Brand management Essay Example for Free

Brand management Essay 1) What is the product mix of Trung Nguyen? What are the key attributes of its coffee? How do these attributes help Trung Nguyen to differentiate itself from its competitors? The product mix refers to the total composite of products offered by Trung Nguyen coffee. It consists of different product lines, various product items in each product line and within each item is the product depth. Firstly, the product line is a group of product or service items that are closely related because they are sold to the same consumer groups, are marketed through the same types of outlets, have similar usage or fall within given price ranges. Thus, Trung Nguyen Coffee’s product lines are: Trung Nguyen Coffee, Passiona Coffee and G7 Instant Coffee. The Passiona Coffee targets at consumers looking for low-caffeine coffee and especially women, while the G7 Instant coffees are made for people who are too busy to brew a cup of coffee themselves. Trung Nguyen Coffee has 3 different product items, namely Creative Coffee, Blend Coffee and Espresso Coffee. Passiona Coffee consists of 2 product item, Passiona roasted coffee and Instant Passiona coffee. As for the G7 Instant Coffees, the product items are G7 Pure soluble, G7 Cappuccino and G7 Instant 3-in-1 coffee. Lastly, product depth is the number of variants in a product item. Trung Nguyen’s product depth of Creative coffee includes the Weasel Coffee and Legendee Coffee. Also, some variations of G7 Cappuccino are the Mocha G7 cappuccino and Hazelnut G7 cappuccino. Different sizes of coffees are considered as product depth as well. For example, the G7 Instant 3-in-1 coffee is sold in 3 different sizes: a box of 18 cafe sticks, a bag of 22 sachets or a bulk pack bag of 100 sachets. Table1: Summary of product mix of Trung Nguyen | Product lines| | Trung Nguyen Coffee| Passiona Coffee| G7 Instant Coffee| Product items| -Blend coffee-Espresso coffee-Creative coffee Product depth: Weasel coffeeLegendee coffee| -Passiona roasted coffee-Passiona instant coffee| -G7 Pure soluble-G7 cappuccinoProduct depth:Mocha G7 cappuccinoHazelnut G7 cappuccino-G7 instant 3-in-1Product depth:box of 18 cafe sticksbag of 22 sachetsbulk pack bag of 100 sachets| Key attributes refer to the most important characteristics of a product. Trung Nguyen makes its point of difference through its key attributes like using the best coffee beans, unique brewing style and the new coffee concept. Trung Nguyen has a unique selling point because some coffees offered cannot be found anywhere else. Its coffees are authentically Vietnamese. For example, the Weasel coffee is produced based on the legend in Vietnam. To differentiate itself from its competitors, these key attributes must communicate benefits for consumers. The coffee offered by Trung Nguyen is of a higher quality compared to other coffee brands because they use the best coffee beans sourced from four of the world’s best coffee-growing regions. In addition, Trung Nguyen is awarded with the EureGAP certificate for its good agricultural practices such as having consistently good quality coffee beans and using environmentally friendly technologies. Coupled with their oriental secrets, consumers would prefer Trung Nguyen because their coffee is brewed much more aromatic and rich. Trung Nguyen used their new concept of coffee to set up a â€Å"Creative Coffee House† in order to differentiate itself and gain market share. It is now well-known for the innovative clubhouse whereby customers can enjoy coffee in a beautiful and sentimental ambience while experiencing Vietnamese cultural events and exhibitions. For consumers who value such innovative product services, they will choose Trung Nguyen’s coffee over the other â€Å"grab a coffee to go† coffee styles. 2) What are the roles of branding? What are the benefits of branding to sellers and buyers in the coffee market. The role of branding is to create an identity for the product. The identity created can have some personalities and can gain brand equity. Benefits of branding Some benefits of branding for sellers of the Trung Nguyen coffee are that they are able to accentuate the bases of differentiation from its competitors due to its distinct identity. They can obtain legal protection like trademarks to avoid copycats of their brand. The counterfeit products are capable of stealing Trung Nguyen’s sales when consumers are unsure of how the real packaging of coffee looks like. There is also a chance for the counterfeit coffee to ruin Trung Nguyen’s reputation. Consumers who bought the counterfeit coffee by mistake may view Trung Nguyen to be of a lousier quality instead. All this would be effectively prevented by branding because counterfeiting is an offense. Brand equity is created by branding and careful marketing. Trung Nguyen can in turn earn higher profits as consumers are willing to pay a higher price for this particular brand of coffee. Also, brand equity can lead to higher economic value of the brand, whereby it becomes an asset for Trung Nguyen when it wishes to sell its brand. Last but not least, Trung Nguyen can achieve brand loyalty through creating preferences towards their brand. If Trung Nguyen coffee is able to sustain a consistently good quality coffee product, consumers would remember the brand, spread the word around and continually purchase its coffee. On the buyers end, they may reap the most benefits from Trung Nguyen’s branding. Coffee is a convenience product and it is important to make it easy to find. Consumers will be able to correctly identify the products in a short period of time due to Trung Nguyen’s branding thus becoming more efficient shoppers. Furthermore, consumers may gain assurance of product quality and performance. Employees need to ensure products offered are of consistently good quality and so are specially trained to deliver this promise. Consumers will remain loyal to Trung Nguyen coffee because they are satisfied with this brand and have no need to search for another. 