Back to Artwork The Memory Project Back to Sections Willene Exinvil - Memory Project - 2 By Willene Exinvil March 18, 2021 Volume 1 Issue 6

Back to Articles News Back to Sections Valley Stream North Breakfast Club’s Performance in Queens Elaine Ching and Manal Layachi Volume 4 Issue 2 January 16, 2024 Image provided by Elaine Ching Valley Stream North Breakfast Club’s Performance in Queens            On Friday, December 8th, 2023, members of North’s Breakfast Club, a select string ensemble that rehearses on Tuesday and Friday mornings under the instruction of Mrs. Hayden, along with other North High School musicians, took a field trip to P.S. 811Q. This is an annual field trip that the students participate in as they try to bring holiday cheer to P.S. 811Q through festive attire, music, and activities.             The Breakfast Club started with a performance involving various holiday and winter songs. With pieces ranging from Christmas Carols to Hanukkah medleys, the ensemble brought joy to the students as they played. Students had fun as they sang and clapped along to familiar tunes. However, students mainly engaged with the Breakfast Club on their last song,  Jingle Bells  as teachers and students sang the Yuletide tune and North percussionists played jingle bells. Meanwhile, Breakfast Club members played the tune on their instruments and walked around the auditorium. Performing  Jingle Bells  is a beloved tradition by both Breakfast Club members and P.S. 811Q.  -Concert Order- Feliz Navidad Happy Hanukkah Light the Candles We Wish You a Merry Christmas Gloria Deck the Hall Hanukkah Holiday Modern Christmas Classics Jingle Bells                After the Breakfast Club’s performance, the musicians split into pairs to share their instruments with P.S. 811Q students. With violins, violas, cellos, and basses galore students had a pleasure getting to experience playing the string instruments. Some 811Q students even brought in their own instruments; one student brought in his recorder. The sheer amount of joy that the students got from playing the instruments was evident as this was one of the few times they interacted with music at their school. North students were grateful to work with 811Q students, as Arshdeep Singh says, “It really felt like a blessing to work with kids that are not fortunate enough to experience this on a day-to-day basis.”            North students displayed great amounts of respect, integrity, and kindness as they led musical workshops in the gymnasium. North students’ love of music was palpable as one could easily see how much passion they had whether it was teaching about rhythm, boom whackers, or the instrumental anatomy of a violin. Just take it from Breakfast Club bassist Sophia Reese who states, “I’m so incredibly lucky to teach and share my love for music with those who are unable to experience music on the daily like we are. Going to P.S. 811Q with Breakfast Club has been one of the highlights of this year and last.” Additionally, Manal Layachi, Breakfast Club violinist, says “I led the music note station where the kids had to write how music makes them feel on a paper-colored music note. It felt awesome helping the kids express their feelings about music. I helped a boy with his music note and he gave me a hug. It was so heartwarming, and I felt amazing after. Making a difference for these children makes me happy and special. It feels good to make a difference and make connections and new memories with these kids.” BACK TO TOP

Back to Artwork Line Back to Sections Lillian Dolan - What is Line - 8 By Lillian Dolan November 1, 2020 Photography Volume 1 Issue 1

Back to Articles News Back to Sections The Capture of Nicolás Maduro Akilan Subramaniyan Volume 6 Issue 3 Image Provided by Akilan Subramaniyan It began and finished before the break of dawn, before any of us knew. Operation Absolute Resolve by the United States rattled the globe, specifically, Venezuela. It resulted in the capture of the controversial Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro. How did the U.S. pull off such a remarkable mission? How did the U.S. military snatch an active president from right inside his palace? We’ll discuss these and more questions about Maduro and the aftermath of the mission as we put the pieces of this operation together. Nicolás Maduro, born on November 23, 1962, in Caracas, Venezuela, didn’t grow up in a rich family. Maduro had an early appeal toward leftist politics, and he surprisingly worked as a bus driver. Maduro and Cilia Flores, his future wife, supported the release of Hugo Chávez, who was imprisoned in 1992. After Chávez’s release in 1994, Maduro joined an assembly that redrafted the constitution in 1999, which was a component in Chávez’s rise to