Um... Hello?

What do you think of my new header/background? I thought it looked pretty good. Do you have any ideas as to how I could change my blog? Maybe a new name or something like that? Or do you like it the way it is? Do you have any ideas about what I should post about? Or do you like my posts the way they are? Should I do a contest?
My mom, me, and my sister went to the Fabric store yesterday! I got material for a shirt and for a dress. The dress is for a wedding I'm going to in May.

Me and my friend are writing a story together. (This time, I wrote for Jewel, my friend wrote for Ellen. Sometimes we switch it up though, and I write for Ellen and she writes for Jewel) What do you think?

Jewel

I took my first hesitant step into the snow then glanced around to make sure no one was following. I was doing a special delivery to Professor Larry Maiz, a rich man who owned a successful science academy. He also worked secretly for the government. I had always been a particular favorite of his because I enjoyed science as much as him. But he kind of scared me too. I mean, I don't know what kind of work he does for the government, but I'm guessing that he's pretty dangerous. If I were up against him, there wouldn't even be a struggle. It's obvious who would win. The government would never take my word over his. I'm just a regular citizen. He's an ultra important person who's getting paid a lot of money to do what he does, whatever it is.
Anyways, back to my delivery. What I have in this package is super dangerous. People all over the world want to get their hands on this one piece of paper, and I'm holding it in my hands.
I knew I didn't have any time to waste, so I hurried down the street. When I reached the end, I glanced in the reflection of the metal mailbox beside me. No one behind me. I willed myself to not look back again as I tramped through the snow, trying not to look like someone holding very important papers that could harm a lot of people who didn't even know that the papers existed.
Want to know what's written on them that makes them so great? They hold the plans for a nuclear bomb. If the wrong people got a hold of these... well, let's not discuss that.
I finally walked up the street that Professor Maiz's office was on.
That was the longest few minutes of my life.
I tried to open the door quietly, so as not to attract attention, but a little bell jingled as I walked in. Everyone in the waiting area of the office building looked up. I felt like everyone in the room was staring at the papers I held in my hand, so I quietly crept up to the desk and told the secretary I had an appointment with one of the professors. A girl, not much older than me, took my request.
"Name?" she asked.
"Jewel,"
"Last name?"
"Vallie."
She sorted through some files. Finally, she looked up. "Oh, yes. You're the girl meeting with Professor Maiz. Am I right?"
"Yes."
"Right this way please."
She stood and took me through a door with a sign that read "PRIVATE. KEEP OUT. EMPLOYEES ONLY."
Her high heeled shoes made a strange clicking sound on the office floor as she walked. "Here's his office. Just go right in."
I slowly turned the door knob and peeked in to the room.
Professor Maiz didn't seem me. I opened the door a little wider and cleared my throat.
Professor Maiz jumped as I entered. "Oh. It's you Jewel. Do you have the papers?"
He nervously adjusted his tie and sat up a little straighter.
"Right here. Just like I promised."
Professor Maiz seemed very jumpy. But I had to consider the fact that he was about to carry around the plans for a nuclear bomb that lots of other dangerous people were trying to get a hold of.
"Good-bye Jewel. Thanks."
I stared at him open mouthed."You expect me to just waltz on home as if nothing had happened and sit on my rocking chair with a cup of tea watching the evening news, like everything is just fine and dandy?"
Professor Maiz looked tired and frustrated. "I don't want to argue Jewel. Just leave me alone. I have a lots or problems right now and I need time to think."
I shook my head. "I'll leave for now. But I will be back tomorrow!"
"Jewel, there is nothing else. Just mind your own business and go home."
"No."
"What do you mean, 'no'? This is my office. I hired you. I can decide, and my decision is made. You aren't even an officially hired. I can fire you when ever I want."
"I don't care what you say," I said stubbornly. "I want to help and I will. I'll be here tomorrow bright and early to help you with whatever needs doing."
Professor Maiz looked too tired to argue. "Fine, but there won't be much."
Or you'll just keep stuff back from me, I thought. Though I felt a little guilty suspecting the professor, who had been my friend for years.
I left the office deep in thought. I decided the best thing to do was to just show up tomorrow and see what happened.
When I arrived back at my apartment, my roommate, Amy Hine, was baking cookies.
"Hey Jewel! Where were you?"
"I was... uh, somewhere."
"Sure," Amy said. I could tell she wanted to press further, but she knew her limits. "Want a snack?"
I was lost in thought and didn't hear her question, so she repeated it.
"Would you like a snack?"
"Uh-huh."
"Jewel? Are you okay?"
"I think I need to just go to my room and be alone for a while."
"Fine. I'll be out here if you need anything."
I could feel Amy's eyes on my back as I turned around and went to my room.
I fell really bad, not trusting Professor Maiz. Me and him have been friends for who knows how long, and I am suspecting him of something illegal. I'm probably just being overly careful, but he seemed a little strange today. And that guy he was talking to on the phone didn't exactly sound too friendly either. But I shouldn't worry. I'm just over-reacting. Professor Maiz is really a very nice man. I'm sure he would never do anything to hurt me. Would he?
I didn't like doubting the professor, but something about him today had made me wonder.
The next morning I hoped to find out what was going on. I lay down under my blanket and fell into a fitful sleep.

