Days grow longer

So, I've had a rough three weeks. We went on vacation the Sunday after the Fourth of July for three days, and that was a good time. A little stressful and nerve-wracked by the time we were coming home, but it was nice for a little while. Getting away wasn't something I'm about to complain about at all. The following weeks at home, in comparison, were worse than a little hard feelings after being couped up together in both a hotel room and car, respectively for the last day of the trip.

Back at home, things sucked. I really don't want to go to W&J for school. I mean, I do, but I don't at the same time. Doesn't help that it is going to cost me out the ass to go. I'm at least going there for this year, and then most likely I'll transfer. I don't think I was ever really definite on where I wanted to go in the first place. I mean, anywhere would have sufficed really, and I never had a dream school in particular, and if I did, I probably wouldn't have had the money to go anyway. And it's not like somewhere didn't have what I wanted to study. They all did. And that just made things harder. And yes, being that I'm not an idiot, I know that I can get loans. No shit, I can get a loan. No matter where I went, I'd need one. The fact of the matter is paying back that loan after school in an economy that is steadily declining. I can't exactly predict the future, but that foresight gives me some negative vibes. I don't want to start out my adult life in a cardboard box with a job at McDonald's. I have higher aspirations than that. That was my friends argument though, "You can't think about the money. Get a loan. Defer payments." Uno, who isn't thinking about the money? I'm not exactly poor, but I'm not made of money either, and those immense loans are my responsibility, not yours. Don't tell me what I should or should not do, because I'm the one whose going to have to come up with the 100,000 dollars. Dos, got a loan. See problem with loan in rant above. Tres, you defer payments, you're going to pay even more, and you already have interest going against you. Unfortunately, even though I wish I didn't have to, those are things that worry me. Don't even get me started on the "If I don't get a job, how am I going to pay that all back," argument. The other argument was that it was a better school, and I need to think longterm benefits. Okay, fine, sure. What if, longterm, I want to buy a house and a car and get married? Hello, nasty loan payments. Good thing I went to the "better" school and got a job. I'm going to get a job regardless of where I go. I'm not going to know how much I'll be making then now. There are people who don't even go to college, and they are made of money. I mean, maybe if I was going Ivy league that would matter a little more, but I'm not either way. Still, on the other hand, I don't want to sell myself short when I've got such an opportunity.

I sound whiny. That's highly irritating. (And I even have a positive, uplifting song playing in the background to keep me going). I've got to move on before I either cry or break something. So, other than conflicted emotions about college. A group of us went to see The Dark Knight at midnight on Thursday. (Well, technically 12:03, but whatever, they all started at midnight anyway). Holy freaking crap. Greatest. Movie. On. The. Planet. Seriously, that movie was a cornucopia of awesome. It made me absolutely terrified, had my adrenaline going, made me cry, had me laughing/clapping with everyone else, nearly made me pee my pants because I was NOT about to get up and leave the theater, and just left me stunned. Christopher Nolan, you are my hero. I mean, I knew it was going to be intense, but good God. Blew way past my expectations within the first ten minutes. Unless you've been living under a rock, Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker completely atomic bombed Jack Nicholson's. (I actually watched the 1989 Batman the other day, and his joker used to terrify me. That laughter at the end when he was dead, I used to have nightmares.) But this, sweet Jesus. Who needs to have the Oscar's? Just give it to him. I was so completely terrified that when some fellow movie-goer drove past at 3 in the morning when we were all leaving the theater dressed as the Joker in the movie, I literally screamed. A guy in a costume of this version of the Joker, made me scream. That is telling you something. (Or it was the fact that I hadn't slept in 24 hours and just watched the intense movie of my life, but I think it was a genuine freak-out nonetheless). Anyway, long story short, if you have yet to go see this movie: Go. Right. Now. No lie, it is phenomenal.

However, there was a downside to my brilliant Thursday. And that was the discovery that a friend, who turned out to be a complete and total ass-hat, had been talking about me behind my back. Apparently, I hadn't taken the time out of my life to ever talk to him since his grad party (Even though I had just commented him two days prior on Facebook), and because I didn't invite him to the movies. Dude, I was going to that movie whether other people came with me or not. I never made plans. I said I was going, and the invitation was open to all other movie-goers. Moving on, I also apparently am "too hung-up on my bro and cousin to spend time with friends and that is an inevitable fact we all must face." I'm pretty sure I spend a majority of my time with my best friend Christi, who is neither my brother nor my cousin. Furthermore, with whom I spend my time is my prerogative anyway. Also, I am a stuck-up bitch. I confronted this person to no response, which just goes to show how much they really have to say. It was sad, really. I didn't know that he had this much of a problem with me, and if he did, it would have been better to not have wasted my time. I hate fake people.