power. In addition, Maduro served in the unicameral National Assembly before becoming foreign minister. Chávez became president in 2012, and Maduro became vice president, while Flores became attorney general. Then, Chávez named Maduro as his successor. When Chávez died, a special election was conducted to see who would serve the rest of his term with Maduro winning with a very small margin. This marked the start of Maduro’s regime (Britannica). So, what did he do in his regime that led to his capture? First, he was accused of being a dictator. During his reign, the Venezuelan people protested and disliked their leader. When a petition for a recall referendum was held against Maduro in August 2016, the number of valid signatures needed to move to the next stage doubled. An opinion poll was also conducted, and many Venezuelans wanted to take Maduro out of power. Both results show a majority of Venezuelans favored overthrowing Maduro. The next step in the petition was to collect about 4 million signatures. However, lower courts decided that the petition was fraudulent before the collection of signatures even started. Just like this, many elections, ballots, and votes have been accused of manipulation and false accusations to keep Maduro in charge. Furthermore, his regime had left Venezuela broken, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country experienced hyperinflation and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Maduro even rejected relief aid from countries. Besides domestic issues, the international community was displeased with Maduro’s rule. Many countries favored Juan Guaid ó , Maduro’s opponent, as the country's acting president (Britannica). We are still not counting the allegations against Maduro, which include drug trafficking, narcoterrorism, criminal conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. According to U.S. President Trump, as reported by USA Today, “The illegitimate dictator Maduro was the kingpin of a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking colossal amounts of deadly illicit drugs into the United States,” (Jansen). Now that we’ve discussed why Maduro was captured, let’s dive into the United States’ preplanning before the mission. The United States first step was establishing a naval quarantine along Venezuela’s coast. Warships like the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group were in the Caribbean Sea. In the meantime, the C.I.A. intertwined itself into Maduro’s close circle and observed and reported back on his every move. They even reported back intelligence about his pets, what he wore, where he slept, and what he ate. This gave a clear picture of Maduro’s “Pattern of Life,” according to AiTelly, a YouTube channel. Now, the U.S. just had to find a time when Maduro would be exposed and stay put. Nonetheless, Delta Force operators—one of the most elite special forces in the world—would be participating in this operation, training in an exact replica of Maduro’s shelter. They practiced so much that they could do the raid in their sleep. The U.S. was preparing for one of the most controversial missions that would change geopolitics in the area overnight (AiTelly). After getting a deep understanding of everything that happened before Operation Absolute Resolve, it’s now time to examine how the U.S. conducted this mission. Although the operation was delayed for several days due to bad weather, President Trump issued the last order to begin on Friday, 10:46 p.m. The mission officially started at 4:30 p.m. To start, the U.S. cut power to large portions of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, through a cyberoperation. This will blanket any U.S. aircraft and make it difficult to detect. According to The New York Times , “More than 150 military aircraft, including drones, fighter planes and bombers, took part in the mission, taking off from 20 different military bases and Navy ships.” The first strike consisted of F-35 fighter jets that punched into Venezuela with one objective: clear a path for the Delta Force operators. They did this by attacking military and air installations, hitting both Russian S-300 missiles and anti-air defense. Bombers and drones also took part in creating a path for the operators (Barnes et al.; AiTelly). Soon, U.S. helicopters and Delta Force operators entered Venezuela. The skilled operators were transported by the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment in MH-60 and MH-47 helicopters. This unit is capable of risky, near-ground, night missions like this one. In the meantime, F-35s hit Fuerte Tiuna, a major command center for the Venezuelans. The jets also struck La Carlota Air Base, which weakened Venezuelan air support. With Venezuela’s power to strike back