From Poetry Fan to Rap Star (English)
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00:00Hey, it's Juniper, the Rhyming Wiz.
00:02Ever since I was a kid, I've loved poems.
00:05It all started with my amazing grandma and her incredible library.
00:09People would line up just to catch a glimpse.
00:11But when I turned 13, something really bad happened.
00:15My grandma left us, and because of a big business loss,
00:18my parents had to close down the library she loved so much.
00:21It was heartbreaking to see her special books being sold off.
00:24I felt so sad and lost without her and the library.
00:28Life went on, but one day, I spotted a real gem.
00:31My grandma's co-letter's edition book of Emily Dickinson's poems.
00:35I knew I had to get it to honor her memory.
00:37OMG, OMG.
00:38Mom, Dad, I need to have this.
00:40Please, please.
00:42Um, it's pretty expensive.
00:44I know you want this because it once belonged to your grandma,
00:47but honey, we can't afford this, and you're just 16.
00:50Do something fun, like some TikTok dances.
00:53Isn't poetry like watching grass grow?
00:55I knew Mom and Dad would never understand my love for poetry,
00:59so I decided to take matters into my own hands.
01:01I took every job I could, from mowing lawns like a boss
01:05to delivering newspapers.
01:06I was working hard.
01:07One day, while I was sweating like crazy,
01:09Mrs. Peterson, our neighbor, approached me with an offer
01:12I just couldn't refuse, to babysit her toddler son, Tim.
01:16But I was a bit unsure.
01:18While Tim was as cute as a button,
01:19his older brother, Jim, was a handful.
01:22We were in the same class, and that dude
01:24had a special talent for getting into sticky situations
01:27with his failed magic tricks.
01:28But beggars can't be choosers, so I accepted the job.
01:32So there I was, babysitting like a pro,
01:34changing Tim's diapers, and trying
01:36to keep Jim out of trouble.
01:37One day, Jim called for help, all tangled up in chains
01:40while attempting a magic trick.
01:41I helped him out of the tangled mess,
01:43all the while laughing my heart out.
01:46You really need to be careful with your magic, Mr. Magician.
01:50Oh, I'm so sorry.
01:51But you know, it's all part of the magic charm.
01:54How about being my assistant?
01:55Every magician needs one.
01:56One day in the library, I was reading a poem,
01:59and Jim looked over.
02:00What's so fascinating about those words?
02:02Poetry is like a secret language of feelings and thoughts.
02:06It's like life in a nutshell, bro.
02:08You should try it.
02:09And he did.
02:10For the first time, I had a friend
02:11who showed interest in poetry, and I appreciated it.
02:14One day, Jim and I were hanging out at the bowling alley,
02:17and he went to get me some water.
02:18Right then, something totally unexpected happened.
02:21Aaron, of all people, came over to me.
02:23I'm not going to lie.
02:24My heart was literally racing with excitement.
02:27But what he said next shot me.
02:29What are you doing here with Jim the Dim?
02:31Shouldn't you be with someone like me?
02:34Does he really have to?
02:35No way I was going to just stand there and listen
02:37to him diss my bestie.
02:39Hey, don't call my friend that.
02:41Just look.
02:42He's so dumb.
02:43He couldn't even figure out how to get water
02:45without making a total fool of himself.
02:47What an idiot.
02:48Whatever.
02:48At least he's not a jerk like you.
02:50Bug off, Aaron.
02:51Once Jim finally returned with a water bottle,
02:53he could tell something was up just by looking at my face.
02:56Um, hey, what's going on here?
02:59Is he bothering you?
03:00Back off, loser.
03:01Can't you see we're having a little chat here?
03:03She's my friend.
03:04If you're bothering her, you're bothering me, too.
03:06That's right.
03:07We're a team.
03:08So just back off and let us enjoy.
03:10Aaron's face turned redder than a chili pepper
03:12at a hot sauce convention as he walked away,
03:15and I realized he's definitely not the guy I thought he was.
03:18I mean, sure, he's hot, but I should have known better.
03:20The dude's got a black belt in meanness.
03:23Lesson learned.
03:23Next time, check for both hotness and kindness
03:26before developing a crush.
03:27But the next day at school, when I saw Jim, I was stunned.
03:30He had a black eye.
03:32What the what?
03:33Who did this?
03:34It's nothing.
03:35I fell from.
03:36Don't you dare give me that fell from the stairs.
03:39Spill the beans.
03:40What happened?
03:40Um, I got into a fight with Aaron.
03:44He did that?
03:45Oh, I am so going to teach that jerk a lesson.
03:47Saying that, I ran to the parking lot
03:49where I knew Aaron always hung out with his goonies.
03:52And the moment I saw him, I threw a punch at him
03:54that left him stunned.
03:56You'll regret this, Juniper.
03:57I'll make you pay.
03:58How?
03:58By hitting a girl?
03:59You're worse than I thought you were, Aaron.
04:01Back off, Jim.
04:02It's between Juniper and me now.
04:04So, Junie, you think you're tough?
04:06Yes, she is.
04:07Want to see how tough she is?