To end on a more positive vibe, we (meaning, my entire family) received wedding invitations to my uncle's wedding in the beginning of September. And now I need a guest. This should be fun and exciting.

Really, they are. From the time I wake up until around 3 (give or take a few hours), absolutely nothing happens. Well, the mail comes. But that's about it. And now that I'm accepted to college and all those fun shenanigans, I don't even get any mail. So, I sit here bored, get the mail, and then continue on the path of boredom. Fascinating, isn't it? Well, at the moment, I'm talking to Angie (and I haven't seen her in over two years) so it's not as bad as every other day. Still. I could do with a little more entertainment from morning to afternoon.

Tuesday afternoon was an adventure to say the least. Steve and I met up at South Hills Village Mall where we did a few laps. In Barnes and Noble, I made a breakthrough, the first out of two for that day. (It was a success kind of day, apparently.) After months and months, I got him to agree to read Twilight. So then, when we went to visit Dave downtown, I told him of Steve's agreement with me. And then, becoming two-for-two, I made a deal with Dave himself. I watch Dexter, he reads Twilight. Now, I don't know why I want them to so much. They'll probably only enjoy the action-y parts of the books and make fun of me for the rest of it. Pretty much, letting them read it is giving them the go-ahead to mock me for the rest of our lives. At the present time, I don't care. I got them to concede. And they are going to go see the movie with me, which is a bonus. Even I'm stoked for the fight scene in that. (Throwing people through mirrors, and ripping through floorboards? That's a fun time.) This coming from the girl who loved Iron Man, of course. Another bonus of life? Steve gets to come on our vacation in like two weeks, which we have always wanted him to come on with Dave and I and our parents. He said he'll bring his video camera and video tape our trip down to one of my favorite East coast places, Ocean City in Maryland. I am highly excited. Highly.

Other than that, nothing interesting has really happened. I've been talking to a few girls who are going to W&J in the fall, so that's cool. I go to Launch this coming Sunday. Great. I'm excited, minus the placement testing portion of the day. More math tests? I'll pass, thanks. My goal is to get out of French. I really don't want to take French anymore. At all. Still, I find out for sure that day if Alyssa and I are roommates. If we're not, well, I won't be much of a happy camper, let's leave it at that. As long as I don't get a creeper, I'm sure I will be fine.

(A side thank you to those who made Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for giving me the inspiration as to what to title this post.)

At Graduation practice today, I realized two things:

One - The whole commencement ceremony is one long-lasting, intense version of Follow the Leader. And the prize is getting your diploma and leaving. Literally. I swear, I heard, "Follow the person in front of you," forty times. At the least. Oh, and apparently, we can't handle the concept that we might be facing a different direction depending on whether we are outside or inside. God forbid, I have to face my fellow students as opposed to the stage when I am in the same line. I might just screw it all up. Right.

Two - People from banks assume that high schoolers know next to nothing about money. Really. Because I, for one, had no idea that if someone smashes into my car and has no insurance, I have to pay for it. Oh, and who knew that you should actually read a contract before you sign it. Go figure.

Four straight hours of this nonsense and it's no wonder I'm stoked about Friday. Usually, I'm not so irritated about practice things. Particularly walking, because sometimes that just doesn't work out like it's supposed to for me, but honestly. We made it through 13 years of schooling. I'm pretty sure we can handle following someone in front of us without intense repetition. It didn't help that I was already tired and wanted to just practice and go home. Oh, no. No, we had to have people tell us about loans, and buying a car, and insurance, and other things that are general knowledge. For two hours. I signed up for Graduation practice. I'm not going to sign a car contract on toilet paper. Have some faith. So, after it was accepted that we could handle lining up with a spazz fest, we got to have a picnic. Unfortunately, it was raining. So, we had a picnic in the gym. In my high school gym, I ate picnic food. At least, I'm sitting by a friend of mine from elementary school. We had a lot of fun making smartass comments about what was going on. And naturally, if the ceremony is on the football field, I am in the group that has to go down steps. Perfect. Anyway. Other than being my usual anti-morning self, today was a relatively good day. I mean, the practice could have gone on all day, but I got out of there by 11:30, so that's a positive. (Side note: Dog just gobbled like a turkey. Weird.) Tomorrow consists of going to Class Day. And then coming home. That should be less painful. Hopefully. At least, I should have plans to do something after that.

