Folds in Life

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Folds in Life Ross Ray

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Folds in Life

Written by: Ross Ray


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Chapter 1

No This isnt possible. Stuff like this doesnt happen to thepeople you know. Theres no way it could be real.

But what if it is?

What if shes not joking?

I would be devastated I am devastated.

She would never kid around about something like this. Something

this serious should never be taken lightly.

My hearts racing. Ican feel my pulse surge throughout my body,

stretching my veins past their normal sizes. Ive never been this

nervous. Not a single time in my life; and I think I know why.

Its because I am in denial. I cant acceptit;I wont accept it.

Something this unfair cant happen to me Happen to her To us

Sweats getting into my eyes, and it burns. I want to cry so badly,

but I cant. If I cry now, in front of her, then what kind of man does that

make me? It makes me a coward! I have to be strong for both of us.

But this pain Im feeling is real, and it hurts. It hurts so much.

Why is she just standing there? Why wont she say something? Is

she waiting for me to talk first? But what would I say? No, if I talk now,

then I would crywithout a doubt. I can feel my lips trembling at this

very second. Im just one sentence away from breaking.


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Ill wait. Ill wait for her to start talking. Shes said so much

already, Im sure she has more to say. Shes just letting me think about

what was said. But then again, she would have said something by now.

Is is she she is. Shes crying.

No, please Pleasedont cry.

Stop looking at the ground and make eye contact with me! Dont

leave me hanging! I... I cant

Salt. I taste salt on my lips. Its my tears. Shes becoming a blur

now. I should rub my eyes. Its not like she can see me crying when

shes looking at the ground.

Shes sobbing now. I need to go over and comfort her. I need to

be strong But I dont want to be! I dont want to always be the one to

make things right! I-I cant!

I cant help her! Im useless! Its because of me that shes so

badly hurt and in pain! Im responsible for this, and there is no one else

blame. I am the reason she is crying. I built up her hopes. I was toofoolish to see past my childhood visions.

I dont remember falling to the ground. It must have happened just

recently. No, that wouldnt make sense. There is a large puddle of tears

under my head. I dont want to get up. I wont get up. Id rather just sit

here and die. I deserve it

Why? Why does this have to happen? I guess theres no realreason as to why. Its already set and done. I cant undo what has

happened. The better question to ask, is how? How did this happen? At

what point in time did everything start to go wrong?


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My eyes Theyre on fire. My tears are burning my eyes as they

exit and roll down my face. Im just going to shut my eyes and never

open them. Never.

That noise Someone is walking to me. It cant be her. I stillhear her crying, or rather screaming in front of me. Whos getting

closer?

Oh, I think I know who. Ive been so wrapped up in thought that I

completely forgot there were more people in this room. Including

myself, there are five people here.

Hes talking to me. I cant quite make it out. But then again, Imnot really listening. My minds running at a pace its never been at

before.

Just how long ago did we stop talking and start crying? It feels

like forever.

Forever Thats a long time. Its enough time to think about

anything. I cant move, so I mine as well think. But what should I think

about?

Yesterday! Ill think about yesterday. Ill think about yesterday

until my brain hurts! Ill think about everything that has happened in

the last twenty-four hours!

But so much has happened. Where would I begin?

Ill thinkback to when we were both in school. Before all ofthishappened... Back when we I had nothing to lose. Not a single care in

the world.

It was sunny.


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Chapter 2

In the large city of Ashfield, there is a middle school with a largefield behind it; and in this field, there is a spot that can change your life.

This spot is a perfectly round hill. On the top of it, a large maple

tree with hundreds of years behind it stands proudly with its arms

extended. This tree is warm. Its deep brown bark is baked to the perfect

temperature, making it pleasing to the touch.

On the warm bark, a robin fluffs her wings and shakes her head.

She has just woke up, and the reflective sparkle of the sun on the maple

trees green leaves gleams in her eyes.

