Making Quick Money

I seem to spend money as fast as I earn it. Any tips? I started a savings account around September 2008 when I started working at Wal-Mart. I make around $200-$250 bi-weekly, and I try my best to save most of it and keep a little for my own personal leisure. That doesn't really work out so well for me during those months, because I only have barely over a thousand dollars in my savings when I should have had at least 2500 and I've been trying hard to limit my spending, but it's always a losing battle for me. I seem to spend the most money on materialism - mainly jackets and some clothes - This is my first job, so I'm guessing it's the pleasure of having money that provokes my spending habits. Nonetheless, I've convinced myself that I have a serious spending habit. I go to the bank nearly every day and take about $10-$20 - and it starts adding up with every week that passes before I receive my next check; I can't seem to keep myself away from impulse buying as well. I was supposed to have at least $2589, but my savings only contains a mere $1195, and I'm trying to save up at least $5,000 or more for a new truck - it's a goal I want accomplished by next year when I transfer (I'm an 18 year old CC student) What sources are available for me? All in all, I just want to spend less and save more. Any tips, suggestions, etc. are appreciated.

i need a few good ways to make 40-50 bucks..for smackdown vs. raw 2008 for psp? plz be a fast money making tip

How do I keep my computer clean,fast,etc for around 4-6 years? I am 14 years old and I'm about to finish 8th grade. Well, I definitely know that college is 4-5 years away, but there's nothing bad about planning early or trying to prepare early. So, in December 2008, with my own money, I bought the HP Pavilion dv5 which cost $1000. I want to make the 1000 bucks count. So, I was wondering is there anyway I can keep my laptop clean(software and hardware), fast, and up to date for around 4-6 year? Or should I just ditch it when I'm about to leave to college? If there is a way to keep it fast, working properly, and keeping it clean, please tell me some tips of what I have to do. Also, should I save up some money for around 4-5 years just in case if my laptop break, so I can get a new one, when I'm in college? PS- I will be making some other question about high school/college and preparation for college.

I need money so I can see my cousin.. really need help.? My cousin Ashley is my best friend. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona. I live on Long Island, New York. Problem is, we rarely see eachother considering I'm 14 and shes 16. I love my cousin to death, and I only visited her once, summer 2008. I've been dying to go back to Arizona. I really need ideas on how I can make money to see my one best friend. We're so close and talk all the time. I miss her so much and its killing me. She visited me this summer twice, so it is my turn to go out there. Are there any deals on flights or good times to go? I need money, since I only have $200. I need tips on my situation. And fast, please.

How is my story so far? Any tips/advice? Priscilla, Diana, Jackie, Aileen, and Salina, together we are the fantastic five, saving the world from evil by having a strong friendship. Haha JK about saving the world, but we are the fantastic five and we do have a strong friendship. Our “clique”, “groupie”, “club”, “circle”, or whatever you want to identify us, includes: Priscilla, Jackie, Salina, Aileen, and Diana. Each of us has different looks, backgrounds, personalities, qualities, talents, and lots of other stuff that makes us what we are, well, best friends. Diana the artist, Aileen the overachiever, Priscilla the social and personality, Jackie the athlete, and Salina the singer, we are all different in many ways but that is why we get along so well. This summer, the summer after middle school and before high school, will be the most challenging, exciting, scary, adventurous, surprising, and overall, awesome summer ever. The five of our lives are essentially never going to be the same after this summer of twist, turns, and through streets that just may seem like dead ends. The 8th grade year has come to an end. Many wonderful times and many more dreadful times, but we got through it, together. When I mean “we”, I mean my little clique of friends: Aileen, Jackie, Salina, Diana, and me. After all the complicated work, all the struggles to get through 8th grade and move on in life, everything is finally over. Everything in this story is “we” because we are always together, through the good times and the bad, and we are always part of each other, none complete without another. “All students please report to the commons immediately for the 8th grade ceremony.” Mrs. Merritt announced on the loudspeaker. Jackie, Aileen, Priscilla, Salina, and Diana were sitting in the front row of seats in our 4th period Language Arts class, in that exact order and stood up to go to the commons. “Oh my god!” Jackie screamed at the top of her lungs. “Do you know what this means?” “Oh my god! We are gonna get our little certificate thingies for like, best dressed and stuff!” Priscilla yelled also screaming at the top of her lungs. Then, Jackie, Diana, and Priscilla began waving their hands in the air and screaming like the little girly girls they are. Salina kept staring at us, obliviously not believing how weird we are. Aileen on the other hand was also waving her hands and screaming but not for the same purpose, she was mocking them. “Hey! We are just excited so back off!” Diana shot to Aileen after giving her a sharp glare. Then at that point in time, we all began cracking up and giggling because we were SO not going to start a fight right before Middle School Graduation! “Come on students; let’s