weakened, Delta Force operators made their way to Fuerte Tiuna, where Maduro was located. Once they reached the secure building where Maduro was sheltered, the Venezuelan Presidential Guard was alerted. The guard tried to fight back, but it wasn’t enough against the U.S. helicopters (Barnes et al.; AiTelly). Attack helicopters, which escorted the Delta operators, provided covering fire, suppressing attackers. This gave the perfect shield for the operators to slip in. They were swift, capturing Maduro before he or his protection team could react. Maduro and his wife were quickly detained. Soon after, the helicopter group, now with Maduro, escaped Venezuela (Barnes et al.; AiTelly). Just like that, the U.S. had accomplished a mission that would single-handedly alter geopolitics in the area (AiTelly). So, what happened to Maduro? After being captured, he was transferred to the USS Iwo Jima , a U.S. warship in the Caribbean. Maduro and his wife were soon moved to a U.S. Navy base, Guantanamo Bay. There, the couple was placed on a Boeing 757 government plane by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I). The plane took off and landed at an airport north of Manhattan, which is controlled by the U.S. military (Barnes et al.). Maduro and his wife were placed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Soon after, Maduro and his wife faced terrorism charges and were put on trial. Both pleaded not guilty (Walsh et al.). On the other hand, Venezuelans reported low-flying helicopters and explosions around Caracas on the day of the mission (AiTelly). The status of Venezuela is now uncertain, but Trump declared that the U.S. will be running Venezuela (Kinnard and Price). The current leader of Venezuela is Delcy Rodríguez (Dias). However, Trump has a special interest in the country’s struggling oil industry and wants U.S. oil companies to run it (Britannica) In conclusion, we’ve extensively talked about who Maduro is, his capture, and the aftermath that ensued. Something that we can take away from this risky mission is how quickly and tactically the U.S. conducted it. It used every ounce of American technology and expertise. To be honest, the mission seems like it came right out of a Hollywood movie! As for Maduro, he will most likely be facing jail time. Although Maduro is no longer in power, many drug organizations, which the U.S. is against, are still intact and operating. This presents a new question about the possible invasion of the country. It’s now up to the international community to stabilize Venezuela after years of ill-treatment. Only time will tell. Websites: How US Captured The Venezuelan President? Spies, drones and blowtorches: How the US captured Maduro Why was President Nicolás Maduro captured by the United States?  | Britannica How U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas | PBS News How the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro - CBS News What are charges against Nicolás Maduro? Venezuela leader captured. Nicolas Maduro | Biography, Facts, Capture, & Presidency | Britannica “What do You Mean 20 Percent?” And Other Questions About Venezuela’s Recall Process - Venezuelanalysis Inside ‘Operation Absolute Resolve,’ the U.S. Effort to Capture Maduro - The New York Times Venezuela's ex-president Maduro held in NYC jail as Trump administration plans next steps As Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in as Venezuela's interim president, who is Nicolás Maduro's former No. 2? - CBS News BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Sports Back to Sections Homecoming 2022 By Rachel Ezeadichie Volume 3 Issue 1 November 7, 2022 Image provided by Rachel Ezeadichie On October 8th, Valley Stream North High School hosted its annual homecoming game. It was as boisterous as ever, with the Homecoming Festival beforehand and Mr. Daddino as the announcer was exciting the crowd and football team. North's homecoming game was something the entire school was waiting for, and our football team did not let us down. Although the season expectations were unclear, our Spartan football team pulled through for homecoming, giving us many highlights and winning 27-6 against Hewlett.                Along with a fantastic game by our Varsity football team, we also enjoyed an incredible performance by North's Marching Band, Cheerleaders, JV Spartanettes and Varsity Spartanettes. The food was also great, with the legendary K-Dogs making their appearance again as a staple of North's football games.            If you were not at the game or want to watch our incredible Varsity football team one more time, the entire game is available on YouTube to rewatch those amazing moments.   