Sunday, July 21, 2019

The Concept of a Wrong Language

The Concept of a Wrong Language Language and Society QXL-1113 Task 1 The figure tells me that there are a higher percentage of lower working class men using negative concord (75%) compared to women to that of lower working class women at 50%. In general, women of all classes use negative concord less compared to men of all classes. It appears that the isnt a percentage change of such variant between upper middle and lower middle class women. There are two independent variables; gender and class,   the dependant variable is the percentage negative concord. Task 2 As a native speaker, English is my first language and I have always lived in the North West of England with both parents coming from the same region. Therefore, the majority of my influences have come from these surroundings and family. Growing up near Chester I wouldnt say I have a heavy northern accent and is quite muted compared that of other northern regions. However, a city that has a had a great effect on my accent and dialect is Liverpool. With Liverpool, only being a 15 minute drive I come into contact with the scouse accent quite frequently with friends and family living and working there. In terms of linguistic features, lenition is one of the clearest phonological characteristics of modern northern/Liverpool English. This lenition process happens whereby underlying plosives are released as fricatives and affricatives and stop constants are weaker and softer. For example, it is common to hear lock sound like loch and particularly affects /t/. According to the literature of Honeybone (2001) this lenition is unique to Liverpool English and its neighbouring areas with no other English variety exhibiting such extensive process. Further suggested by Kortmann and Upton the /t/, /p/ and /k/ can be affricated in all positions and in final position may be realised as full fricatives (Kortmann and Schnieder,2004). These heavily aspirated phonemes result in words such work to sound [wɆºÃƒâ€¹Ã‚ kà Ã¢â‚¬ ¡]. This uniqueness could account for the lack of glottal forms which are found in almost every other urban area in the North of England (Hughes and Trudgill 1996:93) . Regarding vowels and diphthongs, another salient marker of the North/South divide is that Liverpool English/northern accent has a short /a/ bath and /ÊÅ  / in foot and strut. Corresponding with Kortmann et al these two features are highly recognisable to the northern accent and although throughout history the southern inventory to lengthen the short vowel /a/ in bath was stigmatised it has now reversed with the northern short /a/ described as a flat vowel. Whilst researching such topic it is obvious that this is the most often mentioned subject in terms of the northern dialect, and a stereotype for the north in general. Diphthongal pronunciations are typical of Merseyside. In words, such as face, the diphthongs are pronounced more like RP as well as the occasion /eÉ ª/ (Kortmann and Schnieder, 2004). There is a clear established contrast between the vowels in square and nurse across most English varieties however in Liverpool and within its surrounding areas these two sets are merged and can be pronounced either as [ɆºÃƒâ€¹Ã‚ ] or [ɜˠ]. Patrick Honeybone gives great insight into the pronunciation of square in saying that this is traditional of South Lancashire dialects and that the variants in the Liverpool-Lancashire mix are the most obvious explanation for the present-day lack of contrast in Liverpool English (New dialect formation in nineteenth Liverpool: a brief history of scouse, n.d.). In terms of my experience with the language findings promoted above, I do to a certain extent use two of these in my language. Regarding the lenition and aspiration of /t/ /p/ and /k/ although I do use such feature it is not as heavily noticeable in my accent partly due to it not being apparent in my parents accent so is naturally weakened but I do have slight undertones of the features which I believe is solely due to social and situational factors. With many friends from Liverpool I have engaged in many social occasions where this lenition is clearly noticeable and naturally Ive adapted to fit in to such surroundings.   When conversing with parents I can switch this off to speak more elegantly so one can debate whether this is imbedded into my accent or is mainly a social attribute. A definite feature I use is the use of short vowel in both bath and foot. This is a typical northern trait and one that applies for my area. The role of socialisation does however play a minor pa rt in this.   Particularly in my region if one was to pronounce bath the typical southern way of lengthening /a/ it could appear as snobby and so refrain from doing so to follow the social norm. Although I am not in disagreement with Honeybone that merging of square and nurse exists within Liverpool it is unjustified to say that this appears in its surrounding areas. This must must be restricted to Liverpool and distinct of the city as I have not heard this outside of this area and I do not have such linguistic feature. As I do not originate from Liverpool this is expected; from birth my influences came solely from my surroundings of Chester which is a lot subtler compared to that of scouse and it is was only as I grew up that I came into more frequent contact with Liverpool and changed the way I spoke. Not having a particular accent from birth, it is likely that I will not have every feature as this could be innate. There is definitely a desire within in my area to sound more scouse and this is becoming a lot more noticeable. Task 3 The idea of wrong language is an unclear and somewhat unambiguous concept. What defines a wrong language? This concept that is made up of different kinds of distinctions of what is a wrong language such as stylish-shabby, clean-dirty, ugly and beautiful. According to Mary Douglas these distinctions are based on the culture we live in; naturally, language adapts itself to the situation of use and reflects the social variation of the speaker, so therefore linguistic variation is ultimately inevitable. There is no right or wrong language, it is only wrong in the eyes of those evaluate the language (Andersson and Trudgill, 1990). To discuss this, one must consider the idea of descriptivism vs prescriptivism. Prescriptive grammarians would argue that language is a set of rules that should be taught and enforced to use language in the correct way. They follow the classic grammars of Greek and Latin and aim to preserve these early forms. By contrast, descriptive grammar highlights the language in current use, not saying how it should be used. There are arguments for either side, if we consider the prescriptive view we could argue that the language produced by its native speakers based on their inherent, subconscious rules is the correct way to produce language (Vakkilainen, 2015). Whereas descriptivists accept that there are no such rules and there is no wrong language; it is just a reflection of general trends of language use. For example, yous has become popular with English-speaking countries. There is a tendency for people to dislike such innovations, regarding them as incorrect (Andersson and Trudgill, 1990 ) however these communities have found it useful to create a distinct word for the plural you thus is justifiable. The ultimate question into this debate is who decides what is right or wrong? This has much to do with social standing, much of the condemned language comes from social groups other than the educated middle classesprofessional people (Finegan, 1980). Take the pronunciation of r for example, Janet Holmes expresses that even though there is nothing good or bad about r-pronouncing, in more middle-class communities it is regarded as humorous and evident of lack of education and in others is deemed good speech (Holmes, 2004). Although a standard language is useful in terms of print and literature, it is not right to say that the language of middle-class speakers is not better than the language of other social groups. Language references such as dictionaries are an example of language and should simply be referenced, not all social situations require a formal way of speaking and vice versa. Language is an expression of character and defines a person. You can gain great insight into an indi vidual from their use of language and should not be frowned upon because they arent using RP but instead this uniqueness should be celebrated. Ultimately, there isnt such a thing as a wrong language just a different way of using it.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