3) What constitutes the brand identity of Trung Nguyen? What is your evaluation of this identity? How can the brand identity be improved? Brand identity is the noticeable elements of a brand and also what the organization wants consumers to perceive the brand as. It constitutes of â€Å"Trung Nguyen† as its name, the logo and its tagline â€Å"Explore creative inspiration† A successful brand name should reflect the personality and values of the brand, be simple, memorable, positive and emotional. A logo is the image that embodies an organization. It is one of the most prominent branding elements that consumers will think of when someone mentions the company. A good brand logo should be memorable, futuristic and consistent and be able to portray the benefits to its target audience. The tagline must be simple and easy to remember. It also needs to remain short since the tagline is always incorporated into many marketing pieces. Evaluation of brand name: Consumers associate Trung Nguyen to â€Å"Central highlands† which refers to Dak Lak, the county capital of coffee where green coffee is grown. This gives an advantageous association between Trung Nguyen and high quality and fresh coffee beans. Also, the brand name represents the uniqueness and richness of the Vietnamese culture. However, the name Trung Nguyen does not hold any meaning for non-Vietnamese. This may alienate consumers from other parts of the world. Another bad point could be that its name is hard to pronounce for non- Vietnamese consumers. Possible improvements: Because the company’s name has been around since 1996 when it was founded, it cannot be changed otherwise the company has to build up brand awareness from scratch all over again. Thus, the company should work hard in educating people and let them understand the positive association between Trung Nguyen and â€Å"Central highlands†. For example, they could use their existing Internet website and include this under the â€Å"learn more† option. People visiting the website can then learn about the association and slowly adopt Trung Nguyen as their favourite coffee. Evaluation of logo In my opinion, the logo might be a little small and insignificant. Psychological influences such as selective exposure and retention affects consumer buying behaviour. For example, the appealing cup of coffee printed on its packaging of Creative coffee may distract the consumers from the brand name. The logo is also unattractive and boring due to the usage of dull and non-contrasting colours. The font used in the logo has little stylistic variations making it rather boring as well. Possible improvements Firstly, the logo should be scaled to a bigger size. Also, the marketing manager of Trung Nguyen can make use of brighter and more contrasting colours to make its logo more outstanding and attention-catching. The font could be changed to something cursive. This can better capture consumer’s attention thus leaving a deeper impression and resulting in better brand memory and recognition. For example Coca Cola, with its logo in a strikingly bright red background and white cursive words, is very successful at making sure that every consumer remembers it. Evaluation of tagline: Trung Nguyen’s tagline â€Å"Explore creative inspiration† consists of only 3 simple words hence should be relatively easy for everyone to remember. However, Trung Nguyen tagline is still quite foreign to people across the globe as they do not use much above-the-line marketing. Possible improvements Through the print media and mass media, Trung Nguyen can improve this aspect of its brand identity. The marketing manager could set up a Facebook page and make it known to people. Maintaining a Facebook page is relatively low-cost as compared to constant TV advertisements. Because millions of people are using Facebook, it is very effective for Trung Nguyen to get their brand identity across. Another point of improvement also through the mass media is through its online website. Perhaps the tagline can be added in the â€Å"history of Trung Nguyen† tab as it is currently not. On top of that, they can make use of emotional branding to elicit a favourable emotional response. Adding emotional words like â€Å"Happy†, â€Å"Healthy† and â€Å"Beautiful† could boost sales of their coffee. As consumers become increasingly aware of health and beauty these days, Trung Nguyen can market more of their Passiona coffee which is enriched with collagen, vitamin PP and other rare oriental herbs through its tagline. 4) What is the branding strategy of Trung Nguyen? What are the advantages and risks of this branding strategy? Trung Nguyen uses an umbrella branding strategy. Different types of coffees have a sub-brand which combines the corporate brand with a new brand. Trung Nguyen’s Passiona Roasted coffee and Trung Nguyen’s Espresso coffee are 2 examples. Advantages of umbrella branding: Capitalizing on the existing brand equity of Trung Nguyen, it can sell newly introduced products quickly. Consumers who have had a good experience with its coffee will transfer this favourable attitude to new items. For instance, Trung Nguyen’s Creative coffee may have been developed earlier than Passiona coffee. Consumers who liked Creative coffee would have a higher chance of buying the Passiona coffee because they are under the same brand and so would also be of an equally good quality. Furthermore, the Passiona coffee can be set at a higher price as consumers are willing to pay more for brand value. This can bring about additional profits for Trung Nguyen. Another advantage of using an umbrella brand is a lower advertising and promotion costs. Trung Nguyen only needs to come up with a single advertisement because its coffees share one identity. Also, because Trung Nguyen is used on all of the products, level of brand awareness is easy to raise. To name an example of a successful sub-branding strategy, Gatorade has developed and introduced Gatorade Frost, Gatorade G2, Gatorade energy bar, etc into the market and stayed popular being the leading sports drink brand in many countries. Risks of umbrella branding: In every marketing strategy there is bound to be a down side. Some risks of umbrella branding are that the failure of one type of coffee may affect the sales of the whole Trung Nguyen branded products. It is inadvisable to put all the eggs into one basket. For instance, if the production G7 Mocha had some discrepancy that caused the coffee to be too sweet, consumers may feel that the rest of Trung Nguyen packet instant coffees are as sweet and so switch over to Nescafe coffee instead. Secondly, sales of one product item may come at the expense of other items offered in the same product line. Lastly, the meaning of Trung Nguyen may also be diluted with an umbrella branding strategy. Apart from coffee, Trung Nguyen also has other product such as Green Tea, Oolong tea, etc. However, Trung Nguyen refers to Dak Lak, the county capital of coffee and so offering tea as an alternative beverage is not so relevant to the brand name.

