My Experience in 'Dee's Coaching Clinic' with Dewi Dee Lestari

Awesome! I've got to meet a famous writer from Jakarta who is...Dewi Dee Lestari! Yay! She's the writer of the series of her novel 'Supernova', in case if you don't know.

Today, on the 29th of April 2015, my aunt Riska and I were on our way to BI library which was placed on the corner of Darmo & Diponogoro (sorry for the misspelling) street. The 'Dee's Coaching Clinic' event was on the second floor of the building where we rent for events or parties...you know which one, right? Okay, good.

Anyway, after we signed our names in the guest book, we chose 2 seats and sat down next to each other. Besides, I don't wanna get lost or talk to strangers whom I've never heard/seen before. It took quite long to wait for Miss Dee, because she told us that she was excused 'cause she had to go to the toilet. LOL.

So, once she finished going to the toilet and apologized to us for the wait, Miss Dee started her speech which answered questions we've sent her by Gmail. I listened carefully to her speech as I wrote them down on a notebook with a pen which were given at the first place where we signed up...for free. Well, I guess that's normal for all talk show events.

Here's what she said along her speech (written in my own language):

"Hi everyone, so I've read all of the questions you've asked me in Email, now, I'm going to answer them all. From my experience of writing short stories, I tried to offer them to magazines and newspapers, but they always rejected me. And from what I've read in those magazines & newspapers, the stories written in them are the ones which I believe we can also write. It's really normal...

"So why can't my stories be published in there too? Well, ladies & gents, being rejected for the first time is normal. Everyone gets rejected at first, even famous and best-seller authors outside and inside country. Don't you ever be disappointed when someone rejects your work of art, keep trying and trying as you continue updating or editing your stories until it began to be more interesting...

"I don't have any supporters from any companies or communities back then. The only ones who supported me were my Mom, my sisters and the rest of my family. So, back then, usually, when I finish a new short story, I always come up to my sisters' door and knock, saying. 'Hey! I finished my new story!' Then, they read them until the end.

"Your parents or family don't need to say you're good or amazing at your talent over and over again. They just need to say it once, like the first time when my Mom read my first ever story. 'You've got talent.' She said to me. I was like: Wow! Someone likes my story! And that was enough to make me continue doing my favorite hobby; writing.

"I actually never planned to be a writer, I wanted to be an architect and a scientist, but every time I go to a book store, I pictured my own book being displayed on that very shelf. I just wanted to, not plan to become a famous writer like now. I don't care if my book becomes a best-seller or not, the only thing I wanted most is just to see my book displayed on one of the shelves.

"Okay now, I've read all of you asked about 'How to write a good book?' Well, that depends on how good you write. If you can write really well, then you won't need a very long explanation.             Okay, first of all, if you are beginners, you have to write a book that you've always wanted to read in bookstores with the genres which you like.
Don't follow trend, because it will only make us completely confused and hard for us to write which will only make our story unruly. Just write what you like and what you would like to read in bookstores.

"Second, we must have a verisimilitude. A verisimilitude is a research that makes a fiction story much more stronger and feel realistic. Like example, we want to write about a magical talking mushroom ((I'm totally making this up XD)), you need to know where it lives, where does it get its food and nutrients, where's its habitat, and etc. Once we know all of those facts about it, then we can finally add some fantasy/mythical/unrealistic things into it.

"Third, think creative; how to make a normal thing which already exists in our present time to something which doesn't exist today. It also helps us to expand your awareness. As a writer, we must need good observation, so we must observe or investigate our main capital of the story and its complements. To be a great writer we must be a good observer.
Thinking creative doesn't mean we have to think different than other people, because it will make more weight for us. Everyone has a unique voice that we have to dig through a tall pile of dirt & mud to find out. The more we write, we are actually doing the digging process.

"Now let's not use 'first', 'second' or 'third' anymore. The rules to be a great writer are to:
1. Think creative
2. Always practice*
3. Know what book that we want to write*
4. Know about Dead Line* ((Nope, it's not about zombies))

"(2) We have to practice our writing skills very often. Write in a place you're comfortable in, at day or night whenever we like it, in something which you enjoy writing in like your blog, diary, journal, etc. Whatever thing, place or time that you enjoy and comfortable with.

(3) By knowing what kind of book you want to write, your story's plot can flow down your mind slowly and calmly so that you won't be confused or stuck in the middle of your story.

(4) Dead Line will 'force' us to get out of our lazy zone and idea confusion. Dead line is really useful for ourselves, use dead line as a tool; a tool to motivate us... One of the benefits of dead line is creating something abstract.

"If you want to write by doing something fun in between, you can try making 'Story Boxes' ((I'm making this up too XD, but the ideas for making these are all from Miss Dee)). First, you have to have 4 cardboard boxes, some sticky notes and a pen or pencil or marker. Then, we mark each boxes with numbers; number 1, 2A, 2B, and 3. The 2A and 2B are for conflicts & solutions of how to solve the problems. We only have to write short scenes like example: 'Alfa will meet Gio.' Just short scenes, then in your computer, you can expand and add more stuffs into each scenes.

"So, number 1 is for the introduction which tells about the characters and their life interests, etc. 2A is when the characters go out of their comfort zone which is where the conflicts start to show. 2B is where the conflicts turn hot, like there will be a huge fight in this scene or emotional stuff. Usually, 2B is really fun for me to write. Last but not least, number 3 is where the questions from 1, 2A, & 2B are answered, it doesn't have to be too long, because it's the ending of the story.

"I hope you will have some fun with those tips of hand-crafting while you write. These are some more tips for you to write a great story;
1. Narrative which is too long makes the story messy and the writer or reader may be bored, confused or frustrated.
2. We must know our character well:
(A) Habits
(B) Specialities
(C) Weakness
(D) Actions/Sacrifices 

"If you want to write comedy/humor scenes - even though the reader doesn't laugh - the important thing is that for us, it is funny. At least laugh when you think it's hilarious. Same for emotional scenes. What we think is funny/sad and we really laugh/cry at our story, that's good enough to make some readers entertained or sometimes laugh and cry like we did. 

"Failures are normal.They always happen. Even best-seller or great writers came through failures at first. Like me; at first time, I offered my stories to magazines, publishers and newspapers, they rejected my offers. That's because every year, favorite genres always change. But that doesn't mean we have to follow the genres or we have to wait for the year of our story's genre to come. Just write what you like. 

