text me...okay?

i read this article today on yahoo about a girl who's father took a hammer to her cell phone because of the phone bill.

can you believe this girl? their phone bill was over $4000!!!!

apparently she was texting her ass off during her classes.

her parents thought the feature had been disabled, so the father smashed her phone with a hammer.

a bit drastic, but okay.

oh, and they grounded her for the rest of the school year. like that's going to do her any good! the school year ends in, what, two months? oooh, thats, like, way harsh.

NOT.

they shouldve said "youre grounded until school starts in the fall. and by the way, youre going to get a summer job and all your paychecks are going to help us pay off this ginormous phone bill. one last thing: you want a cell phone? youll have to pay for it yourself." thatll teach her a lesson. a real lesson.

needless to say, this will never be happening to me. ive got The Company probably watchin' my ass from a frickin' sattelite in space. this is a paid gig, but theyre paying for my new life, too. i can just imagine what would happen if i racked up a phone bill like that.

pink slip.

and a boot mark on my apple-shaped butt.

Informant U: Trick #4

fake jobs

sometimes snitches pretend to be law abiding workers and hold a certain job to help them steal information. in this case, my job is pretending to be a high school student when ive already graduated from high school. but i have to attend all the classes and do the homework, so im not pretending am i? and what about my job at charlotte russe? im workin’ my ass off at the place and have to pass out Stupid Citations. definitely not pretending there.

ill take a medium cheese, please

i wish i wouldve been one of the lucky cincinnatians to get a free pizza from domino's.

betcha they're going to be more careful about their advertisements now, eh? 11,000 free pizzas.

wow.

i cant even imagine.

spies r us

yahoo headlines today: CIA is Hiring.

i found this to be highly interesting. i mean, they have to find recruits somehow right? besides all the normal media routes, they mentioned universities and colleges. arent colleges the same as universities? anyhow, that made me think of sidney bristow. didnt she get recruited on a college campus?

if you read the article, be sure to click on the link about the secret code names. im thinking Oh Wise One would LOVE to add radiance and rosebud to her list of unusual names for girls. cuz thats just the way she is.

so...do you have what it takes?

age of education

This Prompt O’ The Day about AGING is brought to you by sunday scribblings

I graduated from high school at the age of 13. The following post is a guest blog by my Oh Wise Creator, Celise Downs, on where she came up with the idea.

Age of Education

When I was in high school, a friend of mine had a younger sister who graduated from high school a year early. She was smart, no doubt (she got a full ride to Purdue), but it fascinated me that someone would be so eager to start their higher education so soon. I barely graduated from high school because my nose was buried in books—and I’m not talking study books, either. And I wasn’t looking forward to college, either. Mid-way through first semester at a community college, I was wishing my parents would’ve let me take a break first.

But I digress. While immersing myself in the teen culture, I would read stories about kids who skipped a grade—or two, graduated early, received a degree at age 17, or received a master’s or Phd by age 20. Just recently I read about a woman who allowed her son to skip high school altogether and go straight to college!

How crazy is that?

When I hear stuff like that it really makes me wonder. Is there a smart gene? Is the child a quick learner? Or is the child just naturally curious about the world and wants to know anything and everything? When I was going to school, I don't think charter schools existed. And I'm not sure how long homeschooling has been in existence, but it wasn't an option my parents ever thought to look into. In creating the character for this series, I knew I wanted a smart girl, someone who'd graduated early from high school. By this time, I'd heard about homeschooling--or 'unschooling' as it's called sometimes--and I thought the uniqueness of that world was perfect for Draven. A perfect and 'freeing' environment like that would make it very easy for a child to graduate early.

And while it’s great to hear that a child is smart enough to do that, there's the “Yeah, but what about their social and psychological development?” aspect of it. That kid who skipped high school and went to college? How did he feel about being surrounded by kids older than him? How did they relate to him? Was he an outcast? Was he treated like a freak? Does he have any friends? How hard—or easy—was it for him to make friends? I mean really, how do you prepare your child for something like that?

Well, in Draven's case, you prepare them by keeping their fingers in the proverbial teenage pie. I didn't want to throw her into a life of an informant without anything else to fall back on. Sure, she could have a normal job, but that's still a "grown-up" job,and it's not like she would have much contact with other kids her age. She's a teenager and I still wanted her to have that teenage experience. In order to do that, she had to go back to school. And it couldn't be just any school.