Jack Kerouac’s On The Road - The Spiritual Quest, the Search for Self a

The Spiritual Quest  in On the Road  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A disillusioned youth roams the country without truly establishing himself in one of the many cities he falls in love with. In doing so, he manages with the thought or presence of his best friend. What is he searching for? While journeying on the road, Sal Paradise is not searching for a home, a job, or a wife. Instead, he longs for a mental utopia offered by Dean Moriarty. This object of his brotherly love grew up in the streets of America. Through the hardships of continuously being shuffled from city to city, Dean has encompassed what is and what is not important in life. While driving back to Testament in the '49 Hudson, Dean propositions Sal through an appeal to emotion. In passing on his philosophy, Dean eloquently states, "Everything is fine, God exists, we know time" (Kerouac 120). After the war, America achieved the status of economic success through the provisions of the assembly line in industries and manual labor in civil services. The 1950's became an evolution from skilled craftsmanship to mindless mechanical work in factories. The goals in life included working in a fixed position, having a home, and providing for the wife and kids. However, with the threat of the Cold War looming over their heads, the youth of this generation grew disenchanted with the so-called American Dream. They realized life is ephemeral and that there is more to life than punching in a time-card. The concept of individuality was more important than conformity. It became a "culture acting out the true Self and true spontaneous desire" (McGeory 21). As an author and member of the younger generation, Jack Kerouac embodies this notion of estrangement throughout his novel, On the Road. Allen... ...notion that their quest is a spiritual one" (Goldstein 61). Once we reach the ideal inner peace is when we are truly able to understand the band of friendship that surrounds us. If we are able to maintain this philosophy, no trouble can exist to deteriorate our well-being. We will be able to enjoy life more and discover what our fears are hiding. Works Cited Birkerts, Sven. "On the Road to Nowhere: Kerouac Re-read and Regretted." Harper's Magazine July 1989: 75. Ginsberg, Allen and Gregory Corso. "Ten Angry Men." Esquire. June 1986: 261. Goldstein, Norma Walrath. "Kerouac's On the Road." The Explicator Fall 1991: 61. Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. New York: Penguin Books. 1955. McGeory, Heather R. "On the Road to Upheaval." New York Times 12 June 1993, late ed.:21. Will, George F. "Daddy, Who Was Jack Kerouac?" Newsweek. 4 July 1988: 64.    Jack Kerouac’s On The Road - The Spiritual Quest, the Search for Self a The Spiritual Quest  in On the Road  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A disillusioned youth roams the country without truly establishing himself in one of the many cities he falls in love with. In doing so, he manages with the thought or presence of his best friend. What is he searching for? While journeying on the road, Sal Paradise is not searching for a home, a job, or a wife. Instead, he longs for a mental utopia offered by Dean Moriarty. This object of his brotherly love grew up in the streets of America. Through the hardships of continuously being shuffled from city to city, Dean has encompassed what is and what is not important in life. While driving back to Testament in the '49 Hudson, Dean propositions Sal through an appeal to emotion. In passing on his philosophy, Dean eloquently states, "Everything is fine, God exists, we know time" (Kerouac 120). After the war, America achieved the status of economic success through the provisions of the assembly line in industries and manual labor in civil services. The 1950's became an evolution from skilled craftsmanship to mindless mechanical work in factories. The goals in life included working in a fixed position, having a home, and providing for the wife and kids. However, with the threat of the Cold War looming over their heads, the youth of this generation grew disenchanted with the so-called American Dream. They realized life is ephemeral and that there is more to life than punching in a time-card. The concept of individuality was more important than conformity. It became a "culture acting out the true Self and true spontaneous desire" (McGeory 21). As an author and member of the younger generation, Jack Kerouac embodies this notion of estrangement throughout his novel, On the Road. Allen... ...notion that their quest is a spiritual one" (Goldstein 61). Once we reach the ideal inner peace is when we are truly able to understand the band of friendship that surrounds us. If we are able to maintain this philosophy, no trouble can exist to deteriorate our well-being. We will be able to enjoy life more and discover what our fears are hiding. Works Cited Birkerts, Sven. "On the Road to Nowhere: Kerouac Re-read and Regretted." Harper's Magazine July 1989: 75. Ginsberg, Allen and Gregory Corso. "Ten Angry Men." Esquire. June 1986: 261. Goldstein, Norma Walrath. "Kerouac's On the Road." The Explicator Fall 1991: 61. Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. New York: Penguin Books. 1955. McGeory, Heather R. "On the Road to Upheaval." New York Times 12 June 1993, late ed.:21. Will, George F. "Daddy, Who Was Jack Kerouac?" Newsweek. 4 July 1988: 64.   