"Daily habits aren't really attractive and interesting for fiction stories. The first sentence of a story is very important to attract readers or publishers. Like: 'That afternoon, the clock tolled its bells 13 times.' Make the first sentence of your story as interesting as possible. 

"Don't make a title that tells the readers straight to the topic of the story. And don't write in slang (a.k.a 'bahasa gaul') words, use some literature language too, so that the story won't be so slang, just to make sure the story you're writing can be read for all ages. 
When we write, we don't need to get an excellent label of 'best-seller' or 'best book of 2015', but to dig in our uniqueness and show other people our creativity & uniqueness. Labels are only bonuses.      
"One more thing; being a newbie or freshman in writing is a bit hard because once we publish a story, BAM! people, journalists and others critic or praise our work. They will ask us many, wait no, LOTS of questions. Please don't take the critics too badly. But also, don't focus only on praises or you won't learn from you mistakes. But if we only focus on critics, we will be sensitive or stress. 
So, it's better to take both. Everyone has haters and lovers... It's all yin and yang. 

"Thank you for all of your useful questions and also for coming here... Good afternoon." Miss Dee finally finished her speech and I was already finished writing them all down in my notebook. Ah, finally... Then, the host announced that there will be 2 people who will get a free t-shirt of 'Perahu Kertas' which was also one of Miss Dee's novels. 

Miss Dee gladly gave me a blueish-green t-shirt one meanwhile another woman older than me, but younger than my aunt, got a sky blue one. I was so happy! Miss Dee said she gave me a t-shirt because I was the youngest of all people who came to the event and the youngest to have a big interest in writing. I said 'Thank you' to her as she returned a smile back to me. 

Once the event's done, I stood in line with the others to ask Miss Dee if she could sign her autograph in our book collections of the novels she wrote. It took quite a long time, but I was satisfied when I left there. We also took a picture, but when I got home, the picture was gone! Ugh... It's okay. Maybe we can meet each other again. :D 

If you want to know more, visit:
www.dee-interview.blogspot.com

This summary is using my own language and way to write. But the speech points are all from Miss Dewi Dee Lestari. See you next time, guys! :)  

The Real & The Fake

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend of yours? Well I have. Hi, I’m Katie, Katie Welles. People call me Kat and I like it. Let me tell you a bit about myself. First of all, I’m 12 years old and I go to an international middle school. I have 2 brothers; one little & one big, and 1 big sister.

          
 I am also a Fangirl as what people describe me… Usually, I would sit around with my Macbook, while typing some fanfictions in Wattpad. The fanfictions that I often write about are Big Hero 6, fantasy/science-fiction and Anthologies of my own stories, which are really immature for me to write – as what my big sister said – but I guess most people write about them now…                                                            

Did you guys know that I have a whole complete collection of Pokémon figures? Yup, there’s even a special glass case to keep them, just for safe keeping. I know; I’m really selfish (or am I?) to not let anyone touch my figures except me. Hahaha…

          
My BFF, Ella Walters, and I are super Fangirls. Being a Fangirl is our life… We both write in Wattpad, we post pictures of Hiro x Gogo & The Modern Big 4, sometimes the two of us also make a delivery order of making special Fanfics covers in Wattpad and Tumblr. Ella & I’ve been best friends for 6 years and nothing broke us apart… But one day, she did something horrible to me that best friends wouldn’t possibly do to each other.

           
Here’s how the story begins…

          
It was rainy and cold outside. I was wearing my indigo sweater and dark jeans, followed with a pair of dark mint converse. As I sip through a mug of hot mocha-chocolate, I typed in my Macbook in a high speed.

           

         “Hiro, we have to get rid of Patty! She’s completely useless, besides she’s just slowing us down!” Kath told Hiro as she glared at Patty who was standing next to him, completely useless.

          “Yeah! Get rid of her, Hiro!” Gogo agreed Kath’s idea. Everyone else agreed too, except for Hiro. It was true; Patty had been completely useless to them, even though Kath already made a super weapon for her. All she did was hiding behind Hiro while cuddling him tightly, which quite annoyed Hiro pretty much.

          “I don’t know guys…” The leader bit his upper lip. “…Maybe we should give her another chance.” Hiro Hamada had developed a small crush on Patty, but still holds his heart with Penny.

          “Are you kidding me, Hiro? Have you fallen for her?!” Kath Hamada yelled at him suddenly. “As your sister, I know you do! How about Penny?! Are you just gonna ditch her?!” The messy-haired teen looked down, ashamed of being snapped by her twin sister about his relationship between him & Penny.

          “No…” Hiro replied quietly. Kath sigh deeply at her brother before putting on her helmet.

          “Let’s just get out of here…” She said. The others followed her, with Hiro walking slowly behind them all. The seven flew off on Baymax, leaving Patty alone in the dark alley.    

           

          
I was writing chapter 11 about a crossover of Big Hero 6 and her own characters – called ‘How to Be a Hero’ - who were put in the team, so, it made it into Big Hero 7. In this chapter, the seven were on their way to catch a huge criminal, the team used to be Big Hero 8, but one of the members got a job in Australia D.C. So, they’ll need some more help to catch a criminal who killed children and teens.

          
After I wrote a short Author’s Note in the end of the chapter & published it, I got a notification from Ella’s account. It said: ‘Summer_ILY23 mentioned you in a chapter.’ The chapter was the fifth chapter from her new fanfiction about Gogo x Hiro x Abigail; ‘Triangle in Paris’. 

          
I clicked Ella’s story chapter and scrolled down all the way to the Author’s Note. What she said is something that I don’t understand.