My niece, who inspired me to write the series and for whom Draven Atreides is modeled after, attended a charter school during her 4 yrs in high school. I shadowed her one day (meaning I went to school with her and attended all of her classes with her) and fell in love with her school. The whole time I was there, I was like "Why couldn't I have gone to a school like this? Where the hell were these schools when I was going to high school?" I was jealous! Besides the general core classes like math and science, they had creative writing classes, dance, drama, music, choir, art, photography, and ceramics. Her school doesn't have an athletic team, no sports to speak of, actually, and at the time, they didn't even have a yearbook or school newspaper. That may have changed by now (she only graduated last year, after all). Her school promotes freedom. Freedom of creativity, that is, and that's the type of school Draven needed as a cover.

I'm going to enjoy writing about Draven. I'm going to enjoy showing the world, well, Draven's world. And hopefully she'll scoop up some fans in the process.

isnt she freakin' awesome? she drives me crazy sometimes, but i have to chalk that up to her being a creative. click on the link to learn more about her. and youll be able to read all about me and my very first case oct 23rd.

where im from

spring break was too short. i took a break from blogging, too, as you can probably see. the Prompt O' the Day is brought you by sunday scribblings: "i come from..."


im from apple valley, ohio

a place of:

rolling green hills

cornfields aplenty

apple orchards out the wazoo

farms inhabited by many different species of animals

sturdy oak trees with rope swings

warm apple pies with homemade ice cream

barn dances

snow days

....and a little watering hole that was so clear you could see to the bottom

i really miss that place.

Informant U: Word #3

secret signals

The Company version: thumbtacks, chalk, tape used to send messages

my version: two eye blinks + the "ok" sign + right toe tap + a neck bob + one eyebrow lift = "oh no she di-dnt. that bitch is lyin'."

dear me

this Prompt O' The Day - one week later, of course-is brought to you by sunday scribblings: "dear past me, dear future me"

dear past me,

the life you once had is dead and gone. the person you used to be is dead and gone. no more crying. no more looking back. what’s done is done.

dear future me,

kick some bad guy ass. and think about making a career out of it.

Informant U: Tip #3

if you know you’re in over your head, get the hell out (but make sure the “officials” got yer back first).


and thats exactly what i did. and ended up here, with Chief, at CSA, w/ peeps like GQ and Party Gurl.

miss slackity-slacker

ive been busy with school. and work. both jobs, actually. oh, and when i logged in today, i found out that im being "followed". by this person. this is whats referred to as a "calling out". im calling you out so that "everyone" (read: The Company and Chief) knows im being "followed". just so you know.

they are watching.

and im watching YOU, missy.

like i said, im still getting the hang of the taser gun thingy, but i am SO aces with the lipstick mace. aces, i tell you.

so, what does it mean to be "followed"? am i adored? do you adore my words? my wit? my utter saracasity-ness? or is it like being virtually stalked? are you going to be reading everything i post the minute it gets posted?

that...could get scary. this is my circle, thats your circle. step outside your circle, my friend, and it could.get.ugly.

welcome to my world, becks. hope you stick around. should be some fun times.

so, celise talked about me today. go look. go feast your eyes on me, all pretty in my fabtastic movie star shades. hogging the spotlight in front of a castle.

oh.

its not a castle?

celise tells me its supposed to be a school. a school? that intimidating building is supposed to be a school?

note to self: do not piss off Oh Wise Creator or she will send me to an upscale sanitarium.

for truth. that place looks scary. im so glad CSA really doesn't look like that. and im glad its being redone. the cover, that is. not CSA. looking forward to seeing more of me, er, the new cover.

heh.

to all you aspiring young writers out there...

this Prompt O' The Day is brought to you by sunday scribblings:
"listen up, because this is important!"

YOUTHFUL WISDOM PRESS IS HOSTING THE FIRST QUARTER YOUTHFUL THOUGHTS ANTHOLOGY WRITING CONTEST.

~ a different word is posted every quarter.

~ you have 4,000 words to write about it

~ you have to be between the ages of 13 to 18 and a student

~ there's an entry fee. of course. duh.

