Makayla Varnell

Ms. Newby

Comp. 7 Period 5

5 December 2010

For the better or worst

            “Grandma! I want to go to Believe for church” I said enthusiastically.

Questioned my grandma answered “what’s Believe?”

“Believe is like church camp except you stay there for 2 days, it’s what the high school is doing for the middle school.” I explained “It’s only 70$, it’s cheaper than New Life Ranch which was what 300$.” 

Making an excuse my grandma told me “70$ is not at all cheap, unless you’re going to pay for it.”

“It can be my Christmas present” I eagerly suggested with a grin.  “And the church said if we couldn’t afford it they can help us by this scholarship thing!” Offering more solutions I couldn’t get her to say yes.

She told me “only if your dad could pay for it!”

“Why can’t he?” I had confused myself.

“Haven’t you noticed that he has never given you a gift for Christmas or your birthday?”

“No, not till you pointed that out.” I simply agreed “and of course my mom isn’t going to help.” “I wish that I had a normal family.”

I sometimes always thought that I had the worst of all lives because I wasn’t really raised by my parents.”  But when I thought more about it I realized that some people don’t even have homes and some kids had been separated by their parents. I mean if we all look out for each other and thought more about the things other people actually need I bet the world would be a better place. Now I know that I’m lucky that I even have a home, water, food, family, and more. I believe if we look in another person’s point of view that the world would be a nice place to be around.

Makayla Varnell

Ms. Newby

Comp 7 Period 5

29 November 2010

Trusting isn’t Always a Good Thing

            I was at Cheer Eclipse when Level 2 Electra and Level 3 Starblaze were starting stunt wars. We were doing stunt wars because my coaches thought it would be fun plus they like to prepare you for competition because of all the deductions given by the judges.  We had rotated off the mat so each team would have the space to stunt.

 Our coach told our team that we had to do our baskets and pyramid.  We had not practiced our new choreography in the pyramid so I was a little nervous.  The trick I had to do was to switch legs, and the job my bases had to do was to toss one of my feet and catch the other in a different position. When trying this I had unbalanced myself when they had caught my other foot and fell backwards.  I thought I could rely on my bases to catch me, but I guess I couldn’t  because when I was falling , I fell straight on my head. The first thing I was doing was Panicking as I was surrounded by my team with their faces in shock. Not long after I figured out that I was healing back as my back spot was pushing forward. I had fell right over her and then hit my head. I felt a little dizzy and tense after that incident.  I was just laying there and shouting “I can’t see,” over and over again my body felt stiff so stiff that I couldn’t move my shoulder or neck.

My coaches told my grandmother to take me to the hospital. As my coach carried me out to the car, I had felt a pounding in my head that went throughout my body. After I had gotten out of the hospital they told me that I shouldn’t do cheer for about four days so I could rest my neck and my back.

The next day it had made my back sore and I had been receiving headaches more than usual. I have learned from now on, you can’t always rely on everyone to catch you when you fall.

Makayla Varnell

Ms. Newby

Comp. 7 Period 5

4 December 2010

Our Big Trip to Our #1

                 “The coaches are coming around and checking if you have your bow, cheer top, skirt, and shoes,” Sue shouted to all of us in the Cheer Eclipse gym. “After that we will start to load everyone onto the buses.”

“Man, I am so tired” I stated to a couple girls as I plopped my head straight on a pillow. “It’s too early for us girls and guys to be up.”

Not long after my team and Starblaze, the level 3 team, started to line up anxiously to load onto the bus we were going to ride. Right then when I had checked the little clock on my phone screen I noticed it was nearly an hour later before we loaded the buses for our cheer competition. That made me a smidge mad because they told us to arrive there at 5 o’clock.

 “Hey, Sam you’re my partner to sit with on the bus” I shouted.

“Okay” Sam agreed with a big smile on her face.

 On the bus a lot of girls went to sleep, some even fell asleep on the floor. I couldn’t go to sleep because I already woke up and once you wake me up I’m awake for the day. Outside the window it was nearly so dark I couldn’t see anything except black. The drive to Topeka, Kansas was about two hours so I just listened to music.  

We had finally arrived, after all these hours of boredom. Laughing with sarcasm I told Sam “Can’t wait till we win” She had laughed back.

            “Get your stuff and head through the front doors,” our coach Angie said firmly.

Once we all checked in and we waited for 5 hours my team, Electra headed back onto the practice mat. Next was when we would perform. Hoping nothing will go wrong on my 1^st competition we all huddled and had a pep talk from our coach tony.

“Are you guys ready” he asked us, but before we had answered the announcer bellowed our team’s name, “On the floor next from Wichita, Kansas Level 2 Cheer Eclipse, Electra!”

 With the nervous feeling of butterflies in my stomach I ran out with my team, I smiled big and got ready for our routine. The music started and we went through our whole routine after, I was relieved and noticed my butterflies were gone. Everyone had realized aspen had fallen through the routine but luckily the judges didn’t see her because it blended in. The two teams that we were against were pretty good and rumors were that they did perfect so I was sure we were going to get 2^nd place. Finally the awards ceremony was next.

The Host of the Competition announced who took what place.

“The level 2 team that took 3^rd place is, KCAC!”

Now we were pounding with excitement that we were in the top two.

“The Level 2 team that took 2^nd place is,”

There was a pause I closed my eyes and hoped it wasn’t us. Then he finished

“KC!”

I was so surprised! That we all were on the tips of our toes.

He continued “and last but not least the Level 2 team that took 1^st place is, Electra!”

We all stood up and screamed while we jumped up and down on the spring floor. Our team got our picture taken and got our 1^st place bracelets. I was a little disappointed that 1^st place winners got slap bracelets and 2^nd and 3^rd place got metals but at least we won. I had learned from there was not to judge the future.