still broken.”

Benny’s volume had been broken for the past week, and it was driving her crazy. Everyone’s iPhone was prone to missing their owner’s touch after a few hours, but Benny was a very sensitive device. After a few minutes of putting him down in class, he would be buzzing himself to tears in her backpack. Jade often had to keep him on her lap just to keep him mildly calm. Things were easier when she could just put him on vibrate and let him cry himself down to 5%, but with his volume broken, it was much harder to console him.

Jade tilted her head down until her chin was touching her chest.

“Benny, you know I love you lots, but this is a library. People are trying to study and get work done, so you have to be really quiet. Do you think you could do that for me?”

Two short vibrations tickled her chest, letting her know that Benny had gotten the message. She slowly took Benny form her chest, and gently set him on the table in front of her.

All of four seconds went by before the entire room knew of Benny’s feelings once more.

“OH JADE PLEASE DON’T PUT ME DOWN I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!”

Once again Jade snatched Benny form the table, shushing him as she tried to ignore all of the eyes on her.

“Jade…” Ally whined.

“I know, I’m sorry.” She apologized again to her friend.

Jade carefully placed Benny on her lap, hoping the warmth of her skin would be enough to soothe him and keep any other outbursts at bay. It worked for a few minutes, but after that Benny was back to vibrating away. Jade continued to ignore him, knowing that he was just being clingy, and focused on her work. Just as she started to get lost in the world of blood cells and bone structure, Benny’s shrill ringing tossed her right out of it.

She flipped the device over and clicked his home button, revealing two bright blue orbs that represented his eyes.

“Benny…” she growled.

“I’M SORRY JADE I JUST REALLY REALLY MISSED YOU TODAY AND I FEEL LIKE WE ARE DRIFTING APART! I DON’T WANT TO DRIFT APART BECAUSE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!”

Many people got up to leave as Benny’s shrill cries filled the air. Jade desperately tried to calm Benny down so they wouldn’t get thrown out of the library.

“Benny, listen to me, I’m just trying to-“

“YOU ARE ALWAYS STUDYING AND YOU DON’T HAVE TIME FOR ME ANYMORE!” Benny cried cutting her off. His ring tone jumped up a few more octaves as vibrations wracked his little body. There was no consoling him now.

“Excuse me.”

Jade and Ally looked up to see one of the librarians at their table. Her eyes were narrowed and focused in on Benny so harshly, Jade feared he might break from her glare.

“Your device is disrupting the other students, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Jade and Ally silently packed up their things as Benny continued to wail hysterically.

“Sorry our study session was ruined.” Jade apologized as she and Ally left the library.

Ally shrugged it off.

“Technology; can’t live with it, can’t live without it.”

“Agreed.”

Word-Count Wednesday 001

What am I working on?

I am going to do experiment #4 for class based off of the book I am working on. I have had so much writers block when it comes to this particular story, so I'm excited to finally get working on it again. I have also been writing poetry here and there.

How do I feel about the process?

Taking this class and being among other creative people has really inspired me. I am beyond excited to get back in that head-space of writing again. I have missed it a lot.

What am I reading now?

I am experiencing "book hangover" right now. I finished Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard a little while ago and the ending was brutal. I get very invested into stories and characters, so when bad things happen to them I can't help but get upset. The next book in the series comes out next month, so I am trying to find something lighthearted to read in the meantime.

