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Dear Cookie Dough,
This'll probably be the longest journal entry I've ever had on here, but never-mind that. It'll be long because I've finally decided to post some exerpts out of my two completed stories: Figurine and Only Temporarily. Figurine is about a girl named Jacquenetta whom is an aspiring ballerina. Only Temporarily is a story similar to Maniac Magee, but with a girl instead. I hope you enjoy them both!

Figurine Excerpt: "Up now, is Jacquenetta Stacie Sharp!” the announcer said. I walked onto stage, and got into my beginning pose. Silence. A faint light fell on me, lighting up my hazel eyes. I waited as a bead of sweat trickled down my neck. My limbs almost felt numb. I could hear the rustling of people in their seats.
I knew that the TV rolling, watching to see what would happen next. All over the country, little girls would be clutching their ballet dollies. Dance Academies across the U.S. Would be watching with stern faces.
“How good is she?” “Is she worthy of a scholarship?” they would be asking. I imagined groups of people betting over the contestants. How much money would be lost when the other competitors lost? How much money would be lost if I didn't win? What would Penny and Cecelia think of me if I became a ballerina prodigy? How would this affect my future...?
“You can do it, Jacquenetta.” a voice said inside me. My body snapped to life from shock of the familiar voice, and the music. My limbs sprung to life, and I took my first graceful step. I was soon in a familiar dance I had created, the air whipping my small pieces of hair. My dress twirled with elegance. My feet made sure I wasn't going to trip...
Soon I was finished. Clapping filled my ears. Had I done well? Was I too rough? Too graceful? I looked up and smiled to see a banner with my name on it. I had a feeling Penny was behind this. “Go Jacquenetta!” they yelled.
All my worries washed away. I had gotten this far. I must be wonderful. And if I walked out with a trophy or not, I'd always be loved by so many people. I'd always have little Annie, and Andre. I'd always have Penny and Cecelia. I'd always have Grandma Bretta and Dad, I'd always have the Dia's, and my teachers...I'd always have Mateo.
And as I curtsied I said to myself “And that's all that matters.”

Only Temporarily: When I'd die, I'd have thousands of people around me, crying for me. I wanted to cry twice as much, to show how much I missed Ms. Ivy. But I wouldn't in front of these men. They took out their cigarette, waiting for the priest. “Where ya think the priest is?”
“I don't know, but we can't wait he-uh forevah.”
“If he don't come here in a few minutes, we'll live these place.”
I was getting irritable. These men didn't care about Ms. Ivy at all...I placed the journal Ms. Ivy had wrote in on her coffin, and then I ran away from the complaining men. They didn't care. So why did I have to? As I ran through the town I cursed everything. I cursed the snow for being so beautiful on a sad day. I cursed the lights for shining. I cursed a couple for laughing on a day of death.
How could they be happy and in love on this day?!?! Everything seemed wrong, wrong, wrong. Nothing was right. Death wasn't fair. Life was't fair. “Why does this happen to me?” I asked myself. Out of all the people in this whole damned world, why does this happen to me?!?!?!?!?!
I ran faster and faster. Snow fell lightly on my hair, I stomped on the snow, leaving a dirty footprint. Good. I thought. That'll show them. And then I thought, show who? A voice inside my head replied, “Show God.” Which made sense. He made Miss Ivy die. He made my parents get killed. I thought God was supposed to be GOOD! But NO God just had to miss the extra “O” in good in his name, and make everything bad instead.
So I ran faster, and faster and faster...and my legs just couldn't stop.


So, whad'ya think? Anyways--please tell me, as I think these are the greatest scenes in my books, and the one with the most detail and emotion, y'know?
~Author Leiko