The robin exits her perch, and makes a dive off the branch. Her

heart has enough time to beat twice just before she spreads her wings

and begins to fly.

With a handful of mighty swoops, the robin is now soaring straight

up into the sky and away from the tree. The sun brings life to her

feathers as she flies ever higher.

The vast warm blue sky covers her like a blanket, and the robin

vanishes in its splendor. The robin is not lost, however. She is off on a

daily adventure in search of food, and the sky embraces her.

The blue of the sky continues all the way around the maple tree on

the hill. Below it, rich green grass sways in a gentle breeze.

This grass is unnaturally special. Its always soft, and never hard

to walk on. No one cuts it, but it never grows too much. The grass that

lives on this hill is in sync with nature, just as its neighbor the maple


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tree. Both the grass and the tree maintain themselves, never succumbing

to any lazy urges that would make them do otherwise.

Blue, green and brown bring the hill to life, all the while yellow

shines on the three of them. The yellow sun reflects off the grass in awhite haze that is not harmful to the eye. On this hill, the sun pulls back

its power giving off just the right amount of heat.

The sun keeps the hill cooked properly, but the shade of the old

maple tree helps out too. The shade of this tree mixed with the beams of

warmth from the sun equate into the finest of relaxing moods.

This hill, this magnificent work of nature, is a rare sighting.

Not many people know of it. As a matter of fact, the only people

that do know about it are children. They are the students of Ashfield

Middle School. For countless hours, these children have played on this

hill. During lunch and after school, they run, read books, and climb the

great maple.

These kids really love the hill. For them, it is a part of their

childhood that will stand out. When they grow old, they will tell their

children of this hill; the hill with soft grass, an old maple tree, and the

perfect temperature in a sky of endless blue.

This hill has no bounds for the imagination of children, but off all

the kids who play here, there is only a small handful of middle schoolers

who truly appreciate it.

These few kids know that there is something different about this

hill. Whenever they are on it, they take a moment to breath in the clean

air and reflect on how amazing of a place it truly is. These few middle

schoolers recognize that this hill is a scientific wonder of perfection, and

they appreciate every second of it.


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These students are different from most in that they can see the hill

for what it really is, but they are also different in another way. They are

different because they appreciate life. Every second is a gift to them,

and letting life pass them by is not an option. They strive hard in andout of the middle school. They live their life to the fullest every day and

regret none of their actions.

In many ways, these young students are like the hill. Both the kids

and the hill work in unison to make sure every action is beneficial to

others. Whether its the warm breeze of the hill, or the loving act of

kindness from a child, these two contrasting groups act similar.

But how did this happen? Did the hill act as a role model for the

children? Or did the hill learn its ways from the innocence of middle

schoolers?

The answer is never clear when it comes to these things, but one

thing that is clear is the mind of a student in Ashfield Middle School.

This young scholar sits next to a window in the school with a mind pure

as water.This student is asleep.

The keen eye of the robin from the hill sees this student from the

outside of the window. The bird rests on the windows ledge, and sings

a small song.

The student is now awake.

The melody of the robin can be heard by this student, but not seen.

Obtuse rectangular blinds cover most of the window, and where there

are cracks to peak out of, only suns bright light can be seen.


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The now fully awake student sits up in his chair and looks away

from the window.

The room is dark. The lights are off, and a small T.V. screen is lit

in the corner farthest from the student. The movie has an old manpainting on an easel while talking about the magic of mixing colors.

The student looks away from the T.V. and down at the paper in

front of him. His name, Adan, is written in the top right corner. On

the center of the page, various fill in the blank questions revolving

around color litter his paper. Each one is empty.

Adan gives off a small groan of dismay while looking at his blankpaper, but then the groan turns into a yawn. Adan brushes both of his

hands through his short blonde hair and aims his head back into the

direction of the T.V.

Scattered around the room at various desks, other students watch

the video intently, writing down every word the old man says.

The video has no effect on Adan, so he resumes his position next

to the window and closes his eyes again.