Experiment #3 Maps- Havenport

Hello! My name is Kaleb.
Now before I tell you the story of how my friends and I had to save the town from an evil and scary magical force with my brother and his friends (who also have magical powers) it's important for you to know the lay of the land.
So welcome to Havenport! A warm and fuzzy little town in the middle of nowhere. The population isn't really important, but other people live here, I promise.
I live at 324 Dear St. with my brother Jim and our Mom Maggie (don't call Mom Maggie, she says it's disrespectful). Our house is probably the smallest in the entire town, maybe not, but it sure feels that way sometimes. Our front yard is filled with dead grass and the remnants of the flowers Mom tried to grow last spring. The white paint is pealing, and the shutter on the left side of the house is crooked. Mrs. Jacobs, Sadie's Mom, once told the PTA at our school that is was an "eyesore", whatever that means. My brother Jim has friends on the lower side of town, but I'm not allowed over there, so it's not on the map.
My best friend Sadie lives a few blocks up the street from me. If she and I stand in the middle of the street in front of our houses at the same time and wave our arms around really fast, we can see each other! I know this because we did it one time. All I could make out was the blur of her favorite pink sweater, but it was still her. Her mom yelled at her for standing in the road, but it was still really cool.
My other best friend Carlos lives a few streets over. His house is the closest to the field, but we'll get to that later. Carlos is the best biker out of all of us, mainly because he lives right across the street from the bike runs.
This is hands down the BEST part of the entire town. The dirt is just dry enough to get all over your spokes, but sturdy enough that it won't swallow you whole when you break hard after a few laps. The jumps there are the only place in the entire town where you can get any air time.
Carlos gets so much air time that Sadie and I secretly think his bike has wings.
Across the street from Sadie's house is Al's Ice Cream Shop! We go there every afternoon in the Summer. Al is a very nice old man, and on Sundays his give us FREE sundaes! \
Al is the best.
 Across the way from Al's and a few streets down from Jim's High School is the park. Now I have only set my eyes on that park a few times, and the only thing I know about it is that it's where Jim has baseball practice. Jim also hangs out with his friends there every Wednesday night, but I'm not supposed to know that.
Between Jim's school and my school is the Grocery store. Sometimes Mom takes us there on "family shopping trips" but that usually only happens when we are in trouble or after she has worked a few very long shifts at the hospital.
No matter which way we get there, it's not the most enjoyable thing.
Jim's friend Benny works at the grocery store. He's important to remember later in the story.
Then there is my school, Havenport Middle School. Sadie and Carlos go to school there too. When I was in fifth grade and afraid to go to middle school, Jim decided to scare me and my friends by telling us that the school was built on an Indian burial ground and was haunted.
Jim is kind of a jerk.
Behind the school is the Forbidden Field. Don't call me stupid or over dramatic for calling it that, it really is forbidden. The Field has been fenced off for as long as anyone in the town can remember. Even old Al said its been fenced off since he was a kid! (and that was like a billion years ago). The Field is a long long stretch of grass that never dies, no matter what the weather. The grass stretches into a thick patch of Oak trees, and after that no one knows. No one ever goes back there, or, no one ever did go back there. The day after Sadie, Carlos, and I snuck out to follow Jim and his friends, we noticed that the fence has a hole in it! The hole is just big enough to let a person through. But my friends and I don't think someone came from the Field, we think something came from the Field.
Now the you know the lay of the land, the story might be easier to follow. Here, take the map, just remember to give it back to after you've read the story.
And yes, everything is completely true.

I waste my time crying over you.
I cry so hard my stomach churns,
making me sick
and I can't tell you why.
And I know you're lounging on a beach
 somewhere not caring.
I know that.
But here I am,
3am
and my tears still fall,
and my hands still shake,
and despite my best efforts
I still miss you.

-R.E Savini

She is the sun.

She is his sun.

He is blinded by her light.

And when she sets 

he falls the the floor

and kisses the Earth

until she rises again.

-R.E Savini

I've always been the hopeful one.

But I've learned

that being hopeful

only leaves you open

to be disappointed.

-R.E Savini

Which is worse.

That I still love you

Or that you're miles away

Loving someone else

-R.E Savini

For Joanna

I'm so far from home.
Home is so far from me.
Here comes the storm.
What if it crushes me?

I have to be strong
for those surrounding me.
But here comes the storm.
What if it drowns me?

I need some air in this broken space,
we need to move along.
But I can't help when I see that face.

Here I come,

I'm strong.

But how long can I be
what this world needs from me?
And how long can I brave
this storm that's in my brain?

I am not strong,
I've been pretending all along.
And I'm not quite so sure
But here comes the storm.

          -R.E Savini

Inspired by Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.