Rising Soap

Real-life dramain the office
By Sabrina F. Ahmad

Nutty and outrageous or just plain annoying, the Rising Stars crew has managed to add some action into your Thursdays. Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes, the secret lives of the weirdos who bring you this magazine? Well, now you can get a sneak peek at what's happening with the team.
INTRODUCING OUR CAST OF CHARACTERS FOR THIS WEEK:
³ The Mood Dude
³ The Girl Next Door
³ Armeen
³ Afreen
³ Raffat Apa
Also presenting our additional stars for today's episode
MoJo: The homecoming queen of the RS, and the person responsible for telling everyone about the top teen dating spots.
Riyana: When this lady's in the house, it's not your problem anymore.

Episode Two:
Last week, we had the Mood Dude all duded up for what we thought was an assignment to cover a lingerie store. If you've read last Tuesday's Star Lifestyle magazine, you'll have noticed that he didn't get the story after all. When the scene opens this week, we find out moody hero in a murderous mood. He's just noticed the first episode of the Rising Soap, and he's out for blood, twisting a computer chord in his hands, with a murderous gleam in his eye. Not too far away, Armeen and Afreen are plotting the next 'fattafying' story they're going to write.
(Enter The Girl Next Door and MoJo)
Armeen: "TGND!"
TGND: "Yes?"
To this, Armeen answers her with a blank stare, her attention suddenly seized by something else.

TGND: "Hello...Earth calling Armeen"
Armeen: (blushing) "Sorry, TGND...er, ah, I was a bit distracted." TGND: (Looking around her) "Okay...oh, okay...I get it." At this point, the quiet humdrum of the RS office is shattered by a piercing squeal.
Armeen: (Squeezing her eyes shut) "Okay...who killed whom today?"
Afreen: Relax. Raffat Apu just noticed that MoJo's back.
(Enter Raffat Apu)
RA: "People! The Internet connection is out...again. I need a cover story...now!" The last word of this sentence was uttered in a low, Darth Vader kind of voice, and instantly, there was a mad dash for every available computer.
MoJo: (looking around her, bemused) "Hey, what's going on?"
Afreen: "Shh! If you act busy and type something on the computer, she won't sling you with a cover story." Armeen: "Where is Riyana when we need her?"
At this point, the phone rings, and everyone jumps. They all exchange frightened glances. The phone keeps ringing. (Readers, feel free to play your favorite suspense theme music in your head.)
RA: "Well, don't just stand there, answer it!"
TGND: (picking up the phone) "H-h-hello?" (Suspenseful music grows louder) "Mood Dude, it's for you."
MD: (taking the phone) "Who is it?" Then he laughs, a loony, evil, diabolical laugh. Everyone shivers. Then he hangs up.
Armeen: "Well, who was it?"
MD: "Riyana. She's mailed in her columns...but guess what? No Internet. It's not my problem anymore..."
Eyes roll. (Oh by the way, you can stop playing the suspenseful music now. Let it stop with the kind of DJ record-scratching sound that follows an anti-climax).
TGND: (muttering) I was beginning to worry that the 'Rising Soap' thing had driven him mad.
At this, the Mood Dude gets that sadistic look in his eyes. He picks up his computer cord again.
MD: "Thanks for reminding me. If I get my hands on the person responsible for that..."
His murderous gaze lands on MoJo. He advances steadily, twisting the cord in his hand.
MD: "Let me get some practice first. TGND, you hold her, I'll use the cord!"
MoJo: "No! Help!" Shwing! Out come the Wolverine-like claws...aha, our light and delicate MoJo isn't as helpless as she appears. TGND and MD back off.
Armeen: (glancing at the clock) "Right, folks. It's time we headed home. Come on, Afreen. Bye TGND."
TGND answers with a blank stare.
Afreen: "Hey, girl, snap out of it. You at least should be immune!"
TGND: "Kya karu? Control nahi hota."
Who will be the Mood Dude's next victim? Will Riyana's column get published this week? And what is that secret force that caused first Armeen and then TGND to blank out? Stay tuned for the next episode of Rising Soap; same page, same teen magazine.

the connection

By Wicked Sinner and The Girl Next Door

Hi everyone,
Anyone (guys or girls) who is interested in sharing expressions and views and to be pen friends with me can email me at this address: foyez_rizwan@yahoo.com
From: A Pen-pal boy

Dear Hamdu Mia,
I really like the way you write and express your thoughts! Would you please give me some tips for writing like you?
From Nitu

To Sumaiya
Somebody cares if you are happy today, If your heart is cheerful and right. Somebody cares if you are feeling good And everything is going just right.
You are thought of remembered and loved by someone and that someone is me.
From...the prince of your heart.