Summer is almost at Ashfield Middle School, and Adan knows

this. In just one short day, school will end, giving Adan a full season of

contentment. And when the summer ends, he will begin his first year of

high school.

Adan is eager to leave middle school, but he cant help but be a

little afraid of going to a new school. He would have to get a new

locker, new friends, and new teachers all within a new building of rules

much more strict than he is used to.


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The wandering thoughts of this youthful eighth grader are abruptly

interrupted by the sharp slamming sound of the class room door. Adan

looks up, and sees a new student enter the room.

This new student has an effect on Adan, as he is now completelyawake. The now fully alert Adan keeps his eyes on the student as she

walks over to the teacher of the room.

The teacher and the new girl have a brief conversation, and then

the teacher points his finger at Adan. Adans skin flushes, and he brings

his right hand to his head to avoid eye contact. After a few brief

seconds, Adan removes his hand, and is pleasantly surprised to see the

female student walking toward him.

She is slender with long black hair. With a knapsack on her back

and a paper in her hand, the girl pulls out a chair next to Adan, and sits.

Adan is the first to speak.

Well if it isnt Jasmine! Nice of you to drop in during the last

class of the day! Adans dry voice has a friendly yet sarcastic tone to

it. I see youre quite the overachiever, as usual.

Adan, could we not joke around today? Im really not in the

mood. Jasmine tosses her paper on the table and stares at it blankly

with her arms crossed. Im not in the mood.

You already said that Unsure of where to go with the

conversation, Adan offers help. Do you want to talk about it?

Whats there to talk about? Jasmine shrugs her shoulders

overenthusiastically, unintentionally making a comical gesture. I went

to the hospital in the morning for another checkup, and I wound up

staying the whole day. I wasted the whole day sitting on a table doing

nothing. I didnt get any lunch, I had to answer hundreds of questions,


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and Ive missed all of my classes, so Ill have a lot of homework.

Jasmine closes her eyes and lets her head fall forward as if she has just

passed out. Her long black hair swishes over her face and onto the table,

giving her a gothic appearance.Unsure of what to say, Adan keeps quiet and silently thinks about

Jasmines previous checkups. Today was her most recent one, but she

had been having checkups for about two weeks now. Nothing serious

ever came up from them, but they have been persistently ruining her

social life.

They started off as regular one hour appointments, but they

steadily began to take up more time. This resulted in Jasmine having

more homework and less free time.

Im just so sick of checkups. I dont want to get another for as

long as I live. Jasmine blows a small portion of hair out from the front

of her face, but it just falls back. She gives another long sigh, and does

nothing.

The conversation has taken a turn that Adan was not prepared for.After a brief awkward silence, Adan tries again from a different angle.

Is there anything I can do to help? Adans question makes

Jasmine raise her head. She gives him frustrated look through her hair,

then at the paper in front of her. Its a test sheet exactly the same as

Adans. She brings her gaze back up to him and then begins talking.

Well, you could let me copy your answers for this art video.Adan winces at her question, and tries again.

How about something else instead? A bright fake smile covers

Adans face as he tries to changethe subject. Anything at all! You

name it, and Ill get it for you.


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Suspicion sweeps over Jasmine as a smug smile forms on her lips.

I really just want to see your paper. Youre so smart and insightful, Im

sure I could learn all I need to know from yourpaper alone.

Adan, knowing hes losing the battle, resorts to excuses. Youcant learn art by reading. Not even by watching a video! To learn art,

you have to do it yourself. Satisfied, Adan shuts his eyes and nods his

head. Copy my answers? What kind of honor student are you

anyways? With his pride full, he slowly opens his eyes and looks at

Jasmine.

Jasmine has his paper in her hands. Adan groans and closes his

eyes again. She looks at it briefly, and then stares at Adan.

So You didnt answer anything? Jasmine drops the paper

back to the table and begins to chuckle.