Major good news: Possibly going to The Cheesecake Factory in Southside after Graduation. That is for the win, even if I do dislike cheesecake. =)

So, Dave moved out on Saturday morning. He lives downtown on Mount Washington now. And I am very jealous of his house, because it is very awesome, and he has a sweet room. Well, and he took the Wii. But, yeah. It's weird here without him. Not so much depressing or sad, just weird. I told him on the phone last night that no one bugs me anymore. Stangely enough, that's something I really miss, even if I always hated it. It made him Dave. Being an only child really sucks ass. I keep trying to make plans with people, and they are failing. Ew. Either way, I now have an excuse to go downtown whenever I feel like it, though I have to find an alternate mode of transportation because he said he doesn't want me trying to drive downtown. No confidence, I swear. Hehe.

I'm not anxious about graduating anymore. More irritated with school in general than anything else, especially with English class. Which, I'll be the first to admit, is odd. I can't help it, though. Seriously, we have (well, had at the time that this went on) 8 days of school left. What do we do in English class? We take notes. On Emily Barrett Browning. And then, after she dies in the timeline of notes, we take notes on her husband, Robert Browning, which I found irrelevant because the notes were supposed to be about Emily Browning. So, we had to then listen to her most famous sonnet. (The one that is like, "How do I love thee...") Yeah, it's actually called Sonnet 23, but no one on the planet knows that besides people who like sonnets. And clearly sonnets are so lame that they can't even have actual names; they're freaking numbered. (This is what I thought about as I sat in class and stared at the chalkboard.) Stupid class. Stupid sonnets. You know what else is lame? When there are 6 days of senior year left, your French 4 teacher decides she wants to interview the whole whopping five people in the class en francais. Uh, right. Because she seems to be under the misconception that we learned something this year. Unfortunately, we didn't. We spent a majority of the year translating boring stories that had no interesting plot or purpose in real life. Then, she told us to bring in any notes we had taken that year. We didn't take any. At all. So, that's a moot point. C'est la vie, lady. Really.

The positive? Freaking Kennywood on Thursday. Christi and I are going, and we are going to have a blastee-blast. We keep trying to convince Chris to go, but he's being a little lame-o. He'll go. I'll see to that. And it's supposed to be perfect weather on Thursday, mostly sunny and 71 degrees for the high. I haven't been to Kennywood since 10th grade, so I'm pretty stoked. And then, a week after that, I'm graduating high school. Fun time, that. Following week is my grad party, and then I fully intend to go to the beach. Because I love the beach. Maybe actually getting a job will fit in there somewhere. Maybe.

The possibilities are endless. Literally, not figuratively. Not that all the possibilities are necessarily plausible, but they sure are endless. Anyway, point being I've never gone to high school Prom, and I do not regret that in the slightest. In fact, second year running, I've had more fun doing otherwise. Not that Prom would have been completely dreadful, but I've handled enough stress dealing with Christmas dances to handle Prom. Not to mention, I don't really see a difference other than the fact that it's twice the cost, and hour longer, and you have to suffer through Grand March. (And if walking in heels is not your forte, like me, that's kinda a turnoff.) So, I'm sure I could have enjoyed Prom; I just chose to enjoy other shenanigans instead. Fair deal.

As my best friend and I discovered last year, occasionally badass movies-based-on-comics are super plans for those not attending Prom. Last year's winner was Spider-Man 3, obviously. (Definitely a good opportunity cost, in my opinion. I got to look at James Franco for two and a half hours. James Franco would not be at my high school dance.) This year, we naturally had to continue the trend and see some Iron Man. Which was full of freaking win. Seriously. If you haven't seen that movie, go. Go right now, even. Though, I suggest making sure your bladder is empty. There's not a dull moment in that movie, and if you need to leave, you are not going to want to. Other than the epicness that was Iron Man, my friend, Christi, and I went to the nice mall across the parking lot from the theater. If you really want an adventure, people-watch at a mall on a Friday night. Believe me, you'll find something worthwhile. Don't be indecisive about your food court options. (I was, and I think I began to get on Christi's nerves. Especially when I decided to just not eat at all. Oops.)