________________________________________________________

"Jewel! Do you know what time it is?"
I rolled over and glanced at the clock.
"9:56," I called back.
"All right. Just wanted to make sure you knew how late it was," Amy replied.
Suddenly it hit me. 9:56? I must have slept in! I need to get to Professor Maiz's office right away!
I pulled on a soft, furry sweater and jeans before heading over to the bug-shaped mirror on my wall. I combed my short brown hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. Then I hurried from my room and into the main living area.
"Bye Amy! Don't have time for breakfast!" I rushed past her.
"Jewel, where are you go..."
Her voice slowly faded away as I hurried to the office building where Professor Maiz was. The same secretary was there. She took me up to Professor Maiz's office room, same as yesterday. But one thing was not the same, the door was locked.
I knocked.
Professor Maiz asked, "Who is it?"
"Me."
"Me who?"
"Me: are we going to keep playing silly door games or are you going to let me in. This is serious. Professor Maiz: Sure! I'd love to let you in and tell you all my secret plans!" I said.
"That's what you'd like me to say," Professor Maiz replied.
But despite the fact that Professor Maiz didn't want me to be there, I could hear him laugh.
"So can I come in?"
I could almost hear Professor Maiz contemplating my question. "Fine. But don't be disappointed if there's nothing for you to do."
"I won't," I replied, now more determined then ever to have something to do. "What were you planning to do today?"
Professor Maiz pondered this for a minute. "I don't really know. I am still deciding what to do with the nuclear bomb plans."
"Why not bury them? Or, even better, tear 'em up into a million pieces and then bury them," I suggested.
He shook his head. "They can not be destroyed. If the other people that want them found out we destroyed them, we would be in huge trouble! They could possibly sue me and my boss."
"And just who exactly is your boss?"
"Private."
"Do you have any co-workers?" I asked.
"That's classified information."
"I thought as much," I replied. "So, do you have any ideas about what to do with the papers?"
"Nope."
I groaned. This could take a while.




________________________________________________________

Ellen

It was dark when I came home.
My house was large and towered high above the smaller houses in the surrounding neighborhood. It was much to big for just two people.
I quietly open the door of my two story house.
"Dad?" I whispered into the dark house. No answer.
I hurried up the stairs and down the hall. A light sneaking through the crack in the door of my father's den. I crept closer and peeked in.
My dad was leaning back in his big office chair with his feet on his desk.
"Yes, I know." I jumped before I realized he was on the phone. I strained to hear more. It wasn't to hard. My dad talked in a loud business voice. Which gave you a hint of what his job was.
"What's-her-name, Jewel, delivered the plans today. I'll send them to you."
There was a slight pause. I wondered what my dad was talking about.
"I'll fly out a week tomorrow with the papers."
He stopped talking for a moment.
"This is illegal! I don't want to risk it! I could be caught by the police! This is concurring a country, not- Yes. Sure. Alright... I'll be there."
My dad hung up and tossed the cordless phone onto to the recharger. He muttered something under his breath and stood. I rushed to my room and leaned against the door. I stood listening as he walked down the stairs.
As I took a shower and got ready for bed I thought about what I had heard. "This is illegal!" This sentence rolled around in my head as I thought. My dad? Doing something illegal? How 'illegal'? "I could be caught by the police!" Oh, that illegal. "I have to stop him." I whispered as I slipped my pj's. But who would believe me? I had no proof but what I had heard. And even that wasn't reliable. Suddenly it occured to me my father had mentioned a name. "What's-her-name, Jewel, delivered the papers.." Jewel... I had to find Jewel. Was she that girl that had come yesterday? And today as well? I hoped she would come tomorrow again. I slipped under the covers of my fluffy bed and lay there staring at the ceiling. It was going to be a long night.
Suddenly I sat up. "Darn it! Tomorrow's Saturday!" I began to run my fingers through my blond hair. "Should I wait 'till Monday?" No. To late. I had to find Jewel tomorrow. I lay down again and waited for sleep to come. Not that it would.

