How Jessie [accidentally] started the second spaghetti fight of the year

Dear Readers,

This is Jessie. I'd been so happy about the baby, that when I went to school on Monday something really horrible just had to happen. I should've NEVER forgotten what Maya had yelled at me at the dance! And now I was going to pay.

I was walking into the cafeteria when all of a sudden Maya jumped up on one of the tables. Ladasha looked at her like she was nut (I could see it all over her face--"That girl just got herself demoted to most unpopular person in the school...") and Summer looked horrified.

"Jessie!" she shouted.

I cringed and stopped, turning around.

"I heard that..."

You can kind of guess the rest. You know--she went off and convinced everybody in the cafeteria that Noah and I were dating. (I didn't want to right the whole thing, because she said a lot of nasty stuff, too, and I didn't want you guys to have read that.)

I was hopping mad. Still, I prayed to God for help and walked over to where Noah was sitting at the table. Michael who, if you remember, used to be the most popular kid in the school and also head of the school newspaper which I was apart of, came over and started talking.

"You know," he started, "no offense, but it seems that you haven't done much for the newspaper lately."

I sighed. "Sorry. I need my camera so I can take some pictures and stuff."

Michael handed me one. "You can start today. We need some school life pictures for the yearbook people."

"OK,"  I sighed.

Michael walked off.

And that's when Maya stood back up on the table.

"Jessie!" she yelled at me. "You think you're something, huh?"

I didn't answer.

"Jessie, look at me! Unless you're a coward!"

I didn't do anything.

But I was thinking.

And thinking hard.

I really had to do something about this problem.

I glanced down at my plate.

It was spaghetti.

I turned and stood up on my own table, Noah giving me a bewildered look.

"OK, Maya," I started. "Stop harassing me, or I'll throw this spaghetti at you." I'd grabbed my plate and picked up a glob of spaghetti in my hand.

She snorted. "You wouldn't."

Splat! But it wasn't ME who'd thrown it!

I glanced around the side of Maya and saw the Sisterhood Squad--Spy, Addy, etc.--all holding globs of spaghetti. Before I could stop them, Spy screamed at the top of her lungs, "FOOD FIGHT!"

And so started the second spaghetti food fight of the year for poor Dayton Middle School.

And, no, I actually never threw any spaghetti.

You know what I DID do?

I grabbed my camera and started snapping pictures left and right.

And, of course, dodged spaghetti.

Let's just say that by the time the teachers got everybody under control, nobody was too sure who'd really started it so we all get sent home with a warning.

Hmm................ ;)

Love,
Jessie

Warehouse Mishap

Dear Readers,

OK, so I admit it--right now I'm writing this in my closet. Why? Simple. Listen to what just happened to me.

So I come to school and stop over by the newspaper. I was just finishing up my article--Bio-Chaotic Brawl!!--and was about to get off to class when I hear somebody walking up behind me. Using my peripherals, I saw that it was Josh. I wasn't sure what to make of his expression.

"I'm giving you a new partner in the newspaper," he announced.

I turned around and gave him my The Look. "Josh, I've never even had a partner in this newspaper. How can I have a new one?"

"That's not the point," he said. "I'm sorry." He paused, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "I'm going to have to pair you with Michael."

Pause. Then, "WHAT?!"

"Look, Jessie, just listen to me!" Josh urged. "It's not my fault. He specifically asked for you over having to be paired with Maya."

"Maya's joined, too?!" Why was everything bad happening to me? And how come I wasn't being told of all the bad stuff?!

"Yes, I'm afraid so!" Josh snapped. He leaned forward, hissing, "And I'd suggest that you hurry up and compose yourself because here comes Mr. Hall himself at this very moment!" And with that Josh turned on his heel and headed for the door.

As the bell jingled on the newspaper's door, I quickly hid behind my laptop's screen. Maybe we could convince him that somebody else had the name Jessie Bender. Yeah, that'd be a good idea. Great idea, in fact.

"Hey, Jessie." I heard the thump of a laptop being placed on the table. The kid obviously had a lot of money, because otherwise he wouldn't have been plunking the ultra-awesome laptop so carelessly on the table. Seriously, rich kids don't know what they have.

"Hey," I muttered.

