Peaceandlove67 Article: Secret Tears Part 1

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posted by Peaceandlove67

Leah and Emily were friends. They first met in the second grade and had been friends ever since. They were opposites of each other. Emily was bubbly and loved being the center of attention. She was also very kind, if a bit slow-witted. Leah was quick-witted and preferred keeping her nose in a book. She was incredibly loyal, if a bit shy. Nevertheless, Leah and Emily enjoyed each other's company. When they reached their teenage years, they began to notice boys, as most girls do. One day, they met a handsome boy named Ralph. Ralph was very friendly and highly intelligent. He was also very charming. He would often cheerfully greet his friends. One day, when he passed by, Emily said to Leah, "He's cute, isn't he?" Leah said, "Yes, I think so." Emily asked, "Which one of us do you think he's interested in?" Leah said, "I don't know." Emily said, "Maybe we should ask him." Leah said, "I don't know. Doesn't that seem a bit desperate?" Emily said, "It's the only way to know for sure." Leah said, "All right, but no matter who he is interested in, we'll always be friends." Emily said, "Deal!" The two girls shared a handshake. In the lunchroom, Ralph sat next to them. He said, "I have an announcement to make." Leah asked, "What is it?" He said, "I'm having feelings for one of you." Leah and Emily perked up. Ralph smiled and said, "Emily, I really like you. Will you be my girlfriend?" Emily was ecstatic. "Yes!" she cried. "I'll be happy to!" He said, "Leah, I like you as a friend. You don't have any hard feelings, do you?" She said, "No, of course not. I'm happy for you two." Leah wanted to be happy for Ralph and Emily, and she was happy for them to an extent. However, she began to wallow in self-pity. Although Leah was a beautiful girl, she was never popular with the boys, romantically speaking anyway. She painfully remembered the saying "Sweet sixteen and never been kissed." When nobody was around, she would listen to the Beatles' love songs and weep.

TO BE CONTINUED

RetroRock64, Roldan13 and 2 others like this

Peaceandlove67 This is a collaboration with RetroRock64 (Lenny). We agreed to do this. Also, the name Leah is of English origin, and it literally means "fragile". I thought it was appropriate since Leah seems to be deeply sensitive.

80smusiclover1 This is looking really good so far. It's quite bittersweet, too.

BingoPB I think so, too. I actually really sympathize with Leah already.

Peaceandlove67 Thank you for your comments, my friends.

Rubyrings I sympathize with Leah, too. Even though nobody did anything wrong to her, she must be hurting so much.

Roldan13 This looks good so far. I feel so bad for Leah.

RetroRock64 I think it's looking really good. I'm excited about working with you, Antonia.

Peaceandlove67 Aw! Thank you, Lenny.

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Music Gave Me New Faith Part Eight

posted by Peaceandlove67

One day, I was walking in the forest with Allie and Paul. As we were walking, I saw a truck. I said, "Quick! Hide in the bushes!" Allie said, "What? Why?" I said, "I'll explain later." We hid in the bushes until there was no sign of the truck. Paul asked, "Why were we hiding? Who was that?" I said, "My grandfather." Allie said, "Oh..." I said, "I haven't seen him in so long. I'm afraid he'll beat me again." Allie said, "I see." I said, "And you know what he did to Barry and to my father. I don't want him to do the same thing to you two." Paul said, "Erin..." I said, "I love you too much to...

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Music Gave Me New Faith Part Seven

posted by Peaceandlove67

One day, I woke up thinking it was a Saturday. I went back to sleep, but my aunt woke me up. She said, "Erin, it's time to get up." I asked, "Why do I need to get up so early on a Saturday?" She said, "You're a day off. It's Friday, dear." I groaned. She said, "Come on, Erin. It's not that bad." I said, "I don't have any friends. It's not worth it." She said, "Maybe today will be your lucky day." That gave me the strength to get out of bed. Later in gym class, I was bullied again. I pretended that I needed to use the restroom so that I could cry. I hid in the stall and cried. A few moments...

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Music Gave Me New Faith Part Six

posted by Peaceandlove67

After losing my best friend, Barry, I slipped into a depression. My grandparents refused to see me. My less consistent friends turned their backs on me. The only ones there for me were my aunt and uncle, my brother, Daniel, and my cousin, Barbara Ann. I had very little, if any, self-confidence. I didn't even try to confront Grandpa again, fearing he would beat me again. The only thing that brought me any happiness was music. I still enjoyed the Beatles above all others, but I liked to explore different bands as well. I overheard someone talking about a metal band called System of a Down, so...

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Music Gave Me New Faith Part Five

posted by Peaceandlove67

A few months passed, and I was still suspicious of Grandpa. He continued to give out hints that he probably murdered my father when I was really young. Grandma never spoke to me, unless I spoke to her. When I asked her about my father, she dodged the question and changed the subject. Either she was involved, or she was trying to protect Grandpa. One cold December day, I was walking in the forest with my dog. I suddenly heard someone faintly say my name. I looked over and saw Barry. He was lying in the snow, shivering. I said, "Oh, my God! Barry! What happened?!" He said weakly, "I was walking...

