Jaclyn

**Siblings: Two Brothers**
 * **Hi, my name is Jaclyn Zimmermann. **
 * Grade: 8th**
 * Best Holiday: Christmas **
 * Birth Month: June **
 * Career Goals: Have good job. **
 * Favorite Band(s): Paramore, All American Rejects, Linkin Park, The Fray **
 * Favorite Food: Italian **
 * Favorite Munchies: Cheetos **
 * Favorite soft drink: Pepsi **
 * Favorite Subject: Social Studies **
 * Pet Peeve: Metal Banging Together **
 * Pets: None **

Repairing A Broken Frame There I was, out by the lake, painting. I usually did this every Sunday morning, or whenever I had the time. My inspirations varied, but once I started my piece, I did not stop until I was finished. Now it was spring, my favorite season, but something was wrong. Everything felt different, even though everything seemed to be the same. There was a slight breeze and the sun was shining. I could hear my brother and sister in the back round playing. This was all very normal, just another day. Me painting, Jacob and Veronica running around, and my parents still working at their offices, nothing new. I thought maybe I was just overreacting or possibly being paranoid, until I heard it. The two short honks coming from the front of the house that changed my life. I had heard my parents talking about my Aunt Caren visiting shortly, that I was prepared for. I was not, however, prepared for her to live with us. I ran to the front of our large Vermont house and saw her. The cab had already left and there she was, with two suitcases and the widest smile I had ever seen. I tried to mimic her smile, and she believed it. “Oh sweetie, Nicole. How are you? Look at how big you’ve gotten, and your hair is longer now.” Aunt Caren gave me a big hug. “Hi Aunt Caren,” I tried to hide the nervous edge in my voice. It was working. “I didn’t know you were coming.” “Yeah, I know. I wanted it to be a surprise. She gave me another bear hug. “I am just so happy to be here.” Aunt Caren sighed. “Well now where are the twins? I’m just dying to see them.” She left to go see Jacob and Veronica. With this small absence from her I immediately felt somewhat relieved. I took a deep breath before I went back to Aunt Caren. It’s not that I don’t love my aunt, because I really do love her, it’s just that this was so unexpected. Maybe if I had time to prepare I would be happy and not the nervous wreck I am now. But since she is here, I am going to make the best of it. Unlike me, my brother and sister handle situations like these so positively. They were thrilled to have our aunt live with us, probably hoping that the Samson household would become less dull. I did not understand this. At our house there was always order because without this, there would be chaos. The fact that there was a time and place for everything made me feel at ease. However, now I didn’t. It was like my aunt coming was something that no schedule could have predicted. “Nicole, come here. Spend some time with your family.” I looked up to see Aunt Caren waving her arms with Jacob and Veronica jumping at her side. With this I knew it was time to end my little reverie and face what was happening now. I helped Aunt Caren unpack and settle into the house, trying to make her feel as comfortable as possible. Jacob and Veronica were so excited they were bouncing off the walls. We all stayed with her, chatting about all the things that have happened since we saw her last. Aunt Caren talked about the cruise she went on, which went to many islands over a two-week time span. She even told a scary story about the Bermuda Triangle to entertain the twins. Other conversation topics included school, friends, hobbies, and so on. The thing I loved about my aunt was that no matter what you were saying, she listened and cared like it was the most important thing in the world. I started to realize that I had just been overreacting about Aunt Caren staying here, but even with this fact, I still felt unsure. Once Aunt Caren had unpacked she called both my parents, talking with my mom for about forever. It was now only two o’clock in the afternoon, my parents weren’t coming home for another three and a half hours. I wondered what she would want to do, and if I would need to keep her company. Luckily, even without my asking, she answered my silent question. At the airport, some of Aunt Caren’s luggage was lost. She left to go shopping, but promised to be home soon. This confused me. When Aunt Caren had arrived, she came with a lot of luggage, two huge suitcases and three smaller bags. She also smiled and laughed to herself as she was leaving the house. I had a feeling that she really wasn’t shopping for clothes. However, I did not spend much time thinking about this. There were much more important things for me to do. After she was gone, I went back out to the lake to finish painting, but the lighting was different now, everything seemed off. Maybe next weekend I would finish. For some reason, this upset me more than it should have. I always thought of painting as my escape. It was the one time when no one would bother me. When I painted I was in my own little world, but now that world that I loved was taken from me, and I absolutely did not like it. I walked back inside and stopped in front of a large fish tank. My siblings and I owned one fish each. While Jacob and Veronica preferred brightly colored fish, I liked the simpler ones. My fish was the smallest out of the three and had the lightest color-white. When I was younger, I got my inspirations from this tank. I loved the contrast between the colors. I kept walking, going to check on the twins. It was odd, but those fish were just like my siblings and me. Them being so lively and active, while me being more plain and quiet. This was good, however, with my parents constantly at work, somebody had to be the adult. Sure I am only fourteen but it was my responsibility to take care of them. I walked around the corner and entered our family room. There they were, of course, watching television. “Hey, Nikki!!!” Jacob’s happiness was nearly tangible and the smile on Veronica’s face nearly radiated her excitement. “How are you two?” Though the question obviously did not need to be asked. The twins were so ecstatic, but I asked just to placate them. Still smiling, Veronica answered, “Oh we’re great!” Jacob nodded seconding this. Her face changed