I went up to the roof for a break after studying for an hour and watched the 50 or so people swimming in the natural rock pool below our house. It was a sunny day--a blue, cloudless sky over a calm sea. But then, as I looked in the distance, I discovered three or four big waves heading towards the shore. I'd seen these mini-tsunamis(海啸) many times before. They were heading at speed in the direction of the pool. Most people knew how to look out for them, but from the screams that started coming from the beach, I could tell someone was in trouble.

Without thinking, I ran down into the street, holding my body board(俯伏冲浪板) on the way and shouted at a stranger to go inside my house and call the coastguard. My neighbor Moises had heard the screaming as well and was also outside with his body board, so together we rushed to the steps that led down to the sea.

Once we got closer, we discovered the waves had pulled a boy and a girl from the pool and into the open sea. I knew that the nearest boat would take at least 30 minutes to reach us. Waiting for help wasn't a choice. I wasn't used to this sort of emergency--I’d never been trained as a lifeguard-but I didn't think twice about trying to save them. I supposed in a way I wanted to impress everyone: at 19, a deal like that can seem like a good opportunity to show off.

Moises and I dived into the water and it took us 10 minutes to get to them. When we finally reached them, they were almost lifeless with only their heads coming in and out of the water. We could tell they were still alive from their small breaths but it was clear they wouldn't have been able to stay there much longer. I held the boy and pulled him over my board. Moises moved the girl onto his board. We discussed pushing them back to the shore, but we were too far out.

We had to wait.

That night, word came from the hospital that the two people were in good condition.

Hannah tightened her helmet, a man's voice boomed from the louder-speakers: "Participants in the Five-Mile Junior Fat-tire Race. Please gather behind the orange flags."

Her heart was filled with excitement. First prize was a mountain bike. On a bike like that, she'd fly through the woods.

"Three, two, one, go!"

The lead--dut(引路人) made turn onto section of single track(小道) and gathered speed. girl with red hair rolled in behind him. The lead-out sped up again. Hannah slowed down for the hill, following close behind the red-haired girl, but the girl was gaining speed.

Hannah sped up and pedaled(骑行) the downhill section. Still, the red-haired- girl biked faster. They crossed wooden bridge. The lead-out and the girl disappeared behind a thick stand of trees. When Hannah glanced over her shoulder, she saw nobody behind her.

Hannah watched for the orange arrows(箭头) marking the course and biked through the muddy fields. "The girl might still get tired, "she thought. Then Hannah saw her. At the edge of the forest, the girl was bending her knees by her bike, the lead-out next to her. The girl must have gotten a flat. Hannah biked faster. She didn't slow down the hill but pedaled harder. She wiped the sweat from her eyes, breathless. The lead-out noticed her and jumped on his bike. Hannah was close enough now to see the girl putting the chain on the chain ring

Hannah felt energy flowing through her as she followed the lead-out past the girl into the woods. Maybe she could win.

In the middle of a small grassland, Hannah looked back. The girl was coming up behind her at crazy speed.

“I need to stop and fix the sign, or the other racer might get lost.” She thought .

Looking at the shining mountain bike, Hannah felt like crying

My Own Label

It seemed to me that I had two different identities when I was in fifth grade. Outside of school, I was a reasonably happy kid who enjoyed spending time with my friends, reading or listening to rock music. When I was in class, however, I turned into a very different Denise, one who was on guard all the time, and one who wanted nothing more than to get through the day without being teased.

To my classmates I was strange, because I wasn’t just like them. The most obvious thing they focused on was that I didn’t wear the same designer clothes as they did. Designer clothes were beyond my family’s reach. My mother was a single parent, and she worked long hours to support our small household. As far as love and attention were concerned, I was rich beyond all imagination. I was supported and cared for. The only thing that my classmates cared for was fashion, though, and there, I was poor.

I never knew if my classmates would torment (戏弄) me in class, but on the bus I could count on it. My trips to and from school were the horrific, painful bookends to stressful days. One girl made a point of running over to my seat every morning to see what I was wearing, and then returned to her friends to laugh about it. I shrank into myself and stared out the window.

I was the smallest girl in my class. One of my classmates’   mothers noticed, and offered me a beautiful skirt that her daughter had outgrown. I wore it happily, thrilled to have a cool item of clothing for once. When I outgrew the skirt, my mother bought me a new one of my own, one without a label. When my classmate saw it, she shouted on purpose, “Oh, that’s not my skirt, is it? Where did you get this one, Denise? The poorhouse?” My classmates burst into laughter, and I slipped away, my eyes locked on the ground. I stopped wearing the skirt.

After fifth grade ended, over the summer, I spent a month at a day camp.

With the love and support of my new friends, I became more confident.