tribute to the nice guys :: essays research papers

this is a tribute to the nice guys. The nice guys that finish last, that never become more than friends, that endure hours of whining and bitching about what assholes guys are, while disproving the very point. This is dedicated to those guys who always provide a shoulder to lean on but restrain themselves to tentative hugs, those guys who hold open doors and give reassuring pats on the back and sit patiently outside the changing room at department stores. This is in honor of the guys that obligingly reiterate how cute/beautiful/smart/funny/sexy their female friends are at the appropriate moment, because they know most girls need that litany of support. This is in honor of the guys with open minds, with laid-back attitudes, with honest concern. This is in honor of the guys who respect a girl’s every facet, from her privacy to her theology to her clothing style. This is for the guys who escort their drunk, bewildered female friends back from parties and never take advantage once they’re at her door, for the guys who accompany girls to bars as buffers against the rest of the creepy male population, for the guys who know a girl is fishing for compliments but give them out anyway, for the guys who always play by the rules in a game where the rules favor cheaters, for the guys who are accredited as boyfriend material but somehow don’t end up being boyfriends, for all the nice guys who are overlooked, underestimated, and unappreciated, for all the nice guys who are manipulated, misled, and unjustly abandoned, this is for you. This is for that time she left 40 urgent messages on your cell phone, and when you called her back, she spent three hours painstakingly dissecting two sentences her boyfriend said to her over dinner. And even though you thought her boyfriend was a chump and a jerk, you assured her that it was all ok and she sho uldn’t worry about it. This is for that time she interrupted the best killing spree you’d ever orchestrated in GTA3 to rant about a rumor that romantically linked her and the guy she thinks is the most repulsive person in the world. And even though you thought it was immature and you had nothing against the guy, you paused the game for two hours and helped her concoct a counter-rumor to spread around the floor.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Tempting Fate: Essay on The Monkeys Paw -- essays research papers