get our butts down to the commons now!” Mrs. Walker, our 4th period Language Arts Honors teacher, yelled loudly in her military tone. “Affirmative, Sir yes sir!” A voiced spoke out. The voice was obliviously Jimmy’s, Jimmy Schmidt, I mean; he has always been one to crack jokes. The class began to break into hysterics, even Mrs. Walker. “Okay okay, that’s enough jokes for one year; now seriously, let’s get down there!” The assembly was extremely tedious and strenuous, but finally it was time for the 8th grade awards. “For MVP for ###################### track, I am honored to award “Iliane Isakahrvo” with the ###################### certificate.” Mr. Chicka announced. Mr. Chicka, the vice principal, is always the one participating in announcements, awards, school events, and pretty much everything. Gauche silence. “It’s Aileen, Aileen Isakharov you retard!” Aileen, Priscilla, Salina, Jackie, and Diana shrieked and right after that, they dropped down under the chairs so they wouldn’t get caught, a perfect way to end the school year. “Ahummm… I’m sorry, Aileen, let me say that again.” “For MVP for ######################, I am honored to award Aileen Isakharov with the ###################### certificate.” Well, like the old saying goes, the second try is always the best! Umm…….. not really but whatever, lets just pretend that is the saying, okay? A loud applause followed by screams, mostly from Priscilla, Salina, Jackie, and Diana, Aileen walks up to the microphone “Go Chickens. Peace out.” Then, again, more applause. “Next, for most talented, Salina Abraham!” Thank God he pronounced her name correctly. “Thank you so much everybody, I would like to thank my parents and friends ---“ “Excuse me, Ms. Abraham, a speech is not necessary.” Salina ignores Mr. Chicka and continues to talk, until, well, the school security comes. She says one last “thank you” and is forced off the stage, talk about guts! “Okay…..Next, I would like to present Jackie Manson for the most dazzling smile. Congratulations!” Jackie scampers up to the stage, grabs the certificate, and squeals an “Oh my god!” so high pitched, I swear, the windows should have broken, but instead the microphone made these screeching sounds, talk about magical powers! “For most creative student, Diana Chen come on up and receive your award!” She walks up there, takes the certificate, and then just simply walks back to her seat. “Last but not least, I would like to award ############ for most charming personality!” The crowd screams, whistles, and claps as Priscilla struts down the main walkway to the stage to claim her award. She walks up to Mr. Chicka, takes the certificate, and then walks to the microphone and says, “Thanks everybody! I am so honored, I love you all!” Then the crowd goes wild again, what a crowd pleaser! After the assembly, everyone was talking about “the fantastic five” and how we each got an award for something. I guess we are just simply amazing, like that’s a surprise. The awards ceremony took up so much time, by the time everyone was out of the commons, the bell rung at precisely 2:30 PM, indicating that school had ended and summer had begun. Oh yeah! Preppy4LIFE: OMG, I cannot believe school is over! PinkyInRussian: I <3 Chickens. DeeDi4Diana: Okay… that was random. Jaxgrrrrl: Yeah totally. I know! Lina123: So what are your guys’ plans for the summer? Dee4Diana: Maybe checking hot guys out? Preppy4LIFE: yeah on the internet. LOL. ;] Jaxgrrrrl: HAHA LOL. Lina123: LOL. :] PinkyInRussian: Oh my chicken, is that all you guys say on AIM? LOL? Lina123: At least we don’t say chicken between every other word. PinkyInRussian: HEY! I was kidding! Dee4Diana: Suuuuuurrrrreeee…. Whatever Aileen Jaxgrrrrl: I totally agree with Priscilla. LOL. PinkyInRussian: What’s with the whole “LOL” thing? You guys are :O Dee4Diana: OH no you didn’t! PinkyInRussian: OH yes I did. Preppy4LIFE: Ooooohhh watcha gonna do about that diss? Dee4Diana: Oh is on Aileen, bring it on. PinkyInRussian: It’s been brought. Jaxgrrrrl: We should totally do something together during summer! Preppy4LIFE: OMG, totally. We should go to…. Dee4Diana: Tokyo! Lina123: New York! PinkyInRussian: CHICKEN! Preppy4LIFE: uhh…. Okay… a bit random…… OMG this is gonna be fun! Jaxgrrrrl: How ‘bout Mexico? I mean it at least would be hot! Preppy4LIFE: OMFG! Awesome. I vote Jackie. Dee4Diana: Me too. Lina123: Me three. PinkyInRussian: Me four. Preppy4LIFE, PinkyInRussian, Lina123, Dee4Diana, Jaxgrrrrl: Perfect! From that moment on, all of our phones have been ringing off the hook due to all of us calling each other at every and any waking moment possible, to talk about the trip. It was planned. We would be flying from the SeaTac Airport to the El Rosa Airport at 4 AM on July 13, 2008 and come back exactly 6 weeks later. This would be our first big trip together and it would make our lives change forever, even more than we would have thought! We would be on flight number 1376 on Mexico International Airlines. There were five tickets, one for each of us, and we would be staying at Priscilla’s grandma’s friend’s home who just happens to live next door to This trip, though we may not know it, is going to change our lives and have many twists and turns that will carry all of us on a journey, together. “Flight 1376 is ready to board, I repeat, Flight 1376 is ready to board, if this is your flight, please report to terminal C9 to board the plane. Thank you.” That was our cue to get out of Starbucks and get going towards our terminal before we miss our plane, which wouldn’t be good, not good at all. Priscilla ordered a light caramel frappicino with triple shots and whipped cream, Salina ordered a mocha cappuccino, Jackie, a pumpkin spice frappicino, Diana a black coffee, and Aileen, a hot chocolate. After all our orders were completed, it