04:08Let's settle this with a rap battle.
04:10Yeah, I know you've been preparing for it.
04:12So, Aaron, are you up for the challenge?
04:14Because Juniper destroyed you here,
04:16and she's going to destroy you there, too.
04:19Bet I will.
04:19I'm not afraid of you, Aaron.
04:21We'll see about that.
04:22But just so you know, if I win, you'll
04:24have to go on a date with me.
04:26No way.
04:26Oh, you will.
04:27And if I lose, I promise I'll apologize
04:30to Jim in front of the entire school.
04:32Fair deal, right?
04:33Bring it on.
04:34As Aaron walked away with his friends, reality hit me hard.
04:37I had just agreed to a rap battle with Aaron.
04:40And if I lost, I'd have to go on a date with him.
04:43While I would have been thrilled about the idea before,
04:45now that I knew Aaron was a jerk, I had zero interest.
04:49Jim, I don't know if I can do this.
04:50Juniper, you don't have to do this if you don't want to.
04:53But think about it.
04:54The cash prize is a whopping $5,000.
04:57We can split it.
04:58You can finally get those poetry books you've been dreaming of.
05:01And, well, I can perhaps get a PlayStation 5.
05:04My mom's been denying forever.
05:06His words sparked a glimmer of hope within me.
05:08Maybe, just maybe, I could pull this off.
05:11All right, let's do this.
05:13And so we went all in, writing and rehearsing like crazy.
05:17Aaron and his crew seemed just as determined.
05:19And we saw them often practicing at the nearby park
05:21every day after school.
05:23One rainy afternoon, as I was on my way home,
05:25I was about to slip in a puddle.
05:27But Aaron caught me just in time.
05:28Careful there.
05:29I didn't need you to rescue me.
05:31Even though I didn't want to, we both ended up
05:33finding shelter under a small roof.
05:35And there, I felt a bit uneasy.
05:37It was a tight space.
05:38And we had to stand close, making the situation
05:41all the more awkward.
05:42I never thought I'd be stuck in the rain
05:44with my archenemy's BFF.
05:46I don't know why you think he's your enemy.
05:48Jim's an amazing guy.
05:49It's you who's a grump all the time.
05:51Just like everyone else.
05:52You also probably think I'm just a jerk.
05:55Duh.
05:55You think you've got it all figured out, huh?
05:57Well, I've got it figured out that tough guy act you put on,
06:00it's to keep others away.
06:02You know, you don't have to be a meanie all the time.
06:04Whatever.
06:05It's just that things at home aren't good.
06:07Everything feels like a mess.
06:08Well, everyone has problems, Aaron.
06:10I guess it's time you realize that,
06:12and perhaps show people the goodness in you.
06:15You're weird.
06:16You know that?
06:16Takes one to know one, I guess.
06:18As Aaron and I kept talking, I realized
06:20he wasn't so bad after all.
06:22Once the rain finally eased up, we both went our separate ways.
06:25But I couldn't help but feel a newfound understanding
06:28for Aaron.
06:28As the days passed, I saw a new side of Aaron,
06:31and it amazed me.
06:32One time, I spotted him helping a stray dog find its way home.
06:36And another time, he even shared his lunch money
06:38with a classmate in need.
06:39One day, I noticed Aaron leaving school in a hurry,
06:42forgetting his phone.
06:43I chased after him on my bicycle and found him
06:46at a hospital, sitting in a room and crying.
06:48Hey, Aaron.
06:49What are you doing here?
06:50You left your phone at school.
06:51Is everything OK?
06:53You seem upset.
06:54It's none of your business.
06:55This, this is my mom.
06:56She's been in a coma for a long time.
06:58I come here every day to see her.
07:00Oh my god, I had no idea.
07:02I hope things get better for you.
07:04Yeah, thanks.
07:05From that day on, I saw Aaron in a totally new light.
07:09And when I told Jim about how Aaron's mom was sick,
07:11without revealing the part that I spoke to him,
07:13he just rolled his eyes.
07:15That guy's a phony.
07:16Don't believe everything you hear, Juniper.
07:18Jim hated Aaron.
07:19But I guess I had started to have feelings for him.
07:22One day, at lunchtime when Jim wasn't around,
07:25Aaron approached me.
07:26Hey, Juniper.
07:27Want to catch a movie together?
07:28Barbie's playing.
07:29I heard it's hilarious.
07:30Um, uh, sure.
07:32Why not?
07:32But just as friends, right?
07:34But Barbie?
07:34Are you sure?
07:35Absolutely.
07:36I know you'll love it.
07:37And if you love it, I'm sure I'll love it.
07:40I'm talking too much.
07:42Day of the movie arrived, and I had come up with a plan
07:44to watch Barbie with Aaron without Jim knowing.
07:46I told Jim I was feeling sick and needed to rest,
07:49which wasn't entirely a lie, because I
07:51felt butterflies in my stomach at the thought of spending
07:53time with Aaron.
07:54At the cinema, Aaron and I laughed our hearts out
07:57at the silly scenes in Barbie.
07:59It was so fun.