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Music Gave Me New Faith Part Four

posted by Peaceandlove67

Despite the fact that I no longer had Christian faith, I still went to church to amuse my grandparents. I said, "I don't believe in their ways anymore." My aunt said, "I know, Erin. This is to amuse Grandma and Grandpa. It makes them happy." I said, "All right, but here's a warning. Someday, I'm going to get tired of smiling and nodding." One day, I did. Because of my opinionated answers to Grandma's questions in Sunday School, I got kicked out of Sunday School. When Grandpa found out, I knew I was in trouble. After lunch that Sunday, Grandpa said to me, "Let's go outside." That never meant...

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Music Gave Me New Faith Part Three

posted by Peaceandlove67

Ever since I had lost my mother, music helped me cope. I didn't have very many friends at school. I got bullied a lot, and more so after my mother's death. The only consistent friend I had was my best friend, Barry. He was there for me during the funeral and everything. One day, he said, "Well, it's been two months, hasn't it?" I said, "Yeah." He said, "I know it's been painful and difficult for you." I said, "Yeah, I miss my mother very much, but I'm doing okay." He said, "I can't imagine what that's like, but if you need to talk, I'm here." I said, "Thanks, Barry." Even my friends in Sunday...

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Music Gave Me New Faith Part Two

posted by Peaceandlove67

One day, I noticed that my mother wasn't acting right. She was very pale and seemed lethargic. She also had a terrible cough. She went to the doctor and was diagnosed with pneumonia. She was later put in the hospital. The doctor said that things weren't looking good. It wasn't pneumonia; it was much worse. It was myocarditis. Suddenly, it happened. Her heart stopped beating. The doctor tried to revive her, but to no avail. I still remember the chilling words like they were said yesterday: "Time of death: 11:32 pm." I did not want to believe I had lost my mother. At first, I blamed the doctor...

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Music Gave Me New Faith Part One

posted by Peaceandlove67

"God is a concept by which we measure our pain." I didn't always know or agree with this lyric from John Lennon's song, "God". However, I came to that point by the time I was twenty years old. I am one of the dissenters in the Bible Belt, but I wasn't always a, I guess you could say, rebel. When I was much younger, things were different, but seeing hypocrisy and hatred from Christians and unfortunate circumstances in my life changed everything. This is my story. I was born in 1996. Growing up in the Bible Belt, I was raised a Christian, particularly, a Baptist. I grew up without a father, but...

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The Cold and Warmth of Winter Final Part

posted by Peaceandlove67

I was beginning to lose hope in the idea of finding a friend. One day, something amazing happened. I saw that I was getting new neighbors. I saw a kid there who appeared to be around my age. I decided to go over and talk to him. I said, "Hi, I'm Winter. It's nice to meet you." He said, "Hi, Winter. I'm George. It's nice to meet you, too." I noticed he had a bit of an accent. I said, "That's a nice accent you have there." He said, "Thank you. I'm from Liverpool, England." I said, "Like the Beatles?!" He said, "Yes." Another Beatles fan! I knew we would get along! I talked with him for a little...

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The Cold and Warmth of Winter Part Five

posted by Peaceandlove67

I was always told that the second day of school is never as bad as the first. It's true. My second day of school wasn't as bad as the first. It was worse. One of the bullies poured some water on the floor just to watch me fall. I wasn't hurt, not physically anyway. What did I do to deserve that? I don't know. When I was walking to the bus, some of the other kids threw rocks at me. It really hurt. I came home crying. I had some cuts and bruises, but I was okay physically. Emotionally, I was the opposite. My aunt said, "Winter, try to see the good side. You're not hurt too badly. I'm sure you'll...

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The Cold and Warmth of Winter Part Four

posted by Peaceandlove67

Moving to Tennessee was bittersweet for me. I was closer to family members, but it was also a big adjustment. I lived in Illinois for the first twelve years of my life. When I started school, I tried to make some friends. A group of kids invited me to sit with them during lunch. "Hooray! New friends!" I thought to myself. I introduced myself. I talked about being from Illinois. To my surprise, they did not make fun of my accent. One of them explained, "You have that there Midwestern accent. It's the accent that doesn't offend nobody. That's why most of them newscasters are Midwestern." I said,...

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The Cold and Warmth of Winter Part Three

posted by Peaceandlove67

When I had entered the fifth grade, I was dreading it. I had heard rumors that the teacher was really mean. When I met her before school started, she seemed really nice. On the first day of school, I was wearing one of my Beatles t-shirts. She noticed it, and she said, "Darling, I love you already!" I said, "Okay, then." She would take up for me all the time. The other kids often called me glasses. She heard them and said, "She has a name, guys. Her name is not glasses. It's Winter." There was one day when another girl kept picking on me. I finally had enough and said, "I might look sweet and innocent, but that shit is for suckers, and I'm no lollipop." I looked at the teacher. She winked and said, "I heard nothing." I would have had her for the sixth grade, too, but unfortunately, I moved to Tennessee as soon as the school year was over. We both cried. We promised to keep in touch with each other, and we've kept in touch to this day.