So, based on what Christi and I experienced yesterday, here's my suggestion on how to have an awesome time, even when you don't go to Prom. Because, sometimes doing something random is for the win. I'm sensing a hilarious story idea coming on from this...

When You Don't Go to Prom:
1. Have money for gas. It's expensive, but hey, you do not want to sit at home.
2. Have money is general. You'll need it for something.
3. Burn an epic CD of favorite songs. Nothing beats extremely loud music whilst driving.
4. Have a hoodie on hand. Rain is unpredictable in May.
5. Plan on seeing a movie. Preferably an epic one. Save the chick flicks for some other night. This is a night for awesomeness.
6. Don't care about what's going on at Prom. 9/10 times, people are probably just dacing.
7. Laugh at yourself and your partners-in-crime. A lot. Especially if one does something embarassing. No time for dull.
8. Make spur of the moment decisions. Makes everything more exciting.
9. Expect the unexpected. Have scissors handy in case you get gum on your pants.
10. Ignore cell phone company booths at all costs. Being harassed to join a different phone company is lame.
11. Know where public restrooms are.
12. Don't worry if you look like an idiot. Those are the best memories.
13. Go into multiple bookstores if there are more than one. More exciting happensing could occur.
14. Make sure you know when things close.
15. Make up some of your conversation, especially if strangers are nearby.
16. Discuss plans for following weekends. That will probably be changed by Monday.
17. Critique every movie preview. And stay through the credits and point out jobs you would want. (i.e. Best Boy Grip, Gaffer, etc.)
18. Don't take the back roads home. They are exceedingly creepy at 12 AM.
19. Stop for a snack on the way home.
20. After Prom, call a best friend. Ask about Prom, then explain all the crazy, awesome things you did. You're cooler.

Ugh. Senior year has been thoroughly kicking my ass. You'd think after Christmas, you might get some control over everything, especially after you expect to go to your first choice school. Oh, no. Since junior year, I planned to go to Point Park University in Pittsburgh. Then, while visiting for my Presidential Scholarship interview there, I realized that I didn't want to be there. At all. The school was very nice, I mean, it's built in an old hotel. Not to mention, you're right in the heart of downtown, which is just amazing. I just felt uneasy the entire time, and I could not see myself spending four years there. I don't want to be miserable for four years, after all. Let me tell you, that was cause for panic. (Especially because that meant turning down a grand total of $64,000 for all four years there). But, there's more to life than money, so I moved on and applied to more schools throughout January (Waynesburg Univeristy, Washington and Jefferson College, California Univeristy of PA, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown) and got accepted. In the end, I've decided to go to Washington and Jefferson. A good fifteen to twenty thousand dollars more expensive than Point Park, and much less scholarship money in retrospect, but I want to go there. I can see myself going there and being happy, and wanting to learn first and foremost. That's a positive in my book. It also will give me the chance to have easy access home. Given the fact that I love my family dearly, I'm stoked for that. I don't plan on being a loser who goes home every week, but I want to know that my family's still close if I need them. So, that was the extent of my January.

Other than a major panic attack over my college selection, my classes have been tying me down. It seems that once I push through one pile of work, another pile overwhelms me. At the moment, I'm pretty on top of things, but I have Relay-for-Life in about three weeks. My captain basically thinks that I'd have a better understanding of what we should do than her, so I've been pretty much put in charge. Lovely. I'm excited to do it though. I never got the chance to do it last year, and it's so much fun. Also, it's an amazing cause. In AP Psychology, we have to make a project to present at Cal U sometime in early April for part of our bonus. Recently, I've been spending most of my Friday's in my history teacher's room, helping to count pennies for the Penny War (to help the Lymphoma and Lukemia Society). And he let's us watch movies while we do it. I saw Aladdin six times in a row last Friday. Awesome. He thought I was nuts because I knew all the words, though. (Who doesn't know all of the words, honestly?) We're reading Macbeth out loud in AP English. So far, it's been really dragging. Oh! Can't forget that we have groups in American History doing a week-long lesson on a particular decade. (We got the 80's. And I get to teach stuff dealing with Entertainment. I am unbelievably excited. 80's music and movies all the way). In choir, the seniors get to have a Cabaret. I'm stoked for that because rumors were going that we weren't going to get one at all. While the juniors take their PSSA's this week, we get to pick out songs. Hmm, what else? Prom tickets went on sale this past week. Keeping with being atypical, my best friend and I deiced we'd rather not go. Six hour long dances after an equally long grand march? I'll pass. Dances are not my forte.

