1. The dew on the grass made my running shoes damp. It didn't bother me. The sound of my feet hitting the street formed a rhythm, a steady pattern of light thumps. I timed my breathing with the rhythm. These sounds filled my head. I thought of nothing other than the next step and keeping my tempo. I soared over the sidewalks like concrete clouds.

2. Red looked across the prairie. He didn't see anything concerning. He wondered why Texas Joe had hollered like that. Texas Joe turned to him. The ghost that Texas Joe had just seen was gone. Texas Joe swatted at the air. Now he felt crazy. "You have to believe me, Red. It was just here," said Texas Joe. Red scowled at him in disbelief. "What was just here, Joe?" he asked. Red was angry with Texas Joe for disturbing his sleep for no apparent reason.

3. Jeremiah squinted from the sun. He was thinking about the game. They could have won. He could have won the game for them. All he needed to do was catch the ball, but he didn't. He dropped it. His coach talked to him. "Jeremiah, we had a great season. Nobody's perfect. Look at me. Ha ha," he said. Jeremiah smiled at the coach, but he couldn't forgive himself so easily.

4. Do it while your teacher is still explaining the material. Your teacher will probably be happy that you are taking an active part in your education and should attempt to explain the material in a different way. If you are still confused, ask your teacher if he or she is available after class to give you additional instruction. You are worth it. Don't give up on yourself.

5. The bell rang. "Oh no! I'm going to be late for science! I've got to go," said Cassie to her friend Tom. Tom rolled his eyes and said, "Little Miss Perfect can't be late." This upset Cassie. She hated when people gave her a hard time for trying to do the right thing, especially Tom. "Quiet you," she said while swinging at Tom with her folder. He narrowly dodged the strike and said, "Be careful now. Attacking another student is a level two offense." Then he smiled a big, cheesy grin at her.

6. You look at the blueprints laid before you. You have no idea how to read them. "Why did I lie to get this job?" you wonder to yourself. The men in the room are watching you. The man in the suit who hired you asks, "Well, what do you think about these plans? Should we go for it?" You pick up the blueprints and pretend to study them carefully. "Um, well, have we done any fault testing?" you ask. The man in the suit squints at you and says, "Fault testing? What's fault testing?" To buy yourself time in a really smooth way you say, "Uhh..."

7. "You already told me that story," said Shanice. She looked genuinely disappointed. I laughed awkwardly. "Sorry," I said, "I didn't mean to bore you with a rerun." I tried to laugh it off but she just wouldn't let it go. "Don't you even consider your listener before you tell a story?" she inquired acerbically. This caught me off guard. I replied, "I'm just trying to keep you entertained, Shanice." I pleaded. She smacked me down with another sharp comment, "Yeah, well, you should try harder."