Valley Stream North vs. Hewlett Varsity Mens' Football - YouTube BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Editorial Back to Sections Protect Asian Lives: An Ode to Asian Culture By Christina Ossa Volume 1 Issue 7 April 22, 2021 Original photo by Christina Ossa Boba Black Milk Tea: (Up to two servings) Ingredients: ¼-½ cup Boba Pearls (You can buy them on amazon) ⅓-½ cup dark brown sugar ¼ cup milk 1 cup of tea of choice (I used Black Tea) 5-6 ice cubes Directions: Grab a medium-sized saucepan and follow the directions on the back of your package to heat the boba pearls ; I would use about ¼ cup of boba pearls if you want only one serving While your boba pearls are heating, heat the water in a kettle or small pan that you are going to use for your tea (I would use a strong flavored tea since it’s being mixed with milk and sugar if you want to taste the flavor of the tea) After draining your boba pearls, place them back into the saucepan and add the dark brown sugar (you can add as much as you want depending on how sweet you like your bubble tea) Grab a fairly large-sized cup and pour your boba pearls into the cup Pour the milk into the cup, add more depending on your preference Add the ice cubes into the cube then slowly pour the tea to the top of the cup Grab a wide straw for the boba and enjoy~ Recently, Asian Americans have become targets for harassment, discrimination, and racism more so than ever. Racism has persisted as an obstacle for people of color, including me, in our daily lives for as far back as anyone can remember. However, since the start of the pandemic, Anti-Asian hate crimes have increased by nearly 150% with estimates of cases being roughly 3,800 anti-Asian bias incidents, and one of the motivators this year and last year being that many people blame Asians for COVID-19 and the pandemic since the virus spread from Wuhan, China. I feel for Asian Americans as I do for all other people of color, and if we can support their culture, we should also be able to support and respect them as people as well. People of color are unfairly treated many times in this country and throughout the world, ranging from police brutality and hate crimes to just generalized, subtle stereotypes thrown toward us in our day-to-day lives. However, no one deserves to experience hate crimes solely for the color of their skin and the violent opinions people hold against members of certain races, especially not innocent Asian people simply trying to mind their business. This is why I wanted to share a bubble tea recipe that I’ve recently used and become obsessed with. I love bubble tea, I love anime, I love Asian cuisines (Sichuan Chinese food, Japanese cuisine, etc.). I consume Asian culture almost every day, and if I love their culture so much I, along with others who enjoy Asian culture as I do, should be able to spread awareness of this subject. I’m sure in your life you’ve experienced or appreciated Asian food, products, or anything related. If we can experience Asian culture at its highs, we should also be able to support Asians experiencing hate crime and being attacked; we should help them and stand up for them during their lows. Much more recently on March 16th, there was a series of mass shootings targeting spas and massage parlors where 8 women were shot to death, 6 of the victims being Asian. The shooter was named Robert Aaron Long and CNN reports that he stated that he had a “sex addiction” which he claimed was his reason for the shooting. The fact that this man KILLED 8 women is sickening, but what creates even more disgust was that he did it to “eliminate his temptation”. But what causes this shooting to be even more revolting than it is already is that the police reports did not declare this a hate crime nor femicide, and the sheriff of Cherokee County at first stated in an interview that “Yesterday was a really bad day for him [Long] and this is what he did”, which is completely ridiculous as clearly, this was a race/gender-motivated crime that should not be excused in any form. Long targeted solely spas and massage parlors, and NBC News even reported that Long specifically drove from location to location meaning that he had clearly planned this beforehand. NBC reports that survivor Eunji Lee, who was once robbed and held at gunpoint, declared herself that this shooting felt targeted and extremely different from a “traditional” robbery since Long did not give any demands or requests to the women on-duty. He simply shot anyone he could find, and what’s more, he killed all women, and the majority of them were Asian. While the Atlanta shooting in Georgia may have been one of the more extreme incidents, it’s sadly one of many hate crimes against Asians from this year and last year alone. While Asian-Americans continually face brutality, attacks, and harassment