Christian Soto

School: Nathan Hale Middle School
Grade: 6
Number of Years At YWI: first year
I learned how to improve my short stories. I can improve my characters easily. I liked that people gave true feedback.

How To Not Kill Yourself When Riding In 3-5 Gear

Smart Cycles. I was reluctant to turn my loyalty from my dream bike, the Trek 3700, but my mom insisted. The lousy service at Westport Bicycles made her refuse to instantly buy that beauty of a bike I dreamed of day and night. But how bad could it be? My mom said I could get any bike I wanted, and I wanted the Trek. This teen showed us around and showed us a bike that I didn’t like about seven times, until I finally feasted my eyes upon it. I looked at that brand new bike without noticing that I fell in love with a machine.

So I bought it. It wasn’t the sleek Trek, the powerful Haro, or even the swift Diamondback. Yeah, it wasn’t any of them. It was all off them! It was my brand-new, headlight and taillight equipped, shock equipped, 21-geared slamming Giant Rincon! Who needs a Trek when I have an angel in the form of wheels? I’ll answer that: I don’t. So I was overjoyed when my mom told me that the bike wouldn’t fit in the car and Uncle Dave suggested that I ride that baby from the bike store to the Nathan Hale Middle School parking lot a mile away…using the clear back roads.

I leapt off the Giant. I was so excited I could still smell the new wheels. But the bike coaxed me to ride. So I took it out for a test drive in the parking lot. I hopped aboard the 6-inch wide seat and sped to the nearest curb to jump off of. Now, I know you might think I’m stupid if I jumped of a 5-inch high curb but the next highest place was a 3-foot high wall and I’m not about to mess up my bike on the first day.

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By the title you probably thought that this was a humorous piece of writing. If you did, you’re right. Here’s where the funny stuff comes in.

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So there I was, thinking I’m so cool because I didn’t fall once on a bike that I never even heard of before today. But you know what they say, pride comes before the fall. I wasn’t paying any attention because I was daydreaming about how awesome I was. So my front wheel turned so hard that the bike continued going straight. My bike didn’t like that, so my front wheel turned just as I jumped off the curb. I swerved left and right with my foot narrowly hitting the concrete to balance myself. Here are some other “worst case scenarios” that you should watch out for

1. Going Up A Curb

Make sure that both wheels go up the curb before you turn. It’s like when two online daters get married. They end up splitting up before you can say “divorce”. Either your wheels or your pants will split when turning on curbs.

Also, make sure that you don’t break your neck trying to prove me wrong.

2. Riding On Wet Gravel

Remember that wet gravel is not your friend. I know what you and most of your friends say. “Isn’t gravel supposed to be embedded in your palms/elbows/knees for eternity?” It isn’t. So next time you round the bend and gravel takes hold of your wheels, remember your protective gear.

3. Paying Attention To Walls

Now this is a place that I’ve been to more than once. You start admiring your 3-LED headlight and adjusting the position. But it gets stuck and you try to take it off. You start swerving and before you know it your crotch is smashed against your bike frame from the impact of a brick wall. Here’s a good saying for those who do this often, ”KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD!”

Believe this: even though it hurt in each one of those scenarios I can’t say that it wasn’t fun. I kind of enjoy bike injuries. You might never read my writing again because I just said I like killing myself on my bike, but if you try it you’ll find that you’re very amused, unless you have very paranoid parents or hate getting hurt. Some people would say stay safe, but I say have fun, and make sure you don’t stay safe.

The Mourning Tree and The Wisdom of Life

Look to the shrubs my good friend
Look on to the plants that never end
Look to the moss, hosting sprouted grass
Look to the dirt embedding rocks of great mass
Look on at the crabgrass befriending hayseed
Look at the trees that provide air we need
Look to the dandelions often considered weeds
Look to the stump of which you must take heed
Look at the corruption of that single tree
Look at that scene that saddens many, including me
Look for an answer why someone demolished that plant
Look into the world for a solution to grant

If you notice life for what it is
Your wisdom will take you to places afar
I hope that one day this message will stand for a cause
That life won’t fall into corrupt flaws
Will you keep life out of darkness and into light?
And demolish the fear of life falling into the darkest of nights
You can help with your newly found power
You can judge life’s final hour
Because now the plants aren’t the only ones in the danger of being corrupted
But now the human race is being disrupted
You can decide the fate of all life
Will you help in the rescue or lead the world into strife?