           

         ‘Summer_ILY23’ AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hello, my fans!!! Can I tell you something? xxxLunarFangirlxxx is a glorg, cuz she rarely updates her stories, like duh, people. Why did you vote for her stupid stories and follow her? Ugh, she’s such a bookworm. Ok bye…

           

         
Wait. What’s a ‘Glorg’? That’s what I don’t understand. The other things that she said were easy to understand, thank God. But what’s a ‘Glorg’? It’s not even a word. Well, the only way to find out is to ask her at school tomorrow.

~~~~*~~~~
TRRRIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

           
The school bus pulled up in front of school as I checked all my things in my indigo backpack before coming down off the bus. Once I came off the bus with my backpack strapped to my shoulders, I was greeted by a voice that belongs to the person who I was going to ask about the ‘Glorg’ thing…Ella.

          
“Hey, Kat!” Ella called out to me. She was wearing Ray-Bans, aqua blue miniskirt, and a salmon-pink crop top. The usual outfit of Ms. Walters, always skin revealing. Creepy…

          
“Hey… Ella.” I laughed nervously before clearing my throat. Ella caught up with me and so, we walked down the halls of our school together. Our first class was Advanced Technology.   

           
“So…I read your fifth chapter yesterday and…I saw that you mentioned me in your Author’s Note.” I started the conversation. In the corner of my eyes, I could already see Ella sweating hard as if she was hiding something from me.

           
“By the way, what does ‘Glorg’ mean?” The inquisitive me, got straight to the point.

          
“Um… I don’t know…” My BFF replied as she played around with her pig-tailed brown hair. “Oh, hey, look! There’s Mikaela!” She pointed out to a jet black haired girl who was – as usual – flirting to the most handsome boy in school, Eric Landsman.  Ugh, Ella always hangs-out with that flirtatious girl more than me these days. 
Is it because Mikaela’s prettier than me? Or is it because she’s more popular than me? Jealousy has been taking over me ever since that pervert girl showed up.

          
“Hey, Kaela!” Ella called Mikaela in her nickname. The flirty girl turned her head to look at us before whispering something to Eric and sashaying towards us.

          
“Oh, hey, Honey Bunnies!” Mikaela Stewart greeted the both of us. I gave the flirty girl a death glare as I clenched my knuckles until it turned white. Will she please stop saying that?! God, that girl is so freaking me out!  I said internally so nobody else would hear it except me.

          
“Ugh, come on Ella! We’re gonna be late for Advanced Tech!” I made an excuse to stop those two from talking unimportant girl talk. Ella bid goodbye to Mikaela and followed me to Advanced Tech, huffing.

           
“What’s wrong with you, Kat?! Mikaela’s my friend! Can’t you just walk to class yourself?! You’re like a cry-baby.” Those cold words which escaped out of my used-to-be BFF’s lips felt like millions of daggers stabbing me all around. I can’t believe she said that to me, plus, she told my followers that my stories were stupid! How dare her?!   

          
Once we got into class, I looked around in search of my next closest friend, Cyli Alistair, pronounced like Miley. Usually, Ella and I would sit together but I guess not today. Cyli was also my best friend, she knew Ella as much as I do. Finally, I noticed a girl with triple-colored hair streaks (pink, grey & black) and magenta eyes, who was the one and only Cyli. Her real hair color was actually black, but she wanted to look more tomboy, so Cyli dyed her hair with those two other colors.

           
“Cyli! Hi, you have a seat?” I walked over to her desk which has an empty seat beside her.

           
“Oh, hey, Kat. Yeah sure, nobody wants to sit with me…” Cyli half pouted while smiling. She patted on the empty seat as a gesture for me to sit down.

          
“Thanks.” I smiled back. Cyli was my second best friend. We both were fans of Transformers, Pokémon & Naruto; sometimes she comes over to my house to watch new episodes of Naruto, Pokémon or Doraemon and when there are discounts of Anime figures in Toy stores, we go there alone to buy them. Cyli is also a fanfics writer in Wattpad, she writes fanfictions about Transformers, Pokemon and Naruto.     

           
Anyway, back to the story…

           
Mr. Huckerfin , the teacher, came into the class and lectured us about Advanced Tech. It was quite fun learning Technology. We can sometimes draw our own invention in blueprints.  

~~~TIME SKIP UNTIL LUNCHTIME~~~

          
          
Cyli and I went out to The Cinnamon Snail café nearby to eat lunch. We went there just because in the cafeteria, they were serving New York Deli Platter which was our least favorite lunch food.

           
The two of us ordered two Korean BBQ Seitan Sandwich and three Vanilla Bourbon Crème Brule doughnuts, with 2 take-away cups of ice tea. As we waited for our meal to be delivered to our table, we started chatting.

          
“Hey, Kat, when are you gonna update ‘Love, Hero’ and ‘The Hard-Headed’? I’m so looking forward to when Kath and Patty fights. Hehehe…” Cyli asked about my two fanfictions of Penny x Hiro x Patty (Love, Hero) – it’s the one which I wrote last night – and Sasuke x Sakura (The Hard-Headed) in Wattpad.

          “Uh… I guess I’ll update them on Wednesday.” I reckoned the day, if you’re asking, this day was Monday. “When will you start writing chapter 1 of ‘Life of a Celeb’?” It was my turn to mention her fanfiction about Jackunzel also known as Jack x Rapunzel.    

          “Later, later… Be patient, Kat!” She laughed as she threw a pillow cushion – which she took from a sofa seat next to our table – at me. The pillow hit me and I laughed as well.

          “So, how’s your BFF relationship with Ella?” Cyli changed the subject with a friendly smirk across her face.

          “Um… Quite good, well, except for the fact that Ella said bad words about me in Wattpad.” I answered at the same time when a waitress delivered our meal.

          “OMG, no way!” Cyli gaped her mouth open a bit in surprise. I gave her an I-know-right look as I sipped my ice tea. Just then, she added. “Wait, hold on. Don’t tell me it’s the one in Chapter 5 of ‘Triangle in Paris’s Author’s Note?”

          “Yup, that’s the one. If you know about it, what does ‘Glorg’ mean?” I replied, before taking a bite out of my sandwich.

          “Uh…” Cyli fiddled with her fingers nervously. “I don’t know how to say this, Kat. But, ‘Glorg’ means Troll.” The word ‘Troll’ almost made me choke down my sandwich. I was like: Are you serious?!

          “Are you serious?!” I repeated the word in my head to her.

          “Yeah… Last Thursday, Ella and Mikaela were talking about you in the cafeteria – you don’t know, of course, you were sick that day –, they said bad words about you, then I heard Ella said ‘Kat is such a troll.’ And Mikaela added ‘What about ‘Glorg’? So Kat won’t know that it means troll.’” Cyli told me the whole story. She came into a pause before continuing.

          “So, yeah… They planned out the whole thing. Try talking to Ella this evening…” My second BFF placed her hand on my shoulder. “…I’ll accompany you there. Don’t worry.” Thank goodness I have Cyli to replace Ella. She’s such a great friend. She never bullies, teases or say bad words about people, Cyli was the only friend who always stands beside me – not in front of me nor behind me, but just beside me so she can be my friend.

          “Thanks, Cyli. You’re the best.” I gave her a bear hug and she returned it.