simply because of the color of their skin and heritage, we continue to enjoy and immerse ourselves in their culture. While it’s most certainly not a bad thing to enjoy and appreciate Asian culture, we must take into account that if we enjoy their culture, we also must support them as people. We cannot ‘pick and choose’ what we prefer from their overall culture and identities. As I’ve said, I love Asian culture, whether it be their food, art, shows/movies, etc., I will always appreciate what the Asian community has shared with us. This is also why I’ve shared a bubble tea recipe, because this simple milk, tea, sugar concoction is one of the most popular drinks among the mainstream population and it was shared with us from the Asian community, specifically Taiwan. If you don’t like bubble tea personally, that’s completely fine, but this beverage is just one of many examples of Asian culture that we can enjoy every day. However, as joys from the Asian community are shared with us, so are their misfortunes. It is our job to help spread awareness on these heinous hate crimes that have plagued so many Asian lives, and it’s time for us to stand up for the Asian community and Stop Asian Hate. If you enjoy anime, going out to your favorite Asian restaurant, drinking bubble tea -- if you enjoy Asian culture in any way, shape, or form -- then help the community whose culture you endorse yourself in so much by simply signing a petition for change, donating money to Anti-Asian-Hate foundations, attending a protest against Asian Hate, spreading awareness to these horrible incidents and any other ways to support our fellow Asian-American community. Petition You Can Sign: http://chng.it/mwgBbRHJNG Works Cited: Park, Hanna. "He Shot at 'Everyone He Saw': Atlanta Spa Workers Recount Horrors of Shooting." NBC News , 2 Apr. 2021. NBC News , www.nbcnews.com/news/ asian-america/ he-shot-everyone-he-saw-atlanta-spa-workers-recount-horrors-n1262928. Accessed 9 Apr. 2021. Wagner, Meg, et al. "8 Killed in Shootings at Atlanta-Area Spas." CNN , 18 Mar. 2021. CNN News , www.cnn.com/us/live-news/atlanta-area-shootings-03-17-21/ index.html. Accessed 9 Apr. 2021. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris, Fiction Back to Sections Nature’s Gentle Touch By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 3 Issue 4 May 18, 2023 Image provided by Elaine Ching By the ocean's edge, Seashells scattered on the sand, Nature's gentle touch BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Advice Back to Sections Ask Ala: Valentine's Day By Ala Paruch Volume 1 Issue 5 February 12, 2021 Image provided by Glamour Q. Hi Ala. During the pandemic, it has become a lot harder to see my friends and talk as much as we used to. I want to keep in contact with them, but I’m not sure how, what would you do? Thanks! A. Hello! For sure this is a relatable matter for many people at the moment, so thank you for bringing this up! Keeping in touch with the people you usually used to see at school can be difficult and requires a different approach. Before the pandemic, school or outside activities could bring you closer to others and it was significantly easier to talk with them regularly because your obligations put you in the same space anyway. However, the current situation demands a bigger sense of responsibility from both parties. You have to be sure to connect regularly, though ‘regularly’ can differ for every relationship since no one relationship is the same. To talk routinely, don’t be afraid to reach out first. It doesn’t have to be a full-blown discussion each time you talk, you can just say “Hi” or check in how the other is doing/feeling. Managing relationships (whether platonic or romantic) sounds scary, but in all reality, if all parties want to keep what they have worked so hard to build, you will be able to make it. Use this as an opportunity to grow together and get to know each other even better. Small gestures of kindness and care will get you through this. I hope this helps! Q. Hi Ala, Usually, people go out for Valentine’s Day, but as you know things are different this year. Instead of going out, what activities can I do on Valentine’s Day virtually? A. Hello and thank you for your question! The pandemic has definitely complicated the year’s Valentine's Day, but we can’t let this reduce its fun or importance. You can certainly do the old ‘new’ fashioned date through zoom. You and the person you would like to spend the day with can both cook or order a meal and eat it on the call together while having a nice conversation. If you want to go all out, you can order the food for the other person. Be sure to dress up and have everything set up before the call. Another thing you could do is to go on a video-game date and play video games together. If you both like this activity, it might be enjoyable to play some of your favorites. Additionally, you both could ‘go’ online shopping and maybe even get yourselves matching outfits. You could watch a movie together or stream your favorite shows (don’t forget the snacks). Referring to the first suggestion, if you’d like, you can cook the meals together beforehand. All in all, spending time with each other, celebrating all you have achieved and looking forward to the bright future that awaits you matters most. Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope this helps! BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Feature Back to Sections Cross Country By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 2 Issue 2 November 19, 2021 Image provided by NBC News Close your eyes Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth Call out your goodbyes And then head out south That's how we run in Cross Country. 2.5 miles or 3.5 miles? Locals or perimeters? None of those bring out smiles Each step feels like 5 kilometers But what can I say? That's what we do in Cross Country. Core every day Doesn't matter what you say Boyens always on your back But I trust him when it comes to Track, Living Environment, or Cross Country? What he'd choose is a guess too easy. In our team, there are no walkers After all, we do have energy from all those crackers Motivation flows through our veins It doesn't matter how much it pains After all, if there is no pain, what did we gain? Close your eyes Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth Call out your goodbyes And then head out south That's how we run in Cross Country. We have the best coach If I had problems, he’d be the one I approach Runs with us every day It doesn't matter if the destination is far away We're all as tough as rock It'll take a lot to get us in shock. We've got the hardest sport It doesn’t matter that we don’t have a court Football, volleyball, soccer, tennis and more All got nothing to damage our score Some days I really want to cry But I never did, since Boyens wouldn’t even let me try. BACK TO TOP

Back to Articles Polaris Back to Sections Chapter One By Navrosedip Kundlas Volume 2 Issue 6 April 14, 2022 Image provided by Navrosedip Kundlas, Canva May 1st, 1990 He’s going to the military after the wedding. He’s leaving. After the wedding. These words spin in my head over and over again. One month and then he’s gone. I shake my head, this isn’t the time to think about this. I hop back onto my skateboard and steer myself towards Ditch Plains Beach. In the distance, three figures are waiting for me. Bridget, Orion, and Bridget’s boyfriend Dylan. Immediately, guilt hits me, poor Orion had to be the third wheel while I ran late. You’re such a bad friend, so selfish. Closing my eyes, I take a big breath. You got this, Jules. Keep calm. Placing a foot down, I get off my board and reach for the strap under. Slipping the strap onto my shoulder, I take out my earbuds and put up a smile. Act normal. Nothing’s wrong, just a normal day at the beach surfing with your dudes. I repeat over and over again. “What’s up, guys?” I ask, hoping they don’t notice the hint of red in my eyes. “Nothing much, ready to catch some waves?” Bridget replies holding out her hand. After doing our handshake and fist bumping the boys, we head out for the waves. I slip off my shuffle bag and slip off my shoes. Peeling off my flannel and slipping my overalls off, I run over to Orion. Fixing my one-piece, I jump onto Orion’s back. “Woah! Hold on dude,” Orion laughs. “Dude, give me a piggy-back ride. Now,” I say laughing. I shake off the butterflies forming in my stomach. You’ve got to be kidding yourself, Jules. Crushing on your childhood best friend. Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen. Orion grabs my legs and I swing my arms over his neck. “Hold on tight, don’t want you falling off and scratching your fragile body” Orion teases. “Shut up.” I demand. After that one incident where Mom told me to be careful, due to my sensitive skin, Orion hasn’t been able to shut up. Closing my eyes shut, Orion takes off towards the ocean. I feel my legs and arms detaching and then cool water seeping into my body. Opening my eyes I swim towards the rock. Our rock. I climb the smooth surface and sit on top looking out to the horizon, the sun bursting out with shades of pink, red, yellow, and hints of blue. Beautiful. “Jules?” Dylan shakes me out of my little world. “What’s up?” I ask. “Bridget got the boards, ready to capture some of those waves?” He asks. What if he never comes back? Dies in service. He’ll never catch those waves again. Never take you to swim, orbuy your surf gear. You’ll be left all alone. Alone forever. “Jules? Hello? Anyone