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 9 THIRD WHEEL

TIME BEGAN TO TRIP ALONG MUCH MORE QUICKLY than before. School, work, and Jacobthough not necessarily in that ordercreated a neat and effortless pattern to follow. And Charlie got his wish: I wasn't miserable anymore. Of course, I couldn't fool myself completely. When I stopped to take stock of my life, which I tried not to do too often, I couldn't ignore the implications of my behavior. I was like a lost moonmy planet destroyed in some cataclysmic, disaster-movie scenario of desolationthat continued, nevertheless, to circle in a tight little orbit around the empty space left behind, ignoring the laws of gravity. I was getting better with my bike, which meant fewer bandages to worry Charlie. But it also meant that the voice in my head began to fade, until I heard it no more. Quietly, I panicked. I threw myself into the search for the meadow with slightly frenzied intensity. I racked my brain for other adrenaline-producing activities. I didn't keep track of the days :hat passedthere was no reason, as I tried to live as much in the present as possible, no past fading, no future impending. So I was surprised by the date when Jacob brought it up on one of our homework days. He was waiting when I pulled up in front of his house. â€Å"Happy Valentine's Day,† Jacob said, smiling, but ducking his head as he greeted me. He held out a small, pink box, balancing it on his palm. Conversation hearts. â€Å"Well, I feel like a schmuck,† I mumbled. â€Å"Is today Valentine's Day?† Jacob shook his head with mock sadness. â€Å"You can be so out of it sometimes. Yes, it is the fourteenth day of February. So are you going to be my Valentine? Since you didn't get me a fifty-cent box of candy, it's the least you can do.† I started to feel uncomfortable. The words were teasing, but only on the surface. â€Å"What exactly does that entail?† I hedged. â€Å"The usualslave for life, that kind of thing.† â€Å"Oh, well, if that's all† I took the candy. But I was trying to think of some way to make the boundaries clear. Again. They seemed to get blurred a lot with Jacob. â€Å"So, what are we doing tomorrow? Hiking, or the ER?† â€Å"Hiking,† I decided. â€Å"You're not the only one who can be obsessive. I'm starting to think I imagined that place† I frowned into space. â€Å"We'll find it,† he assured me. â€Å"Bikes Friday?† he offered. I saw a chance and took it without taking time to think it through. â€Å"I'm going to a movie Friday. I've been promising my cafeteria crowd that I would go out forever.† Mike would be pleased. But Jacob's face fell. I caught the expression in his dark eyes before he dropped them to look at the ground. â€Å"You'll come too, right?† I added quickly. â€Å"Or will it be too much of a drag with a bunch of boring seniors?† So much for my chance to put some distance between us. I couldn't stand hurting Jacob; we seemed to be connected in an odd way, and his pain set off little stabs of my own. Also, the idea of having his company for the ordealI had promised Mike, but really didn't feel any enthusiasm at the thought of following throughwas just too tempting. â€Å"You'd like me to come, with your friends there?† â€Å"Yes,† I admitted honestly, knowing as I continued that I was probably shooting myself in the foot with my words. â€Å"I'll have a lot more fun if you're there. Bring Quil, and we'll make it a party.† â€Å"Quil's gonna freak. Senior girls.† He chortled and rolled his eyes. I didn't mention Embry, and neither did he. I laughed, too. â€Å"I'll try to get hin a good selection.† I broached the subject with Mike in English. â€Å"Hey, Mike,† I said when class was over. â€Å"Are you free Friday night?† He looked up, his blue eyes instantly hopeful. â€Å"Yeah, I am. You want to go out?† I worded my reply carefully. â€Å"I was thinking about getting a group†I emphasized the word†together to go see Crosshairs.† I'd done my homework this timeeven reading the movie spoilers to be sure I wouldn't be caught off guard. This movie was supposed to be a bloodbath from start to finish. I wasn't so recovered that I could stand to sit through a romance. â€Å"Does that sound like fun?† â€Å"Sure,† he agreed, visibly less eager. â€Å"Cool.† After a second, he perked back up to near his former excitement level. â€Å"How about we get Angela and Ben? Or Eric and Katie?† He was determined to make this some kind of double date, apparently. â€Å"How about both?† I suggested â€Å"And Jessica, too, of course. And Tyler and Conner, and maybe Lauren,† I tacked on grudgingly. I had promised Quil variety. â€Å"Okay,† Mike muttered, foiled. â€Å"And,† I continued, â€Å"I've got a couple of friends from La Push I'm inviting. So it sounds like we'll need your Suburban if everyone comes.† Mike's eyes narrowed in suspicion. â€Å"These are the friends you spend all your time studying with now?† â€Å"Yep, the very ones,† I answered cheerfully. â€Å"Though you could look at it as tutoringthey're only sophomores.† â€Å"Oh,† Mike said, surprised. After a second of thought, he smiled. In the end, though, the Suburban wasn't necessary. Jessica and Lauren claimed to be busy as soon as Mike let it slip that I was involved in the planning. Eric and Katie already had plansit was their three-week anniversary or something. Lauren got to Tyler and Conner before Mike could, so those two were also busy. Even Quil was outgrounded for fighting at school. In the end, only Angela and Ben, and, of course Jacob, were able to go. The diminished numbers didn't dampen Mike's anticipation, though. It was all he could talk about Friday. â€Å"Are you sure you don't want to see Tomorrow and Forever instead?† he asked at lunch, naming the current romantic comedy that was ruling the box office. â€Å"Rotten Tomatoes gave it a better review.† â€Å"I want to see Crosshairs† I insisted. â€Å"I'm in the mood for action. Bring on the blood and guts!† â€Å"Okay.† Mike turned away, but not before I saw his maybe-she's-crazy-after-all expression. When I got home from school, a very familiar car was parked in front of my house. Jacob was leaning against the hood, a huge grin lighting up his face. â€Å"No way!† I shouted as I jumped out of the truck. â€Å"You're done! I can't believe it! You finished the Rabbit!† He beamed. â€Å"Just last night. This is the maiden voyage.† â€Å"Incredible.† I held my hand up for a high five. He smacked his hand against mine, but left it there, twisting his fingers through mine. â€Å"So do I get to drive tonight?† â€Å"Definitely,† I said, and then I sighed. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"I'm giving upI can't top this one. So you win. You're oldest.† He shrugged, unsurprised by my capitulation. â€Å"Of course I am.† Mike's Suburban chugged around the corner. I pulled my hand out of Jacob's, and he nude a face that I wasn't meant to see. â€Å"I remember this guy,† he said in a low voice as Mike parked across the street. â€Å"The one who thought you were his girlfriend. Is he still confused?† I raised one eyebrow. â€Å"Some people are hard to discourage.† â€Å"Then again,† Jacob said thoughtfully, â€Å"sometimes persistence pays off.† â€Å"Most of the time it's just annoying, though.† Mike got out of his car and crossed the road. â€Å"Hey, Bella,† he greeted me, and then his eyes turned wary as he looked up at Jacob. I glanced briefly at Jacob, too, trying to be objective. He really didn't look like a sophomore at all. He was just so bigMike's head barely cleared Jacob's shoulder; I didn't even want to think where I measured next to himand then his face was older-looking than it used to be, even a month ago. â€Å"Hey, Mike! Do you remember Jacob Black?† â€Å"Not really.† Mike held out his hand. â€Å"Old family friend,† Jacob introduced himself, shaking hands. They locked hands with more force than necessary. When their grip broke, Mike flexed his fingers. I heard the phone ringing from the kitchen. â€Å"I'd better get thatit might be Charlie,† I told them, and dashed inside. It was Ben. Angela was sick with the stomach flu, and he didn't feel like coming without her. He apologized for bailing on us. I walked slowly back to the waiting boys, shaking my head. I really hoped Angela would feel better soon, but I had to admit that I was selfishly upset by this development. Just the three of us, Mike and Jacob and me, together for the eveningthis had worked out brilliantly, I thought with grim sarcasm. It didn't seem like Jake and Mike had made any progress towards friendship in my absence. They were several yards apart, facing away from each other as they waited for me; Mike's expression was sullen, though Jacob's was cheerful as always. â€Å"Ang is sick,† I told them glumly. â€Å"She and Ben aren't coming.† â€Å"I guess the flu is making another round. Austin and Conner were out today, too. Maybe we should do this another time,† Mike suggested. Before I could agree, Jacob spoke. â€Å"I'm still up for it. But if you'd rather to stay behind, Mike† â€Å"No, I'm coming,† Mike interrupted. â€Å"I was just thinking of Angela and Ben. Let's go.† He started toward his Suburban. â€Å"Hey, do you mind if Jacob drives?† I asked. â€Å"I told him he couldhe just finished his car. He built it from scratch, all by himself,† I bragged, proud as a PTA mom with a student on the principal's list. â€Å"Fine,† Mike snapped. â€Å"All right, then,† Jacob said, as if that settled everything. He seemed more comfortable than anyone else. Mike climbed in the backseat of the Rabbit with a disgusted expression. Jacob was his normal sunny self, chattering away until I'd all but forgotten Mike sulking silently in the back. And then Mike changed his strategy. He leaned forward, resting his chin on the shoulder of my seat; his cheek almost touched mine. I shifted away, turning my back toward the window. â€Å"Doesn't the radio work in this thing?† Mike asked with a hint of petulance, interrupting Jacob mid-sentence. â€Å"Yes,† Jacob answered. â€Å"But Bella doesn't like music.† I stared at Jacob, surprised. I'd never told him that. â€Å"Bella?† Mike asked, annoyed. â€Å"He's right,† I mumbled, still looking at Jacob's serene profile. â€Å"How can you not like music?† Mike demanded. I shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. It just irritates me.† â€Å"Hmph.† Mike leaned away. When we got to the theater, Jacob handed me a ten-dollar bill. â€Å"What's this?† I objected. â€Å"I'm not old enough to get into this one,† he reminded me. I laughed out loud. â€Å"So much for relative ages. Is Billy going to kill me if I sneak you in?† â€Å"No. I told him you were planning to corrupt my youthful innocence.† I snickered, and Mike quickened his pace to keep up with us. I almost wished that Mike had decided to bow out. He was still sullennot much of an addition to the party. But I didn't want to end up on a date alone with Jacob, either. That wouldn't help anything. The movie was exactly what it professed to be. In just the opening credits, four people got blown up and one got beheaded. The girl in front of me put her hands over her eyes and turned her face into her date's chest. He patted her shoulder, and winced occasionally, too. Mike didn't look like he was watching. His face was stiff as he glared toward the fringe of curtain above the screen. I settled in to endure the two hours, watching the colors and the movement on the screen rather than seeing the shapes of people and cars and houses. But then Jacob started sniggering. â€Å"What?† I whispered. â€Å"Oh, c'mon!† he hissed back. â€Å"The blood squirted twenty feet out of that guy. How fake can you get?† He chuckled again, as a flagpole speared another man into a concrete wall. After that, I really watched the show, laughing with him as the mayhem got more and more ridiculous. How was I ever going to fight the blurring lines in our relationship when I enjoyed being with him so much? Both Jacob and Mike had claimed the armrests on either side of me. Both of their hands rested lightly, palms up, in an unnatural looking position. Like steel bear traps, open and ready. Jacob was in the habit of taking my hand whenever the opportunity presented itself, but here in the darkened movie theater, with Mike watching, it would have a different significanceand I was sure he knew that. I couldn't believe that Mike was thinking the same thing, but his hand was placed exactly like Jacob's. I folded my arms tightly across my chest and hoped that both their hands fell asleep. Mike gave up first. About halfway through the movie, he pulled his arm back, and leaned forward to put his head in his hands. At first I thought he was reacting to something on the screen, but then he moaned. â€Å"Mike, are you okay?† I whispered. The couple in front of us turned to look at him as he groaned again. I could see the sheen of sweat across his face in the light from the screen. Mike groaned again, and bolted for the door. I got up to follow him, and Jacob copied me immediately. â€Å"No, stay,† I whispered. â€Å"I'll make sure he's okay.