was 3:40 AM! SHIT! That means that we have five minutes to run across the airport with drinks in one hand, luggage in the other, and whatever else Salina, Jackie, Priscilla, Diana, and/or Aileen might be carrying along. We pass California Pizza Kitchen, getting a little closer to our destination but with only four minutes left. We convert from a jog to a full out sprint and all of our drinks begin to spill along the edges of the cups and our luggage is practically being dragged, but none of this matters if we FREAKING GET ON THE PLANE IN TIME!!!! We get so desperate we just drop our drinks on the floor, pick up our bags, and run like there is no tomorrow, and there won’t be if we don’t get that plane! By the time we were in the C terminal, there was only one minute left! OMG! Running through the crowds of people and weaving through obstacles, we finally found terminal C9 and ran to the guy at the check-in counter and gave him our tickets. Then we tiredly dragged ourselves into the small tunnel that connected to the plane, picked our seats, conveniently all in one row, and dropped ourselves into the comfort of the supple leather seats and prepared for a journey of a lifetime. We each entertained ourselves with diverse activities throughout the long plane ride. Diana doodled on every possible little space in her notebook, both Jackie and Salina were listening and singing along to their IPODs, Priscilla was taking millions of pictures of herself with her new hot pink Polaroid digital camera, and Aileen was playing with her brand new Nintendo DS. Finally, three hours later, three ELONGATED hours later, we landed at the LAX Airport in Los Angeles, CA. Next, we were supposed to go on Flight 9286 to Mexico City, Mexico at 9:50 AM at terminal B3, according to Priscilla, and meet Priscilla’s grandma’s friend named Claire. For now on, let’s just call her Claire and not have to elucidate the whole Priscilla’s grandma’s friend thingy all the time. Anyways, it was about 7:15 AM and Salina’s and Priscilla’s stomachs were growling, what’s new? We all decided to go to Burger King for breakfast - I know, how healthy – and everybody ordered some kind of salad because this summer, we were all trying to lose a few pounds at the least. We had about 2 hours and 35 minutes to kill so we were strolling through the airport, shopping, getting drink and snacks, looking at books in BORDERS, and just pretty much browsing around. All five of us, I guess, were preoccupied with something because none of us had noticed the announcement for Flight 9286 at 8:50 AM! We found that out when we went to terminal B3 at 9:50 AM on the dot to board the plane and were told that the plane left an hour ago. Aileen had the initiative to ask the employee if we could catch another plane but unfortunately, flights to Mexico are infrequent so there wouldn’t be another one for about 4 weeks! What are we going to do in Los Angeles, CA for four weeks?! We can’t just decide to fly back to Washington because that would mean we came out here to California for nothing! We left Washington State looking for adventure and the best summer ever, and little did we know that what we were looking for was right around the corner. “Hey ummmm…. Mom?” Jackie said hesitantly. “Hi honey, aren’t you supposed to be on your flight right now?” Jackie’s mom answered back questionably. “Uhhhhh…. Yeah that’s the problem….. we kind of missed our flight…..” Silence. “WHHHAATTTT!!!!???” “Ummmm…. Well the worst part is that their wont be another flight to Mexico in four weeks.” Jackie says quietly. “Oh my god, young lady, you are going to be in so much trouble when you come back!” Jackie’s mom yells and then in a calmer voice, “Let me call your aunt who luckily lives in that area and have her pick you five up. Meanwhile, just stay there.” Psshhh…. Like we have any other place to go. The LAX Airport was a pretty exciting place to be considering the fact that some celebrity that we couldn’t see due to the crowds of paparazzi and the many security guards surround and what seemed to be, a tall blonde celebrity. We probably each thinking, Wow, I wish I was famous so I could be: in all these magazines and photos, filthy rich, have everyone worship me, known to all people, and able to do whatever I want. The paparazzi always following you everywhere, unlimited money, hang out with all the famous people in the magazines who you longed to be, and have special treatment anywhere you go, being famous would make life seem a lot easier. All of a sudden, the blonde celebrity began walking towards the ladies room and darted through the door. After her entrance, the five out of twelve bodyguards she had stood in a row covering the entrance to the restroom. “Oh my god, we have to get in there!” Priscilla whispered as she began to huddle the five of us into a tight circle. “So let’s decide the game plan now. Diana, get all your red inks and paints and color Salina’s “lower area” red, then Salina, go up to the security guards and ask for a tampon and say its an emergency. Then Diana, go up to the some of the other guys and start gibbering to them and just start talking REALLY fast. Jackie, you need to stand up on the tables and chairs and have like…..a singing performance or something. I dunno, you’ll think of something. All three of you need to distract the paparazzi, bodyguards, and people in the airport so Aileen and I can break in through the janitor’s entrance without being seen. We’ll be as quick as possible, I promise. Does each of you know your position?” Salina, Jackie, Aileen, and Diana all seemed confused by what Priscilla just explained and kind of just stood their shocked for a few moments and a minute later, they shot their hands in the middle of the huddle and yelled “BREAK!” The diabolical plan has begun.