08:00But as we left the cinema, I was in for a surprise.
08:03Jim was standing there looking heartbroken and hurt.
08:06Juniper, you lied to me.
08:07I thought we were supposed to be best friends.
08:09And here you are with Aaron, of all people?
08:11It's not what you think, Jim.
08:13Aaron is a really nice guy.
08:15Juniper, please.
08:16This guy, he's a snake.
08:18Hey, dude, I'm standing right here.
08:19You better shut that mouth.
08:21You shut up and stay away from Juniper.
08:23Before I knew it, Jim threw a punch at Aaron
08:25and knocked him on the ground.
08:26I was shocked.
08:27Are you crazy, Jim?
08:29What's gotten into you?
08:30You hurt him badly.
08:31But Juniper, you're my friend.
08:33You're supposed to be on my side.
08:34Jim, I'll be friends with whoever I want.
08:37I can't, I can't stay around you.
08:39It's like I don't even know who you are.
08:41I then helped Aaron up and walked him home.
08:43He could have pressed charges against Jim,
08:45but he didn't, which was very kind of him.
08:47In the days that followed, Jim tried
08:49to contact me many times, but I wasn't
08:51ready to talk to him yet.
08:52It felt like everything was spinning out of control,
08:55and I needed some time to sort out my feelings.
08:58So on the day of the rap battle, instead of participating,
09:01I messaged Jim that I wouldn't be joining.
09:03All he replied with was a simple OK.
09:05Feeling torn and anxious, I decided
09:08to at least visit the rap battle
09:09to see Aaron perform and support him.
09:11But what I saw there left me shook.
09:13Jim was trying his best, but Aaron, he was killing it,
09:16and not in a good way.
09:18Hey, Jimbo, you lost your friend.
09:20Now you're on your own.
09:21My tricks played well.
09:22She fell for my lies.
09:24What a surprise.
09:25So the cinema took her.
09:26She didn't know.
09:27Faked about my mom.
09:28Perfect sorrowful show.
09:29She thought I'd change, but it was just a facade.
09:32Remember that call?
09:33I tipped you off.
09:34So odd.
09:34To gain her sympathy, I took a punch so tough.
09:37Now she's on my hook.
09:38My power to show it's enough.
09:40My emotions went wild as I heard Aaron's hurtful words.
09:44Seeing Jim's pained expression, it hit me hard.
09:47It was right about Aaron's tricks.
09:49It all clicked.
09:50He had done the whole nice guy act
09:52to distract me from the rap battle.
09:53He messed with the wrong girl.
09:55Without even thinking, I jumped on the stage next to Jim.
09:58Jim, my buddy, you know I got your back.
10:00Through thick and thin, we never lack.
10:02Fake friends leave, but we stand tall.
10:04Bonds unbreakable, never going to fall.
10:06They're just haters, but we're the real deal, and that's all.
10:09As for you, Aaron, you're a fake.
10:11Always playing games.
10:12Lies, manipulation, it's all the same.
10:14Emily Dickinson said, tell the truth, but tell it slant.
10:16But your lies won't fool me.
10:18They won't enchant.
10:19With Jim, I stand firm.
10:20Your tricks won't grant.
10:21Hearing this, Jim jumped up and down and hugged me tight.
10:25I knew you'd come.
10:26I had to.
10:26Now, come on.
10:27Let's win this thing.
10:28Jim and I were doing amazing.
10:31We were spitting verses in the mic like we were on fire.
10:34In the end, it was us against Aaron and his gang.
10:37And I decided to bring my A-game and finish him once and for all.
10:41But before he could speak, Jim took the mic and left me totally blown.
10:45You call my friend naive, but let me retort.
10:47She's like a rainbow, shining bright, never short.
10:49Like twinkle, twinkle, little star, she'll reach for the sky.
10:51While you're stuck in the dark, telling lie after lie.
10:54Life's a journey, not a devious scheme.
10:55In the little engine that could, she follows her dream.
10:58She'll rise and shine while you're left in the dark.
11:00With no true friends, no real spark.
11:02The rap battle ended.
11:03Jim dropped the mic, leaving Aaron speechless.
11:06Holy gee, how did you do that?
11:08Learned from you, Juniper.
11:09In the end, we totally nailed it and won the cash prize.
11:13As Aaron tried to get off the stage, I quickly called out his name.
11:16Hey, Aaron.
11:17Remember the deal?
11:18Apologize to Jim in front of everyone.
11:20Come on.
11:21Yeah.
11:21Come back on stage.
11:22Aaron's face turned red as a tomato.
11:25And like a kid who was punished, he took the mic and apologized to Jim.
11:29Now, that was a mic drop.
11:31Once we left the venue, Jim took me straight to the bookshop
11:34where my grandma's book was.
11:35Get that poetry book you've always wanted.
11:37But it's not just my money.
11:39We both won.
11:40You get part two.
11:41No, I wanted to win just for you, Juniper.
11:43Holy gee, you're the best friend ever, Jim.
11:46Remember, true friends got your back.
11:48No matter what, fake people and lies can't break real friendship.
11:52Trust your buddies.