† Jacob came with me anyway. â€Å"You don't have to come. Get your eight bucks worth of carnage,† I insisted as we walked up the aisle. â€Å"That's okay. You sure can pick them, Bella. This movie really sucks.† His voice rose from a whisper to its normal pitch as we walked out of the theater. There was no sign of Mike in the hallway, and I was glad then that Jacob had come with mehe ducked into the men's bathroom to check for him there. Jacob was back in a few seconds. â€Å"Oh, he's in there, all right,† he said, rolling his eyes. â€Å"What a marshmallow. You should hold out for someone with a stronger stomach. Someone who laughs at the gore that makes weaker men vomit.† â€Å"I'll keep my eyes open for someone like that.† We were all alone in the hallway. Both theaters were halfway through the movie, and it was desertedquiet enough for us to hear the popcorn popping at the concession counter in the lobby. Jacob went to sit on the velveteen-upholstered bench against the wall, patting the space beside him. â€Å"He sounded like he was going to be in there for a while,† he said, stretching his long legs out in front of him as he settled in to wait. I joined him with a sigh. He looked like he was thinking about blurring more lines. Sure enough, as soon as I sat down, he shifted over to put his arm around my shoulders. â€Å"Jake,† I protested, leaning away. He dropped his arm, not looking bothered at all by the minor rejection. He reached out and took my hand firmly, wrapping his other hand around my wrist when I tried to pull away again. Where did he get the confidence from? â€Å"Now, just hold on a minute, Bella,† he said in a calm voice. â€Å"Tell me something.† I grimaced. I didn't want to do this. Not just not now, but not ever. There was nothing lett in my life at this point that was more important than Jacob Black. But he seemed determined to ruin everything. â€Å"What?† I muttered sourly. â€Å"You like me, right?† â€Å"You know I do.† â€Å"Better than that joker puking his guts out in there?† He gestured toward the bathroom door. â€Å"Yes,† I sighed. â€Å"Better than any of the other guys you know?† He was calm, sereneas if my answer didn't matter, or he already knew what it was. â€Å"Better than the girls, too,† I pointed out. â€Å"But that's all,† he said, and it wasn't a question. It was hard to answer, to say the word. Would he get hurt and avoid me? How would I stand that? â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. He grinned down at me. â€Å"That's okay, you know. As long as you like me the best. And you think I'm good-lookingsort of. I'm prepared to be annoyingly persistent.† â€Å"I'm not going to change,† I said, and though I tried to keep my voice normal, I could hear the sadness in it. His face was thoughtful, no longer teasing. â€Å"It's still the other one, isn't it?† I cringed. Funny how he seemed to know not to say the namejust like before in the car with the music. He picked up on so much about me that I never said. â€Å"You don't have to talk about it,† he told me. I nodded, grateful. â€Å"But don't get mad at me for hanging around, okay?† Jacob patted the back of my hand. â€Å"Because I'm not giving up. I've got loads of time.† I sighed. â€Å"You shouldn't waste it on me,† I said, though I wanted him to. Especially if he was willing to accept me the way I wasdamaged goods, as is. â€Å"It's what I want to do, as long as you still like to be with me.† â€Å"I can't imagine how I could not like being with you,† I told him honestly. Jacob beamed. â€Å"I can live with that.† â€Å"Just don't expect more,† I warned him, trying to pull my hand away. He held onto it obstinately. â€Å"This doesn't really bother you, does it?† he demanded, squeezing my fingers. â€Å"No,† I sighed. Truthfully, it felt nice. His hand was so much warmer than mine; I always felt too cold these days. â€Å"And you don't care what he thinks.† Jacob jerked his thumb toward the bathroom. â€Å"I guess not.† â€Å"So what's the problem?† â€Å"The problem,† I said, â€Å"is, that it means something different to me than it does to you.† â€Å"Well.† He tightened his hand around mine â€Å"That's my problem, isn't it?† â€Å"Fine,† I grumbled. â€Å"Don't forget it, though.† â€Å"I won't. The pin's out of the grenade for me, now, eh?† He poked me in the ribs. I rolled my eyes. I guess if he felt like making a joke out of it, he was entitled. He chuckled quietly for a minute while his pinky finger absently traced designs against the side of my hand. â€Å"That's a funny scar you've got there,† he suddenly said, twisting my hand to examine it. â€Å"How did that happen?† The index finger of his free hand followed the line of the long silvery crescent that was barely visible against my pale skin. I scowled. â€Å"Do you honestly expect me to remember where all my scars come from?† I waited for the memory to hitto open the gaping hole. But, as it so often did, Jacob's presence kept me whole. â€Å"It's cold,† he murmured, pressing lightly against the place where James had cut me with his teeth. And then Mike stumbled out of the bathroom, his face ashen and covered in sweat. He looked horrible. â€Å"Oh, Mike,† I gasped. â€Å"Do you mind leaving early?† he whispered. â€Å"No, of course not.† I pulled my hand free and went to help Mike walk. He looked unsteady. â€Å"Movie too much for you?† Jacob asked heartlessly. Mike's glare was malevolent. â€Å"I didn't actually see any of it,† he mumbled. â€Å"I was nauseated before the lights went down.† â€Å"Why didn't you say something?† I scolded as we staggered toward the exit. â€Å"I was hoping it would pass,† he said. â€Å"Just a sec,† Jacob said as we reached the door. He walked quickly back to the concession stand. â€Å"Could I have an empty popcorn bucket?† he asked the salesgirl. She looked at Mike once, and then thrust a bucket at Jacob. â€Å"Get him outside, please,† she begged. She was obviously the one who would have to clean the floor. I towed Mike out into the cool, wet air. He inhaled deeply. Jacob was right behind us. He helped me get Mike into the back of the car, and handed him the bucket with a serious gaze. â€Å"Please,† was all Jacob said. We rolled down the windows, letting the icy night air blow through the car, hoping it would help Mike. I curled my arms around my legs to keep warm. â€Å"Cold, again?† Jacob asked, putting his arm around me before I could answer. â€Å"You're not?† He shook his head. â€Å"You must have a fever or something,† I grumbled. It was freezing. I touched my fingers to his forehead, and his head was hot. â€Å"Whoa, Jakeyou're burning up!† â€Å"I feel fine.† He shrugged. â€Å"Fit as a fiddle.