I think I am a little tad behind everyone else in my senior class in that the idea of graduation hasn't really sunk in for me just yet. And it's on June 6, which is hardly far away from now. In a way, that's by far the most thrilling thing of my eighteen years of life, on the other hand, it's the most terrifying thing I can think of. (And not only because I dread walking to get my diploma due to my accident-prone tendencies). Today I had one of those weird moments where you life goes in fast-forward mode, and you freak because suddenly it's like, "Oh man, my life is going to be over, and I'm going to die." (Actually, that might just be me as I hate death.) Really, I think it was more of adulthood looming on the horizon. Absolutely terrifying. Despite the peeling walls, broken lights, abnormally small lockers, and lack of windows, part of me is going to miss my high school. You get too use to the routine of it all. Plus, I'm going to miss all of my friends, especially those going further away. The idea of never seeing them again also makes me freak out. (I've got a bit of a paranoid side to me). Still, I'm so excited for commencement. Even if I am going to be stuck sitting and waiting a while for my turn. Oh, well. If I don't sink to the floor and faint from anxiousness, I'm sure I'll be fine.

As for writing, I've been doing a lot of random doodling. (Doodling with words, of course. I can't even draw a decent doodle). So far, I haven't been able to pull anything into a story, but I'm definitely working on it. I actually got a rather interesting idea the other week for a story set in the future, or in the past. I haven't decided. When I know, you'll know. I've been getting some inspiration for a high school-esque story from my own life. Mundane and boring ends with some interesting adventures. Oh, and being a complete nerd. I spent my Friday night at my friend, Chris' house, playing video games with him and our other friend, Josh. (Yeah, Halo, Guitar Hero, Smash Bros. Brawl...that kind of thing.) Actually, this was the first I've gotten to see Josh since he started going to art school in VA. That was exciting. It was nice to hang out with them both. So, that's basically my recap of the past four months. If you survived through it, congratulations and have a cookie cake. Because I love cookie cake.

So, with the immediate and rather irritating mound of work that came along with senior year, I let this fall onto the back-burner. Not that I intended to, of course. Oh well. That's what I get for all weighted classes along with extracurriculars, I guess. Can't get good classes and an easy workload. Wishful thinking on my part. =) Regardless. Along with this, most of my I'm-doing-this-because-I-enjoy-it writing got put on hold, too. Not that I haven't written anything new at all, but nothing worthy of posting. Pretty much barely connected rambles on a similiar plotline. Nothing substantial. I'm quite disappointed about that. With Christmas break, I'm trying to just forget about school and get back in the swing of things. (In my life outside of school, anyway.) I keep looking at school and thinking that it is spelled wrong. That's about as annoying as the building itself. Anyway. I've managed something of a new story. Whether or not it will ever come up to par with what I expect I can come up with is to be determined. Here's to being hopeful.

Life's definitely been interesting. It's crazy to look at where things end up from year to year. I've spent a lot of time thinking about friendships lately. That's a hard thing to determine. And the stress and drama of it all! Honestly. I didn't think I was going to survive my senior Christmas dance. Obviously, I did. (Though I still agree with a friend of mine that take out the vampires and werewolves, I'm headed for my own version of Twilight/New Moon by Stephenie Meyer.)

Otherwise, I've been appeasing my lack of creativity with reading instead. (Gift cards and a membership discount saved me from spending $80 on like seven books today at Barnes and Noble. I only spent about $30 dollars after all that.) I've gotten through one book today. Unless I find something else to occupy my time later, I'll start and possibly finish another. I'm trying to make them last as best I can. Probably onto The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray. Or back to my Jane Austen fixation. I haven't exactly decided. It's either that or a movie. My brother bought me Hairspray for Christmas, and I still have yet to actually sit down and watch all of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. (Sure, I've seen that one four times before now, but you just can't beat the awesomeness of those films.) Speaking of Johnny Depp movies, a group of my friends and I went to see Sweeney Todd on the 23rd. (Wonderful choice of a movie two days before Christmas, I know.) Needless to say, it was all, "Hello, blood!" And really, that's no exaggeration. At all. Still, despite the fact that there was a good bit of throat slitting and jugular stabbing, the movie was excellent. The gore was there for the storyline, not just for the sense of let's make this disgusting. And Johnny Depp can sing. Who knew? Overall, an impressive movie. At least if I see it again soon, I'll know when not to watch. Definitely a twist from watching Enchanted a few weeks ago, let me tell you. (And talk about diverse taste in movies. I mean, really? Disney fluff to Tim Burton blood and singing. I'm an odd one.)