~ if you get chosen, you may get published

~ oh, yeah, and the deadline is, like, Mar 31st, so you'd better hurry up and enter q-u-i-c-k

so click on the links and go check it out. be gone. NOW, PEOPLE, GO, GO, GO!!!

the difference between him and those other guys

so you know that i cashed in my Get Out of Hell Free card (see Hello, My Name is…post) and headed to the Valley of the Sun. okay, well maybe you didn’t know that last part, but i basically left a craptacular old life and started over. although i owe The Company for helping out with that, Chief (not his real name) was the main reason for getting out. Chief is a total-10-on-Hotness-Richter-Scale 6′3 native-american dude, ex-Navy SEAL, and the owner of Black Hawk Protection Agency. im his client and he’s my protector until I turn 18.

there are companies out there that offer personal protection or security for individuals; people who will analyze and protect someones personal business,home or property. Making sure someone is safe in their surroundings. Of course, there are also private investigators that can provide services for the individual (think spousal or matrimonial stuff) or a small business. but thats not how Black Hawk Protection Agency works. it started with Chief, then the guys from his SEAL unit joined after their tour was up, and now he’s in charge of almost ten guys.

and they protect children, ages 4 to 19.

children born of famous actors, actresses, dignitaries, billionaries...blah, blah, you get what im sayin.

in celise’s words, “hes the vaughn to your sidney.” (Can we say, too much Alias, boys and girls?)

I never watched the show--and i know she misses it like hell--but it was one of her favorites and she explained what she meant.

So, yeah. I like it. it makes sense.

next stop...spring break

o.m.g. i cannot wait til spring break. 16th-27th. not doing anything special during that time, mind you, im just ready blow to the popsicle stand called CSA. really. im so annoyed with this one girl, Sweet Tooth (because she's named after a piece of candy), i may just have to take her out with my taser.

lost to the system....and found in dry heat

the Prompt O' the Day is brought to you by sunday scribblings: 'lost'

ok, so you pretty much know my history. if you didn't read the last prompt on the topic of trust, you can do so by checking out the post below.

i was in the foster care system for many, many years. yeah, i know im only 16, but being in the system can make you feel like 20 in dog years.

the last set of parents (not-so-fondly referred to as The FCFH) i got were a trip and a half.

to the point where i ratted them out the feds. cant tell you why, youll just have to read all about it on Oct 23rd. needless to say, they were involved in some illegal activities and The Company wanted to acquire my special skills (read: natural curiosity). i told them i would do it. on one condition.

they had to lose me.

take me off the grid.

erase my existence.

my condition was freedom. from the system. id like to think that my social worker got an ominous phone call where The Company said something like "Forget about O.C.* or else". she probably thinks i was wisked away into the witness protection program.

and i guess, in a way, it would seem like that. except im not running from anyone and no one wants to hunt me down and kill me.

far as i know.

no, i was given a new life, allowed to choose a new name, and picked Dry Heat, AZ as my new home. i did that for a reason, too, and ill tell you all about it my next post.

as far as im concerned, getting lost is the best thing that ever happened to me.

*These initials do not stand for Orange County, people, but represent the name I went by during my time with The FCFH.

in me i trust

the Prompt O' the Day is brought you to by sunday scribblings: "trust".

i have no idea who my biological parents are. at this point, i dont care, because i had a great couple adopt me when i was a baby. and my life had been good up until age 7.

and then they were taken from me. "taken" as in killed. freeway pileup.

i got dropped back in the system and as you may or may not know--the older you are, the harder it is to be placed.

at 15, my case worker found a couple that actually wanted an older child. she thought it was a pretty sweet deal and for a minute--literally--i thought it was, too. until i had to change my first name. bad mistake, but that's neither here nor there. i was ready for a little bit more permanency so i sacrificed a little sumpin-sumpin'.

despite the life they tried to make for me in manhattan, they quickly became The FCFH (The Foster Couple From Hell). being given everything you want--excluding artificial love--can be a heady thing. they never treated me bad, mind you, but i guess i was there "trophy child." its pretty much the same concept as the trophy wife, just with a kid instead of an adult.

to make a long story real short, i discovered The FCFH were involved in something illegal, i took it to the authorities, who in turn tossed it to the feds, i did a little haggling...and now im in the desert with a new name, a new life, and a job as an informant for The Company.

ill mention a guy named Chief on here quite a bit. hes my handler, so to speak. hell look out for me until im 18, but hes not my legal guardian.

i trust that he will protect me--both figuratively and literally (if it comes to that).

but theres always going to be that tiny, closely guarded corner of my heart that says "the only person you can trust is yourself." i think its a prerequisite for foster kids or something. maybe i shouldnt limit that to foster care. that probably goes for any kid thats been let down, seen too much, been thru too much to even believe anymore.

i can freely admit that im a product of my environment.

year 7 was a craptacular year for me and its like my life went downhill after that.

nothing was ever as great and sometimes it feels like itll never be great again. my life now suits me just fine. its not great but it's good.

ive been in this new life for 6 months.

maybe ill reevaluate after being in it for a year. or so.