† I frowned and touched his head again. His skin blazed under my fingers. â€Å"Your hands are like ice,† he complained. â€Å"Maybe it's me,† I allowed. Mike groaned in the backseat, and threw up in the bucket. I grimaced, hoping my own stomach could stand the sound and smell. Jacob checked anxiously over his shoulder to make sure his car wasn't defiled. The road felt longer on the way back. Jacob was quiet, thoughtful. He left his arm around me, and it was so warm that the cold wind felt good. I stared out the windshield, consumed with guilt. It was so wrong to encourage Jacob. Pure selfishness. It didn't matter that I'd tried to make my position clear. If he felt any hope at all that this could turn into something other than friendship, then I hadn't been clear enough. How could I explain so that he would understand? I was an empty shell. Like a vacant housecondemnedfor months I'd been utterly uninhabitable. Now I was a little improved. The front room was in better repair. But that was alljust the one small piece. He deserved better than thatbetter than a one-room, falling-down fixer-upper. No amount of investment on his part could put me back in working order. Yet I knew that I wouldn't send him away, regardless. I needed him too much, and I was selfish. Maybe I could make my side more clear, so that he would know to leave me. The thought made me shudder, and Jacob tightened his arm around me. I drove Mike home in his Suburban, while Jacob followed behind us to take me home. Jacob was quiet all the way back to my house, and I wondered if he were thinking the same things that I was. Maybe he was changing his mind. â€Å"I would invite myself in, since we're early,† he said as we pulled up next to my truck. â€Å"But I think you might be right about the fever. I'm starting to feel a little strange.† â€Å"Oh no, not you, too! Do you want me to drive you home?† â€Å"No.† He shook his head, his eyebrows pulling together. â€Å"I don't feel sick yet. Just wrong. If I have to, I'll pull over.† â€Å"Will you call me as soon as you get in?† I asked anxiously. â€Å"Sure, sure.† He frowned, staring ahead into the darkness and biting his lip. I opened my door to get out, but he grabbed my wrist lightly and held me there. I noticed again how hot his skin felt on mine. â€Å"What is it, Jake?† I asked. â€Å"There's something I want to tell you, Bella but I think it's going to sound kind of corny.† I sighed. This would be more of the same from the theater. â€Å"Go ahead.† â€Å"It's just that, I know how you're unhappy a lot. And, maybe it doesn't help anything, but I wanted you to know that I'm always here. I won't ever let you downI promise that you can always count on me. Wow, that does sound corny. But you know that, right? That I would never, ever hurt you?† â€Å"Yeah, Jake. I know that. And I already do count on you, probably more than you know.† The smile broke across his face the way the sunrise set the clouds on fire, and I wanted to cut my tongue out. I hadn't said one word that was a lie, but I should have lied. The truth was wrong, it would hurt him. I would let him down. A strange look crossed his face. â€Å"I really think I'd better go home now,† he said. I got out quickly. â€Å"Call me!† I yelled as he pulled away. I watched him go, and he seemed to be in control of the car, at least. I stared at the empty street when he was gone, feeling a little sick myself, but not for any physical reason. How much I wished that Jacob Black had been born my brother, my flesh-and -blood brother, so that I would have some legitimate claim on him that still left me free of any blame now. Heaven knows I had never wanted to use Jacob, but I couldn't help but interpret the guilt I felt now to mean that I had. Even more, I had never meant to love him. One thing I truly knewknew it in the pit of my stomach, in the center of my bones, knew it from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, knew it deep in my empty chestwas how love gave someone the power to break you. I'd been broken beyond repair. But I needed Jacob now, needed him like a drug. I'd used him as a crutch for too long, and I was in deeper than I'd planned to go with anyone again. Now I couldn't bear for him to be hurt, and I couldn't keep from hurting him, either. He thought time and patience would change me, and, though I knew he was dead wrong, I also knew that I would let him try. He was my best friend. I would always love him, and it would never, ever be enough. I went inside to sit by the phone and bite my nails. â€Å"Movie over already?† Charlie asked in surprise when I came in. He was on the floor, just a foot from the TV. Must be an exciting game. â€Å"Mike got sick,† I explained. â€Å"Some kind of stomach flu.† â€Å"You okay?† â€Å"I feel fine now,† I said doubtfully. Clearly, I'd been exposed. I leaned against the kitchen counter, my hand inches from the phone, and tried to wait patiently. I thought of the strange look on Jacob's face before he drove away, and my fingers started drumming against the counter. I should have insisted on driving him home. I watched the clock as the minutes ticked by Ten. Fifteen. Even when I was driving, it took only fifteen minutes, and Jacob drove faster than I did. Eighteen minutes. I picked up the phone and dialed. It rang and rang. Maybe Billy was asleep. Maybe I'd dialed wrong. I tried again. On the eighth ring, just as I was about to hang up, Billy answered. â€Å"Hello?† he asked. His voice was wary, like he was expecting bad news. â€Å"Billy, it's me, Belladid Jake make it home yet? He left here about twenty minutes ago.† â€Å"He's here,† Billy said tonelessly. â€Å"He was supposed to call me.† I was a little irritated. â€Å"He was getting sick when he left, and I was worried.† â€Å"He was too sick to call. He's not feeling well right now.† Billy sounded distant. I realized he must want to be with Jacob. â€Å"Let me know if you need any help,† I offered. â€Å"I could come down.† I thought of Billy, stuck in his chair, and Jake fending for himself â€Å"No, no,† Billy said quickly. â€Å"We're fine. Stay at your place.† The way he said it was almost rude. â€Å"Okay,† I agreed. â€Å"Bye, Bella.† The line disconnected. â€Å"Bye,† I muttered. Well, at least he'd made it home. Oddly, I didn't feel less worried. I trudged up the stairs, fretting. Maybe I would go down before work tomorrow to check on him. I could take soupwe had to have a can of Campbell's around here somewhere. I realized all such plans were canceled when I woke up earlymy clock said four thirtyand sprinted to the bathroom. Charlie found me there a half hour later, lying on the floor, my cheek pressed against the cold edge of the bathtub. He looked at me for a long moment. â€Å"Stomach flu,† he finally said. â€Å"Yes,† I moaned. â€Å"You need something?