Financial Tips - General Advice? Right now, going through a transition - about to move to another state will I will be initially unemployed until work is found. Currently have about $35,000 of debt of which $18000 is new (recently purchased a 2008 vehicle - a must have for the move, 60 month repayment) - the other debt is school loans and credit card debt (not too substantial, only have the debt from purchasing furniture for new apartment after returning from overseas). I am an excellent saver, bargain hunter and love to cut costs whereever possible, within reason. Looking for tips on how to help pay down my debt faster, smart investments (am a very amateur investor on sharebuilder, with very little money invested already...probably scared to do more.) The transition and being unemployed on one income (husband's) with a 2 year old child, frightens me so want to be able to minimize debt, cut costs, etc but able to still enjoy life. Thanks

Ok revamped cv .....What do you think now? PERSONNEL INFORMATION Age : 19 Marital status: Single PROFILE I am a sensible, creative, and diligent young adult who learns quickly and thrives in a fast paced work environment. I am very motivated, well- mannered and a good communicator. I work well in teams as well as on my own initiative. After recently leaving full time education I really want to broaden my skills in a professional work area. I have excellent IT and organisational skills. I can work calmly under pressure which inevitably gets the job done. KEY SKILLS Great people skills Creative Excellent Customer care skills Quick learner Self motivated Always aware of current trends in fashion and culture EMPLOYMENT Part-time / Holiday Employment Restaurant and Bakery® 2004 - 2008 Employer - Position- Waiting/Sales staff Duties - Opening and/or closing business - Training staff - Customer services - Managing a small group of staff of on a daily basis in a busy environment - Working in a team every day July 2007- February 2008 Employer - Position - Sales assistant Duties - Visual Merchandising/ window display - Customer services - Opening and/or closing business - Working independently and making key decisions on a daily basis - Key holder EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS Grammar School 2000-2007 9 GCSE’s - English (A), French(A), Art(A), English Literature(A), Maths(B), Religion(B), History(B) and DA Science(CC) 3 A-levels - English literature(B), Religion(B), French(D) 1 AS-level - Art (A) LANGUAGES Beginner- Spanish and Irish Advanced - French INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES As I am a very creative person ,and have a natural artistic flair, I am especially interested in the arts. I love photography and enjoy adding to my portfolio. I’ve always had a keen interest in fashion and always keep up to date with trends as well as sourcing new and original looks. I love designing and making my own clothes. I also love reading as well as watching films and socialising with friends. I enjoy sports such as squash, ice skating, swimming and tennis along with regular gym visits and jogging. ACHIEVEMENTS Participating in and assisting to organise a fashion show 2 years in a row Travelling to various places such as Moscow, St Petersburg, Portugal, Corfu and Paris Editor of School magazine Fashion Blog writer Tutoring junior and GCSE Art students REFERENCES Available from : ...... An agency told me to make it clear that i handled money before which i have both collecting taking at the end of the days and making floats up but how do i put that in ? Really would like to send this today for a jaegar sales consultant job and for argento Any other tips??? every peice of advice is very welcome! And my address and name if printed at the top

where should i move to? Hi my name Don and im from cincinnati, ohio but i moved to miami, florida june 1st, 2009 with my girlfriend we was our dream to live lame cincinnati and start a new life in miami she from brooklyn and was going to move back for collega after high school before she met me and fell in love we been togethere since june 11th, 2008 and yeah................. after finally moving to miami, florida for collega our relationship changed in many ways because yeah... i was a bad guy in the past and that wasnt the only reason our money plan also didnt go as plan so she signed up for a dorm last min an didnt know if she was in love with me anymore because i did her wrrong in many ways an she start to grow tierd of it so...... i was in miami living in my car i finally told my mom an she told me to come back home but when i was home for five weeks since july 26th, 2009 i start to realize i missed miami an the spac made my girl fall bacck for me she missed me so i moved back but i start to realize miami aint for me its more of a v.k spot so................ i feel like i dont belong neither miami or cincinnati any tips? i wannna move somewhere up north i miss the leafs leaving the trees, fall season and its werid i always hated snow but ima miss that too, i was thinking about moving to new york but that life maybe too fast for me since i cant handle miami, miami its so different than i image but i dont wanna go back home..... i need a new start new city an state..... i want to live somewhere peaceful but full of life like a city life but at the same time pretty chilled and cheap living, any tips? i want to leave miami, florida soon as i can but i dont know where but i know i want to live up north.... somewhere fulll of many race an not that much racesim