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The Cold and Warmth of Winter Part Two

posted by Peaceandlove67

When I got a little older, the mean nicknames started to fly. In the third grade, I got called chicken legs a lot. I don't know why. Chickens don't have long legs like mine, the last time I checked. Every time I'd walk through the hallways, someone would shout, "There goes chicken legs." I would remind them, "My name is not chicken legs. It's Winter." By the time spring came, I was so tired of being called chicken legs. One day, one of my classmates said, "Hey, chicken legs!" I said, "That's better than what you are." He said, "Oh, really? What am I?" I said, "You're a horse's ass." He didn't...

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The Cold and Warmth of Winter Part One

posted by Peaceandlove67

I was once asked, "If you could compare yourself to a literary character, who do you think you'd be?" I said that I see myself as the Ugly Duckling. I started out as a complete outcast, and I blossomed into a beautiful swan. This is a metaphor, of course. This is how my story goes. I was raised by my aunt and uncle. I never really knew my parents, as I lost them at a young age. I was lucky that they took me in. If not for them, I would have been dumped in a orphanage. I knew that they loved me, but getting everyone else to like me was harder. The other kids picked on me all the time. I don't...

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Grace's Diary Final Chapter

posted by Peaceandlove67

May 18, 2012
Today was the last full day of school. We had our annual awards ceremony today. Some of my friends got awards for highest average in certain subjects. I didn't expect to get one. I wouldn't have minded if I didn't. But I did! I got the Model Citizen Award. Apparently, many of my fellow students said some good things about me. After school, I told John about it. He wanted to come, but he was out of town preparing for a concert with his band. He said, "I'm happy for you, Grace! You deserve it." I said, "Really?" He said, "Yes, really. When I picked you up from school, I met some of...

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Grace's Diary Chapter XX

posted by Peaceandlove67

April 6, 2012
Today was Good Friday. We got a day off from school. I was walking down the street with John, and I saw Kimberly, the girl who betrayed me. I kept my head down, hoping she wouldn't notice me, but she did. She said, "Hey, Grace!" I said, "Hey, Judas!" John said, "Oh, so, that's the girl who stabbed you in the back." I nodded. She said, "You're not still sore at me, are you, Grace?" I said, "I forgive, but I never forget." Suddenly, John stuck it to her. He said, "How dare you do this thing to Grace! She had been nothing but nice to her, and you took her heart and ripped it into...

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Grace's Diary Chapter XIX

posted by Peaceandlove67

March 12, 2012
I'm all better now. I can speak clearly. I am caught up with my school work. I talked with John today. He said, "I'm glad you're feeling better. I'm actually sick myself." I said, "Oh, no! What's wrong?" He said, "It's just a cold. I'm sure I'll be fine in a few days." I said, "I hope you feel better." He said, "Thank you. The worst part is not being able to go to the recording studio with my mates. I hate that I can't do that. They told me that they won't go if I don't. I said, 'No, it's fine. I'll introduce my songs when I come back.' Allen said, 'Take care of yourself, John....

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Grace's Diary Chapter XVIII

posted by Peaceandlove67

March 11, 2012
I am sick again. This time, I have laryngitis. I cannot talk at all. I can only communicate through text messages. John came by the house. My aunt told him that I was sick. He came into my bedroom. I was excited to see him, and I tried to talk with him, but I couldn't get any words out. He said, "You don't have to talk, Grace. Just listen." I sat up. He said, "I brought you a little present." He reached in his bag and handed me a teddy bear. He said, "My grandmother made if for me when I was five years old." I texted, "John, I can't take this. It's something your grandmother made...

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Grace's Diary Chapter XVII

posted by Peaceandlove67

March 7, 2012
I am so happy that our house has been rebuilt. We settled in just a few weeks ago. Things have been crazy, which explains why I haven't written anything in a while. They've calmed down, thankfully. I am thirteen now. Today was my thirteenth birthday. It was so much better than my twelfth birthday. There was really only one bad part about my birthday. I was browsing the Internet, and I read that Peter from The Devil Wants Peace was in a car crash. I called John to see if it was true or if it was just a nasty rumor. I said, "John, I read that Peter was in a car crash. Is it true?"...

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Grace's Diary Chapter XVI

posted by Peaceandlove67

January 10, 2012
We are now in a new year. School started again today. My schoolmates have been flocking to me, asking me questions about losing my home in a fire. It became a game of a thousand questions. The one question that most of them didn't ask: Are you okay? I became fed up with it. Michael later found me sitting in the lunchroom alone. He said, "Hey. Are you okay?" I said, "You know, you're the only the third person to ask me that." He said, "Really?" I said, "Yeah. I had to get away from all the questions. It was a terrifying experience." He said, "I can imagine. You got burnt pretty...