Hopefully I'll manage to pull my ideas together and have the opportunity to post a new story soon. Not going to make any promises, of course, but let's hope for my sake and others. =) I hope that no matter what you celebrate, you had a splendid holiday season! (I still wish it would have snowed, though. Stupid, rainy Pittsburgh December's. So lame.)

So, I posted the last revised chapter of Behind the Facade this past Sunday, I believe it was. That's now officially completed, for now anyway. I could decide to edit it again, which at some point, I probably will do. Most likely not any time in the near future. I am just going to do some more read-throughs to ensure that there are no grammatical errors, then I shall turn it in to my "facilitator" (that is what we call the teacher who oversees our graduation projects) so that I can graduate high school. I'm rather annoyed though. Our english teacher told us on Monday that now we also need a "Writing Portfolio" in order to graduate, as well. It has to have eight different types of writing in it. Um, hello? I already wrote something in order to graduate. (Of course, that was by choice, but I'm pretty sure a novel is proficient for a portfolio.) I'm quite positive that I have enough writing that I have done on my own that will make a better portfolio than the one with which they will let me graduate. (I don't particularily agree with my school's decisions if you can't already tell.) Then we might also have to read twenty five books in the year and do a little report on each one. I don't have a problem reading twenty five books. I probably read twice that many in a year in the first place. It's just the fact that I have other things to be doing after school.

Excuse my venting. It was relevant to the idea of writing. Well, I did start my senior year of high school on Monday. Quite an eventful day, if I do say so myself. My first period consisted of a friend and I singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and Meat Loaf's "I Would Do Anything for Love." It was choir class, so we were somewhat on task with what was going on at the moment. (Not really.) Nothing else interesting happened until lunch. (I somehow ended up in the most crowded lunch period.) Two girls were physically fighting over a chair. I was quite concerned as they were right behind my head. I really did not want to get impaled with a chair. Obviously, this did not occur. I'm still here. By the end of the day, I just wanted to go home. (An accelerated French 4 class will do that to you.) So, here I was minding my own business, trying to get down the stairs in order to go home. Suddenly, with no warning, a notebook flies down right in front of my face from somewhere above me, and I almost bit the dust. Needless to say, I was irate. Still, there was nothing I could really do about it.

I hope to start a new story soon and post it on Fictionpress. I have some ideas that I have doodling around with for a while, but there's no definite plot to any of them as of yet. (Sad, I know.) Alas, the curse of writer's block. However, there is a three day weekend coming up, and hopefully I can manage some creative juices during it. That'd be a nice little blessing. Either way, that's all for now. (If anyone was reading in the first place.) I'm going to go off to my room now, as I am currently in the living room. I might start watching  V for Vendetta. I read a monologue from that movie today while trying out for the fall play my friend is directing. That, or Batman Begins. The original Batman was on this afternoon, and now I feel like watching more Batman. What I would prefer to do is re-read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (and New Moon and Eclipse, too), but my friend has it at her house. Ah well, it's not important. Au revoir!

Soo, I haven't updated this is nearing over a month, which rather defeats the purpose of it, but I've been lazy. That was a long sentence, lots of commas. Anyway, since my last post, I've updated my story about six or seven times. I got on a spree with proofreading, and thus, I was able to update faster. That's always a good thing. I only have about three or four more chapters to post, and then it is finito. Sad, but hey, at least it's done. I plan to have a new story ready after Behind the Facade's completion, but it might take a while to be posted. I have to formulate a first chapter. I have never been good at that. Obviously, if I do post something new, I'll be starting from scratch. This means, quite simply, it'll only be updated when a chapter is finished. With school starting in two more weeks (Blah.) that might mean a few weeks inbetween chapters. Having said that, I might just wait until I get a head start and then beginning posting it. If anyone is interested in the first place. 