-Ildar- Tempting Fate The â€Å"Monkey’s Paw† reveals an intriguing story of destiny and death. The Theme challenges the classical ideas of destiny and fate. From the beginning of the story Mr. White denies the seriousness of the paw. When he says, â€Å"Well, why don’t you have three sir†, he is in a way mocking Morris and the criticalness of the paw. The effects of disturbing fate do not even occur to him at this point and his intrigue and human greed override his judgment. â€Å"If you don’t want it, Morris, give it to me†, Mr. White had said after Morris threw the paw in the fire. This is where Mr. White made his first mistake. Mrs. White on the other hand manages to keep a cool head in the beginning and is apprehensive of the paw. She originally senses the danger that the paw poses but doesn’t make much of it and actually encourages Mr. White to use the paw. Mr. White’s first wish was a simple one as he thought. â€Å"I wish for two hundred pounds,† he had uttered so easily thinking that this was as straightforward of a wish as there could be. Little did he know that tempting fate in such a way had serious consequences. At this point in the story the writer foreshadows the grim events that follow when Herbert says, â€Å"Well, I don’t see the money, and I bet I never shall†. Ironically Herbert is correct. The twist of the story revealed itself when Mrs. White opened the door to receive her money. The visitor from Maw and Meggins delivered the bad new of their sons untimely death, â€Å"He was ca...

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Shrinking America: One Surgery at a Time :: essays research papers

Kellie received bariatric surgery a year and a half ago, at age 26, and lost over half her weight—160 pounds (St. Vincent 1). Over one million morbidly obese people in the United States have already received gastric bypass surgery. Since obesity has reached such epidemic proportions, everyone in America is looking for a cure. Gastric bypass surgery has rapidly become a solution for severely obese persons. Being obese causes emotional and physical distress and suffering, which increases a person’s desire to become thin. Several thousands of people are taking control of their lives and health by having bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass surgery has been performed with minor variations since 1968 (How it Works 3). The procedure has grown rapidly over the past few years and numerous hospitals have added the surgery. Success rate/recovery, society’s influence, and health factors all play a significant role as causes for a person to decide if this life-altering, someti mes dangerous, surgery is right for them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most popular of three surgeries for the morbidly obese. In this procedure, surgical staples are used to create a small pouch in the stomach connected to the bowel by a piece of the small intestine, bypassing the majority of the Babbitt 2 stomach. This form of surgery accounts for almost 90% of the procedures performed in the United States (USA Today 2). Generally gastric bypass remains strictly for patients who are morbidly obese by 100 pounds or more over his or her healthy weight. When people have this surgery, they will not only lose a significant amount of weight, but also see obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea greatly diminish or even vanish (Hochstrasser 98). Most patients will lose 50-70% of their excess body weight; some patients will lose even more (Hochstrasser 53). The operation limits the amount of food a person takes in, decreases the amount of calories consumed, and makes it so eating less will still be satisfying. By exercising and eating healthy foods, the weight-loss can be considerably enhanced. Though the surgery rarely gets people to their ideal body weight, most patients get within 30-40 pounds (Woodward 67). Weight loss begins immediately after the operation . The majority of people will continue to lose weight for approximately twelve months. The amount of weight a patient will lose every month will fluctuate depending upon the height and weight prior to surgery (Woodward 57).

Shalimar the Clown Salman Rushdie

The Clown Salaam Rushed The story begins with chapter Linda†. India is a young girl, ambassador's daughter. His father is Max Pulls, American former ambassador to India, and now the counter-terrorism chief. In this chapter writer describes her wish to know more about her dead mother and reason why her father don't want to talk about her mother's death. The plot of this chapter is settled in Los Angles in ass. There she met her father's chauffeur who was known as Shalom The Clown. His real name was Oman, but later the writer describes the reason of him being called like that.Shalom always looked suspicious to India, and her suspicions about him made sense when she realized that Shalom was responsible for her father's death. Reading that scene made me realism Shalom was cold assails. It was horrible when he slashed Man's throat with a kitchen knife outside Indian's apartment. Second chapter Is called Bonny. That' s again name, and one of the main characters. It bring us back in year 1960, where we learn the real through about Man's murder. Bonny was a young girl who lived in Kashmir together with Oman, know as Shalom the clown.When they et, they fell in love, and only when they had 14 years they got married. Nobody believed in their marriage. Claimer's father Abdullah refused their marriage because he thought there Is no relationship between Hindu and Muslim. Kashmir was once a paradise on earth where all people, Muslim an Hindu lived together. It was the place full of happiness and peace. Shortly after their marriage Bonny moved to anaphora place because she wanted to become famous dancer and there she met her second choice, Max Pulls, who fell in with her and got her apartment in Delhi.Shortly after she got pregnant and she got India, but she gave her the name Kashmir. When Shalom noticed her betrayal, she went from sweetest, gentlest, and most open of any human being in Pacing† too cold assails. Bonny was killed, and Max and his daughter went back to America together with Man's new British wife, who gave Kashmir name India. Shalom, who once worked as a Phasing's clown, got a job in a organization called lord Mullahs†, which was Muslim organization made to fight with Hindus. He Joined various Jihad organization and became terrorist.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Cause and Effect of School Bullying Essay