Anyway, I won't record all of the small talk that Michael managed to force out of me (that was "managed"). Finally, he took in a deep breath and said, "Jessie, I have something that I need some help with."

"What?"  I queried suspiciously.

"I think that there could be a big story--a REALLY big story--that's just waiting to be uncovered," Michael admitted. "Over by the warehouses. I've been staking out there on my own, and things aren't as they should be."

"You've been TRESPASSING!?" I burst. Seriously, I couldn't help it. "That's like...like...like trespassing!!!"

"Yeah, well...." he shrugged it off. "Anyway, we've seriously got to find it out!"

"It's school," I pointed out. "Let's just go to our classes."

All through school, though, he kept on sending me looks. We were in the middle of English class when the kid that I sat next to, a kid named Toby Ryan, tried to shove a note underneath my arm. I simply took it from him and handed it to the next kid--a girl by the name of Matilda Swanson who's been in love with Michael ever since like forever.

The look on her face alerted the teacher who promptly came up to her desk and snatched the note.

"And what's this?" she asked accusingly, glaring at Matilda. Our teacher strode to the front of the room and then opened the note, reading the following, "'We need to meet tonight. It could be our only chance.'" Her eyebrow lifted in horror, and then she looked towards Michael. "It's says it's signed by you, Michael. Please tell me I'm wrong."

She wasn't. And so he had to stay late after school.

My house is just on the outskirts of Dayton, a pretty place with a rundown old barn that I suppose used to have horses with a field fenced in by wooden fencing. The field is of all tall, green grass. It's my favorite place in the world, especially with all of the trees bordering the fence. Sometimes I wonder what's in that forest.

Anyway, so I was in that field, doing some homework--it's one of my favorite spots--when all of a sudden I feel myself getting hit in the forehead by an acorn. (I found the acorn in my lap, which was why I knew what I'd been hit by). I glanced around suspiciously, and then saw a telltale bike parked by the road.

There was no mistaking it. It was Michael Hall's.

"Michael, you'd better leave!" I yelled.

No answer. Then.....

"We have to check out the warehouse."

"NO!" I answered firmly.

"Fine!" he yelled back from the trees. "Then I'll do it on my own." I watched him run out of the forest, grab his bike, and go pedaling off down the road.

So, what did I do? Well, I think it's rather obvious. I went back to the house and told my mom. She quickly phoned Michael's parents, who agreed that we'd all meet each other at the warehouse to pick up and, if necessary, look for him.

"That kid's trouble," Mom muttered to herself as we buckled up our seatbelts and revved off down the road.

We arrived at the warehouses--Gooseberry Warehouses--that bordered the Dayton River. Really, when I think of rivers, I think of something pretty. Dayton river is so full of pollution that parents are horrified to catch their kids swimming in it.

We met up with Michael's parents--the dad looking like a football player the mom being able to convince people she was a super model--and we both came up with the same conclusion--he was no where in sight.

"We'd better go and talk to the manager," sighed Mrs. Hall.

"But that's the point!" pointed out Mr. Hall. "This place is closed. It's been closed for over forty years. There isn't a manager."

This wasn't going well.

"Come on," I urged. "Let's just call the police, get a search warrant, and go and look for Michael."

"But isn't it public property?" wondered Mom. "Can't we just go in? Do we really have to involve the police? I think we have enough people here already."

"I'll check into it," suggested Mr. Hall.

He was only his cell phone for about a half an hour and then he turned to us. "Anybody's allowed on the property. It's just locked so that there won't be any vandalism."

"So if we can find a way in, then we're all right?" I questioned in surprise.

Mr. Hall shrugged. "I guess so."

That would be easy.

A few minutes later, I'd found the way that Michael had found in. There was a broken part in the wall that was covered by bushes. But if you pushed the bushes back, the opening was quite obvious. Mom, the Halls, and I all crouched on our knees and went through.

"We should split up," suggested Mr. Hall. "Myself and Marie could take this way, and you two can go that way." He pointed opposite ways.

"OK," Mom consented.

The Halls took off and Mom and I started towards a door in the side of one of the warehouses. The faded words announcing the name of the warehouses stood on the side. I guessed this must've been one of the main warehouses.

"Just in case something happens," started Mom, "here's your dad's phone. I snatched it just before we left." She entrusted the sleek device to the mercy of my pockets.

