The Pursuit of Peppermint

by Emma, age 15, Writing Foundations Level 2

Squirming in her unyielding chair, Josie attempted to focus on the chipper motivational speaker. All around the Caffeine Addicts Anonymous room, ex-addicts were nodding their agreement with the speaker, but Josie’s mind refused to sit still. Leaning back in her chair, Josie gave up trying to feel inspired and let her mind wander back to brighter memories. Two weeks earlier, Josie had woken up to the delightful sound of her coffee maker preparing its daily Ethiopian Sumatra. After gulping it down, the now-caffeinated woman had hopped into her car and had driven downtown to her prestigious office building. On the way up to her floor, Josie had made a quick stop at the building’s Caribou in order to make it through lunch. Sipping her Lite White Berry mocha, Josie had ridden the elevator up to her floor while wondering what foo-foo drink to purchase at lunch. Three hours of phone calls, video conferences, and spreadsheets later, Josie had sprinted to her car and had driven to the Dunn Bros two blocks away. Receiving her non-fat double-shot latte after an excruciating two-minute wait, Josie had swallowed it all in thirty seconds and had ordered another one. Greedily hoarding her second cup, she had driven back to the office and had endured an hour and a half without coffee. Once the headaches and twitching had started, Josie had broken down and had sent an intern to buy her a large Caramel High Rise cooler from Caribou.

Nightmare

a flashback in honor of 9/11 by Teresa, age 16, Writing Foundations Level 2

When Jenni opened her heavy eyelids, all she saw was a bright white light surrounding her. Gradually, her blurry vision cleared somewhat and she noticed stark white walls of a hospital room. Thinking she was still dreaming, Jenni lethargically glanced around the room, noticing an old monitor, two spotted paintings, and a worn out, faded blue chair. Apathetically gazing out the only window of the room, she blankly watched the raindrops pelting the asphalt of the parking lot outside.

Stiff from lying on her back, Jenni tried rolling over to her side only to experience a paralyzing ache in her back and neck that brought her sharply into reality. Moaning, she reached her hand up in an effort to push the alarm button over her head and call a nurse who might give her an anodyne. Suddenly, another sharp pain shot through her body like an electric charge, causing her to drop her arm in agony. With a throbbing head, Jenni weakly settled back and tried desperately to recount the events leading up to this moment. Gradually, the hushed voices of the nurses outside her room, the constant drumming of the rain against the window, and the incessant beeping of the hospital monitor drowned away into silence as Jenni began to recall a previous day.

Adoration

a flashback by Jennifer, age 16, Writing Foundations Level 2

On a porch in the middle of Nowhere, Montana, as the local town folk called it, Josephine’s aging form swayed back and forth in a rocking chair listening to the birds chirping and the wind blowing. Closing her eyes drowsily, Jo drifted off to sleep with a smile of pure bliss as the twittering brought back memories.

Nearly thirty years before, seventeen year old Josephine had sat by a creek when a sudden whistling had interrupted the chirping birds. Josie had thought the brisk whistling had sounded familiar and sure enough it had turned out to be her next door neighbor, Will, who had always been sweet on her. Dropping next to her side, Will had soon engaged her in conversation and laughter. When they both had noticed the sun starting to set, Will had gotten to his feet and had helped Jo as well. Before Jo could move, however, Will had a hand on her arm and had looked into her eyes and with a cheeky grin that had declared that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. Jo had taken it as a cue to shove him into the creek and had turned to race for home. Will had sputtered with laughter and as she had weaved her way through the trees, Will had yelled that Jo would love every minute of their time together.

A car door slamming brought Josephine back from her slumber with a gleeful smile. Will was home. With a rueful laugh, Jo set off to meet the dratted man who had been right all those years ago. She had adored every minute of their time together.

Grief

a flashback by Jennifer, age 16, Writing Foundations Level 2

On the bank of a raging river in Colorado, Molly’s breakable form stood tall as her dark hair shadowed her eyes while she gazed blindly at the rampant water. Waves of despair crashed through her as she remembered that day long ago, nearly three years before. Molly and her friends had decided to embark on river rafting trip during their summer vacation. When the sun had started to rise on the day of their outing, Molly had thought the day would turn out marvelously, and for most of the morning it had. Abruptly though, the weather had turned sinister and the rain had started to bombard them as well, the current had become stronger and rougher. Molly had thought they should have stopped to wait out the storm, but the others had only cackled at her plea and had continued down the river. The river had pushed them about like a school bully picking on the weakest child. Too late the group had seen the rocks just before the raft had hit, flipping Molly and friends over. She had been the only one found breathing. Jolted to the present by rain that started to pour around her, Molly realized that she should have shouted at them more instead of giving up so effortlessly. Staring at the raging water, Molly slumped to her knees weeping for the ones lost as the grief overcame her.

Will You Marry Me?

a flashback, part two, by Jacob, age 16, Writing Foundations Level 2

Read part one here.

Parking her car, she found it strange that they had agreed to meet at the restaurant rather than he picking her up. While she walked inside, she tried to think of reasons why he wanted to meet her there. None of her considerations seemed valid though. Trusting her boyfriend, she dismissed the subject. “Miller reservation,” she pronounced to the host.

“Joshua Miller?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“Right over there,” he declared pointing to the corner booth.

The Most Important Question

a flashback, part one, by Jacob, age 16, Writing Foundations Level 2

As he sat in the corner booth, he listened to the subtle background music of the romantic restaurant he had selected. He glanced over the table one last time. Straightening the silverware, he whispered gladly, “Perfect”. He noticed some movement out of his peripheral vision near the entrance and took a peek. Standing there, the most attractive girl in the world inquired of the host for the whereabouts of her boyfriend. The host pointed, she saw him and headed in his direction.

“Will you marry me?” speaking in a quiet voice as he stood, he practiced for the actual thing. The way she strolled toward him triggered his memory of the first time they met.

He had been walking down the hall his senior year of high school. As the bell rang, he had been waving good-bye to a friend traveling to class, he bumped into her, causing her to drop her books. It had been love at first sight. They had locked eyes for only a second, but it seemed like hours. Realizing what he had done, he had gathered up her books and had forced words past his lips, “s-s-sorry about that.” Awestruck by her beauty, he had handed her the books with a slight tremble.