Question

Here's part of a story I wrote called Glory Days. Its based in the 1940's, so I hope you enjoy! :)

Answer 1

that is the cover I made for the book and right below is one of the parts to the story :)

Answer 2

Shirley looked in the window of the ballet studio. She desired to be one of them, they were beautiful, flawless, and absolutely perfect in everyway. She watched as the ballerina students danced and practiced their moves. The instructor would do a move and they would follow. She began to follow as well. Every move they did, she did to. Until she became so absorbed in her dancing it was as if she was in a different place. She felt peaceful and absolutely happy. As she danced and swirled, a loud voice shook her world apart and it crumbled back into reality. Shirley looked up and saw the dance instructor she was standing right infront of her, while the ballet students were inside the studios snickering and laughing at Shirley.
“What is your name little girl?”
“My name is Shirley Belle.” She said in shy voice
“What are doing here outside my studio?”
“I was looking at the lovely dancing.”
“Do you have any intention of coming to learn at my studio?”
“Oh, I wish!.... It’s just that….”
“Just what?”
“It’s that… I...that…”
“Speak up child, I don't have all afternoon.”
“I don’t have any money.”
“Have you asked your parents?
“They don’t have any either.”
“If that’s so, then you have no business being here. You are a distraction to my students and I can’t have any delays.”
Shirley just stood there with her head down.

The dance instructor didn’t wait for her to respond she just went back inside the studio and clapped her hands two times and continued on with the ballet lesson. Shirley looked through the window one last time, ballet was everything she dreamed of. It was her very being, she just was too young to explain it. She felt as if she was made to dance and every time she did she was in a better place than the place that the world gave her. She had a talent for sure, she just didn’t know it was talent. She was gifted, and nobody seemed to recognize it. She walked away from the studio with a heart of broken hope.
Shirley Anne Belle, that’s what her name was. She was a quiet girl that would usually shy away from a crowd. No one paid her much attention, which she would rather prefer. When she walked home, she’d usually take the long way to be unnoticed. Everybody at school thought she was a smart sweet girl that never got into any trouble, which was partly true. Some even thought she lived the perfect life with a pretty dress and tiny raven black shoes. Could it all just have been a lie? Shirley looked as if she had the finest clothes, but did she hide the patches in her stockings with a long skirt or even hide the unfitted shoes by squeezing her toes making them blister? All this could it have been hidden with a lovely face? A sweet smile? No one would have ever suspected, no one would have ever noticed, if they even bothered to take a check, they all just carried on with their busy lives.
Shirley wasn’t rich, even though her classmates would like to think she was, she lived in the same neighborhood as Mark Torres, although she was probably well better off than his family was. It was in the city and the houses were close together which was convenient for all of the neighbor kids who would come out and play baseball in the alley’s.
She walked around the muddy puddles in the street to get to her house. The city area wasn’t the prettiest place to live, it was somewhat dirty and unclean at times. Some people would dofine the place as slums.

As she opened the front door to her house it made a loud squeak. She walked in, nobody was home except her pet cat, Pudding, whom she loved, and kept her company. She went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to get a snack. All that was there was three eggs, a half eaten banana, spoiled milk, leftover chicken, and three packs of beer. She had no other choice but to take the banana and start eating.
She ate it and it seemed satisfying to her little stomach. When she was done she sat outside waiting for her older brother, Henry to come home or for her mother to come home from work. She sat there with Pudding, whom she’d talk to from time to time. He’d purr and brush up against her thin legs. She looked at his eye, there was a small scar which caused his right eye to be smaller than the left one, she leaned over and kissed it. She always did this. She did it because she felt sorry for him.
She’d say,
“Pudding, you still look handsome. No matter what other people say, I think your the best looking cat I’ve ever seen.”
The cat gave a little meow which Shirley took as a ‘thank you.’
She looked up and saw her brother walking towards her.
“Henry!” she let out with excitement.
Henry was a wonderful brother to Shirley. He also wanted the best for her and he’d make sure she was taken care of even if he was just ten years old.
“Guess what I saw today?”
“What did you see?” he asked holding a baseball bat.
“I went into town and saw ballerinas! They were beautiful Henry!” She saw with so much enthusiasm.
“That’s cool.”
“I wanna be one.” She said in a quite downcast voice.
“I know you do Shirley.”
“The ballet teacher said I needed money to dance.”
“Nah, I don’t think you need money to dance Shirley. That’s a pathetic answer. All you need for dancing is feet.”
“But, Henry… I need someone to teach me how to be the best ballerina.”
“All they want is to get your money Shirley. Anyone can dance. You can teach yourself.”
“But I’m not even done with school I, I’m not a teacher!”
Henry thought for a moment then said,
“I was in school yesterday and my teacher, Sr. Cecilia said that if we put our minds to something we can do anything with the help of God.”
“Maybe… that might be right.”

