5 years ago I lost my sister. She was younger than me and she was the most angelic person I knew. She had long brown, glossy hair. Her eyes were a dark tint of brown and they glistened in the sun. You looked into her eyes and all you saw was hope. She was caring and had the hugest heart. She never gave up and made every single moment one to remember. Until she passed. When she died, we all died. Her soul was so precious to my family, it was as if our whole world was shut down. I look back now and I realize she was the glue. The glue we needed to survive for 5 years until we finally moved on. On the third of December, 2025, I went on a camping trip with my friends. I was so excited to hang out with my friends, especially without any supervision. I was 15 and I didn’t want to be babied. I packed shirts, pants, shoes, socks, dresses, and swimsuits. I basically packed my whole closet. Hallway through packing, I realized I had made a huge mess while going through my drawers. I began to pick the mess up, when I found an old picture of my sister, Julie. It had been 5 years, and yet there I was, crying my heart out over something that was in the past. I quickly wiped my tears and zipped up my bags. I hurried out of the house. I wanted to forget what I had just felt. I wanted to have a good weekend in the forest, without remembering what took me so long to get over. After picking up my friends and driving 3 hours to Yellowstone park, we park and set up near a river. It started to get dark and one of my friends lit a fire to keep us all warm throughout the night. We all started gossiping, making marshmallows, and we were having tons of fun! This is what I needed, after years of being depressed, I finally felt like I can finally move on from Julie’s death. Suddenly, there was an abrupt shift in the bushes. My friends and I were startled and one of them started to move closer to the bush. The bush rapidly rumbled and danced around. I watched as my friend got closer, patiently waiting for what she might find. Suddenly the bush stopped. We looked at each in confusion. We all screamed as a cub jumped out of the bushes and started running towards the freshly, toasted marshmallows. All my friends started screaming and freaking out. I stopped and looked at the cub, wondering where it’s mother was at. That day, when I looked into the cub’s eyes. There was something that was familiar and recognizable. It was almost as if the cub and I had some sort of connection. There was a quick and soft glint in the cub’s eye that was only see in one person’s eyes. Was that cub.. Julie?

In November, I read the book The Wanted by Robert Crais. The Wanted is about a mother who is suspicious about her son, Tyson. She knows he’s up to something, so she hires a private investigator, Elvis Cole. Things take a turn when Elvis discovers Tyson is involved with high-end burglaries. After Tyson is confronted, he runs off with his new, flashy girlfriend. Elvis and his friend Joe Pike go after both, but they aren’t the only ones after Tyson and his girlfriend. Both teenagers and investigators realize what kind of danger they’re all in, but it might be too late.

I really enjoyed the book this month. I’m extremely interested in crime novels and this book is a crime-thriller. The start of the book is very calm and casual, I would have never expected so many twists throughout the book. One of my favorite things was the different perspectives. The book emphasized on making the reader think like the characters. It’s very entertaining to read how each character gets their clues for the mystery.

My favorite character after reading The Wanted is Tyson Connor. Tyson was one of the teenagers that was apart of the burglaries. What Tyson did was terrible and not only did he understand his wrong doing, he owned up to his actions. The other teenagers were more confused and didn’t have much care about what their behaviors led to. Tyson stood out because he truly was a good kid and in the end, he tried to fix the mess he had made. He was responsible and accountable for his way of acting. After trying to explain to his girlfriend about their consequences, Tyson’s girlfriend still doesn’t understand. Page 264, “We broke into houses. We stole stuff, and Alec is dead. We’re the bad guys. Bad guys aren’t heroes. Don’t you get it?” This shows Tyson’s deep understanding of what he had done and he responsibly admitted to everything.

“Those moments we shared were precious. They filled me with joy, and hope, and a belief I had done something lasting and real.”(pg. 322) This quote is one of my favorites because it’s very significant to real life events. Some people waste their lives on things that don’t matter as much as moments with those you love. Those memories you create stick with you forever and they never leave. Whether you make them good memories or bad memories. Time is precious with those you love, and those you love are more valuable than anything.