We found that the door was open and went inside. The room was far from empty, as I'd supposed it would be. Inside were thousands of crates. Just looking at it I felt lost.

"And, no, we're not going to separate," Mom snorted, as if reading my scared thoughts. "We're going to stay together. This isn't some kind of weird mystery novel. This is real life and we're going to be smart." Her eyes surveyed the jungle of crates. "Let's try this way, first."

All of a sudden we heard voices. Both of us froze, and Mom beckoned silently for me to come behind a pile of crates. I followed her lead, wondering why were hiding. I guess she knew better, though. And my first instinct was to hide.

The murmuring became louder and then suddenly they were voices, speaking, and I could hear footsteps as the people came closer.

"The shipment should arrive tonight," one of them said. "Remember, nobody's to know about it."

"Right," nodded the other.

There were only two, I could see that now.

They continued to go about this weird shipment. And then walked off. Mom sent me a look, and then she just stood up. It was the most stupid thing I would've ever thought to do.

"Sirs!" she called after them.

They turned suddenly. I was sure that they'd have  machine guns in their hands that they'd shoot her down. Thankfully, I didn't hear anything like that.

"Ma'am, what are you doing here?" one of them asked.

"We're looking for a missing child," she admitted. "Have you seen him? He's about five feet seven inches, dark blonde hair, pretty short, I guess, with darker eyes, pretty good looking, I'd say. Anyway, he's thirteen. Have you seen him?"

"No," they admitted.

"Excuse me," Mom continued. "What is this shipment that you're talking about?"

Oh dear, Mom. I hope you know what you're doing!

As it turns out--and we did check this out--one of the men was the son of the original owner of the warehouses. He was going to take possession of the property again and make it into a public rollerblade rink. How bizarre is that?

The men even wanted us to check them out just to make sure. James Gooseberry and his friend Terrance Mornly walked us back to the front, where the Halls were waiting, having already found Michael.

Still, the idea chills me. What if they hadn't been bad? That's why I'm in my closet. The idea that the guys could've been terrorists or something...... I shiver to think of it!!

Bye!!!! Maybe I won't have such a crazy story next time. ;) Tell me what you guys think!!

Love,
Jessie

Bio-Chaotic Brawl!!

Dear Readers,

Yes. It is I. Jessie Bender. I'm back!! I hope you guys aren't like "oh, man, her again??". =D I've decided to share a newspaper article of mine that I wrote for our school newspaper. Of course there'll be more, but this is how I've decided to start my letter. :)

Bio-Chaotic Brawl!
There has always been a sense of humanity and personal space between the children of Dayton Middle School. But this week that has crashed down to the ground with a violent spaghetti fight in the cafeteria, which was quickly taken care of our by our esteemed principal, Mr. Watson. What will happen next? Are we even safe in the hallways of our own beloved school? Will Dayton ever be the same?

So, what do you guys think? I thought it was pretty good. The leader of our newspaper, an eighth grader named Josh, thought it was pretty much hilarious (I'm not sure why. It's a very serious subject). 

That's when Josh revealed a very disturbing thing.

Michael Hall, the most popular kid in the seventh grade, is joining the newspaper. Problem? I say yes! He's a jerk! OK, OK--I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called him a jerk. But, really.... What am I going to do?

Bye!!

Love,
Jessie

P.S. Do you guys have any suggestions about what I should do with Michael joining the newspaper?

Spaghetti Fight!

Dear Readers,

Hello! It's Jessie again. Yes, the crazy girl who's already sent you a letter. =D Here are some very important things that I forgot to tell you about myself last time I wrote a letter--they're so important that I feel stupid not remember them!

So here they are: I'm a Christian through and through (I know, right?! How could I forget that?!?!). I'm known almost everywhere as "dramatic, crazy Jessie". It's a fun nickname!! I try to live up to it, lol. =D

OK, so I just had to tell you about this, because it was pretty much hilarious.

So yesterday in school, there was this new girl named Lulu Harper (being crazy also means that you walk up to everybody new and make sure you get their names, ages, and grades). The cafeteria was full as we all crowded around to get lunch which--to my excitement!!--was spaghetti.

"I love this stuff!" I announced to Noah as I watched the cook lady shovel it onto my plate. I frowned. "Could you put a little more on?"