As night fell Shirley still had her thoughts on getting lessons from a teacher and not herself. She was in bed and she couldn’t get any sleep. She had to tell her mother about it but she didn’t know how. She couldn’t tell her father because he would often get angry at her for speaking. So she waited in bed until she heard her mother come home from work. Her mother usually routine would be to put her bags on top of the kitchen table then go straight to the bathroom and run the water to take a hot bath.
She slowly stepped out of her room making sure she didn’t wake up Henry on her way past his bed. He was in a deep peaceful sleep. She walked into the hallway clinging tight to her stuffed bunny for the fear of the monsters that hid in the dark shadows of the night. She could see the light of her mothers room and she tipped toed towards it. She held her breath trying her hardest not to make a single noise. She feared waking up her father more than she feared the dark. She stood in front of the doorway of her mother’s bedroom. Her mother was standing in front of a mirror. She held up a beautiful gown in front of her as if to imagine she was wearing it and dancing at a royal ball.
“Mother?”
Her mother was startled by Shirley’s soft voice and turned around to see her daughter standing there in the doorway.
“Stars, What’s the matter? Had a nightmare?” She asked quickly putting away the dress in a box.
“Mother, I can’t sleep.” Shirley said walking closer to her.
“Why not sweetie?”
“Because I want to be a ballerina,” her mother started to laugh. “Mother I need money to take lessons.”
Her mother continued to laugh and said,
“Stars, you can’t be a ballerina.”
“Why can’t I?”
“Because, well because we don’t have any money and you don’t like ballet. Trust me it’s an awful type of dance. You wouldn’t be good at it anyway.” her mother said with a big smile.
“But mother I…”
“Stars… look at you. Honey you weren’t made to be a ballerina. Look at me.”
Shirley looked at her mother who had a pretty but thin face. She looked tired and weary.
“I too wanted to become something, but look…” her mother looked at herself in the mirror and slowly touched her face. She soon forgot who she was talking too and began to speak her thoughts,
“Did I become what I dreamed of being? No… I didn’t. My mother told me I was a failure. I guess I am. I never was able to become what she became. I wasn’t beautiful enough… or smart enough… I was just plain old me…” She looked at her daughter and realized that Shirley was just only seven years old and nothing can change the past.
“You were made for much greater things than to become a dancer.” She said finishing off the conversation.
“But… I...”
“Hush child… now, let’s not talk about it any more. My head hurts and I want to rest. You won't ever be a ballerina.”
“Yes, mother.” She said with disappointment.
“Go now and get some sleep.”

Shirley walked out of her mother’s bedroom and went to her own bedroom. She went to bed like this every night, softly crying herself to sleep. Somedays she would cry because she was hungry, other days she’d cry because her father hit her. She was oblivious of why things happened the way they did. All she knew was her father was never there and when he was, Hank would tell her to go play outside, and her mother kept spending long hours just staring at an old dress and putting on makeup.

She was sad. She curled up in her bed and and tried her hardest not to wake up Henry from her crying but she was too late.
“Shirley? Is that you?” He whispered.
“I’m sorry I woke you Henry…” She said behind her sniffles.
“It’s all right Shirley. What’s the matter? Why are you crying?” Henry asked sitting up in bed.
She just shook her head and wiped her tears.
“Was it pa Shirley? Did he hurt you?”
“No, Henry. I asked mother about ballet. She told me…” she started to cry and couldn’t seem to finish her words.
Henry moved closer to Shirley and put his arm around her and wiping her tears with his other hand.
“It’s okay Shirley. Don’t cry… I’m right here.” he said giving her a light squeeze.
“She told me… I will never become a ballerina.” She said bursting into tears that came down like a waterfall.
“Shirley… Please don’t cry. Ma doesn’t mean what she says. She probably had a rough day and is really tired.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, I do. She might be catching a cold or something.”
“If that’s so, Ma’s had a cold for a really long time.”
“Yeah, she needs some peace in quiet for now, okay Shirley?”
“Okay Henry.”
“Let’s go to sleep now.” Henry said lying back down to go to sleep.
“Henry?”
“Shirley?”
“If I can’t get ballet lessons, I’m not going to give up. I’ll just have to teach myself.”
“That’s my girl! and I promise you… you will be the very best ballerina ever.”
“good night Henry.”
“Sweet dreams Shirley.”

Answer 3

sorry it's so long :/

Answer 4

its really good let me know if you write more :)

Answer 5

how long have you been working on this?

Answer 6

I'd say... almost a year, I've only covered 3 chapters though :P If you'd like to read all of the three chapters pm me and i'll send them to you :)

Answer 7

ikr?

Answer 8

O_O so long.It' good.

Answer 9

Haha thank you Becca!!! <3

Answer 10

Its so good!! :D

Answer 11

Thank you so very much!!! :) I'll post more or have a link to the book- or have it published in that manner :P

Answer 12

lol

Answer 13

0.o

Answer 14

i'm not sure if thats a negative or a positive face :P

Answer 15

tis good it stinx that you have been working on it for so long tho.

Answer 16

no it doesn't haha.... it takes writers many years until they actually finish their book especially if my story is 3 parts long :P That's the best thing about a writer~ the longer they work on it and rewrite it the better it becomes. "Never doubt there's not enough room for your writing to get better, cause there's no thing as perfection in writing- it can always get better." :D ~said my very awesome mother who's a writer

Answer 17

okay I guess so but i have no professional input on my stories and I have been working on it for a Month tops and i have already finished the 1st chapter.

Answer 18

that's awesome!!! <3 you'll go far if you keep it up!

Answer 19

tank yous.

Answer 20

gtg bye

Answer 21

There are so many grammar and spelling mistakes in here... I wonder how you guys read passed those. I'm terribly sorry about that :P

Answer 22

It's great @linda3 ! I'm working on my own book. :3
Well, I mean books, lol. :D

Answer 23

heheheh... yeah I have like over 5 books i'm working on :P ....

Answer 24

Oh please, I have thirty. (/)v(\)

Not trying to get competitive, though. I hope all of them are a success Ciel! ~hugs you~

Answer 25

thank you!!! :D ~hugs Darry~

I hope yours are a success as well! ~at least one of them ;-)

Answer 26

Hue hue Cielykins. c;

Answer 27

Well I see this escalated. I'm gonna casually leave this post.