So what if I didnt answer them! I dont need a video of wrinkled

old man finger painting rainbows to determine how smart I am! This

paper- Adan cuts himself short as he realizes Jasmine is now laugh

directly at him and not listening at all.

I dont know why I even try to help you, Jasmine. You just make

fun of me.

Calm your face down, Adan. Im just teasing you. Jasmine

grabs Adans paper once more and looks at it intently. She then folds it

in half very slowly, making a perfectly straight line.

Jasmine, what are you doing to my pa- Before Adan can finish,

Jasmine rips the video questions in half with one clean tear. Adan lets

out a high pitched gasp of shock. Im supposed to hand that in at the

end of class! Why did you do that?


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Its not like you had any of the answers anyway, Adan. Now be

quiet, youre drawing attention to us. Adan looks up past Jasmine and

sees other kids turning their heads. Adan pretends to watch the video,

and in seconds, everyone is watching with him.When Adan moves his head back to Jasmine, he finds that she is

folding one of the two halves of his paper.

Oh, youre folding origami?

Yeah. Jasmine wets the tip of her index finger with her tongue,

and creases a fold. Its been too long Jasmine doesnt finish her

sentence as she stays very focused in what she is doing. The rectangularpiece of paper she started off with has already begun to change into an

animal.

Adan takes the other half of paper and begins to fold with her.

So, Jasmine? When was the last time we folded origami? Its been so

long, Ive almost forgotten how.

Jasmine momentarily takes her eyes off of her half folded figure

and looks to the ceiling for solace. To be honest, I dont remember the

exact last time we did this. I remember teaching you in first grade, but

since then, I dont know Does fourth grade sound right?

No. The last time we folded origami together was on that hill just

outside. We didnt know about the hill until middle school, so it had to

be at least sixth grade. Adan quits folding, and begins to think out

loud.

We went out there together to study definitions for an English

test. After about five minutes, I couldnt take it anymore, and I started

to fold a little bird out of my notes. I remember you got mad at me

because I wasnt studying, but you soon joined in on the fun. Adan lets


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out a quiet sigh. We must have folded fifty little birds. And then we

just left them there next to the tree.

Jasmine nods her head while folding. They looked so beautiful in

the grass. The whole hill was covered in white paper birds, and not asingle one blew away. Jasmine smiles enthusiastically, and starts

folding slower. We did awful on the test, but I think it was worth it.

We, did awful? Adan scoffs at her remark. If I remember

correctly, you passed, and I didnt! I almost failed that English class!

But in the end, you pulled through. Jasmines smile slowly

fades into a straight line. That was one of the best times I ever had. Icant believe I almost forgot about it.

Jasmine finishes folding her origami figure and holds it in front of

her. She made a giraffe with really long legs and a small body. Adan,

surprised by how good it came out, awes at its neatly folded neck.

Jasmine gently sets it down on the table. It has no trouble standing, and

does not tip to its side.

Jasmine grabs her own paper of video questions and rips it into two

pieces, just as she did with Adans. She takes the larger of the two, and

begins folding again. We did have fun, but it probably would have

been better for both of us if we just studied. She lets out a brief sigh,

and continues talking. I wish we knew the exact time we did that. Its

going to bug me now that I dont know.

Adan stares blankly at the giraffe in front of him, and then looksup at Jasmine. I guess it doesnt matterwhen it happened, as long as

we remember whathappened.

Jasmine lets out a small grunt of air. Yeah, I guess youre right.

She holds back her new piece of folded paper with her pinky finger, and


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creases the front with her thumb. We were younger back then. It was

okay to goof off every once in a while.

They both continue to fold in silence. By now, the old man in the

art video has moved on past colors and into shapes. He tells the class ofthe importance of circles and then instructs everyone to draw as he does.

The old man draws three circles, each one smaller than the other, and

then he connects them with a straight line.