can someone revise my essay and make any changes needed and try to make it clear from mistakes? fix any grammar, commas and make clear n simple sentences Everyone loves shopping online; you save time and money, and you won’t need to fight for a parking spot in the hectic malls. In America, almost everyone has a computer or at least knows how to operate one. People like the easy way out, and it has its own benefits. As technology grows, things get easier yet risky for everyone. For example, online shoppers need to be aware of where and how they use their important IDs, such as credit or debit cards. Identity theft is something you can do very little prevent, and you won’t know it’s happened to you until it’s too late. Identity theft is currently the fastest growing type of robbery in the United States. When a person steals and uses’ the victim’s identity without them knowing, it is called “Identity Theft”. Last Monday, the Fed arrested Albert Gonzales for cyber robbery. Federal prosecutors believe Albert Gonzales stole more than 130 million credit card data information making Albert the largest identity scammer. Hackers' main "target to steal information" hot spots are major retail stores and banks. When a scammer steals a person’s personal information the only thing the thief can do is steal money from a credit card or a bank account. Most identification scammers get caught when they try to open a credit card or a bank account, write bad checks, or take out a loan from a bank, while leaving the victim with countless charges and years of bad credit on record. Identity scammers in United States have increased by 22% in 2008 from 2007. In 2008, nearly 10 million American’s identity was stolen. Identity theft can happen to anyone, and many don’t realize it until they spend their next dollar and the credit card declines. To protect your personal information online, as well as at home, you need to purchase a shredder to shred all documents with personal information before throwing them away. Don’t send mail using unsecured mailbox. Have your social security number changed if it is the same as your driver’s license number. Have a secured internet network. Lastly, have a confined place to keep your important and person information. Although the work for scammer is hard, only a little information is needed. Some examples are, but not limited to: your birth date, credit card numbers, or a social security number. Some important tips that online shoppers can remember are: limit shopping online and never buy from unknown sites. Always shred all mail before throwing it away, and make sure to check your credit report at least one time a year. If you do all these things to protect your information, people like Albert Gonzales will never be able to steal someone’s information again.

How does my first chapter sound so far? Its not done but? Chapter 1 11:59pm, New Age 2008, Madrid/Spain The countdown had just begun. 10 9 8 7 . . . I looked around at the Spaniards and tourists who were looking at the stars above waiting . . . 6 5 4 3 2 1. Bang! Red and blue fireworks erupted in the darkened sky beautifully. The fireworks looked exactly like some spells I’ve produced. The cheers of the citizens were louder than the fireworks itself. ‘Happy New year miss!’ A young boy said standing in front of me. ‘Thank you. Happy New year as well.’ I repeated and walked out of the crowd. After a couple of minutes of trying to squeeze out of the cheering folks, I half ran out of El Retiro and located a taxi. Another year has passed, and no signs of the greatest elemental have come. It has been 1159 years since I had left Camelot and started the task of searching for the elemental. And now another year has passed. I know the elemental is not in Madrid. Or any other place in Spain. But, I have searched the whole world twice with no sign of him or her. The only country left was America, starting with Houston. ‘The airport please.’ I told the taxi driver, and then lay back on the chair. It has been so long that I have lived, and if I don’t find this elemental, I will give up. I drifted my eyes closed and all cheers were interrupted by my dreams. Crash! The glass of the window woke me up in a beat. The cry of the driver made it easy to know what was happening. Three men with weapons abused the driver and asked for the money in his pouch. The taxi driver handed them the money and ran off from the other side of the car. The men started to laugh and then backed away, but stopped when they noticed me sitting still in the back. They smiled wickedly and walked to the door, and ripped it open. ‘Hello miss, how’d you like to spend your night with us, ay?’ The tall, paler one smirked. This had gotten me angry, and they wouldn’t want to get any closer. ‘I don’t think so Mr.’ I said and scooted over to the other door. I opened it in a rush and ran out, thrashing into a strong looking man. He also had a grossing smile on his face. I growled a little and looked to see all three of the men had surrounded me. ‘I don’t think you should come any closer.’ I said. I put my right hand behind my back and suddenly a blue fire spitted at the tips of my fingers. The tall one rosed his eyebrows and laughed. ‘I think we should, don’t ya Chris.’ He grinned. The strong one called Chris laughed and moved closer towards me. Behind my back, I changed the fire into a spell I learnt from a powerful witch in the 13th century. Suddenly, a short man touched my shoulder and pulled me. His nails cut my shoulder, and ripped my t-shirt. I cried of pain, and then threw the sparks at his face, whispering the spell. The sparks landed on his surprised face and started to turn to rock. ‘Ahh!’ The man cried before his whole body became still and into stone. I smirked at the other men who were now wide-eyed with fear. ‘What . . . what are you?’ The tall one said before they started running away. The word demon left both of their mouths before disappearing. I pushed out my palm at the man who was now stone, and he suddenly broke into dust. They shouldn’t have done this to the Immortal Guinevere. I looked away from the dust and at the taxi. It was empty, and every other taxi would be filled with drunken celebrators. I had to get to Houston, but maybe being on an aeroplane wasn’t the only way she could fly. I laughed and started to run into a forest. I looked at the sky above and took off my jacket. The deep cut on my shoulders had faded and was only a scar. I made sure to see if anybody was around before whipping out my wings and jumping to the air. The thrill of the air rushing up to my face was beautiful and I wanted it to last forever. I flapped my wings once and rose higher into the sky and above the clouds. This was a much better way to get to Houston. Better because it was faster and no one could feel the wind this way. I felt the air pushing me up higher and now I couldn’t see even a light from the city. Everywhere was pitch black except for the twinkling stars. I raised my palm and whispered a spell I used when I was in Antarctica. Suddenly, a bright yellow flame erupted from my right palm and made everything light. I was happy enough until the pressure of the wind blew out the flame and made it dark again. I sighed unconditionally, then thought of an good idea. 900 years ago, I had come across a forest called the Forest Brecelien, which is now located in the place you call France, when a old enchantress came from behind the trees and had taught me some spells. The strongest one would be a spell which could cover anything, msot likely called a force field. Stopping in mid-air I lifted my palm again and whispered the spell, blowing into my palm and raising my left index finger. While the yellow flame erupted, I made a circle around the flame, purple sparks flowing in t purple sparks flowing in the circle shape. The circle changed to a sphere and covered the flame, so no wind could penetrate it. Rolling my wings, I looked up to see a fast-going airplane rushing upwards, to where I was now wide-eyed with fear. I am 12 years old people.

How is my story so far? Any tips/advice? Priscilla, Diana, Jackie, Aileen, and Salina, together we are the fantastic five, saving the world from evil by having a strong friendship. Haha JK about saving the world, but we are the fantastic five and we do have a strong friendship. Our “clique”, “groupie”, “club”, “circle”, or whatever you want to identify us, includes: Priscilla, Jackie, Salina, Aileen, and Diana. Each of us has different looks, backgrounds, personalities, qualities, talents, and lots of other stuff that makes us what we are, well, best friends. Diana the artist, Aileen the overachiever, Priscilla the social and personality, Jackie the athlete, and Salina the singer, we are all different in many ways but that is why we get along so well. This summer, the summer after middle school and before high school, will be the most challenging, exciting, scary, adventurous, surprising, and overall, awesome summer ever. The five of our lives are essentially never going to be the same after this summer of twist, turns, and through streets that just may seem like dead ends. The 8th grade year has come to an end. Many wonderful times and many more dreadful times, but we got through it, together. When I mean “we”, I mean my little clique of friends: Aileen, Jackie, Salina, Diana, and me. After all the complicated work, all the struggles to get through 8th grade and move on in life, everything is finally over. Everything in this story is “we” because we are always together, through the good times and the bad, and we are always part of each other, none complete without another. “All students please report to the commons immediately for the 8th grade ceremony.” Mrs. Merritt announced on the loudspeaker. Jackie, Aileen, Priscilla, Salina, and Diana were sitting in the front row of seats in our 4th period Language Arts class, in that exact order and stood up to go to the commons. “Oh my god!” Jackie screamed at the top of her lungs. “Do you know what this means?” “Oh my god! We are gonna get our little certificate thingies for like, best dressed and stuff!” Priscilla yelled also screaming at the top of her lungs. Then, Jackie, Diana, and Priscilla began waving their hands in the air and screaming like the little girly girls they are. Salina kept staring at us, obliviously not believing how weird we are. Aileen on the other hand was also waving her hands and screaming but not for the same purpose, she was mocking them. “Hey! We are just excited so back off!” Diana shot to Aileen after giving her a sharp glare. Then at that point in time, we all began cracking up and giggling because we were SO not going to start a fight right before Middle School Graduation! “Come on students; let’s get our butts down to the commons now!” Mrs. Walker, our 4th period Language Arts Honors teacher, yelled loudly in her military tone. “Affirmative, Sir yes sir!” A voiced spoke out. The voice was obliviously Jimmy’s, Jimmy Schmidt, I mean; he has always been one to crack jokes. The class began to break into hysterics, even Mrs. Walker. “Okay okay, that’s enough jokes for one year; now seriously, let’s get down there!” The assembly was extremely