It’s the time of the year when we are thinking of being thankful. Have you ever been asked about what you are thankful? Well I have, and it’s always the same answer. One thing I’m thankful for is my siblings. I’m most thankful for my older sister, Mia. Whenever I’m behind on school or soccer, she’s always there to help me. Mia’s like my own personal teacher that’s always there for me. I am always the best at what I do, thanks to Mia. Yet, Mia isn’t the only sibling I’m thankful for. A few years ago during Covid, my family had a really hard time. Things fell apart to the point where now we don’t even talk about what happened those years. It only took one little peanut to get us out of that mess. Then there’s Freddy. He was like a fresh start and was such a blessing to my family. He brought so much joy into our lives at that time, and he still does. I don’t know where my family would be without Freddy. Another thing I’m thankful for is my parents. They both work very hard to buy us the special gifts we want. My mom buys everything we want and is the “yes” parent. She’s goofy when it’s time to be goofy and she’s serious when it’s time to be serious. She understands what I’m feeling without even having to say anything. She goes the extra mile for everything I want. My mom is not hard on my siblings at all. She trusts that we will make good decisions and she doesn’t have to worry about our school work. She has so much trust in me and my siblings, I wouldn’t ask for a better mom. Not only my mom, but my dad too. He knows me better than anyone. He notices small details about me that people can’t see. He’s always there for me and he always will be. He’s funny and weird which makes him very special. He makes sure none of my siblings are left out. He hangs out with us and acts like one of our best friends. I’m thankful that I know I can always count on him. Lastly, I’m thankful for my friends. They aren’t just any people who make rude jokes and expect you to laugh. They are kind and genuine. They don’t make me feel like I’m some background character in their story. They make everywhere I go fun and exciting. They compliment me and they treat me equally. Sometimes they are annoying, but that’s what makes them special. I wouldn’t want a perfect friend. I rather have my annoying, fun, realistic friends. They are the reason why I make an effort to come to school and go to my soccer academy. I’m truly thankful for them. Overall, the next time someone asks me what I’m thankful for, I’ll tell them I’m thankful for my siblings, parents, and friends. Without them, I don’t know what I’d be thankful for this thanksgiving.

If you had been given three wishes, what would you ask for? I would ask for a sibling, money, and a dog. One of my main wishes would be a new sibling. Not just some random sibling off the street. I’d wish for a baby brother. I actually already have a baby brother, named Freddy. A year ago I would have wished for a baby sister. After spending time with Freddy, I can’t imagine what it would be like if Freddy was a girl. So to have another Freddy seems kind of fun! I know I wouldn’t just enjoy another sibling, but so would my family. Freddy has lots of tantrums and we’ve all come to realize that it’s caused by his boredom. With a new baby brother, Freddy would have a playmate, and would stop throwing tantrums. It’s make things easier for my family, since we are always busy. To have two baby brothers, running around the house seems wild, but fun! Another wish I’d want granted is to have a ton load of money. I can get cool items such as devices, snacks, clothing, decorations. I could take trips to places I’ve never been too! One place I’d visit would be Mexico. I’d always wanted to go to Mexico, so with my money, I’d take my family there. With my money, I’d upgrade all my devices and clothes. I’d make sure I have all of the top of the line essentials. I’d buy a bunch of low riders and fix them up myself. My last wish would be to have a dog. I lost my dog a few yers back and ever since then, my family doesn’t want another one. To have another dog would be great in my household. I’d definitely want a Rottweiler or even a Golden Retriever. I could take it for walks and Freddy could play with the dog too. I understand that taking care of a toddler and a dog is a lot, but I’m sure having a dog brings lots of enjoyment. Dogs bring lots of enjoyment and comfort, and I believe that would be great for my family. Overall, my three dream wishes are a sibling, money, and a dog. Hopefully I run into a genie one day.