          “You’re welcome, Kat. Best Friends always stand by each other, no matter what.”

~~~BACK AT SCHOOL~~~

          After the two of us ate lunch, we rushed back to school and into English class. While Cyli and I were walking down the hallways of our school, we noticed Ella talking to Mikaela…again. They were babbling about unimportant + mature girl stuff. Ugh, yuck.

          As we got closer to them, we heard some talk that included boys & those icky mature things. Cyli and I exchanged disgusted glances before I patted on Ella’s shoulder. Ella turned around to face us, followed with Mikaela.

          “Oh, hi, Kat.” Ella simply greeted me with a blank expression.

          “Hey, Ella and Mikaela.” I greeted back, blankly also. “Ella, I know what you’re hiding from me.” I quickly got to the point.

          “Y-you do?”         

          “You called me a troll, didn’t you?” Firstly, I was calm and nonchalant.     

          Ella Walters pursed her lips together and shut her eyes. “Y-yes…”

          “Why did you do that? I thought we were best friends!”I snapped at my used-to-be-best-friend. Ugh, this time my anger was rising up so bad that I actually wanted to yell at her. She betrayed me! I never did that to her!

          “It’s just a joke, Kat! Don’t take it so seriously!” Ella told me. A joke? A joke?!  How dare she called that a joke?!

          “A joke?! If it was supposed to be a joke, it wouldn’t be so hurtful! It’s more like a hard core prank that you do on April Fool’s Day!” I yelled at Ella. Behind her, I could see Mikaela starting to get all nervous, weird and uncomfortable. After what I said, Ella sent a death glare at me and Cyli. I felt a tug on my loose white t-shirt, so I turned around to see Cyli pointing at her Swatch watch.

          Class is starting… I thought. Cyli and I bid a harsh goodbye to the both of them before walking off to our English class.

          “That was tense…” Cyli said, shrugging a bit.

          “You got that right. I guess I don’t have any best friends now…” I replied with a disappointed frown.

          “Now that’s just hurtful.” She told me as she fake-pouted. “How about me? Don’t forget about me, Kat.” I face-palmed. Oh, yeah, I forgot that I have the only REAL best friend who had been there for me since Elementary, meanwhile Ella had never been there for me even though we became friends since Kindergarten – which was longer than Cyli’s and my friendship.

          “I will never forget about you, Cyli. You’re my one and only real friend. Thanks for being such an amazing friend.”

          “Welcome, anything for my most amazing friend.”

*****

          Cyli and I were getting along well, better than Ella’s relationship. Usually, when I hang-out with Ella, we would talk about boys, K-Pop stars, and all those fan girly things. But, when I hang-out with Cyli, it was different; we both would talk about favorite ships or fandoms and write fanfictions, but sometimes, we would study or do our homework & projects together. Still have fun and study…

          Hanging-out with Cyli is much better than hanging-out with Ella. Our friendship grew tighter, stronger and better day after day… Hopefully, our friendship will still stay strong no matter what chaos brings us.   

~~~FIVE YEARS LATER~~~ 

          “I now announce Bronx High School of Writing & Communication Art’s graduation day!” The principal announced on the stage. Most students in my Fiction Writing class went here to major in writing fiction. Cyli, me and many other High School students threw their graduation hats in the air and jumped up & down happily. Then we both squealed excitedly.

          “Long live, writing!” The both of us shouted in unison and laughed. “Hahaha…”

          “Hey, Kat, maybe we should publish our fanfictions into Anthology books with our friends. And how about we write our own stories?” Cyli suggested an incredible idea.

          “I haven’t thought of that! Good idea!”       

          Back at the seats, our parents took pictures of us and then hugged us both. My Mom was the one who squealed mostly. “I’m so proud of you! Proud of both of you!” She gave us a giant bear hug.

          “Thanks, Mom…” I smiled at her as Cyli said. “Thanks, Mrs. Welles.”

          A few weeks after our graduation day, we applied in Cornell University, but before that, my friends and I wrote 3 Anthology books that were suddenly famous. We won the Goodreads Choice award and Pulitzer Prize award for our books. Yay!

          The first Anthology book was titled ‘How to Be a Hero’ which was filled with fanfictions of Big Hero 6 and a few other Marvel superheroes. The first book was a hit! Everyone from school, outside, and online were waiting in line to buy it. In this book, the stories were quite long, so we only put 4 fanfictions in it.   

          The second Anthology book was titled ‘Five Slippers for One Princess’ which was filled with fanfiction covers of Cinderella. The fanfictions were all different from each other and were in different genres. We’ve sold most of it by then, but this one didn’t beat the popularity of ‘How to Be a Hero’.

          And the third Anthology book was titled ‘Enchanting’ which was filled with our own stories that contains wizards, unicorns, owls & all mystical creatures. Of course, everyone had their own genres. This one was quite a hit; this book won the World Fantasy Award.                                                                                          

Meanwhile ‘Five Slippers for One Princess’ won the New Berry & Hugo awards. And ‘How to Be a Hero’ won the Goodreads Choice award & Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book award.  

          Life was starting to get better… Oh, do you know what happened to Cyli? Well, she got a scholarship to The University of IWOA, so, she had to stay in IWOA city for a few years. Then, a few months later, after I published another book, with my parents’ permission, I moved to Los Angeles with my little brother named Jack. He’s a bit of a prankster…

          The two of us rented a house nearby his working place. We both moved there because Jack was offered with an acting job for a Comedy Drama in Nickelodeon, I followed him there cause I’m on an Over-protective Sister Mode. Hahaha… And I also wanted to start a new life & write more books.

          Cyli finished her college at IOWA and moved to LA to join me in writing more books. We made a huge project on writing a sci-fi plus romance novel, then after we published it, the most incredible thing happened…Disney & Dreamworks suggested that our book should be made into a movie, so, we agreed and they did it! I’ve never been so happy in my entire life!

          Cyli and I became so much closer than before, I really love spending time with her. But, as you know, friendship can’t last very long, and I had to move on because of Cyli entering a new job of being an Inventor. So now I’m moving on to writing more books and making more movies. But, my best friend still keeps in touch with me from Skype & Facebook.

          As years went by, my productions became popular and I won some Oscar Awards on my movies. I’ve heard in news that Cyli made a success with her inventions.

