The Three Bakersteers

By Maryanne Alhallak

In the car, each girl had her own expression. Mikaylas face was as big as a balloon and as red as a tomato. Her eyes were popping out, and she sat there frozen. Sophia was breathing heavily and trying to hold herself by rocking back and forth in her seat. Olivia looked . . . dead. Her face was pale. She barely blinked, and she was frozen. Olivias mom smiled.

Thats good, girls! Now we wont have to suffer a car accident. They all continued doing what they were doing. Olivias mom sighed. Peace and quiet. What Olivias mom didnt know was that the peace and quiet she was talking about wasnt going to last long.

Olivia, an eleven-year-old girl, faces a new heartbreaking event in her life that separates her and her father. Trying to be reunited, Olivia faces the struggles of learning a new skill and working hard in merely three months with the help of her two amazing friends, Sophia and Mikayla. The three girls go through a very interesting, funny, and joyful roller coaster in order to achieve this goal. So are they going to do it? Or what will happen to the girls?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 22, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524580995

Maryanne Alhallak

Maryanne Alhallak was born in Damascus, Syria on December 4th, 2006. She was the youngest of three children, and the child of two caring doctors, Antone Alhallak and Rania Bara. Growing up there, she had everything she could ever need, but one day, everything changed. A war happened in Syria, and she had to move to America, leaving her dad behind. She was devastated, and she was only six. She struggled trying to understand what the teacher was saying, and had trouble concentrating on her studies. But, with the help of many people, and working hard, she learned to speak, write, and love English. Maryanne hopes to be a surgeon in the future like her father while writing books hoping to make the world a better place.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Maryanne Alhallak.

Edited by Joseph Alhallak

Cover art by Fadia Alhallak

ISBN:   Softcover              978-1-5245-8100-8

              eBook                   978-1-5245-8099-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 02/15/2017

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To my family, for helping me when I feel down, making me laugh, playing with me, for teaching me many things, and for being the best thing in my life. Thank you for everything you’ve given me.

Especially my dad, he means everything to me, and he would do anything to make me smile. He is the best father in the world, and I love him.

Thank you for everything, and I promise to make you happy.

And lastly, to my teacher, Ms. Ozanich. I’m so grateful to have her in my life, and for all the help she’s given me. She’s the best 4th grade teacher ever, I will always remember her.

Contents

Chapter 1 Moving

Chapter 2 First Night

Chapter 3 First Day of School

Chapter 4 L-Leaving?

Chapter 5 The Competition

Chapter 6 Lost and Alone

Chapter 7 A Team?

Chapter 8 The Perfect Mix

Chapter 9 And The Winner is…

Chapter 10 The Recipe of Friendship

The Recipe

Chapter 1

Moving

Here we are! Olivia’s mom yelled, at the top of her lungs.

This is it? Olivia asked, looking at the vines crawling up the building. It-It doesn’t feel like much of a home though… She sighed. She loved her last home because she had so many memories there. She had so many memories, she couldn’t understand why her family just sold them all away. She looked down as she looked at her suitcase. But-

It’s good enough, Olivia! At least we have a home! Now go inside and get unpacked! Her father’s voice boomed. Her eyes widened as she looked at him.

O-Okay d-dad… She gulped down a lump in her throat as she looked at her parents. Her mom was biting her lip and her dad looked frustrated. Why was he acting so grumpy? He always is the cheerful one in our family, like a newborn puppy! She walked inside and thought about it. What could be bothering him? I mean, it’s not like him to get mad at random reasons…. She continued walking without concentrating on where she was going. She looked at the building inside. There were cracked walls and dirty carpets. It looked as though vines were growing through the walls. There were holes in the walls and the stairs creaked with every step she took. A shiver was sent down her spine. Great, not only is my dad acting weird, but I’m living in a haunted house!

She was right, she should’ve been scared because someone was watching her.

Shh, you’re going to scare her, Bitsy! She heard a dog whimper. Her eyes flew open.

Umm, h-hello? She dragged her suitcase behind her. A-Anybody here? she stuttered.

Oh, yes, it’s me. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t speak, until, a dog ran at her. The dog jumped on her and began licking her like crazy! She couldn’t stop laughing!

Hahaha! Stop! The pug stopped, and grinned. Oh, sorry about her! A kind old man turned around as the pug ran back to him. I’m Charles. I live in the building too, I saw that you just moved in. Excited?

She knew she couldn’t lie so, she blurted out, Not really. It doesn’t feel like home and everything is so dark! Also, my dad is acting really weird. I just-don’t really know what to think about this place right now. My old home had so many memories. Now, another family is going to steal them all. She whimpered, forgetting he was right there. Wait, did I blurt that out loud? Sorry, sir! I didn’t mean to say all that to you…

He chuckled. Don’t worry. But, listen. When I moved into here, I thought the same thing as you. The place was built a long time ago, before I was born. So when I came here, everything was broken and dirty, and, well, my last home was where I got married and raised my children. I was too afraid to leave all that until, I realized something. For a house, it isn’t about a mansion or how big my bedroom is. It’s about all the memories that you make. I go to work in a middle school around here, it’s my last year working since I’m retiring next year, but I made the most amazing memories an old man can have at this place. Of course, I’ll always remember my old ones, but I also have to make new ones. So, I got a job, I got a pug, and, I made new friends. He chuckled as Olivia stared at his pug, smiling. Well, I gotta go! See ya later, neighbor!

She sighed and waved as he walked away. Bye! Umm, thanks! She thought about what he said. The words echoed in her mind.