there?” Dylan says, snapping me back into focus. “Yeah, let’s get to it!” I say, hoping that no one noticed my zoning out. Orion does, though. He looks concerned and reads right through my facade. Knowing I’ll be bombarded with questions later, I shoot him a look with my eyes. I’ll tell you later promise. He nods but still has some concern in his eyes. You sure you’ll be fine? We can always surf later, you know. I nod, not wanting to ruin the moment. Bridget paddles into the water, ready to get going. I dive back into the water, and swim for shore. Grabbing my board I join Bridget on the waves. After an hour, I paddle back more tired than usual. Everything’s going to be okay. Don’t stress. Drying myself with the towel, I slip my overalls back on, and tie my flannel onto my waist. Orion’s heading over. Breathe in and out, you can tell him. “Hey, what’s going on? You're pretty off today. Not your usual peppy self” he prompts, waiting for an answer. “It’s just that Caleb’s heading off to the military after he gets married! And I don’t want him to go. I thought since he was going to get married, he would stay. But no! He’s just going to leave me here, and I just can’t deal with it, Orion I just can’t…” I trail off, too upset to continue. Tears start sliding down my face and drop to my shoulder. Sinking down to my knees, I hug myself. Orion bends down and gives me a hug. “Dude, listen to me, you're not going to be alone, you have me, Bridget, Dylan, Juliette and Julian your siblingsand the rest of your family. We’re here to support you. I know it’s hard but life’s hard. It might take time, but you’ll get used to it. We’re like what, 14-years old? We can handle it. I know what you’re thinking but it’s not going to happen.Caleb’s not going to die. Okay?” He reassures me. Feeling a little better, I give a nod and get up. “Wait. Why did you call Julie by her full name?” I ask, curious, since it was the first time. “It was a serious topic, so I thought full names would be appropriate” he said with a smirk. Rolling my eyes, I pack my gear. I drop my board off at our usual stash place and hop onto my skateboard. Waving bye, and promising to talk later, I plug my earbuds back in and skate on home. While Orion lives in my neighborhood, Bridge and Dylan live on the next one over, so the beach is where we regroup. Orion’s got a date, which makes my stomach sink. Did you really think he would like you? Come on Jules, you're being stupid. Shrugging off my disappointment, I skate faster hoping to outrun my negative thoughts. Coming to a stop, I swing my skateboard onto my shoulder and push through the gate. Hopping up the stairs, I slide the key into the lock and quietly open the door. Everyone’s asleep. No one surfs this early in the morning in my house. I close the door shut and tiptoe quietly to my room. I slide off my shoes and take off my clothes. Slipping on my pajamas, I pat Coco, our Australian Shepherd, andsoftly get into bed to crash. … “GET UP!!!” screams Julie. I remained on my bed and pulled the covers over my head. “IF YOU DON’T GET UP AND WASH YOUR HAIR, I WILL SCREAM!” screams my 16-year-old sister. I said (very politely), “If that’s your regular voice I don’t think my ears could handle your real screaming.” “BE QUIET,” she snapped, marching out the room. Reluctantly I got out of bed, heading straight for the shower. After washing my hair, I decide to go eat something. That’s when I realized all hell had broken loose. Shoes were scattered everywhere. Clothes were flung in all places you could imagine. Where was my family in all of this mess? To be honest, I didn’t even know. There wasn’t even any food in the kitchen. Like, now what was I supposed to do? Go grocery shopping last minute? Very funny Jules, focus and find out what’s going on. It didn’t look like a hurricane hit the house before. They’re probably at Aunt Jackie’s house. So, I walked over, hopped the fence, and went over to eat some chow. Hopping from step to step, I finally reached the top. Knocking on the door, I waited patiently. As expected, no one opened the door. So I bent down and plucked the spare key from the third flower pot to the right. Or was it left? Oh well, at least it’s hidden well. Anyways, I opened the door and walked straight into a scene. There was Aunt Jackie and Caleb screaming their heads off at each other. “Who told you to go on and sign up for the military? Have you lost your mind, boy?! I grew you up in this very house with manners, and this is what you do. We’re not poor you know. We got plenty of money! We’re rich, Caleb! People want the kind of money we have. But no, you still want to join the military. You could have just taken over the family business! What was the point of doing this?!” Aunt