           
         One day, I was calling my manager in my living room, when suddenly news came out on the TV. I told my manager to hang up as I increased the volume of the TV. A reporter was standing on the road with a young 20 or so woman whose body was flooding in blood. A big wound spread out on her chest making more blood to flood out of her body. Somehow, the woman looked like Cyli Alistair…my old best friend.

          I bit my lip and crossed my fingers behind my back in hope that she wasn’t truly my Cyli…but when the reporter announces out loud:

          “Cyli Alistair, a chemical engineer, died in a car accident at 6.45 AM this morning… We will have her funeral ceremony in Everdoe Graveyard. Ms. Alistair’s relatives, family and friends will be instantly invited to her funeral today. That’s all from Crime Channel 6. This is Harriet Willis, Crime Channel 6.”

          I gasped, dropped the remote and slumped myself on my couch. No… It’s only been 2 years since we graduated from college. How can time go by so quickly? It seemed like yesterday that we started being best friends, and today, she died…

          I looked down in despair when the doorbell rang. I walked to the door, opened it and saw Cyli’s brother, Max, handing out a black envelope to me. It must be the funeral invitation. I gave Max an I’m-sorry look before taking the envelope out of his hand. Suddenly, a flash of lightning shone in the sky, and not long after that, it started to rain.

          “I’m sorry, Max… I feel the same way.” I hugged him as he returned it back.

          “I’m sorry too, Kat…” The two of us started dropping our tears on each other’s shoulders. A few minutes later, Max and I pulled away from our warm hug.

          “I gotta go now, Kat. I have to deliver these envelopes to the others.” Max told me, smiling. “Thanks anyway…you know, for the hug…”

          “Anytime…” I smiled back. Just before Max turned around to walk off, I pecked his cheek and hugged him once more. I started pulling away, blushing and tucked a strand of my dark brown hair behind my ear.

          “Sorry…” I said, still blushing in a tint of pink. “…I guess I should go.”

          “No, it’s fine. I kinda like you too…”

          My face lit up a bit. “Really?” I never knew that Cyli’s brother would like me. I mean, he’s a prankster. Well, I am a bit of a prankster too, because once, I tricked my sister to eat Oreos with toothpaste frosting. Hahaha…

          Okay, we’re getting off the topic. Let’s get back to the story.

          “Yeah, Cyli actually has always wanted us to get together.” Max told me, chuckling cutely. Wait, oops… *blushes* Hehehe…

          “Seriously? That’s so weird.” I laughed as well. Cyli is so cheeky, but I’m still glad to have a kind and cheeky friend like her. LOL. “So, I’ll see you at the funeral.”

          “Okay, see ya!” Max waved goodbye to me before pulling on his hood over his head and sprinting down the pathway. I smiled to myself and closed the door calmly.

          Inside, I began preparing a black sleeve-less dress and white leggings for the funeral, and cook some of my special brownies to share there. I was quite happy about Max liking me back, but I’m also sad & angry that Cyli died so quickly. She was just 22 years old… Well, I can’t blame God, it’s God’s decision when is the time when people die and born.

          Once I dressed up neatly and pulling up my hair into a messy bun, I went downstairs to fetch my car keys & brownies, then finally, went inside my black Lexus car. I started up its engines and drove all the way to Everdoe Graveyard.         

          I shut my car door and strolled to the black gate. It was still raining, so I brought out an umbrella which was also black. Max and Samantha, Max’s little sister, waved at me from the gate. They were greeting guests who had come to Cyli’s funeral.

          “Hi, Katie.” Sam greeted me with a warm hug and a smile. I returned the hug back to her. We both smiled at each other as Sam dripped a tear out from her eye. I wiped it with my jacket’s sleeve.

          “I’m sorry, Sam…” I whispered to her. In reply, Sam nodded and went inside the graveyard. “…really…”

          Max comforted me by settling his right arm around me in a hug, and then he said. “Sam forgives you, Kat. It’s fine… She’s just having a hard time. When Cyli and Sam were little, they used to fight a lot. They forgave each other last year, and now, Cyli died…so, I guess Sam regrets everything that happened years ago.”

          “I know… It’s also hard for me. Cyli felt like my own sister than a friend. We loved each other so much… I wanted to make her a surprise for her today. But, I didn’t know it was happening so quickly.” I replied as the two of us walked side by side into the graveyard.

          “And what is that?” Max asked me, which probably was about the surprise.

          “A 5 Seconds of Summer fanfiction that includes her as my own character…” I chuckled a bit. “…you know how much she loves 5SOS.”

          “Yup.” He laughed too. “Did you bring the fanfiction papers?”

          “Uh…yeah.”

          “How about after you make a speech for Cyli, you can place them on the memory slash gift table?” Max suggested. We finally arrived at Cyli’s grave and suddenly, Mrs. Alistair – their Mom – embraced me with a bear hug.

          “I’m so glad you’re here, Katie… I’m really sorry of your best friend’s loss.”

          “It’s okay… I’m sorry for your daughter’s loss too. She’s a good daughter, Miss.” I said. Just then, Mr. Alistair announced that everyone must gather up inside a building near Oxford Library for the speeches.

          Of course, we all obeyed. In the building, all of us sat on foldable chairs as one by one, we came up to the stage to read out loud our speeches.

          I was the last one… When my name was announced by Mr. Alistair, I went up to the stage. I looked nervously at Max and Sam before they both gave me thumbs up as an encouragement.

          “I’m Katie Welles. My relationship with Cyli Alistair is really close… We were the best of friends. Cyli was the best friend that you could ever have; she was the one who encouraged me to perform my invention & story in front of class even though they were lame, she was the one who cheered me up when I’m blue, and she was the one who stood up to me whenever I was bullied.

          “When we were in elementary, we both promised each other that we would marry at the same time, be successful together, and die together. But, I guess fate already decided our life endings. I’m really glad I became friends with her… Or else, I would end up stuck with a fake friend like Ella Walters.

          “I wished time never would go so fast. I wished that accident never happened. Mr. and Mrs. Alistair, you are so lucky to have a great daughter like Cyli. I really wish I could be her sister. But, I’m still lucky to have an awesome family. Sam and Max; thanks for always being there for me when Cyli isn’t there… Maybe we could be best friends too.

          “Thank you for letting me read out my speech… Good evening, ladies and gents.” Applause came out of every corner of the house, some people cried a bit including Cyli’s family members. I smiled to myself as tears ran down my cheeks.