In other, irrelevant news, I went to the Josh Groban concert in Pittsburgh last Satuday. (I live about forty-five minutes to an hour out of the city.) It was amazing. I wanted to go again for like a week, but I decided instead that I'd rather save my money in order to get better seats next time. Our seats weren't bad, but I wanted floor seats. Because I am desperate for it. Haha. As I said, my senior year starts in two weeks, which is going to be lame, but at least I'll be graduating. Then I can spend all the next four years of my life in college. There's something messed up about that. Everyone is always so excited to graduate high school when most of us just move onto another four years of schooling. One of life's many ironies. That's interesting.

This is really just rambling now, so if I were you, I'd just go. The house across the street has a fake deer that they use for traget practice. They use a bow and arrow to shoot it. I'd like to learn archery. It seems very interesting and fun. Then again, my hand-eye coordination is deplorable, and I've never been good at sports. Still, this is something I'd be willing to learn for once. That's always a bonus when it comes to learning: you actually want to learn it. I wouldn't have typed that if I didn't have a giant window in my living room, at least if the blinds weren't open on said window anyway. Yeah, that's enough for now. Do enjoy reading if you are. If not, you should. =) Toodles.

Well, about two minutes ago or so, I posted Chapter 16. This may or may not be the last chapter I post for the next couple weeks. Obviously next weekend, I don't plan on touching the internet or any form of media for that matter, until I finish the final Harry Potter book. (Which should only take me about a day to complete in the first place. I intend to not put it down.) Mainly because I don't want to discover the ending some other way, I am not going online at all. Or watching those entertainment news programs either, I suppose. (I'm ecstatic about this book, like so many others. I went to see the new movie at midnight, and that was a blastee.) Anyway. The following weekend, the last one in July, I believe I am going back down to the beach again, so I won't be home then to write or revise or any of that good stuff. Then the first Saturday in August, I am going to the Josh Groban concert in Pittsburgh, and sometime shortly after that, my friend Josh is coming home from an arts school in Virginia, and I will probably go out with him, seeing as we haven't seen each other for six weeks. (That is probably likely for my friend Chris as well.) However, during all these weeks, I will have time to edit, so the chapters should still come out rather quickly. (No slower than usual, I hope.) Anyway, that's how the next few weeks of  my life are going. Happy writing to all.

Earlier this morning, I finished my revisions to Behind the Facade, thus (in excluding proofreading) the story is now completed. For good until later notice. (I first started writing down concepts for this story back in November or so of 2005. I didn't actually start the writing until Mar/Apr. of 2006. So it has at least been over a year in the making. Ah!) I may revamp in places, but I probably won't repost it at all. I have enough chapters left that need proofreading/posting as it is. It ended with 25 chapter, and a 26th chapter that is, in essence, the epilouge. So, in actuality, it ended up being just as long as before chapter-wise. In other aspects, it has much more depth, I believe. 

I am trying to proofread Chapters 12 and 13, so that I may upload both onto Fictionpress before I leave on Saturday/Sunday. I hope to have Chapter 12 up by later today or tomorrow. (I have my senior pictures for school tomorrow morning, around 10:30 or so.) If Ch. 12 is not up tonight, it'll most likely be up some time after that. (I'm hoping to get these God-awful pictures over and done with as soon as possible.) My friend, who reads most of my work beforehand, is marking off errors in a copy I have given to her, so hopefully that'll help in making sure this is completely error-free in time.

As for what I intend to do with all the spare writing time, I am hoping to start a new story as soon as I can. I hate having nothing to work on. It drives me up a wall. I have a few premises that I am musing over, but I don't have a definite plot for any of them. That'll be something I will be working on over the rest of the summer. It should be fun. I feel really accomplished with Behind the Facade, so I'm looking to continue such an upward trend. Happy writing!

I posted Chapter 10 yesterday afternoon/evening. As I wrote in my author note, I really could not remember whether or not I proofread it beforehand. I believe I did, but I may be wrong. However, at the current moment, I am working on Chapter 11, which is a favorite of mine. (Mostly because of events from say the middle onward.) In these next two chapters, the story really starts to turn and gain momentum. It's rather like the climax, or one of them, anyway. I never decided on what was the official climax. There are two major scenes that I consider climactic, so who knows? Either way, Chapter 11 should be up today or by tomorrow at the latest. I have up to Chapter 22 rewritten. Unfortunately, I hate proofreading so much that it takes forever to post new chapters. Or, I'm just lazy. Most likely the latter. Regardless, after Chapter 21, I am guessing that there will only be six to seven chapters left. I have 40-some pages of unedited material to go off of for the ending, but I already of a change for the original final chapter, so it may be less chapters or more. It's up in the air right now. It probably won't come back down until the end of July.