Adan briefly watches the old man work his craft, but Adan breaks

his own trance as he eagerly shows Jasmine what he has folded. Look

what I made Jasmine! He lunges out his handto Jasmines face so fast

that it startles her. She backs her head out, and looks.

Jasmine squints her eyes at the small paper figurine in front of her

face. A pajarita? Thats what youve been folding this whole time?

Pajarita? Whats that?

Its what you just folded Adan!

Oh, I didnt know that was what they were called. Adan bringshis hand back to his own face and examines the pajarita. It is a small

bird with a triangular head. The birds head connects to a rectangular

shaped body, two legs, and a tail. The pajarita stands boldly and proud

with its head pointing to the sky while its large tail keeps the feet from

falling over.

Adan sets his pajarita down on the desk and admires it. Why

didnt you ever tell me they were called Pajaritas? Ive been calling

them birdies my whole life and you never told me I was wrong.

Jasmine keeps folding her second piece of paper. You can call

them whatever you like. Their official name is pajarita, but they are,


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like you said, birdies. Theyre also one of the most simple origami

figures to fold, so calling it a bird is more fitting anyway.

Adan nods his head in agreement. Yeah, pajarita is too fancy.

With the bird and giraffe on the desk, Adan grabs the last half ofJasmines paperwith the full intention of folding another, but he stops.

Hey, Jasmine, what should I fold next?

Jasmine closes her eyes, gives a brief sigh, and sets her half folded

paper on the table. Well, what do you know how to fold?

Well Adan gives his right cheek a good scratch while

thinking over the lists of things to fold. After a few seconds, Adan givesan answer. I dont remember how to fold anything else. I only

remember how to fold birds because of how many we folded last time.

Jasmine gives another sigh, this one much deeper, and then

suggests a solution. Why dont you just try your hardest to fold

something that you dont know? You might as well try to learn

something in this class anyways.

But it will turn out bad! I cant fold something I dont know how

to! Why dont you just teach me?

Yeah, right. Like youd remember something I teach you. You

only remember how to fold pajaritas as is! Just try your best to fold

something new. With that being said, Jasmine resumes folding her

second origami figure, ignoring Adans complaints.

Miffed, Adan eventually decides to fold a butterfly. With two

wings, a head and a body, Adan settles down thinking it will be just as

easy as folding a bird.


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As Adan starts on the wings of his butterfly, Jasmine continues to

finish her own animal. The two remain focused on their own piece of

paper, intently making creases along corners and edges.

Three short minutes later, Jasmine places her animal on the tableand taps Adans shoulder, eagerly wanting to show it off. Im all

finished! What do you think Adan?

Adan clasps his hands over his butterfly, not wanting Jasmine to

see it. Wheres your new animal? Before Jasmine can answer, he

glances down on the table and sees it next to the giraffe.

Jasmine has folded another difficult animal perfectly. To the leftof the giraffe, a wide and paper scaled alligator lies low on the desk. Its

large triangular mouth is open, showing off its small teeth that are folded

in from the side of the mouth.

Adan, lost in thought, stares at it with an absent mind until Jasmine

talks to him. Arent you going to say something? I asked you if you

liked it

Adan quickly shakes his head and blinks his eyes, trying to wake

himself up. Its better than the giraffe! It has teeth and little scales!

When did you learn how to do this?

Folding the alligators body is easy, but no one taught me how to

do the teeth or scales. I just folded the corners of the mouth and ripped

up parts of the body to make it stand out. Jasmine crosses her arms,

satisfied with the end result.

Adan, with his eyes still on the alligator, begins to quietly talk. I

cant keep my eyes off it. It just looks so good! Adan slowly brings

his finger to the alligators mouth and lightly touches the teeth. I


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thought you said you hadnt made origami since that time we made birds

together?

I havent. The last time I folded was with you on the hill

outside.

But then how do you explain this? You just folded a

masterpiece!