Jackie yelled. “Mama, you know since I was little I wanted to be in the Air Force. I’ve told you a million times that this what I want to do. Serve our country. You know this! I don’t care about money, I’m not doing this for money. I’m doing this as my dream! And you can’t change my mind, Mama. Sorry, but this is what I want to do, and I’m doing it!” Caleb yelled back. “Young man, you keep your voice down, and listen to me. I’m not approving of this kind of behavior. And what about Amanda? You're just gonna marry her and leave her? What kind of husband does that? You tell me, son. Second, who knows what’s going to happen when you leave? You might die, Caleb! Amanda might leave you, who knows? I just can’t believe you would do something like this, without even thinking it through! Do you have answers for me or no, Caleb?” Aunt Jackie demanded, glaring right at her son. “No, I don’t have all the answers, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought this through. Amanda has given me all of her support, and she won’t leave me. If you have a problem, then fine, so be it. I’m going to get married and then I’m deployed, with or without your approval. You have one month to make your decision. Either you support me through this, or you don’t. Your choice,” Caleb says. With that he leaves the living room in a fury and climbs the staircase to his room where he slams the door shut. Aunt Jackie sighs and sits onto the couch holding her head in her hands. Dad sits next to her and wraps his arms around her shoulder. “It’s ok Jacqueline, we’ll get through it. If this is what he wants, then that’s that. We can’t stop him,” Dad softly says. “I just want him to realize that this isn’t a joke. This isn’t one of his games. It’s real, Jacques. He could get hurt, or god forbid worse,” Aunt Jackie whispers. Mom gets up from an armchair and heads towards me. Knowing she was probably going to lead me away from the scene, I slip off my flip-flops. “Hey honey, I didn’t realize you arrived. Took you a while to wake up after your surf. Why don’t you come to the kitchen, and I’ll ask Sally to cook something up for you?” Mom says looking at me. Nodding, I follow her out of the living room to the kitchen where Sally was cooking up some waffles. Sliding on to one of the stools of the countertop, I notice Julie and Julian were there as well. “Look who finally decided to show up,” Julie teases, bumping my shoulder with hers. “Hmmm, looks like Miss Cranky finally got her coffee,” I say teasing right back. Bursting into laughter, I settle in with the twins. It wasn’t unusual for us to have breakfast at Aunt Jackie’s. With Aunt Jackie’s overdramatic personality and her fights with Uncle Oliver, Dad and Mom usually had to come to keep peace. Which usually also annoyed Mom, which caused her and Dad to have small arguments which were usually contained. Nothing compared to Aunt Jackie and Uncle Oliver’s fights. Sally served some delicious waffles, which I quickly scarfed up. I had to check on Caleb. He was my favorite cousin, and I was closer to him than to anyone else in the whole world. Pushing back my stool, I excused myself and ran up the stairs to Caleb’s room. But on the way, I heard something that caught my breath. “Look Jaqueline, you know the lines. What’s yours, what’s mine, what’s the others, you cannot cross that boundary. Our family fortune was divided up fairly and squarely. Don’t mess with it. You know the fights that broke out when Dad died. I do not want more chaos in our family. You know our family rivalry with each other. So please stay in line,” Dad said sternly. “But Jacques, the necklace is missing! What if one of our sisters arranged for someone to steal it from the Paris mansion. You know how valuable it is. We need to find it, before word spreads. Items are starting to disappear from there, but this necklace is the most valuable. If this leaks out, things worse than a couple of verbal fights will happen. If we don’t find out what’s going on in that mansion, then everything our dad and grandpa created will shatter. You know that. Someone’s betraying us, Jacques. There’s a thief among us. And we need to find them. Especially before the wedding. That necklace needs to be passed down to Amanda. If it’s not, then everyone will know, and that’s it, it’s over.” “I know, let’s keep this between you, me, Oliver, and Victoria. We’ll figure it out,” Dad promises Aunt Jackie. What in the world is going on here? I never heard of the Paris mansion before. What is Mom, Dad, Aunt, and Uncle hiding? Since when are there family rivalries in the Paris siblings? What necklace are they talking about? With no answers, I headed up the staircase to Caleb, hoping he might have some answers. Juliana Valentina Paris. BACK TO TOP