Sugar gliders

December 7, 2018

By Leah Collins

LifeAtStart.com Reporter

Sugar Gliders could be fun pets. They’re small and are similar to flying squirrel. You can find them in Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and Tasmania.

Because sugar gliders are exotic animals, they aren’t legal in some places like California and Alaska. In Pennsylvania and Massachusetts you only need a special permit to own one.

They feast on insects, meats, and vegetables. They also enjoy sweet foods like watermelon, grapefruit, and plums. But eating too many sweets can cause them to be obese. They should also drink plenty of water.

Even though they’re so tiny, both female and male are different. Females weigh around 80 to 130 grams, while male gliders can weigh up to 100 grams to 160. Adult size is 4.3 oz. It’s also said that they can 5 to 6 inches long.

I would highly recommend a sugar glider as a pet because they are cute and not really hard to take care of.

The surprise

Mary Mandley

December 6, 2018

By Nicole Stephen
LifeAtStart.com reporter

Our life was pretty good with just me, my mom, dad, sister, brother, and dog. My parents did end up getting divorced, life was pretty miserable after this. My mom finally found her boyfriend, Tyler, after about four years and I had never seen her happier. Then after two years of them dating, they told us the most shocking news we’ve ever heard.

My mom was pregnant! I didn’t know what to think. Would I like this baby even though we don’t have the same dad? Will it be a boy or girl? Why does my mom even want another kid when she has three already? I had never felt so many different emotions. At first, I was hesitant about the whole idea of my mom being pregnant. I told my friends at school and I think they were more excited than I was.

My mom’s pregnancy was going by pretty fast and it was very interesting watching the baby grow and my mom get bigger and bigger. I tried helping her with everything and I took good care of her. My whole family thought the baby was going to be a boy, but my friends and I were rooting for a girl. I could not wait to find out! We walked into the doctor’s office, they did an ultrasound, and of course, I was right.

It was a girl! I was ecstatic because I had a little brother and an older sister, but not a little sister. On the other hand, my brother was almost in tears because he was the only boy out of all the kids and he wanted a little brother. Now that we knew it was a girl it was time to figure out a name. My sister and I had a variety of names picked out, but my mom was only set on one and didn’t want to change it. She liked the name Penelope and I hated it! I thought that was a horrible name and tried to do anything to convince my mom not to name her that, but she wasn’t budging.

One day my mom came home from work and told us that she really liked this other name. I didn’t even care what it was, I just didn’t want the baby’s name to be Penelope. She told us she really liked the name Brooklyn and I fell in love. I knew that was the perfect name and everyone agreed. As it got closer and closer to my mom’s due date, I was getting more and more anxious because I couldn’t wait to meet her. It was almost a month after my mom’s due date, and the doctors started to get nervous because she was getting too big so she set up a date to induce her.

It was a very early on October 26, 2016 and we were headed to the hospital to induce my mom. My brother and I decided to go to the hospital, but my stubborn sister didn’t want to miss school. We had been waiting for hours and this baby wasn’t even close. I just wanted to see her already. My mom’s water broke, but nothing happened. As more hours passed, the doctors started to get nervous because the baby was running out of oxygen.

The doctors rushed my brother and I out of the room and I was so scared. They nearly broke my mom’s bed because it was attached to the wall and they couldn’t get the latch undone. They were rushing to get her to an emergency c-section. We were all praying for my mom and the baby to be okay. Shortly after, Tyler walked out with a tiny baby girl in his arms. I immediately fell in love with this human being. He told us my mom was okay and I felt the biggest relief knowing both of them were okay.

Brooklyn ended up being perfectly healthy. She was 7 pounds, 5 ounces. It was definitely a change having a new baby, but it was definitely for the better. Brooklyn just turned two years old. I’m so blessed to have her in my life and I can’t wait to make our bond even stronger.

Time to time part 4

Kylee Day

Mary Mandley

November 30, 2018

By Kylee Day
LifeAtStart.com reporter

Not wanting to go home, Aryn decided it best to use a payphone to call Rory. She debated on waiting to call her newfound friend, maybe until the next day or possibly the next week, but she knew she had nothing better to do, nowhere better to go than a payphone that sat outside a gas station not too far from the park she had just visited. She inserted the quarters, dialed the ten numbers, and took her finger, tracing the numbers on her arm as the phone rang. Her attention was suddenly brought to a voice on the other end, greeting her.

