Assignment #11- Ellis Padgett- Luke & Haley

On the first day of school, Luke Plummer asked me what time class started. It was fifteen minutes into the class- clearly he wanted to know if 10-10 was over or not, as everybody had been milling around for quite some time. "1:10", is what I should have said. Instead, I told him, "Um, I think it's already started." Dumb answer. And now we sit by each other!
We sat by each other in ninth grade, too. Colonel Brown's class, first day. He asked us to get to know each other, and Luke proceeded show me how he can snap his fingers super, super fast. And that was my first impression of him- funny and relaxed, but smart.
This year, Luke proved his intelligence to me. It was just before a vocab test, and he told me hadn't studied. We began to go over the words. I was thinking listen, there is no way you can memorize twenty vocab words in three minutes. But lo and behold, he did. "I'm Boy Genius," he told me, and tapped his head. And heck, I believe him.
He plays football, and is great friends with Bradley. I think they're really funny together, but there's more to Luke than football. He is a nice, honest, and funny guy who I am sure has a bright future (even if I don't know where that future lies). He is naturally smart, but also very charismatic, and I am certain that will take him very far. In fact, last year during the end of year awards ceremony, I happened to be standing next to him when my mom waved at me. Understandably, Luke thought she was waving at him, and waved back (at least from my mom's point of view). But I think that sums up what Luke is: a genuinely friendly guy.
If I had to classify him as an animal, it would have to be an Orca. They are known for being tough (also classified as killer whales), but are also very "smart and social" according to National Geographic. They are the largest dolphins and are loyal to their pods- kind of like a football team!

To my right is another amazing person- Haley Noehren. Haley and I went to Tates Creek Middle School together. We have survived adventures such as Mrs. Gonzalez's class, and crazy whirlwind crushes that evolved via notebook paper (looking back, I was a terrible wing-man). Haley is known worldwide for her creative collaboration on the Donner Party song (with accompanying choreography), and is extremely intelligent and thoughtful. In my time sitting next to her in AP Lang, I have discovered that she is a brilliant writer, no matter how much she denies it. She is a dedicated, a true hard-worker.
But Haley does more than excel in school. She also spends her days running for the cross-country team, something I could never do and highly respect. This girl is strong!
Another special connection I share with Haley is our mutual love of the Disney movie Maleficent. It is a true work of brilliant cinematography and deserves more recognition.
I like sitting by Haley in class because she is funny but hardworking. I think she's a really good influence, and a genuinely sweet person. Henry Clay is fortunate to have a student as committed and involved as her.
If Haley were an animal, she would be a Bottlenose Dolphin. They are known for being smart, but also playful and fun.  They are very agile, and learn easily (so they can perform awesome tricks).  They are also active and sociable- just like Haley!