tedious and strenuous, but finally it was time for the 8th grade awards. “For MVP for ###################### track, I am honored to award “Iliane Isakahrvo” with the ###################### certificate.” Mr. Chicka announced. Mr. Chicka, the vice principal, is always the one participating in announcements, awards, school events, and pretty much everything. Gauche silence. “It’s Aileen, Aileen Isakharov you retard!” Aileen, Priscilla, Salina, Jackie, and Diana shrieked and right after that, they dropped down under the chairs so they wouldn’t get caught, a perfect way to end the school year. “Ahummm… I’m sorry, Aileen, let me say that again.” “For MVP for ######################, I am honored to award Aileen Isakharov with the ###################### certificate.” Well, like the old saying goes, the second try is always the best! Umm…….. not really but whatever, lets just pretend that is the saying, okay? A loud applause followed by screams, mostly from Priscilla, Salina, Jackie, and Diana, Aileen walks up to the microphone “Go Chickens. Peace out.” Then, again, more applause. “Next, for most talented, Salina Abraham!” Thank God he pronounced her name correctly. “Thank you so much everybody, I would like to thank my parents and friends ---“ “Excuse me, Ms. Abraham, a speech is not necessary.” Salina ignores Mr. Chicka and continues to talk, until, well, the school security comes. She says one last “thank you” and is forced off the stage, talk about guts! “Okay…..Next, I would like to present Jackie Manson for the most dazzling smile. Congratulations!” Jackie scampers up to the stage, grabs the certificate, and squeals an “Oh my god!” so high pitched, I swear, the windows should have broken, but instead the microphone made these screeching sounds, talk about magical powers! “For most creative student, Diana Chen come on up and receive your award!” She walks up there, takes the certificate, and then just simply walks back to her seat. “Last but not least, I would like to award ############ for most charming personality!” The crowd screams, whistles, and claps as Priscilla struts down the main walkway to the stage to claim her award. She walks up to Mr. Chicka, takes the certificate, and then walks to the microphone and says, “Thanks everybody! I am so honored, I love you all!” Then the crowd goes wild again, what a crowd pleaser! After the assembly, everyone was talking about “the fantastic five” and how we each got an award for something. I guess we are just simply amazing, like that’s a surprise. The awards ceremony took up so much time, by the time everyone was out of the commons, the bell rung at precisely 2:30 PM, indicating that school had ended and summer had begun. Oh yeah! Preppy4LIFE: OMG, I cannot believe school is over! PinkyInRussian: I <3 Chickens. DeeDi4Diana: Okay… that was random. Jaxgrrrrl: Yeah totally. I know! Lina123: So what are your guys’ plans for the summer? Dee4Diana: Maybe checking hot guys out? Preppy4LIFE: yeah on the internet. LOL. ;] Jaxgrrrrl: HAHA LOL. Lina123: LOL. :] PinkyInRussian: Oh my chicken, is that all you guys say on AIM? LOL? Lina123: At least we don’t say chicken between every other word. PinkyInRussian: HEY! I was kidding! Dee4Diana: Suuuuuurrrrreeee…. Whatever Aileen Jaxgrrrrl: I totally agree with Priscilla. LOL. PinkyInRussian: What’s with the whole “LOL” thing? You guys are :O Dee4Diana: OH no you didn’t! PinkyInRussian: OH yes I did. Preppy4LIFE: Ooooohhh watcha gonna do about that diss? Dee4Diana: Oh is on Aileen, bring it on. PinkyInRussian: It’s been brought. Jaxgrrrrl: We should totally do something together during summer! Preppy4LIFE: OMG, totally. We should go to…. Dee4Diana: Tokyo! Lina123: New York! PinkyInRussian: CHICKEN! Preppy4LIFE: uhh…. Okay… a bit random…… OMG this is gonna be fun! Jaxgrrrrl: How ‘bout Mexico? I mean it at least would be hot! Preppy4LIFE: OMFG! Awesome. I vote Jackie. Dee4Diana: Me too. Lina123: Me three. PinkyInRussian: Me four. Preppy4LIFE, PinkyInRussian, Lina123, Dee4Diana, Jaxgrrrrl: Perfect! From that moment on, all of our phones have been ringing off the hook due to all of us calling each other at every and any waking moment possible, to talk about the trip. It was planned. We would be flying from the SeaTac Airport to the El Rosa Airport at 4 AM on July 13, 2008 and come back exactly 6 weeks later. This would be our first big trip together and it would make our lives change forever, even more than we would have thought! We would be on flight number 1376 on Mexico International Airlines. There were five tickets, one for each of us, and we would be staying at Priscilla’s grandma’s friend’s home who just happens to live next door to This trip, though we may not know it, is going to change our lives and have many twists and turns that will carry all of us on a journey, together. “Flight 1376 is ready to board, I repeat, Flight 1376 is ready to board, if this is your flight, please report to terminal C9 to board the plane. Thank you.” That was our cue to get out of Starbucks and get going towards our terminal before we miss our plane, which wouldn’t be good, not good at all. Priscilla ordered a light caramel frappicino with triple shots and whipped cream, Salina ordered a mocha cappuccino, Jackie, a pumpkin spice frappicino, Diana a black coffee, and Aileen, a hot chocolate. After all our orders were completed, it was 3:40 AM! SHIT! That means that we have five minutes to run across the airport with drinks in one hand, luggage in the other, and whatever else Salina, Jackie, Priscilla, Diana, and/or Aileen might be carrying