to confused when she saw my expression. “Aren’t you?” “Yes, I am just wonderful.” My voice was thick with sarcasm, but she was too young to notice. Because I did not want to ruin their happiness, I decided that I should leave. I looked at my watch. “Mom and Dad won’t be home for another three hours. Do you want to eat before or after they get home?” Jacob looked confused. “What about Aunt Caren?” I sighed. “She will be home in time for dinner.” Both their faces lit up again. “Then we will all eat as a family,” Veronica said. “Okay.” A family dinner, that was something that rarely happened around here. When I was younger, I used to love the holidays. My family would all gather and have a five-course meal, laughing and enjoying each other’s presence. This still happens, but we don’t attend these events as much as we used to. The first Christmas my family missed was six years ago, I was only eight. I remember crying and pleading with my parents, but we still didn’t go. That was then, and this is now. These days I would order takeout for the twins and me, or cook the few meals I can. Tonight would be different though. I wonder how it will go. I looked at the clock it was three. I could feel the no sleep I got last night weighing down on me. I decided to take a nap. What seemed like only twenty minutes later, I started to hear noise downstairs. I got up and went to see what was going on. As I entered the kitchen, the sight surprised me. Both my parents were home and they were … cooking? I must be dreaming, but no, it was all so real. Veronica and Jacob were stirring lemonade, and Aunt Caren was chopping carrots. This was something that you would see on some commercial for a “happy family.” I stood there, stunned, in the doorway. It was a few minutes until anyone realized that I was even there. “Oh Nicole, when did you get there?” My mother waited patiently for my answer, but instead I continued to stand dumfounded. “Nicole?” she asked again, only this time her voice had a little bit of an edge to it. “Yes, hi, um I’m fine,” I said still confused “What are you all doing?” “We’re all cooking dear,” my father’s voice had a tone to it, as if the answer was so obvious. There was a moment of silence, although it was short, it was extremely tense. Sensing this Aunt Caren spoke, “Okay dinner is ready. Nicole can you go set the table?” This I could do, and I enjoyed the short lapse away from my parents. Once everything was set, we all sat down to eat. The food was good, really good. It had been a while since I’ve had steak, and the flavor seemed to double because of the potatoes. I was enjoying the moment with my family, until I looked up and saw their faces. Jacob and Veronica were content, but this was not what bothered me. I did not notice it before, but now as I looked at Aunt Caren, something was definitely wrong. She was tense and extremely nervous. I continued looking around the table and was struck by my mother’s expression. It was almost superior in comparison to my father’s dull face. What was going on? Whatever it was, it could not be good. The news was definitely upsetting, but life must go on. What surprised me the most was that I did not see it coming, even with all the signs. But if I had known, I still wouldn’t have been prepared. Divorce is hard, but dealing with it is even harder. Aunt Caren had moved in to help my mom once my dad left. All these pieces coming together to form a puzzle gave me a headache. I did not sleep well last night. The twins cried for hours, followed by thirty minutes of weeping. I wish that I could cry now. All I wanted to do was bundle into a ball, cover myself with blankets. and cry. However, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t. I had to be strong for the twins. If they saw me who is usually so together now breaking down, what would they think? It was past midnight by the time I fell asleep. I had hoped that everything would be better in the morning, but of course, it wasn’t. Nothing seemed to be going right anymore. It was hard to smile and pretend everything was okay during school. I knew some of my friends could see through my façade, but they did not mention anything. They knew I would talk when I was ready to, and eventually I was. Time passes, even when it seems impossible. It was almost unbelievable that it has been exactly one year since the divorce. The chaos soon ended after the custody agreement was final. Jacob, Veronica, and I would live with our mother and Aunt Caren, but stay three weeks each summer and some holidays with our father. The journey was definitely hard, but we have all survived it. Now as I look out across the lake, I think about everything that has happened in the past year. The first few months were very depressing. Many of my paintings dealt with dark and dreary colors, but things were different now. It was Sunday morning in spring, my favorite season. It was also sunny and there was a slight breeze. I could hear Jacob and Veronica running around and the sound of my mother and Aunt Caren talking in the back round. I looked down at my now finished piece. It was a bouquet of many brightly colored flowers. As I leaned back in my seat, I felt so calm and peaceful, something that I normally would not have felt a year ago. It was not just me that felt different it was everything, as if a new world had formed replacing my old one. Things were better here, happier, and I like it. Questions for Peer Reviewers

1. Think of plot—is it original? (If an adaptation, is it creative or interesting to you?) What suggestions do you have for the author(s)?

2. Think about problems that the characters face. Are there complications that add enough suspense, tension, or interest? Is there a climax that satisfies you? Is the resolution satisfying? What could be added or changed?

3. Think of characterization—are the characters life-like? Are characters likable and enjoyable? Do we get a good sense of character from many of these: description, dialogue, narrator's opinion, discussion from other characters, the character’s own actions?

4. Think of imagery and details. Do they help you //see// and //hear// and //experience// the story? What details would you like to see in the next revision of the story?

5. What areas of the story need the most improvement? What suggestions do you have for the author? ||