To Heea
Together we have seen many things change in this world but our friendship never changed. You friendship means so much to me that if I stop thinking about you for a second the closeness between us increases and if I stop thinking about you then my heart stops beating. So you can understand how much I love you and I hope that you love me too.
From: The Handsome Devil

Need help picking out a gift for a loved one? Have a message for that special someone? Write to us at theconnection123@hotmail.com or thegirlnextdoor1@hotmail.com

It's Not Your Problem Anymore

By Riyana

Hi Riyana
How are you? I am Tania. My boyfriend and I are going through a bad time. The problem is that his best friend is a girl and I discovered that she loves him too. Though my boy friend does not have any weak feelings for her I still feel insecure. And everytime she's with us I just can't behave normally. My boyfriend is pissed at me because of my strange behaviour. I want things to be right. So tell me what to do. PLEASE HELP ME OUT.
Tania

Dear Tania,
Tell him you are feeling insecure and would really apprecaite it if he could reassure you and be patient with you. Don't tell him about the girl now. It might create more problems. If she doesn't make a move you have nothing to worry about. It's very natural that someone else might love your guy. That doesn't mean that the person is bad. She's human. As long as she doesn't do anything, don't lash out at her. If she makes a move, come clean with your boyfriend and tell him.
Riyana

Dear SR,
Unfortunately office policy forbids me to personally mail you. If you want the problem to be printed, then please mail me again. In the meantime I would suggest that you talk to the person you are having problems with and tell the truth. If you don't reach an understanding, ask someone who is close to both of you to intervene.
Riyana

Dear Hany,
Thank you for your e-mail/card. It is encouragement like yours that makes the RS team succeed. Unfortunately I won't be able or allowed to correspond personally. But keep those mails flowing and if you want to share ideas than you can always mail it to the Girl Next Door.
Riyana

Mail your problems to notyourproblems@yahoo.com and we'll try our best to solve them. Due to limited space, I'm afraid we're only able to print one problem at a time. Please have patience and give us ample time to reply and print your problem.

tete-a-tete

By The Girl Next Door

Hey everyone!
Hope you're all enjoying the rains after the blazing heat of the past fortnight, although I'm pretty sure the local weathermen must be really embarrassed, having predicted another sunny week, only to get a downpour that very night.
Right, I know my mailbox has been packed to full capacity, so a lot of your mails must have bounced back. I truly apologize. I deleted all the junk, so you guys can mail me again. For those who are still going through their A levels, I wish you all the best.
Well, Father's Day is coming up, and I hope you all have some nice plans for your daddies. If you have any interesting Father's Day anecdotes to share, please mail them in. It's always nice to hear from you.
I suppose you might have noticed our new mini-series "Rising Soap". We've started it off by dramatizing the little events that actually take place in the RS office. Here's an opportunity for all you budding playwrights out there though: if you have any script ideas you'd like to share with us, please feel free to send them in. You might find your ideas being posted as the "Script of the Month". I'll be waiting to hear from you. Harry Potter fans, be on the lookout. I'll be doing a special section on the rumors very, very soon, and we'll have a special HP "Conspiracy Theorist" telling us his ideas. So keep your eyes peeled.
Okay, that's all from me this week. Take care, and stay cool!
Send your polls, opinions and comments to: thegirlnextdoor1@hotmail.com

Joke

Fred mistakenly gets on a bus full of war veterans, but upon discovering it is going his way, decides to stay on for the ride. He sits down next to a guy that jerks his head to the left every few seconds, over and over. This really starts to get on Fred's nerves so he asks him, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

The reply is, "l got this in the war." Fred finds this pretty annoying so he switches seats. The next guy he sits by has uncontrollable spastic twitches in his right leg, causing him to kick the seat in front of him, and even kicks Fred a few times.

So Fred asks him, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Again the answer is, "l got this in the war."

Fred moves.

The next guy poor Fred sits by begins erratically flailing his left hand. Fred says, "Let me guess, you got that in the war." His reply was, "No, l got it out of my nose. I can't get it off of my hand."

---

ADZ

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