"Jessie," he laughed, "you're crazy."

I grinned. "I'm dramatic, crazy Jessie. Remember?"

He only rolled his eyes. Of course. He hates spaghetti.

Anyways, so Noah and I had just sat down when all of a sudden, the most popular, snobby girl in the entire school, a girl by the name of Maya Henderson, stood up on one of the tables, blonde hair billowing dramatically (I mean, seriously--the blow dryer handled by her best friend Savannah was a little over-the-top).

"Lulu Harper is....." she paused dramatically. "A FREAK!"

Everybody laughed their heads off. She continued. It was so mean that I've decided not to record it in this letter to you guys.

Lulu, I could tell, was furious. Since school had started a few days back, she'd already made a few friends--mostly Maya's most hated enemies, Sara, Josephine, and Addy. They were all whispering to each other, their brows in frown lines. Finally, Lulu stood up on the table, a big glop of spaghetti in her hands. Sara, Josephine, and Addy flanked her.

"Spaghetti fightttttttttt!" Lulu yelled, throwing it smack-dab into Maya's face.

So that's how the biggest fight of Dayton Middle School started. Thankfully, I had my newspaper camera there, and I was getting some great pics when all of a sudden a felt myself getting whapped right in the stomach. I nearly dropped the camera but managed to maintain hold. I turned, glaring, and saw that it was Noah.

"That's it!" I declared.

I entrusted my trusty camera to some girls hiding underneath the tables, rolled up my sleeves, grabbed a big glop of spaghetti and sent it flying right towards Noah's face. You would've thought I'd played baseball or softball or something, because it hit him dead-on. I was going to send another down his shirt when I saw him coming for me.

I shrieked, grabbed my camera, and high-tailed out of there. Not to soon, either. Right after that Principal Watson had everybody else still in there with spaghetti all over themselves (except for the crying girls) clean up the whole place.

So, yeah, that was my day. ;)

Bye!!

Love,
Jessie

Hello! My name is Jessie Bender.

Dear Readers,

Hello!! My name is Jessie Bender, and I am a girl living in a little town called Dayton, Ohio. I enjoy doing lots of fun things!!! Like: soccer, volleyball, my school's newspaper, reading, [sometimes] writing, blogging, and lots of other cool stuff!!! I am twelve years old and going into the seventh grade. Yes, I have an early birthday. =D My birthday is on February 28th. It was on a leap year, so I was really close to being on a changing birth date!!! 

My job on the newspaper: When I do the newspaper, I do lots of fun stuff--either writing up stories, doing reporting, or taking pictures!! Since Dayton's such a small town, we don't have a huge newspaper, but we keep it going!!

My part in [sometimes] writing: I love to write movie scripts that my friends and I can act out!!! We've recorded all of our movies, and they're so funny!! Maybe sometime I'll post one of the scripts on here. I hope you guys would like that!!!

Something that lots of people think is rather cool about me: Before my dad quit his old job and became a writer, we traveled all around the world, mostly centered in Europe. I've lived in lots of cool places, including England, Paris, and Berlin. Danka (thank you, in German) for reading this!!! =D

Random things about me: OK, so ya ready? I can't stand leftovers, I'm left-handed, I start on my left foot when I run, my little sister died before she left my mother's womb, I wear contacts, I did gymnastics and diving for four years, I love throwing football with my best friend, Noah, who's on our school's football team, I LOVE spaghetti, anything beef, onions (yum!!), only original Lays chips (my friends think I'm crazy), hate chocolate (my friends REALLY think I'm crazy about this one), am allergic to strawberries and poison ivy and yellow jackets, and I have an older brother in college by the name of Jake (so if I mention him in my letters you won't be totally confused).

What I look like: Ooh, goody!! =D OK, so I'm about five foot (my friends call me shorty), petite, pale skin that burns horribly and then darkens into a light tan, pointy, pixie-like features, dark brown hair that everybody's always confusing with black, and big bluish greenish brownish violetish hazlish eyes. (if you can understand any of that gibberish)

I hope to get to know you all better!!! Please comment for any questions!!!!

Bye!!!

Love,
Jessie

Note: all of this is fictional, and Jessie is a character of Storyteller's own design.