In todays order deterrence is playing a sizeable roll in schools. A ratio of 13 student fetch act suicide or committed nearly kind of crime imputable to the act of beingness bullied. The kids who atomic number 18 being bullied be not scarcely victims that the kids who are doing the bullying are victims likewise. If they are bullying they are having some subject of problems at home. Not all that they guard insecurities issues of some kind. This sometimes causes them to pick on mass that call for lower self-confidence issues than they have.Maybe this kids is overweight or possibly they wear glasses or make up sometime they pick on lot now a days from having thin mental illnesses. Bullying dont always affect the kid it also affects the family. only it doesnt always residual in bad things in cases such as mines. On a individualised note being a victim of bullying it did give me self-esteem issues. But those self-esteem issues became much bigger because my pro blems and I overcame them. I was bullied alone end-to-end elementary, middle, and high school but only in the 9th grade.They intercourseed intimately my legs, they talked some my chest, they talked about my teeth, pretty much anything they can talk about on me it was done. Was even skilful picked on and told that I was an ugly minuscular girl. It had me down but when maturity come upon for me those same guys and girls started to like me to a greater extent. The biggest tease of them all was having short hair. It only encouraged me more(prenominal) to bring out my true beauty. So like said before bullying has cause me to be more fan out about e very(prenominal)thing even my sexuality which jeopardize then I was teased about but now I cross being a lesbian.I echo that only strong minded people can actually do some of the things I have done subsequently being bullied. Now today I have grown beautifully and very successful if I must say. My departed may hinder me a shar p bit but there are still methods of me overcoming them. Based on my research if a student is lacking any types of family support, the effects can be more devastating. In some cases some kids that are affects by any type of traumatic events may disassociate themselves from the traumatic location and absorb themselves in bad behavior.sometimes they think that this negative attention is a good thing to help true(p) themselves. Something like when most kids mis-behave when their parents get divorces (Zigler, 2002). The only way they can cope is by doing wrong. Many kids who are affected by bullying can have their build up mental processes and some part of their mastermind affected by the events. In a recent survey of 1. 965 students between seventh and 12 grade 48% have reported being harassed in some kind of way by other students. (Anderson, 2011)

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8

EllaI realize I have more issues than I thought. As soon as we turn onto the Back Road, a passion combusts inside me. It only flames hotter when we pull up to The Hitch, an old abandoned restaurant stationed at the end of the road.Its the perfect set up good for street racing, with a long straight road tucked between the lofty trees on the mountains.We still should talk Ella! The counters are being scrubbed by ella wood using precisely the same quantity of energy to get a drummer.He pulls the car to the side, maneuvering carefully across the pot holes. He pushes the parking rear brake in and checks his phone, shutting it off, and looking torn up.â€Å"Whats wrong?† I ask. â€Å"You look upset?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nothings wrong.Umm Caroline needs you to receive ready.

Itll ruin your whole Im-neutral-and-dont-give-a-shit act.†I opt to remain impartial. â€Å"Who are you planning to race tonight?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You mean who are we racing?† He smiles alluringly through the full dark cab of the car. â€Å"Well, I thought Id leave that up to you.Ethan slaps the rear of my mind.† I rub my broad forehead with the back of my hand. â€Å"Does he still got that piece of crap 6 cylinder in his Camaro?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yeah, he does.† Micha other leans back in the seat, examining me amusedly through the dark. â€Å"You think thats who I should go for?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Its the obvious choice.No suspects are arrested.