          The whole night flew by quickly, and now I was already back home, writing a story called ‘Letters to Cyli’ in Wattpad which is based this true story. I wrote it because I want everyone to know that the amazing writer SnowflakeQueen123 died and that we would always cherish her beautifully written stories.

          Well, if you wanna know my future, I’ll give you a peek:

           I stayed single until I aged 25, then at that age, Max proposed me. Of course, I said yes. Hahaha… We got married 6 months after the proposing day. 9 months later, we have a pair of fraternal twins which Max and I named Cylindria Wren Alistair & Jackson Grey Alistair in memories of Cyli and my deceased brother; Jack. Sentimental, aren’t we?

          I continued working as a best-selling author, but I also added two more jobs which are being an interior designer and a responsible & loving parent, along with Max. My life developed better and better… I wonder what will happen in the future. Oh, well, time to find out later…  

          Bye, guys! Thanks for reading my life story. See you all later!                

           

         “Choosing a perfect friend is kinda hard, but once you get to know them, you’re sure that there’re fake ones and real ones. Sometimes, you don’t know which one is the real or fake, so make sure you decide good or you’ll end like me.                                   It took me a long time to notice, but with a help from a friend, I guess you can figure it out. 

          Ella is the fake one & Cyli is the real one. And I’m thankful I know which one is my true friend…” – Kat Welles

-THE END-

Story by: Fairuza Hanun Razak

IWEC Level: Level 3 for Kids

Age: 11 years old

School: Homeschooled

Inspired by: the novel ‘Fangirl’ by Rainbow Rowell & my life

Lucky

PROLOGUE

          Lucky woke up from the pitch black darkness and found himself locked in a cage placed in a strange dark blue-colored laboratory. It was a bit chilly despite the fact that the AC was on and was programmed to make strong wind. The Samoyed dog shivered in cold. Suddenly, he was greeted by a displeasing hum followed along with heavy footsteps walking down a hall of the entrance of the lab.

          Then, that person who made all of the heavy noises revealed himself, before sliding his ID card into an electric pocket which could recognize the identity of the person who came in. Beep…  The pocket made a sound. Lucky knew he was in trouble because the man injected some liquid into a syringe then, the man walked towards Lucky’s cage.

          Lucky walked backwards and bumped into something which was a sharp pin. Oh, he wished this was all a big nightmare… He wished he was back in his warm comfy home with his own loving family who loves him every bit as much as they love each other. So, to ensure himself this was all a nightmare, Lucky pinned his front left paw with the pin. Unfortunately, it didn’t work… It was all real.

          The man unlatched the cage’s lock and pushed the liquid into Lucky’s small hairy ginger body. Lucky yelped in pain. But then, blue-ish atoms swirled around his body and Lucky’s yelp turned into a cry. “OW!!!” That made the man astonished at the power of the liquid.

          Lucky noticed that the latch was still open, so this was a chance for him to escape! He bolted in a high speed – which was pretty amazing and shocked for him to know – towards the opening latch. In less than 20 seconds, Lucky managed to escape out of his cage and the creepy lab.     

          Now you see, reader, that’s how Lucky got his amazing powers. Once he escaped the building where the lab was placed in, a little girl picked him up out of nowhere and gladly took care of him with her father.

          The girl was called Elsa, Elsa Carpenter.

~~~~*~~~~

          Elsa Carpenter was a peasant, poor 9-year-old girl who is sold to a rich couple to be a house maid by her own father since she was 5 years old. Her father did that just to get a simple trade of a red tablecloth, a female goat, and a crappy laptop because he wanted to be a famous writer. Can’t you imagine your own father doing that to you, huh? Well I’m sure your dad’s an amazing person, unlike this one.

          All that was left for her was a ginger Samoyed dog which she raised since it was a puppy and found it in the middle of the streets, an unruly dirty notebook which she usually cleans up with a wet tissue, and an old ink pen. She kept her notebook and pen because she liked to sketch and write some short stories.

          Elsa was hired to do house chores by a rich young couple who owned a large mansion in Temecula, California. Doing all house chores in 12 hours is a bit hard for her – well, there are some other maids but they don’t stay in the mansion, only Elsa did – especially when it comes to cooking. She really sucked at it. Elsa couldn’t even season, boil water, or make a simple sunny-side egg. The other works were quite easy to do for her, but not cooking.

          Every dinner, she gets a big pinch to the ear from the groom and the bride just sat down on her part of seat, staring off into deep thoughts of La La Land without even standing up for her young maid, although she wished that Elsa was her child. The groom’s wife, Miley Underwood, wanted to have a baby since the beginning of their marriage, but her husband, Michael Underwood, didn’t want to have one, so he told his wife to have a birth control injection which left a disappointed feeling for her. Even though Elsa might not be good at cooking, her loyal and cheerfulness brings happy thoughts to her.  

          “I’m sorry, Sir.” Elsa apologized to the groom who she calls Sir or sometimes his name, Michael, along with his wife Miley. She just made a mistake on her Meat Loaf’s seasoning, which made the couple’s tongues really spicy.

          Michael gave her a hard pinch right on the ear where it hurts most then released it when Elsa cried harder. “You better make good food next time. It really matters to have perfect gourmet food if you’re a rich business man.”

          Elsa gulped hard, trying to resist the pain that was caused by the pinch from the ear. “Y-yes sir.” She hated it when Michael gives her pinches.  

          Michael and Miley never gave food to Elsa or even a warm drink whenever it rains or snows. She only drank sink water and ate cheap rice pudding which she buys along way the streets of Temecula.

          So, when Michael and Miley eat restaurant food in the mansion, Elsa stood blankly in the corner of the dining room, staring at the delicious food that the rich couple was eating. Every food looked so delicious and sweet in cafés, restaurants, shops, and bakeries. Elsa really wanted to eat them so badly, only, she didn’t have enough money. The salaries that Michael and Miley lent her were only a few cents.

          One night, after the rich couple ate dinner and gave their little maid another hard pinch, Elsa’s chores were finally done and now it was time for her to sleep. Once she cleaned up the last plate and placing it back in one the cupboard drawers, she walked hastily off to her small bedroom under the third-floor stair chambers.

          Sure it was a long way from the kitchen which was in the very corner of the mansion. But somehow, she’d gotten used to it.

          The stairs were about 5 feet wide and marble tiles covered the whole steps with a long red carpet covering the middle part which if you stand on straight in line can fit for 2 persons. Perfect for a rich couple, don’t you think?

          Walking to a third-floor stair chamber sure was exhausting, especially when the mansion has 12 floors and the stairs were really long. I wonder how the couple could succeed to get through these stairs. Their room is on the 6^th floor. That’s impossible for me to reach. Elsa thought.  

          Elsa pounded on the door quietly before there was a short pause, and then a key flew out from under the turquoise blue door. The one who flung the key out was actually her Samoyed dog, named Lucky.  

          “Thanks boy!” She chirped happily, turning the key in the doorknob to unlock her chamber door. A light and friendly ‘Woof’ greeted her when she finally opened the door.

          Suddenly, the ginger-haired dog leaped from Elsa’s hard sponge bed and cuddled its owner with its furry legs, preventing its claws from leaving a scratch on her face, but turns out it left a few light scars that you can hardly see from afar.

          “Come on, boy. Let’s read ‘The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories’.” Reading had been Elsa’s favorite activity to fill out her spare time. Even though it was 9 PM, she still sits on the head of her bed, reading endlessly with her favorite books.                  

          “I’m so happy you’re here, Lucky. No one would ever let you in, especially Michael.” The canine nuzzled into Elsa’s lap while she read one of the short tales of ‘The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories’.

          Then suddenly, the strangest thing happened.

          “I’m happy that you’re here too, Els.” Lucky said, shaking his tail happily. Elsa dropped her book and stared at her Samoyed dog in disbelief and amaze.

          “You…talked…” Elsa stuttered, amazed.

          “Oh, yeah, um, I got poisoned by crazy old Doctor Pollen. And I got the power to talk and have human intelligence. Sick, right?”

          Elsa made sure this wasn’t a dream, so she pinched her arm and she didn’t wake up. This wasn’t a dream! The girl tried her best not to scream in delight, because this was actually the greatest moment of her life.

          “SQUEEE!!!” Elsa screamed – I mean squealed – in delight which made the butler, Heathcliff open the door and ask her.

          “Are you alright, Ms. Carpenter?”

          “Uh…yeah, I’m fine.” She replied. Heathcliff closed the chamber door shut and left the hall. Elsa then turned to her talking dog.

          “That was close.” The girl wiped a sweat from her forehead with a quirky laugh. “So, you’re like a super dog or something?”

          “Quite close… Hey, by the way, I know you’re having problems with your cooking.” Lucky told his owner as she sat down on her bed continuing to reading her book.

          “Oh, really?”

          “Yeah… You know, Elsa, maybe I could teach you how to cook. My brain is programmed to have high IQ intelligence, so I think I can teach you.” He wiggled his tail around excitedly. Elsa’s face lit up and she placed down her book on her ragged woolen blanket.

          “Really? You think you could do that?” Her frown turned upside down into a smile.

          “I promised your father to take care of you, so yeah. I can teach you. When should we start?”

          Elsa lifted her index finger onto her chin as a gesture of thinking. “I know!” This time, she lifted her finger in the air. “Michael and Miley said they would be having a holiday to Florida for 4 weeks, starting from tomorrow! So, in that time we can learn how to cook! This is going to be so good!”

          “Cool! I’ll see you tomorrow Master.” Lucky dug himself into a hole under a loose tile and disappeared underground.