At the end of June, I am going to Ocean City, Maryland for vacation over Fourth of July. I'll be back home on July 4th, but I will be out with friends/family, and seeing fireworks. So, that weekend will not leave me time to write. However, six hours in a car will certainly give me lots of thinking time. (That being said, such time might be spent outlining a new story as this one will be completed so soon.) Still, Behind the Facade is always in my head at some point. (Stupid requirements for graduation projects. Ah!) Other than those few days at the beach, I should have plently of time to write. Two of my friends are going away for six weeks. (One to Governor's School; the other to an arts academy in Virginia for dance. Yeah, they are show-offs. Haha.) My other friend usually has work and soccer. So, excluding any other friends who plan to do things with me, I won't be all to busy going out with them. (Which is sad, but hey.)

Feedback on the story would be greatly appreciated. Even if it is constructive criticism. I'd rather hear now that it is uninteresting as opposed to later. =) Happy reading/writing to everyone!

At the current moment, as I switch between two different Internet Explorer windows, I am uploading Chapter 9. Which is always fun, I guess. (I am always unenthused when it comes to updating because, quite simply, I despise the proofreading that it entails.) So yeah, Chapter 9 shall soon be posted for enjoyment. (And reviews perhaps?) 

Something I noticed rather regrettably is that I switched the spelling of Frederick about halfway through the story. Something I had tried, oh so hard, to avoid doing. So, in the beginning in some places it is spelled without the second 'e,' and I feel like an idiot. It is meant to be spelled as shown here. Excuse my stupidity. However, points like that show me why I need to be more avid in proofreading. *Sigh* If there are any other inconsistencies I may not have noticed, please inform me. 

In news that is in no way relevant to the story (at least in my opinion anyway), I intend to begin working on some new stuff. I love this current project, but it's been over a year in the making, and I have other creative ideas waiting to be penned. Well, typed, but you get the point. I hate doubling up just because I tend to get ideas crossed and something is always left missing from one or the other, but I am really in dire need to take my mind of the current story. 

My second option, is writing a parody of something (Such as a movie, or what have you.) My friend, Alyssa, and I tend to watch movies together, and we find it rather even more entertaining to make jokes about what is happening. (Don't get me wrong. I love movies. I make the most snide remarks about my favorites.) Writing something light-hearted would not only get my mind off the seriousness of Behind the Facade, but it would also give me a chance to express my humorous side, which, I assure you is very prominent in real life. Yeah, reading my story certainly doesn't show my funny side. It does, however show my sarcasm. Haha.

Either way, those are options of mine. I hope Chapter 9 is enjoyable. Feedback, as I've said, would be greatly appreciated. Chapter 10 should be up after I cease being lazy and proofread it. *Wink*

Greetings to all! This is my very new Live Journal, with which I hope to inform readers of my stories and poems located on Fictionpress.com. (There is a link to my account on the top of this page. Easy access and all that.)

Anyway, if this does happen to catch on (as I hope it does), I just posted Chapter 8 today. Unlike the previous ones, this chapter shows the more notorious side of James. He shows his outspoken nature. I quite enjoyed this chapter, actually. Out of those currently posted, it is very near to being my favorite. My overall favorite chapter is not yet retyped!

As my three months of summer vacation have officially begun, you can expect much more from me. (Not to mention, I have to have this story completed by the end of, oh, March or so.) Also, I am even more determined to complete it due to the fact that my favorite teacher just retired this year. She was my facilitator for the project. I was rather dejected. And now, the hallowed halls of Ringgoldia will never be the same. However, she did promise to write me a letter of reccomendation for college, which is exciting, because well, she is the most fluent person of the English language I know personally.

So yeah, I hope you all enjoy this little updating. If you have questions, feel free to email me. Also, if you notice any errors, please inform me of them to help with my proofreading efforts. (I assure you, I am deplorable at it.)

Farewell for now, all!