Jasmine keeps her arms crossed, but lowers them to her waist as

she hunches back into her seat. The alligator turned out great because I

tried my absolute hardest to make it perfect. Jasmine tilts her head

down to her legs. And I tried extra hard because this is the last time Illever make origami.

Jasmines last remark gets Adans attention. With Adan looking at

her, Jasmine continues. Were growing up. Middle school is going to

end for us in just one more day, and I cant let kid stuff like origami hold

me back.

Adan leans back at her remark, feeling insulted. Jasmine, origami

isnt just for kids. I know for a fact that old people make paper animals.

They make it professionally, like for an arts and crafts job or

something.

Jasmine just shakes her head and remains still. Ive had more

than enough time in my life to just play around. I want to do something

with my life, and I want to do it this summer, before the leaves change

color. She raises her head, and looks at all the students watching the artvideo. I want to be much more than an absent minded child who just

does what everyone tells her.

Jasmine turns her head to Adan, but keeps her eyes on the students.

Look at all these kids; taking notes on colors and shapes like their life


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depended on it. Theyre all fools. Jasmine turns her head back in the

direction of the students, her eyes never once moving. We learned this

stuff in first grade! Have they forgotten it that quickly? Theyre writing

everything down, but I bet not a single one of them is learninganything.

At this moment, Jasmines voice lowers, but her tone remains the

same. They dont deserve an education. Theyll all grow up, and then

theyll all die. End of story.

Adan tries to speak up, but he cant find the right words. Jasmine

talks again before he says anything. From now on, Im going to try my

hardest at everything I do. Ill make sure I give one-hundred percent for

even the most minuscule of things. Maybe that way Ill make my life

meaningful. Jasmine looks back down at her two animals. I think its

fitting that my last origami session turned out to be the best Ive ever

done. Its a good start for the summer.

Adan finally finds the right words to say. JasmineYoure

scaring me.Hmm? Jasmine looks at her friend to find that his eyes are wide

open and he is tapping his foot rapidly. Oh, Im sorry Adan. I

Jasmine looks into Adans eyes, and it calms him down. I wont talk

like this in front ofyou ever again. Jasmine bites her bottom lip with

her teeth and exhales a slow breath of air from her nose. I promise.

With her last two words spoken, the most awkward silence in

Adans life begins. The two friends dont look at each other. Instead,

they begin to watch the art video.

Although Adans eyes are on the television across the room, he is

not listening at all. His mind is rapidly going over what Jasmine just


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said. Jasmine has never talked like that to him. She sounded like an

entirely different person.

On any other day, Jasmine would be vigorously writing with the

other students, hoping to get every key word written for a pop quiz. Buttoday she was doing the opposite. She just called all the other students

fools fortaking notes. She then went on to say that she wanted to

make her life meaningful.

Adan thinks about Jasmines words in his head. From what he can

gather, it sounds like Jasmine has had some kind of emotional

revelation. She just vowed to improve her character by trying her best at

everything she does. However, she didnt take any notes on the video,

and then disowned all the other students. Her actions contradict her

words, and Adan realizes that he is getting more confused by thinking

about it.

Adan is just about to turn off his brain entirely and go back to

sleeping when Jasmine touches his arm and speaks. How did your

butterfly turn out?My butterfly? Adan looks at his hands, and realizes he has been

covering it from her for the last few minutes. He begins speaking again

with a dry voice. Oh yeah! My butterfly! It looks great. If you want, I

can show you after class?

Jasmine frowns, and holds out her hand. Give it to me. I want to

see how it looks. She keeps her hand in the air with her eyes locked on

Adans face. Adan gets the shivers from her stare, and slowly brings the

butterfly from his fist to her open palm.

What drops from his hand and into hers is far from the original

butterfly design Adan was going for. Where the wings are supposed to


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be, there are circular crumpled up wads of paper. The head is almost as

large as the wings, making the butterfly lean forward with no attempt to

stand on its smaller than average square body. Adans butterfly has

turned out to look more like three small paper wads with a squareconnecting them.