“Hello?” The voice asked. Aryn couldn’t tell who it was or if she had even met this person the day before.

“Uh, yeah, is Rory there? It’s… her friend? Aryn?” The redhead silently wished for the person on the other end to know who she was talking about. What if Henry had given her a fake number? Or the wrong one? How had he known Rory’s number by heart anyway? Is self defense even a good excuse for keeping a pen in your back pocket? The thoughts ran through Aryn’s head as she waited for the person on the other end to respond.

“She is not my girlfriend, Charlie, give me the phone before I tear your arm off with it!” Aryn heard from the other end. Her mind went blank as there was now only one thing on her mind. Girlfriend. Why would Charlie call Aryn Rory’s girlfriend?

“Hey Aryn, it’s Rory. Sorry it took so long, little brothers can be so annoying.” Then, Aryn’s head cleared once more at the sound of Rory’s voice. She could practically hear Rory roll her eyes through the phone.

“We’re three months apart!” Aryn heard Charlie yell from the other end. She laughed, remembering when her and her older brother used to argue like that. But that was years ago.

“Yeah, sounds like it.”

“Anyways, what did you call me for? Wait… how did you even get my number?” Rory asked in a confused tone.

“Oh, ya’know… just to hang out. And from Henry, did you know he keeps a pen in his back pocket?” Aryn was genuinely concerned about the fact.

“Yeah I did, he’s weird like that. I think all teenage boys are. Also, I’d love to hang out.” Rory breathed out from the other end. Aryn smiled to herself.

“Got any ideas as to where? I’m still pretty new here…” The redhead asked.

“Uh, yeah. I mean, we could always hang out at the diner, or the arcade.” Rory told her.

“Okay, yeah, we can meet at the diner in like… five minutes? Unless it will take you longer to get there.” Aryn suggested, playing with the phone’s cord.

“No, five minutes is good. I can just ride my bike there.” Rory thought aloud.

“Okay, well, see ya, then.”

“See ya.” Rory mirrored before hanging up. Aryn put the phone back on the hook and smiled, setting her skateboard on the ground and heading in the direction of Maeve’s Place.

Aryn arrived and immediately knew Rory had gotten there before her. A pink and white bike was propped up against the side of the building. Aryn got off her skateboard and walked in, finding Rory in a booth next to the front window.

“Hi.” Aryn breathed out. Rory smiled up at her as Aryn set her skateboard under the table, setting her feet on it when she sat down.

“Hey.” Rory greeted her.

“It’s, um, it’s a nice diner.” Aryn didn’t know what else to say. What a dumb topic, she thought.

“Yeah, it is. It’s been here longer than anyone can remember, I think in the fifties it was built? I’m not entirely sure, but, yeah. It’s pretty nice.” Rory elaborated. From this alone, Aryn guessed that Rory is an observer, like her, noticing things and looking at the world around her rather than ignoring it.

“What can I get for you?” The waitress had walked up without either of the girls’ knowledge, causing them to jump a little as she began to speak. It was the same waitress from the day before. Leonie, Aryn remembered.

“I’ll have a burger and a Pepsi.” Rory told her and the waitress wrote it down. Rory then looked over at Aryn, waiting for her to order.

“Uh, I don’t have any money.” Aryn stated.

“No worries, I’ll pay.” Rory offered and Aryn shook her head.

“I’m not hungry, anyways.” She said.

“You sure?” Rory asked. Aryn only nodded.

Humans are very complex creatures, their thinking being completely different from any other animal’s. They say things they don’t truly mean all the time. For instance, when Aryn said “I’m not hungry, anyways”, she really means “I don’t want you to spend your money on me.” Another example would be with Rory. When she says “You sure?”, she really means “I want to spend money on you, Aryn, I like you,” but she’d never admit that.

“Alright, I’ll be back in a few.” Leonie smiled, left their table and walked over to another, asking the people sitting there the same question.

“So, what’s your family like?” Aryn changed the subject.

“Uh, well, my dad adopted me a few years ago and married Charlie’s mom last year. Oh and uh Charlie has a brother, well he’s my stepbrother, I suppose, but his name is Shawn and right now he’s in New York with his girlfriend, Jenna.” Rory didn’t seemKy to be guarded at all, she was an open book, and Aryn was baffled by how it was possible. How could one ever not want to just secure themselves in a blanket of half truths, Aryn did not know, but Aryn also did not know there was so much Rory was not telling her. “What about you?”