~~~~*~~~~

          “We’ll back in 4 weeks. Stay out of trouble.” Miley touched the tip of Elsa’s nose with a soft smile. Miley had been treating Elsa like her daughter, only she doesn’t stand up to her when Elsa got punishment.

          “Okay.” Elsa giggled slightly.

          “You can crawl into the library anytime you like, Elsa. And there are some Kit Kat bars in the fridge, you can enjoy them for a snack if you like.” Miley added. She knew how much her maid loves books, so she decided to put on a little holiday for Elsa. “But no sneaking into our bedroom, got it? In the meantime, try to improve your cooking.”

          “I’ll try, Miley. Thanks.”

          “Come on, sweetheart. We’re gonna be late.” Michael said coldly to his wife, and then turned to Elsa. “Don’t ever try to make a mess. Or I will punish you with a lot of pinches when we get home.”

          Elsa gulped nervously. “Yes, Sir.” She liked being with Miley, but her husband is too cold.

          The young rich couple climbed aboard their limousine and drove off, leaving her with the other maids and Heathcliff.

          “I’ll be in the library, Heathcliff!”

          “Of course, Miss.” Heathcliff smiled softly to the cheerful child.

          Elsa ran off to her chamber to grab Lucky to the library.

          “Come on Lucky! We’re going to the library!” The girl laughed in joy as she took Lucky in her arms and brought him to the library with her favorite book, ‘How to Steal a Dragon’s Jewel’ by Cressida Cowell.

          “They allowed you to?”

          “Of course, Miley allows me. Not her cold husband.”

          “I thought we were going to learn how to cook.” Lucky remembered yesterday’s promise.

          Elsa stopped her tracks and face-palmed. “Oh my god, I forgot! Let’s do it afterwards, okay?”

          “Fine.” Lucky gave her a poker face which made her laugh; a dog making a poker face, who knew? LOL (Laugh Out Loud).

          ~~In the Library~~

          Between the stacks of books on an antique wooden bookcase, Lucky found a book that interested him: ‘Desserts That Don’t Require an Oven’.

          “What’s this?” He asked inquisitively. The ginger-haired Samoyed dog grabbed the book in between his teeth and carried it to the table where Elsa was busy reading a new book – more like an encyclopedia – called ‘Electricity & Magnets’.  

          “Elsa! Look what I’ve found!” Lucky barked at her.

          “It’s just a boring cookbook, Lucky. What’s the benefit of reading a cookbook? You can’t learn how to cook from a book.” Elsa looked at the cookbook Lucky brought boringly which made the dog look displeased.

          “You can learn if you try.” Lucky shoved Elsa out of her seat. “Come on! Let’s try these amazing recipes.” The two walked into the kitchen downstairs.

          Lucky quickly flipped open the cookbook and the pages stopped on a dessert called No-Bake Red Velvet Cheesecake. He licked the edge of his lips before grabbing the ingredients for the food from the fridge.

          “We’ll make this!” Lucky said.