There is no resemblance to an animal in the paper, and Jasmine

isnt afraid to speak her mind. Wait, this is your butterfly? Why didnt

you just leave the wings flat? This looks like a Jasmine makes a

confused face. A bigsmall She begins to giggle and her hand

holding the paper sways in the air. I dont know whatthis looks like!

Jasmines giggles are quite, but the more she looks at it, the more

her giggles turn into full laughs. Her laughter is abrupt and muffled as

she tries to not draw attention to herself. The muffled snorts continue

until her face turns red and she gets the hiccups. At this moment, she

has tears in her eyes and is just making a weird face with no sound as

she is now out of air.

All this happens in a matter of seconds, and Adan doesnt knowwhether to join in on the laughter or stare at her disfigured face. He

doesnt have to think too long, as the laughter is somehow contagious.

Adan raises a hand to his mouth to cover his smile.

Its not funny Jasmine! Its hard to fold something Ive never

folded before. He lets out a small giggle that makes his last word

trembles. He stops talking all together.

By now, Jasmine is slowly regaining her composure. She gives off

a small squeak as she heaves in air and a faint whistle as she exhales.


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Eventually, she takes one last big breath to calm herself down.

After removing tears from her now red eyes, she puts her hands flat on

the desk and gives Adan a genuine glance.

Thanks for that Adan. I needed to laugh. Her hair is tangled,eyes bloodshot, face red, and teeth exposed like a horse. Adan cant

look at her for more than a second before he finally breaks.

His hand, unable to cover his face, falls to his side while his other

points at her face. He tries to tell her that she looks like a disfigured

tomato, but only laughter escapes his mouth.

Adans deep laugh acts as a spark, and ignites Jasmines hysteriaonce more. They both begin grunting and gaging in a pig like fashion

without a care in the world.

The crazy duo would have gone on laughing more if they werent

interrupted by a piercing stern voice.

Adan,Jasmine, do you two need a moment? The art teacher

looks directly at them as do the other twenty students. If you cant

calm down, Im going to have to ask you both to leave the room.

Jasmine and Adan look at the teacher and both begin shrugging

their arms while crying from laughter in an attempt to communicate to

the teacher. Jasmine takes it to the next step and tires to talk, but only

dry air leaves her mouth.

I see. Both of you please leave the room and exit to the hallway.

You can return when youve gained your composure. The art teacher

looks deep into their eyes points to the door.

Standing up was the easy part, but as Adan and Jasmine try to walk

to the door, they stumble over their own feet. The two do their own


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rendition of freestyle dances until they get to the door and leave the art

room behind.

Minuets pass as they sit next to each other in the hallway regaining

their breath. Once the hallway becomes silent, Jasmine begins talking ata normal rate.

Well then, that took an unexpected turn! Jasmine gives off a

deep sigh that ends with a large smile. Now well never see the end of

that art video.

Adan nods his head as if agreeing. Maybe Ill buy you a copy as

a peace offering for getting you kicked out of your only class of theday?

Dont feel sorry Adan. Its an art class at the end of the year. We

only watch videos and draw circles. I could learn more about art by

reading the vulgar graffiti in the girlsbathroom.

Adan is clearly shocked by her last statement. Theres

inappropriate graffiti in the girlsroom?

Of course there is. You should see what some of them say about

you! Jasmine giggles, but it pales in comparison to her previous

outbursts. But seriously, theres some really awful stuff written in

marker in the girls room.

I had no idea. I mean, theres a crazy amount of bad words in the

boys room, but I thought only boys did that stuff. Adan finishes his

epiphany by giving the tiled floor of the hallway an empty gaze while

Jasmine smiles at his side.

Adan, everyone does bad things. Jasmine begins to open her

mouth to teach Adan a lifelong lesson about wrongful actions, but she


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decides against it. Instead, she closes her mouth and keeps her gaze on

Adans side.