along. We pass California Pizza Kitchen, getting a little closer to our destination but with only four minutes left. We convert from a jog to a full out sprint and all of our drinks begin to spill along the edges of the cups and our luggage is practically being dragged, but none of this matters if we FREAKING GET ON THE PLANE IN TIME!!!! We get so desperate we just drop our drinks on the floor, pick up our bags, and run like there is no tomorrow, and there won’t be if we don’t get that plane! By the time we were in the C terminal, there was only one minute left! OMG! Running through the crowds of people and weaving through obstacles, we finally found terminal C9 and ran to the guy at the check-in counter and gave him our tickets. Then we tiredly dragged ourselves into the small tunnel that connected to the plane, picked our seats, conveniently all in one row, and dropped ourselves into the comfort of the supple leather seats and prepared for a journey of a lifetime. We each entertained ourselves with diverse activities throughout the long plane ride. Diana doodled on every possible little space in her notebook, both Jackie and Salina were listening and singing along to their IPODs, Priscilla was taking millions of pictures of herself with her new hot pink Polaroid digital camera, and Aileen was playing with her brand new Nintendo DS. Finally, three hours later, three ELONGATED hours later, we landed at the LAX Airport in Los Angeles, CA. Next, we were supposed to go on Flight 9286 to Mexico City, Mexico at 9:50 AM at terminal B3, according to Priscilla, and meet Priscilla’s grandma’s friend named Claire. For now on, let’s just call her Claire and not have to elucidate the whole Priscilla’s grandma’s friend thingy all the time. Anyways, it was about 7:15 AM and Salina’s and Priscilla’s stomachs were growling, what’s new? We all decided to go to Burger King for breakfast - I know, how healthy – and everybody ordered some kind of salad because this summer, we were all trying to lose a few pounds at the least. We had about 2 hours and 35 minutes to kill so we were strolling through the airport, shopping, getting drink and snacks, looking at books in BORDERS, and just pretty much browsing around. All five of us, I guess, were preoccupied with something because none of us had noticed the announcement for Flight 9286 at 8:50 AM! We found that out when we went to terminal B3 at 9:50 AM on the dot to board the plane and were told that the plane left an hour ago. Aileen had the initiative to ask the employee if we could catch another plane but unfortunately, flights to Mexico are infrequent so there wouldn’t be another one for about 4 weeks! What are we going to do in Los Angeles, CA for four weeks?! We can’t just decide to fly back to Washington because that would mean we came out here to California for nothing! We left Washington State looking for adventure and the best summer ever, and little did we know that what we were looking for was right around the corner. “Hey ummmm…. Mom?” Jackie said hesitantly. “Hi honey, aren’t you supposed to be on your flight right now?” Jackie’s mom answered back questionably. “Uhhhhh…. Yeah that’s the problem….. we kind of missed our flight…..” Silence. “WHHHAATTTT!!!!???” “Ummmm…. Well the worst part is that their wont be another flight to Mexico in four weeks.” Jackie says quietly. “Oh my god, young lady, you are going to be in so much trouble when you come back!” Jackie’s mom yells and then in a calmer voice, “Let me call your aunt who luckily lives in that area and have her pick you five up. Meanwhile, just stay there.” Psshhh…. Like we have any other place to go. The LAX Airport was a pretty exciting place to be considering the fact that some celebrity that we couldn’t see due to the crowds of paparazzi and the many security guards surround and what seemed to be, a tall blonde celebrity. We probably each thinking, Wow, I wish I was famous so I could be: in all these magazines and photos, filthy rich, have everyone worship me, known to all people, and able to do whatever I want. The paparazzi always following you everywhere, unlimited money, hang out with all the famous people in the magazines who you longed to be, and have special treatment anywhere you go, being famous would make life seem a lot easier. All of a sudden, the blonde celebrity began walking towards the ladies room and darted through the door. After her entrance, the five out of twelve bodyguards she had stood in a row covering the entrance to the restroom. “Oh my god, we have to get in there!” Priscilla whispered as she began to huddle the five of us into a tight circle. “So let’s decide the game plan now. Diana, get all your red inks and paints and color Salina’s “lower area” red, then Salina, go up to the security guards and ask for a tampon and say its an emergency. Then Diana, go up to the some of the other guys and start gibbering to them and just start talking REALLY fast. Jackie, you need to stand up on the tables and chairs and have like…..a singing performance or something. I dunno, you’ll think of something. All three of you need to distract the paparazzi, bodyguards, and people in the airport so Aileen and I can break in through the janitor’s entrance without being seen. We’ll be as quick as possible, I promise. Does each of you know your position?” Salina, Jackie, Aileen, and Diana all seemed confused by what Priscilla just explained and kind of just stood their shocked for a few moments and a minute later, they shot their hands in the middle of the huddle and yelled “BREAK!” The diabolical plan has begun.