Hadley

Texting is Taking Over By: Hadley

Have you ever noticed people do strange things while texting? I think texting is taking over. People seem to revolve their whole life around texting and in my opinion it is ridiculous. It is ridiculous for people to text so much they don't know what has been going on. It is ridiculous to revolve your whole life around texting. It is ridiculous to sit with your friends but not talk to each other just text to other people. For example, one time I went to my favorite pizza place, Sazza. After we got our food three girls walked in with their cell phones. They put in their orders then they went to their table. All three of them sat down and started texting to different people and not once did they talk to each other. This makes me think that people center their whole life around texting. Another reason texting is taking over is, people text so much they don't know what is going on and never talk face to face, an example of this would be my mom was driving to work. Everything was going fine. Then a man cut right in front of her and almost made her crash. This man just happened to be texting when my mom almost crashed. This makes me realize that people can text so much they don't know what is happening. Another example is from the book __Periwinkle__, Periwinkle (a giraffe) and lotus ( a frog, who just meet) get in a fight about talking first. As time goes on they become friends by talking about their problems. This makes me realize that you can't make new friends if you never talk face to face.

When people text too much people it causes them to show dis respect. For instance, one girl I know had her mother talking to her but she was not listening... Her eyes were glued to the screen of her cellphone as she was texting. throughout the whole chat she was texting back and forth between her friends. That girl never knew what her mother had said. This makes me think you never learn if all you do is text. I know people text too much when they can't stop texting. I know people text too much when they don't pay attention to things that matter. I know people text too much when they text so fast you can't see their fingers. On the other hand, texting could be good in emergencies and it is okay to text some times but not all the time. Other people should care about this because if you are not addicted to texting you don't want to become addicted and cause problems. Texting is most definitely taking over.

