25 pages Chapter 9

One more chapter before Hayden is over and Bella is IN!!!

Book 1
Hayden
Chapter 9
The large printer ground, flipping fresh sheets of paper over to print two sided. The sixteenth copy was stapled, spitting out of the printer with a squeak. I grabbed the warm stack of books. I had finally finished my novel, This Is Life, and was ready to distribute it Monday. I felt happy Monday morning, carrying a green corduroy messenger bag full of the papers. I took one out of the bag and flipped through it. The dedication was to my friends Dream, Alison, Ben, Eliza, Bella (yes, she had inspired me, too) and Justin, who would probably be shocked by this. “Ooh, books!” Bella screamed as she entered the cafeteria. She grabbed the first one, threw it into her bag, and started applying makeup. “Wow, rude.” I mumbled. Our friends, Sam and John, entered behind her talking. Sam quickly took a book without saying much. He then set it on top of his French horn. “Wow, that’s a big book.” John whistled. A group of our friends entered who all wanted one. Alison screamed and nearly fainted when I gave her one. She immediately began reading it, smiling. “Yay! I knew you’d follow through with it!” Dream gasped as I handed her a copy. “Sweet.” Ben smiled as he walked by our table. Mrs. Regan smiled as I handed her the draft. Eliza pocketed a copy, then fell asleep on it. Sierra ran into my homeroom just to get one. I was feeling like a mini-celebrity. Many people were asking me about the book. Brenda made a little cough as we all took our seats in homeroom. “Can I have one?” She asked quietly. “Yeah!” I nodded, sliding one across the table to her. She quickly opened it and scanned the first chapter. “Now you have to give one to Justin.” Ben said next period. I shook my head. “I know, but what do I do?” “You hit him on the head with it.” Dream said, collapsing into loud laughter. “No! You nicely ask if he wants one.” Alison said, waving her hands. “Yeah, you tell him you have another copy and ask if he wants it.” Ben nodded. “Easy.” “Not so easy, actually. I bet my knees shake and my words come out a million miles an hour.” I replied with a sigh. “You doubt yourself way too much, Hayden. Does that really help you? Answer is no.” Dream told me in a wise tone. “True.” I nodded. I started running through the scene in my head. I would CONFIDENTLY ask Justin if he wanted my book. Yeah, I would be able to do it.

“You can do this!” Eliza said, waving her hands in front of my face in last period. “I can do this!” I yelled back at her. “Good.” She nodded as Mrs. Regan dismissed us. I went to my locker, trying to move my stuff into a bag as slowly as I could. Justin walked out with his friend, waved goodbye, and kneeled on the ground. I swallowed hard and my knees began shaking. I looked to my left to see Ben staring at me. He gave me a quick, “Go ahead” type of nod. I opened my mouth and closed it again as Justin got up and left. I had failed again.