Seconds pass, and then minutes. Eventually, Adan lifts his glance

away from the tiles and brings it to Jasmines face. She is still staring atAdan, but his movement breaks her trance. They both smile at each

other, and ever so slowly, Adan reaches his hand to Jasmines. He gets

half way, but stops as Jasmine starts a new conversation.

During my checkup Jasmine quickly turns her head away and

begins talking to the other side of the hallway. Adan cant be too sure,

but he feels her voice has lost clarity. I did a lot of thinking. School

is going to end tomorrow, and when summer ends, well begin High

School... At any other moment, Adan would have bluntly told Jasmine

to stop stating the obvious, but Jasmines tone is much more calm than

normal, so he keeps quiet.

AndWhen we start High School, we need to take school more

serious. I cant be getting thrown out of class for laughing fits. Itll

Jasmine bites her lip, and then continues. I wont be able to go tocollege if I keep acting like a child.

A child?! Adan is relieved to hear that this is all Jasmine had on

her mind, but her words piece his brain with an uncertain vibe.

Jasmine, we are children. Well keep being children until he graduate

High School. Why are you saying this all of a sudden?

Without moving her head, Jasmine rolls her eyes to Adan, and

mummers, Whats your HSAN?

My? For a split second, Adan is completely lost in thought.

The four letters take him off guard, but he quickly remembers what they

stand for.


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In the city of Ashfield, there are four elementary schools and four

middle schools. The schools students are determined by where they

live, and as a result, some schools have more students than others.

Adan and Jasmine grew up in the northwest section of Ashfield,and went to Ashfield Heights Northern Elementary and Middle School

respectively.

However, when it comes to High Schools, Ashfield only has two.

They are both located near the center of the city, and student placement

is determined name. Both buildings have different teachers and

principals, and are in no way affiliated with each other except by name.

The two High Schools have a three digit address. Once is 645, and

the other is 656. Every eighth grader is assigned one of these numbers

to determine which building they will go to. Adan received his an hour

ago.

HSAN? You mean my High School AddressNumber, dont

you? Jasmine shakes her head at Adan. Mines 645. Why did you-

Right after speaking his number, Adan goes silent. He goes over thepossibility of having a different number than Jasmine. The thought

pierces at Adans brain, and he feels his skin become chill in his cold

sweat.

Jasmine lifts her arms to the sky as if stretching, but Adan soon

sees she is taking off her knapsack that he has forgotten about entirely.

She goes from sitting flat on her bottom to her knees as she struggles to

get her arms out of the small straps. Her yellow bag makes a rustling

sound as she sticks her hand in. When her hand comes back out, its

holding a folded paper. Jasmine holds it out in front of her and begins

looking at the paper as if she was inspecting a piece of food she had just

dropped.


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I dont know what number is on this paper. I dont even what to

know. Shedrops the paper and places her foot on top of it. Knowing

wont change anything. When we get to High School, we need to stop

seeing each other.Jasmine, wait! Youre not making any sense! Were best friends.

Getting ready for college doesnt mean you have to get rid of our

friendship. Adan tries to sound mature, but whenever he talks, his

voice quavers. He starts again, but Jasmine cuts him off.

How much about college do you know? Do you even have one

picked out?

W-why would I? Im in Middle School!

Well start thinking Adan! College is the most important part of

your education. It determines where you work, who you meet, and how

successful you are. You need to think about college more than you need

to think about me. If we keep hanging out in High School, youll never

take it serious. Jasmines voice is very firm and loud. She had been

slowly getting louder with every sentence she spoke.

Adan looks at her with his mouth agape in face of disgust. He is

unsure if he should try to calm her down or provoke her. So much has

been said in such little time that Adan cant think properly. He knows

something must be said, but his brain stays at ease.

Jasmine glares at him, and asks a question. Arent you going to

say anything? Adans mouth closes and his teeth begin to grind. Hisface is now red from anger and humiliation, and his hands are clenched

shut and shaking.

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Folds in Life