† he asked. â€Å"Call the Newtons for me, please,† I instructed hoarsely. â€Å"Tell them I have what Mike has, and that I can't make it in today. Tell them I'm sorry.† â€Å"Sure, no problem,† Charlie assured me. I spent the rest of the day on the bathroom floor, sleeping for a few hours with my head on a crumpled up towel. Charlie claimed that he had to work, but I suspected that he just wanted access to a bathroom. He left a glass of water on the floor beside me to keep me hydrated. It woke me up when he came back home. I could see that it was dark in my roomafter nightfall. He clumped up the stairs to check on me. â€Å"Stillalive?† â€Å"Sort of,† I said. â€Å"Do you want anything?† â€Å"No, thanks.† He hesitated, clearly out of his element. â€Å"Okay, then,† he said, and then he went back down to the kitchen. I heard the phone ring a few minutes later. Charlie spoke to someone in a low voice for a moment, and then hung up. â€Å"Mike feels better,† he called up to me. Well, that was encouraging. He'd only gotten sick eight hours or so before me. Eight more hours. The thought made my stomach turn, and I pulled myself up to lean over the toilet. I fell asleep on the towel again, but when I woke up I was in my bed and it was light outside my window. I didn't remember moving; Charlie must have carried me to my roomhe'd also put the glass of water on my bedside table. I felt parched. I chugged it down, though it tasted funny from sitting stagnant all night. I got up slowly, trying not to trigger the nausea again. I was weak, and my mouth tasted horrible, but my stomach felt fine. I looked at my clock. My twenty-four hours were up. I didn't push it, eating nothing but saltine crackers for breakfast. Charlie looked relieved to see me recovered. As soon as I was sure that I wasn't going to have to spend the day on the bathroom floor again, I called Jacob. Jacob was the one who answered, but when I heard his greeting I knew he wasn't over it. â€Å"Hello?† His voice was broken, cracking. â€Å"Oh, Jake,† I groaned sympathetically. â€Å"You sound horrible.† â€Å"I feel horrible,† he whispered. â€Å"I'm so sorry I made you go out with me. This sucks.† â€Å"I'm glad I went.† His voice was still a whisper. â€Å"Don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault.† â€Å"You'll get better soon,† I promised. â€Å"I woke up this morning, and I was fine.† â€Å"You were sick?† he asked dully. â€Å"Yes, I got it, too. But I'm fine now.† â€Å"That's good.† His voice was dead. â€Å"So you'll probably be better in a few hours,† I encouraged. I could barely hear his answer. â€Å"I don't think I have the same thing you did.† â€Å"Don't you have the stomach flu?† I asked, confused. â€Å"No. This is something else.† â€Å"What's wrong with you?† â€Å"Everything,† he whispered. â€Å"Every part of me hurts.† The pain in his voice was nearly tangible. â€Å"What can I do, Jake? What can I bring you?† â€Å"Nothing. You can't come here.† He was abrupt. It reminded me of Billy the other night. â€Å"I've already been exposed to whatever you have,† I pointed out. He ignored me. â€Å"I'll call you when I can. I'll let you know when you can come down again.† â€Å"Jacob† â€Å"I've got to go,† he said with sudden urgency. â€Å"Call me when you feel better.† â€Å"Right,† he agreed, and his voice had a strange, bitter edge. He was silent for a moment. I was waiting for him to say goodbye, but he waited too. â€Å"I'll see you soon,† I finally said. â€Å"Wait for me to call,† he said again. â€Å"Okay Bye, Jacob.† â€Å"Bella,† he whispered my name, and then hung up the phone.

Americ Just Another England - 2070 Words

America: Just Another England History tells us that a just and successful democracy has never existed, so why would we, as citizens, believe that we live in one now? Before our nation was established it was commonly believed that a democratic government was not feasible in a large scale setting. Yet, our founding fathers fought to establish our union this way. Their goal was to create a new nation that differed from England in the aspects that it would not be corrupt, be just, and there would be changes in positions of power. They truly believed that with all the checks and balances that it would not be corrupted, so why is it? Between the nature of humanity, the ever growing corruptness of our government, and the development of factions, the founding fathers created another England. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are some of the most influential political philosophers in history. They all wrote about how they believed a social contract was required to be in pla ce for a government to work and drew their conclusions off of their own theories of human nature. Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau leaned towards more negative views on human nature. Hobbes theorized that if we were in a state of nature, where there was no government, we would be in a state of war. People would constantly be causing destruction and harm to others around them out of a combination of self-protection and greed. In the mind of Thomas Hobbes, human nature was very ugly, andShow MoreRelatedA Brief Biography of Ana Sokolow1470 Words   |  6 Pagesthat they did not have the best relationship. Sokolow said that she couldn’t work for Graham under the conditions that she taught her dancers and that â€Å"Sokolow’s interest in exploring her own Russian-Jewish background clashed with Graham’s focus on Americ.† Sokolow definitely always felt like Horst had a great influence on her in that he â€Å"encouraged her to explore her own ideas in he r compostions,† (Jewish Virtual Library). In the 1930’s, she aligned with a group known as the radical dance movementRead MoreCapital Punishment : The Death Penalty1878 Words   |  8 Pagesequals their wrongdoing. For justification purposes of both divides of this argument, it is best to involve innocence, deterrence, retribution, discrimination, reformation, incapacitation and brutalization effects as the subject matters. Determining a just reason to pick a side cannot be duly made without the respective subject matters. Americans can utilize varying standards when assessing both demerits and merits of capital punishment (Amsterdam, 1982). For example, fiscally minded people will major