________________________________________________________


I groggily stumbled out of bed. I finally ended up sleeping last night. It was hard though, worrying about what my father could be doing. I got changed into some grey sweat pants and a bright red t-shirt. I slipped on my jacket and boots and quietly went out the door. The cool morning air was thick with dew and the sun shone brightly through the few clouds that dotted the light blue sky. The snow crunched under my feet as I stepped off the porch. I jumped into my car and drove to the office building where I worked. My father was a professor working in the same building.
I walked through the doors of the office building. The lobby was a large room with a high ceiling and tall windows that let the sun stream through.
"Your not working today Ellen," Said one of the other workers.
"I know, I'm just looking for something."
I went to the back of the counter and opened a drawer. Jewel...now what was her last name? Vallie! I searched through files of appointments and finally found what I was looking for. I jotted down her address on a note pad on the counter and ripped off the paper. I pulled my jacket closer to my body as I hurried to my car and drove to the address on my paper.
I stopped in front of the apartment and went inside. I knocked on the door and a girl answered.
"Hello." She said with a sweet smile.
"Hi. Are you Jewel?"
"No, I'm Amy Hine, Jewel's roommate. I'll get her if you like. Are you a friend of hers?"
"Not really."
"Oh?"
"She knows my father."
"Won't you come in? I'll go get her."
"Thank you." I stepped into the warm apartment. The smell of fresh baking hung in the air. Amy came back with a girl I recognized. It was Jewel. "Could I talk to you Jewel?"
Jewel looked confused. "Do I know you?"
I sighed. "Not really. My name is Ellen. I need to talk to you. About my father, Professor Maiz. You brought him some papers, correct?"
A look of surprise crossed Jewel's face. "Professor Maiz is your father?"
"Yes. Now, about my question?"
"Yes, I brought him the papers."
"I need to tell you something," I said. "You may think it's crazy, but I think something's up at the office."
"This way." Jewel nodded toward a room off the sitting room. "We can talk in here."
"Thanks." I followed her. "I'm afraid my father's up to something. Something terrible."

And here's a story just I am working on.

Chapter one

Alarms were going off around me.

I lay as still as I could and clutched my father’s hand. I was worried that he would give away my hiding place. Even though I had told him to be quiet, my father’s brain is not quite right. That is why he was put into an insane asylum.

But that is not why I’m trying to get him out of the asylum. Actually, the reason I’m trying to get him out of the insane asylum is because I want him to take possession of an aquarium that has been in my family for years, but when my father went crazy and got sent to the asylum, someone else took over the aquarium, someone who isn’t related to me. That, as you can imagine, kind of ticked me off. So I decided to go get my dad out of the insane asylum so he could take over the aquarium. That way it would stay in the family. I know he isn’t quite right in his head, but I can help him manage it.

I could hear people yelling.

“Andrew Hansen has escaped! Sound the alarm!”

My father, who was Andrew Hansen, looked a little nervous. I could tell he wanted to leave the insane asylum just as much as I wanted to him to leave it.

“They won’t find us, will they, Jill?” he asked.

I tried to sound sure of myself as I replied, “I don’t think so. We’re pretty well hidden here under your bed.”

He looked comforted. I wish I felt as relaxed as him. But if he were not slightly, shall we say, crazed in the head, then he probably would realize just how intense the situation really was.

“Okay dad. We’re going to go over the plan one more time. My friend Sarah is going to distract the guards while we get out of here!”

“How?”

“We have two ways out.”

“And they are?”

I thought for a moment. “We could make a break for it…or we could use the secret tunnel I discovered when I was looking at the building’s blueprints.”

My dad didn’t even consider it. “Let’s make a break for it.”

“I think it would be best to use the secret tunnel,” I said, smiling slightly.

He looked disappointed. “Why?”

“Because the tunnel’s closer,” I replied.

“Fine, take me to the tunnel.”

I walked to the other end of the room and lifted up a figurine that had been sitting there. The bottom had an “ON/OFF” switch.

I flicked the switch to “ON.”

The wall began to open up. The room started to shake. Books tumbled off the shelves and all the expensive artifacts smashed on the floor.

“What’s happening?” my dad asked.

“I read up on it. This tunnel is meant to be used once. After it’s used, I think it destroys this entire floor. So hurry up and get into the tunnel!”

My dad got onto his hands and knees and crawled into the tunnel. I went in after him. The floor shook as we crawled down the tunnel, making it hard to move. I was feeling claustrophobic. I’ve never been good with tight spaces.

“What’s happening?” I heard people on the floor below us screaming. “The ceiling is moving! Is it an earthquake?”

“Come on Dad! We’re almost to the second floor!" I encouraged him.