          “Okay.” Elsa replied while taking a look at the recipe.

~~~The recipe~~~

‘NO-BAKE RED VELVET CHEESECAKE’

‘Ingredients

16 double stuffed chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed into crumbs

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 - 8oz packages cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat)

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

8 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided

1 1/2 Tablespoons red food color

1 - 8oz container whipped topping, thawed (I used extra creamy)

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together cookie crumbs and melted butter. Spoon cookie mixture evenly into small jars or dishes and press to form a crust. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until light and blended. Add melted chocolate, pure vanilla extract and red coloring food and beat until evenly blended. Fold in whipped topping.

Spoon cheesecake mixture into prepared cups. Alternately, transfer cheesecake mixture into piping bag and pipe into cups. Serve immediately or refrigerate cheesecakes until ready to serve. Top with vanilla whipped topping (see notes) and chocolate shavings.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Optional Topping

Mix 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract into 1 8oz container of thawed whipped topping. Top Red Velvet No Bake Cheesecakes with a dollop of vanilla whipped topping and chocolate shavings.

~~~End of the recipe~~~

          Lucky gave a few examples of how to shake the whip cream can properly, mix the coloring food, cookies & other ingredients with the cheese cream, melt butter on a pan, and arrange the appearance of the food. Elsa followed the steps quickly and voila! She did it!       

          After about 25 minutes, the two finally finished making their own Red Velvet Cheesecakes. The Cheesecake didn’t use an oven because the recipe said so, and the result turned out to be exactly the same as the picture in the book.

          “Looks so delicious!” Lucky tasted Elsa’s work of food, and once he finished the whole dessert, a smile crept up on his face. “The dressing is perfect, the taste is absolutely sweet and delicious, and…it’s just amazing! Great job, Els.”

          “Thanks, Lucky!” Elsa thanked Lucky for his compliments. “I really had fun today… This is like my first best achievement in my whole childhood life.” 

          “How about we try the other recipes?” The fluffy dog inquired.

          “Sure! Sounds fun.”

          Trying the other recipes were a lot of fun. They made pancakes with Green Tea Kit Kats for the topping, Mint Oreo Icebox Cake, Ferrero Rocher Pie, and some S’mores Bars. The two shared the treats they made with Heathcliff and the other maids, meanwhile doing that, Lucky stayed shut, not talking a single word, just barks.

          “Wow… Who knows cooking can get so much fun?” Elsa laughed, satisfied as she easily flipped another pancake in the air and let it flop down on the fry pan.

          “Told ya.” Lucky rolled his eyes, smiling.   

~~~~Four weeks later~~~~

          Four weeks had passed, and Elsa’s cooking talent had developed better and better. She was confident that her food would be really tasty for the couple’s Welcome Home dinner. Another maid insisted that she would cook for them, but Elsa was sure her cooking lesson had paid off.

          “Please welcome, the Underwood couple!” Heathcliff announced at the front porch when Miley & Michael’s limo pulled in. The kind butler opened the limo’s back door which revealed Miley in jeans, a plaid scarf and a plain red blouse & Michael in jeans also, plain green scarf and a horizontal-striped shirt. It was quite chilly outside, considering that it’s almost winter and its night time.  

          “Welcome home, Miley!” Elsa leaped into Miley’s open arms for a hug. “How was your trip to Florida?”

          “It was amazing, Els. I’m so happy to see you again.” Miley said to her little maid as she snuggled deeper into her warm hug.

          “Me too…” Elsa replied.

          “Honey, what are you doing?” Michael asked coldly…again.

          “Hugging Elsa. Is it a problem?”

          “She’s your maid! Filthy, stupid maid! Don’t you ever hug her again!” More harsh and cold words came out of Michael’s mouth to Miley. Of course, Elsa was a bit offended with his words.

          “Alright, alright.”

          As the couple walked inside their mansion, amazement filled their eyes. The whole mansion was clean! Shiny, spotless and arranged beautifully! Wait. What’s that yummy smell? Delicious smell of food and warm beverages floated out of the golden-walled dining room.

          “What’s that delicious smell?” Michael inquired suspiciously as he slowly entered the dining room. And there he saw…food and warm beverages settled down nicely on the marbled dining table finished with the beautiful arrangements of plates, bowls, and cups & glasses.

          “Bon appetite, Sir.” Elsa said happily, feeling really satisfied with all her work. Yes, reader, all of the arrangements and design for Michael & Miley’s ‘Welcome Home’ event, especially the dinner.

          Elsa helped Miley settle down on a golden-colored fabric-covered chair, as well as Heathcliff to Michael.

          “Here we have roasted Cajun Meat Loaf and fries for main course, Lobster salad for starters, and different desserts; Red Velvet Cheesecake Scones for Michael, & Ferrero Rocher Pie for Miley. Enjoy…” The little chef, Elsa, introduced the food to the Underwood couple. “Oh, for beverages, we’re serving warm Nutmeg & Cinnamon Eggnogs.” She added.

          “Thank you, Elsa.” Michael thanked the little maid, – for the first time – happily. “I hope these will be delicious.”

          The Underwood couple finished their whole food and drink in exactly the perfect pace as mannered people should. As the two wiped the some leftover crumbs from their lips with lovely embroidered napkins, Michael said.

          “Elsa, I have to say, your food is really delicious!”

          “Thanks.”

          “And we really wish that you would accept our offer to be our first daughter…” What Miley and Michael last said was beyond of Elsa’s wildest dreams or wishes. The couple both agreed to adopt Elsa because she had achieved something incredible for them both, and because Miley really wished to have a child as bright as Elsa for a long time. It took a while for Michael to realize that she’s a special child who can melt the heart of a cold person and that she doesn’t deserve a slave life like this, not after all this.

          “Really?” Elsa rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

          “Yes.” Miley giggled and Michael smiled at Elsa’s reactions.

          “I-I…” Elsa took a short glance at Lucky who secretly spied at them from the kitchen and now, gave his master a trusting wink. “…I’d love to.”

          The couple squealed happily as they hugged their now daughter before Lucky revealed himself to them.

          “That’s my dog, Miley. His name is Lucky.” Elsa showed her now Mom and Dad her cute Samoyed dog who was smiling nervously & goofily at the same time.

          “Then, welcome to the family too, Lucky!” Michael embraced Lucky with a hug too.  

          The next day, after signing the adoption papers, they all became a complete happy family, and as a bonus Michael was now not as arrogant and selfish as before. All thanks to the lucky dog…Lucky.

~~THE END~~

Story by: Fairuza Hanun Razak

IWEC Level: Teenagers Level 2

Age: 11 years old

School: Homeschooled

Inspiration from: the film of ‘Ratatouille’ and ‘Bolt’