“Well… my mom married this guy, like five years ago and they’ve been together ever since. The guy had a son, but he, uh, stayed in California.” This wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the entire story. Rory nodded and their conversation moved along.

Time to time part 3

Kylee Day

Mary Mandley

November 30, 2018

By Kylee Day
LifeAtStart.com reporter

That morning, Aryn woke up earlier than usual. She could’ve gone back to sleep, it’s not like she would’ve had any trouble with that part, but she simply didn’t want to. She wasn’t tired and it’s very rare that someone is to wake up and not feel the slightest bit tired so, she took the opportunity to do something more productive. She started with the living room. Aryn found the vase that was thrown to the ground the night before, in pieces. Aryn was no stranger to picking up her parents’ messes so, she knew to wear shoes as she cleaned the floor, she knew to use two plastic bags instead of one for reassurance, and she also knew to take her time, not to rush, as she had cut her fingers on glass too many times before.

After she finished, Aryn made her way to the front door, grabbing her skateboard from beside the frame, and walked right out, not leaving a single trace that she had ever woken (unless you would count cleaning up the broken vase that laid on the floor just minutes before Aryn had left), behind. Where she would go, Aryn had no idea, but she knew she had to get away from that house, away from her parents.

The redhead decided to head in the direction of the only place she had ever been to in Bellwich, Maeve’s Place. However, she did not want to visit the diner, for which she had no money as well as no real reason to. As she thought about it, Aryn had resolved to find somewhere to go as she rode her skateboard in the direction of Maeve’s place.

On her way, Aryn noted several things about the neighborhood in which she lived. She noted the people who cared for their yards and those who didn’t, whose grass was still visibly dead and dull from the previous winter. She noted the kids that played outside, at nearly noon, because although Aryn had thought of noon being too early to go outside (today being the exception for her, of course), she realized these kids didn’t think that. She noted flowers beginning to bloom in the yards of a dozen houses and tried to remember them so, she could see them when they fully bloomed. She also noted a few other things, such as Christmas lights that were still up in trees and on roofs that were hadn’t been taken down yet, at the end of May, but there were so many things Aryn had observed, that she lost count and started to forget them just as soon as they entered her mind.

Then, Aryn saw a park, just ahead. As she got closer, Aryn noticed it was a small park, with only a swing-set and slide. Aryn also noticed Henry Clarke, who had been introduced to her just yesterday by a certain Rory Greene, watching two identical looking six year olds play.

“I really hope you know them, otherwise, this would be really creepy.” She told the boy, who had not noticed the girl until she had begun to speak. He looked to Aryn, his face changing from confused to surprised, and he shot her a look that said, all in its own, something like, “Do I really look like a pedophile to you?”. Aryn cracked a smile at that and stood next to Henry, leaning her skateboard on her left leg.

“Sisters?” Aryn asked. She didn’t really need to elaborate much more as Henry knew what she meant. He nodded.

“I got an older sister, too, but she’s off at college in New York.” He told the redhead.

“Cool, cool.” Aryn nodded her head to her response, watching the twin girls run around, seemingly playing tag.

After a few moments of silence, Aryn sighed and grabbed her skateboard once more.

“Well, I’m gonna go. No offense, but it’s just kinda boring watching your little sisters run in circles.”

“Tell me about it.” Henry laughed a bit.

“Okay, well, see ya, Henry.”

“Wait,” Henry stopped her just as Aryn set her foot on her board. She turned to him.

“Yeah?” She asked, holding her hand over her head to block the early afternoon sun from her eyes.

“Do you, uh… do you want Rory’s number?” The question surprised Aryn. Why would he ask her something so… out of the blue? “She kept complaining in the car on the way to her house how she should’ve gotten your number so she could call you.” To say that Aryn was happy with this fact would be an understatement. She was elated.

“Yeah, yeah, of course I’d want her number.” The girl answered. Henry took a pen from his pocket and walked over to Aryn. “You keep a pen… in your back pocket?”

“Yeah, one stab to the neck and if someone tries to mug me, they’re either dead or injured. You can never be too careful.” Aryn laughed and Henry took her arm and began to write Rory’s number on it.

“Remind me to not sneak up on you.” Aryn told the boy, who began writing a second number. “That yours?” She asked.

“Yeah, I guess we’re friends now so, you should at least have my number.” Yeah, I guess we are, Aryn thought to herself.

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