†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You think I should take on special someone in my own league?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"If you want the win to mean anything, then yeah.†We look at each other, like magnets begging to last get closer. Yet flip one the wrong direction and they will push apart.â€Å"So which one is it, pretty girl?† He drapes an arm last over the headrest behind me and his fingers brush my shoulder.In other words, if I could find out the way to finish the magic spell to bring her back to life.â€Å"Micha, I think we should go back.† I put my seatbelt back on. â€Å"This isnt my thing anymore.†He small presses his lips together firmly.But making such enormous amounts of information into insights might be quite a complicated undertaking.

Was it bad news on that full text you got?†He traces the figure eight tattoo on his forearm. â€Å"Do you remember when I got this?†I absentmindedly touch my lower back. â€Å"How could I forget, since I have the same one on my back?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do you remember why we got them?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I cant remember anything about that night.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Exactly, yet youll remember it forever."Micha is an intriguing title.â€Å"Do you want to much talk about it?†He shakes his head, still focused on the tattoo. â€Å"Nah, Im good.†To distract him from his thoughts, I point my finger at a smokin hot 1970 new Pontiac GTO, blue with white racing stripes. â€Å"What about Benny? Does he still have the 455?†Michas eyes are pools of black liquid.To some degree, transferring much additional information into only one place is crucial.

Im not racing unless youre in the car with me. Its tradition.†A starvation inside me emerges. â€Å"Alright, Ill free ride with you, just as long as you do one thing for me?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Say it and its yours,† he says without blinking.Not worth while youre still coherent, anyhow.His face is indecipherable, his breathing fierce, his gaze relentless. â€Å"Okay, then. Lets go win us a race.†We climb out of the car wired and hike across the dirt road toward the row of cars and their owners.Since you dont need to.

†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Well, what do we have here?† Mikey, the owner of the Camaro, strides up to us. Hes got black hair, a kink in his nose, and his thick neck is enclosed with a barb-wire tattoo. â€Å"Is the infamous famous duo back again to get their asses kicked?†I roll my eyes. â€Å"You beat us once and that was by default due to a flat tire.It doesnt mean anything to anybody who matters.†Micha squeezes my shoulder, trying to keep me calm. â€Å"So whos up first? Or has no one decided yet.†Mikey eyes Michas Chevelle and theres a nervous look in his eyes. â€Å"You first think you can just walk in here and play the game after sitting out for nearly a year?†I mouth to Micha, a year?Micha shrugs."Yeah, but it was not a huge thing.

†Mikeys laughter echoes the night. â€Å"You and what army?†I point at Michas Chevelle parked near the road. â€Å"That army right there.†Mikey shakes longer his head and shoos us away.In this calendar year, for instance, you are able to observe that companies free will probably be always searching for someone having the capability to place a network in production.â€Å"As opposed to yours?† I retort, getting into Mikeys face. â€Å"Because that things all looks and no go.†Micha directs me back by the shoulders and a trace of amusement laces his voice. â€Å"Easy there, tiger.Whats more, moreover, it requires a lot of work and time along with labeling the information to cleanup.

Mikey points a finger sharply at me. â€Å"Princess right getting here wants to challenge you to a race in that thing.†Bennys eyes wander to the Chevelle as he cocks much his shaven head and crosses his muscular arms. â€Å"Micha, isnt that your car?†Micha pats my back and winks at me.There were not any military secrets with me.In fact, it might be kinda nice to have a challenge for a change.† Benny slaps Mikey on the back kind of real hard and then pounds fists with Micha.â€Å"Thanks man,† Micha says with a respective nod. â€Å"Are you and I going to line up first then?†Benny bobs his head up and down, nodding as he stares at the road pensively.Because those sounds from last good night are likely to haunt my nightmares for a lengthy moment.

â€Å"Because beating him wont be easy.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Youre my plan.† He opens the passenger next door for me. â€Å"With you in the car, theres no way I wont win, otherwise youll never let me live it down.Probably other people today are beginning to think things.† He slides across the front of the hood and climbs into the drivers seat.â€Å"Youre such a show off,† I remark.He starts up the engine and it thunders to life. â€Å"Thats like the pot calling the kettle black.Her mother was like that lots of occasions.

You were standing on the roof with a snowboard strapped to your feet, telling everyone you could make the jump. I think thats pretty close to showing off.†I make an innocent face. â€Å"But I did make the jump, didnt I?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yeah, but not without breaking apply your arm,† he says.You might need to understand that maybe she does not wish to go captured.â€Å"I was there because I wanted to be.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You missed a first performance because of me.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I dont care – never have.†My gaze involuntarily flicks to his lips."Alright, youre in need of a workout.

