Michael is the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. After winning three champions Michael is at the top of his career and everyone expects he will win his fourth MVP award. Yesterday, Michael called a press conference and suddenly announced his retirement.

Billy is known around the city as a “tough guy”. He only wears leather and can usually be spotted speeding down the street on his Harley motorcycle. He is covered in tattoos, including one that reads “Bad to the Bone”. Little do these people know that Billy has a soft side and spends Tuesday evenings volunteering at the local animal shelter.

After years of slaving away at his boring desk job, Joshua realized that enough was enough. Working in a cubicle would never bring him happiness. Joshua decided to pursue his dream to become a professional actor.

Charlotte forgot her lunch at home. Everywhere she went she seemed to be followed by reminders of her hunger. In reading class, Charlotte read a short story about a young girl’s quest to bake the perfect batch of cookies. In social studies, Charlotte’s stomach growled as the teacher talked about food eaten during the first Thanksgiving. Even in math class, the teacher’s discussion of fractions reminded Charlotte of a delicious cheese pizza.

Kacey was nervous about her upcoming swim meet. She had been practicing for months and her coach said she was the favorite to win the gold medal. After dinner, her father drove her to get ice cream. As they sat at the counter, looking out the window, Kacey’s father told his daughter, “All you can do is try your best. Don’t let one race define who you are.”

Missy didn’t know what to do. Her best friend Penny had stolen the science test off of Mr. Phillip’s desk. She was offering cheat sheets to anyone who was willing to pay $5. Missy was conflicted: should she pay the money and join her friend or tell the teacher and risk becoming everyone at school’s new target?

As all of his classmates rushed to vote in this year’s Student Council election, Kevin stayed behind. His decision should be simple, right? His cousin, Tiffany, was running for Treasurer. The only problem? His best friend Max was her opponent. Kevin looked at the posters each had decorated and hung in the hallway. Where was Kevin’s allegiance? To his friends or to his family?

As soon as he walked into the house, something wasn’t right. Even though she was usually greeted by the smell of freshly baked cookies, now her grandmother’s house smelled stale and musty. Lucy closed her eyes and imagined what this house was like before her grandmother passed away: warm and cozy, jazz music playing from the radio, and the smell of delicious cookies rising steadily in the oven.

Chelsea stood at the free throw line. She dribbled the ball and remembered what had happened at the last game when she missed both shots and her team ended up losing by just one point. Chelsea tried to shake the lingering disappointment. She erased the memory from her mind, squared her feet, and released the ball.

What is another word for a contrast and contradiction?