 Country Girl Gone By: Hadley Pettenger Maggie Sea Note watched the orange, yellow, red, and blue flames burst and burn. These flames looked as if they were pyrotechnics puffing in the sky on a holiday. But there was nothing awing about these fireworks. Maggie stood outside for there was nothing to do but watch and call the fire department which was already done. She stood outside tears streaming down her cheeks and praying for her farm animals to be alright. Especially the pink pigs. Pigs were Maggie's favorite animal and she could not live without them. She would never think of eating one even though pork chops did taste good. Once the fire department came and the fire died down Maggie and her mom, Angela Sea Note were left to seek the damages. The whole farm was ruined and Maggie knew that they could no longer live in the big house because they could not make any more money off the animals. Now the barn contained only the black burnt wood, its ruined contents, and the dead animal bodies... Even the pigs. Maggie's mom called Jim, her friend and told him to come over to their house the next day so he could help them pack. Maggie's mom had bought a little condo in New York City a few months ago for vacations. Since they lived on a little farm in Tennessee they thought that it might be nice to go to the city sometimes. She went inside and sat on the couch. Maggie just cried and cried until she had to put on pajamas. Then she followed the routine she did every night to get ready for bed witch was brushing her teeth, putting lotion on her feet and hands and hopped in to bed. She did this every night in the same order. Once she got in bed she started crying again. She could not sleep so she stayed up until her brain could not handle it any more and she just had to go to sleep. The next day before Jim got to their house Angela told Maggie they were moving to their little condo New York. Maggie had never been to New York and she had been waiting for the summer to go to New York but now she would do any thing so that she didn't have to go. Once Jim got to the house, Jim and Angela decided that the two girls would fly to New York and that Jim would drive a moving truck to the condo. Maggie’s mom gave her friend the address to the condo after they were done packing and before she knew it Maggie was on the uncomfortable plane to New York City. It was nice to have Jim to help them since Maggie’s father had died when she was only five years old and now they had no man around to help them so they were with Jim a lot. After a few hours, Maggie and her mom arrived in New York. Maggie walked through the dark tunnel still depressed and feeling a little queasy from the musty, smelly, dirty airplane and the bumpy landing. After stepping through the end of the long tunnel Maggie realized that it lead to a huge airport full of many adults dressed in boring colored suits and a serious look on their faces. Maggie and her mother definitely stood out from the crowd. They were dressed in bright happy clothes that contained yellows greens and oranges (Even though neither of them felt happy). The faces on the boringly dressed people were so funny when Maggie and her mom walked out of the tunnel she couldn't help but laugh. Maggie and her mom walked around the airport helplessly for about an hour and a half and finally found the front entrance so they could escape this horrible monster and hail a cab. //This airport is definitely not like the one back home// Maggie thought. After the 12 year old girl and the 40 year old woman finally got a cab to stop for them ( witch took a whole lot of energy and effort) they paid the dirty cab driver to take them to the condo. Maggie enjoyed the sights all the way to the very small condo. The condo had been a lot smaller than Maggie had expected but it would do. Angela and her daughter just sat on the floor and talked until Jim got to the condo. Everyone helped unpack what they could for the night. After, when every one was too tired to unpack anymore they all went to bed. So that Jim did not have to sleep on the floor he slept on the couch. What made Maggie really sad was that there was no piano in that condo and playing piano was one thing she loved more than pigs. The next obstacle was the first day of school. (The Next Day at Maggie’s School) Crash! Ahh! Swish! Strewn across the blue and white tile placed in many mind boggling designs were Maggie's songs that were supposed to be tucked away in her math folder. Not only were Maggie's songs on the floor but Maggie herself was on the floor too. The sun shown in on Maggie's face “I'm so sorry,” said a voice. Maggie was so busy picking up her songs so that no one saw them that she did not even see the girl who had slammed her into the dark green lockers. She slowly looked up as if the person standing before her was a hideous beast waiting to eat her face off. But instead of a beast the mystery person was a girl. This girl had bright green eyes as bright as the grass in front of the White House. She also had very dark black hair. “My names Olivia,” she said “Olivia Balie Wilson Maggie said nothing. “And your name is?” “Maggie,” Maggie said. “Well nice to meet you. And sorry for knocking you over.” “It’s okay.” “Well see you around,” and with that Olivia Balie Wilson turned around and left. Maggie liked that name. Olivia sure seemed to be a nice girl and Maggie really felt that she needed some real friends. As time went on Maggie yearned for Olivia to be her friend. Even though Jim had left a while ago and had given her good advice many times before, she made her decision on whether she would ask Olivia to be her friend or not based on the advice that Jim had given her in the past. So Maggie soon decided that she would ask for Olivia to be her friend. The crispy leaves crackled as the students at Anne Marie Junior High scattered to the building trying to get to class before the bell rang. Especially the kids in Mr. Raeburn's class. Mr. Raeburn was the meanest teacher in Anne Marie and Maggie just happened to be in his class but Mr. Raeburn or as the kids call him Skunky was the least of Maggie’s problems. Today was the day she was going to ask Olivia to be her friend. All night she was working up enough courage to ask and today was the day. She walked to her locker (number 17 witch was her favorite number), got her books for social studies and math, and walked to class just in time for the bell to ring. During class she had no idea what was going on. She was too busy arguing with her self weather she should really do this or not. Soon after one hour witch really seemed like five hours to Maggie the bell rang. The bell scared her so much that she jumped and fell out of her chair. Quickly she picked her self up off of the ground so that no one's brain could process that she fell. She got back in her chair before any one looked at her. Maggie, scared out of her skin slowly walked to her locker, put away her books, and headed for the lunchroom. Maggie did every thing slowly just hoping that her lunch time would be over by the time she got to the cafeteria. She didn't feel hungry so all she picked up was fruit cup and chocolate milk. Then the moment she had been dreading all day finally came. Ever so painfully slow she walked to the lunch table and sat right down next to Olivia. “Olivia,” she said “Um,” there was a dramatic pause her brain had its last argument with its self “I just wondered if you wanted to be my friend? I mean if you don't want to that's O.K. and... I mean if you do and but,” she stumbled over her words. Then she stopped and looked at Olivia's face she said nothing yet. “So... what do you say?” Olivia looked mad as if she was about to slap Maggie then her mouth slowly opened and she said, “I've been waiting forever for you to ask me that!” “What!” Maggie yelled and right at that very moment all of the loud talking and screaming stopped. Maggie looked around the crowded cafeteria and all of the people were staring at her as if in the middle of putting food in their mouth somebody pressed the pause button on a remote. Maggie and Olivia just stared back. Every one was completely still except for a little kid (Maggie guessed 7 years old) who was running around the room nervously probably looking for a sibling who eventually grabbed an eighth graders hand and pulled her out of the room. Once the room got loud and rowdy again witch took quite a long time (5 minutes and 17 seconds to be exact) Maggie quietly asked “What on Earth do you mean? Well,” Olivia said as her face softened up “I'm a really shy person and I was hoping that you would ask me. “Well I'm a shy person too but I worked up enough courage to ask you.” “I guess you’re right, I'm sorry.” replied Olivia. “So... Friends?'” she asked. “Friends.” Maggie answered. So from then on Maggie and Olivia's friend ship grew and grew and soon they were the best of friends.

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