Informant U: Trick #3

hiding places

Many times a snitch will put secret information in a package and leave it so other people can pick it up. A package may be very big, wrapped in a plastic bag, or very small and hidden where you would never think to look. It would be like leaving the extra key to your house in a hollow rock near the door.

or, you know, tossing that 45 magnum you just fired off at your job in the freezer.

just sayin’.

bulletproof hair

celise sent me this story today and i had laff my ass of, because, really, when does ever happen in real life? this really happened. no joke

HAIR WEAVE STOPS BULLET

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A woman was complaining of a headache Thursday morning, but police say her tightly-woven hair weave kept it from being much worse.

Detectives say a bullet, allegedly fired at her by her ex-boyfriend, became lodged in her hair.

Authorities were called to the Country View Market, 5802 Swope Parkway, around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Arriving officers found the 20-year-old woman there. She told police she had pulled into the market and saw a man with whom she had recently ended an eight-month relation with inside a car there.

A second man came up to the woman’s window and told her that the ex-boyfriend still loved her, an incident report filed by the Kansas City Police Department said.

The woman told the second man “I don’t love him.”

At that time, the victim told police she heard gunshots and saw her ex-boyfriend walking toward the back of her car firing a handgun.

The victim sped away in her vehicle as her back window shattered, police said.

She returned to the scene a moment later to witness both suspects leaving in their vehicle.

Officers found the bullet in the woman’s hair and said her tightly-woven weave likely saved her life.

The victim was not seriously harmed and refused treatment at the scene.

The ex-boyfriend and the second suspect were both taken into custody a short time later.

which begs the question: how thick was her weave? lol.

weighing in on mr. brown

first off, i would just like to say that i don't listen to r&b. i know who chris brown and rihanna are. ive heard their music and seen their videos. im not a fan of either artist.

but i want to add my two cents to the already two dollars ive been hearing about what went down.

i was reading about some of the comments of other celebs and the consensus seems to be the same: "i cant comment because i dont know what happened. but they're in our prayers"...blah, blah, blah.

i mean really, what can you say? the only two people that know what happened--and why--are chris and rihanna.

and now chris is saying he's sorry and saddened by what happened and he's seeking counseling from his mother, pastor, friends and family.

i can tell you what he needs to do, but let me say this first:

YOU. DO. NOT. HIT. A FEMALE. EVER.

no matter if there's a history of family violence and you vowed to never treat someone else like that.

no matter if she took your phone and threw it out the window of a moving car.

no matter if she got so pissed at you, she took all your belongings and chucked them out a window. or had a bonfire out in the backyard. or had a yard sale and sold everything for a dollar.

no matter if he--or she--was caught cheating and you decided to confront them.

YOU. DO. NOT. HIT. A FEMALE. EVER.

mr brown doesnt need to have a little convo with his mother or other loved ones. family and friends are too close to the sitch, too close to the abuser, and any advice/suggestions are going to be based on personal knowledge.

a little confessional time with the pastor may help, but The Big Dawg isnt the only person hes going to need to ask for forgiveness.

mr brown needs to get some professional help. thats what his mother, his friends, his family members and his pastor need to tell him. he obviously has some issues he needs to work out.

that was more like a buck fifty than two cents, but still...

Informant U: Word #2

counterintelligence

The Company’s version: u.s. experts who gather info about people or groups expected of spying.

my version: a teen orphan whom you hired–becuz she can do it better than you–to gather info about people or groups expected of spying. and doing other..nasty…stuff.

spectator only

the Prompt O' The Day is brought to you by sunday scribblings : "sports."

in all my 16 yrs, ive never participated in sports. i was never really interested.

i was too busy trying to survive foster care hell. not gonna go there.

im a spectator during the olympics--both winter and summer. and that's about as good as it gets.

ok, wait...is kung-fu considered to be a sport?

it should be.

an activity that allows you to shout out "HI-YAH!" needs to be a sport.