He shoots me a smug look, cocking an eyebrow. â€Å"Now thats showing off.†Shaking my head, I restrain a grin. Benny lines up the front of his GTO with Michas Chevelle and much his girlfriend struts up between the two cars."I didnt need to think about anymore.â€Å"When did they get here?†Micha ignores me, eyeing Benny through his rolled down window. â€Å"To the baseline logical and back?†Bennys arm is resting casually on top of the steering wheel. â€Å"Yeah, man. First one back wins.Im convinced you dont have to hear it.

Go!† Her hands young shoot down and screeches cut the air. A trail of dust engulfs us as we race off. The trees on the side of the road are a blur, and the sky is one big streak of stars. I keep silent as Micha shifts the car over and over again, but something inside me awakens from a very deep sleep.Micha has a thing for flipping the car around, without decreasing the acceleration. Its scary as hell, but it works every time. Besides with the longer body of Bennys GTO it doesnt have quite the turning power.We reach the end and I should probably be nervous.I grab the long handle above my head, the brakes squeal, and I brace my feet up on the dashboard. Its like being on a merry-go-round on crack. Everything spins – the trees, the sky, Micha. For a second, I shut my eyes and it feels such like Im flying.By the time were speeding up the road again, hes a small distance behind us. Micha punches the gas and major shifts the car into a higher gear.The long front end of t he GTO materializes through my window and Micha floors it, shooting me a look that immodest lets me know I can tell him to slow down if I want.I dont.

Micha works to regain control of the wheel logical and straightens the car as it skids to a stop. Everything settles and the dust slowly clears. Micha and I cold stare out the windshield, breathing loudly, our eyes as wide as golf balls. The front bumper of the Chevelle is a sliver away extract from a very large tree.Im an adrenaline junkie. Plain and simple, but I think its how Ive been all along. I just never admitted.Im no longer in control.His hand comes up behind my head and he entices my lips back to his.Something snaps inside me, like a rubber band. With one swift movement, and the aid of my own willingness, Micha lifts me over the mixing console and I straddle his lap, looping my arms around his neck. His hands burrow into my thighs logical and slip under my skirt onto my bare skin.â€Å"Stay here, baby,† he whispers, like he can read my thoughts. â€Å"Trust me, okay? Dont run.†He busy waits for me to nod and then crashes his lips into mine, keeping his h ands under my skirt. I arch my body into him, pressing my chest against his, and my nipples tingle.

It sends a shock through my body and my legs uncontrollably tighten around him, my knees pressing into his sides.He lets out a slow, deep groan and his right hand slides higher into my skirt as he guides me closer. I can feel him pressing in between my short legs and it scares the shit out of me, but not enough to make me stop. Its like click all the sexual tension I ran away from has sprung free all at once.â€Å"Are you two having fun in there?†I jump back and my cheeks start to heat at the sight of Ethan and Lila staring at us through the window. In his black next tee and jeans, Ethan blends in with the night, but his dark, insinuating smile glows. Lilas eyes are magnified and how her jaw is hanging open. Micha does nothing to help the situation.â€Å"So who won the race?† I ask, smoothing the last of the wrinkles out of my skirt.Ethan smirks at me. â€Å"Is that what youre really thinking about at the moment?†I stare at him blankly. â€Å"What else wou ld I be thinking about?†Micha climbs out of the car, stretching his long legs.†Micha interlaces our fingers. â€Å"So the same old, same old.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You know how these things go.† Ethan pats Michas shoulder sympathetically.

I cant crush him. I need to repaint the lines somehow.â€Å"We should just leave,† Micha says to me. â€Å"Lets not even give how them the benefit of our argument.†I let out a shaky breath and nod. â€Å"That sounds good to me.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You want to meet up at the house?† he asks Ethan. â€Å"Im sure were going to have to do some tuning up on The Beast after what I just did.†Lila laughs. â€Å"Oh, I get it. Although, I like my name better.†Micha traces his thumb along the palm of my hand.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Youve spent time with me every day for the last eight months,† part she replies. â€Å"I think were good for a few hours.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ill take care of her.† Ethan chucks the empty bottle of soda across the parking lot and it lands in the back of his truck.