Chapter 3: The First Day of School
Monday came way too fast. My weekend felt like only a few hours, instead of days. On Monday morning I slipped out of my bed and looked out the window. It was six in the morning. Let’s just say I’m more of a nine o’clock type of girl. “Annabelle! Get up! It’s your first day of school!” my mom screamed from down stairs. I moaned. Out of every moving experience, starting at a new school was the worst. I pulled on my clothes and pushed on a pair of my brand new shoes. I slumped down stairs and grabbed my book bag. “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. Come sit down and have some cereal first sweetie.” my mom said. “You don’t want to start your day with an empty stomach.” I ate my cereal and then hopped in the car. “This is so exciting! Your first day!” my mom said enthusiastically. “Not really mom. New schools are always hard to adjust to.” I said. “Oh, honey, stop stressing. I’m sure you will fit right in,” she said with a smile and patted my hand. “Yeah right,” I mumbled. I pulled my hood of my sweatshirt over my head as we drove away from our house.
The school looked like a normal school. It was smaller than my old school, but I didn’t care. “This school is a very nice school. It is in a safe neighborhood. You should find lots of kind and fun-loving kids here,” my mom said reassuringly. I looked at the school with a nervous look. My mom noticed and said, “Don’t worry, honey. It’ll be fine. I’ll walk you in to tell the office you’re a new student.” I sighed and got out of the car to walk inside. My mom made me take off my sweatshirt because it was “too warm out”. The ladies at the front office smiled at us as we walked in. My mom introduced herself, then me. “Welcome to Orlando Junior High Charlotte!” a lady wearing a sweater covered with kittens said. “It’s Annabelle, actually,” I tried to say politely. My mom gave me a hug and said thank you to the ladies and walked out. “Okay, Annabelle. Your first class will be math. It’s down the hall and to the right,” another lady in a blue, floral blouse said. “Wait, don’t I have homeroom?” I asked. “Oh, yes, but you are a little late today. Tomorrow you will go to Mrs. Lane’s class.” I nodded and walked out of the room. The hallways were silent except for a few kids getting to class late. I found my class and took a deep breath. “Okay, Annabelle. Relax. You’ll be fine,” I whispered to myself. I opened the door and walked in. About twenty-five sets of eyes all turned to stare at me. I froze, and then turned to a man about the age of forty with glasses. “H-hi, uumm… I’m Annabelle,” I stammered. “Ah, yes, the new little student. Hello my dear. Take a seat, we just started,” he said in a kind voice. I nodded and found a seat in the way back. Some kids turned around to stare at me, and some barely noticed I existed. A few girls turned around and smirked at me. Those would be the mean girls at the school, I could already tell. However there was one boy who turned around and actually smiled at me. He seemed kind-hearted and friendly. I faintly smiled back.
Chapter 4: A New Friend
The school day went by slowly. In each class I sat in the very back. Except for the teachers, no one wanted anything to do with me. People ran into me in the hall like they didn’t see me. The girls who smirked at me in math class acted as if I never existed. At lunch I sat at a table in the corner of the cafeteria all by myself. I just wanted the day to be over so I could go home.
When the last bell rang, I sprinted out of the building before anyone had a chance to run me over in the hall. When I got outside I didn’t see my mom parked anywhere, so I started walking. I did not want to have to sit around waiting for my mom to show up. As I was walking I heard someone yell, “Hey! Hey you! Hello?” I didn’t think they were talking to me since no one had acknowledged me all day. “Hey, wait up!” they yelled again. I got annoyed at the sound of someone yelling, so I turned around to see what all the commotion was about. I spun around to see someone running towards me. They ran right into me, and we both went to the ground. “Uuugggg! What was that for?” I screamed. “Don’t you know not to run full speed towards someone?” I scolded. “Sorry! Hey, sorry! I didn’t mean to!” the person said. It was a boy. He was about fourteen or fifteen. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up. Then I realized something else. It was the guy from my math class who had smiled at me. “Oh, whatever, it’s fine. I’m fine, “I said kind of shocked. He had dirty-blonde hair and brown eyes just like me. He was tall, but not much taller than I was. He held a skateboard in his right hand. Then I continued, “Hey, you’re in my math class aren’t you?” “Yep, I sure am. I thought you might remember,” he said smiling. I smiled back. We stood there awkwardly for a second not knowing what to say. “So, why were you trying to catch up with me?” I asked. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. Well, you’re new, so I thought I would introduce myself. I’m Lucas. Lucas Williams,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Lucas. My name is Annabelle Blake,” I replied. “Thanks, that’s nice of you. No one has bothered to notice me all day,” I said sighing. “Hey, well now someone has. So where did you move from?” he asked. “Oh, I moved here from Colorado,” I said. “That’s far,” Lucas said nodding. “Yeah, and it stinks to move. I have moved five times! It’s so annoying,” I complained. “Yeah, I moved once, and it was hard. I can’t imagine moving five times! That must be hard,” he said. Wow, I thought. He actually understands. I smiled and nodded. Then a car honked and we heard, “LUCAS! Come on! We’re gonna be late!” “I’m coming! Sorry, I gotta go. That’s my older sister. She has to take me to basketball practice. I’ll talk to you later, though!” He said. Then he started running towards the car. He turned around to wave at me. I waved and smiled big. “See ya!” I yelled. As soon as he left, my mom pulled up in our car. For the first time since we had moved- the first ever- I actually felt a little glimmer of hope inside. Maybe Florida wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Chapter 5: Best Friends
After that day, Lucas and I became great friends. Every day at school we sat together at lunch and were partners for any projects we had. We even started walking home together. We made each other laugh and told stories about fun times we had had in the past. I never thought I would make any new friends in Florida, but Lucas proved differently. We had so much in common. My dad had died when I was little, and his mom had left them when he was a toddler. We both loved to do outdoor activities, and liked to get ice cream on hot days. We had become the best of friends in only a few weeks.
One day Lucas and I were walking home from school when he asked me, “Hey, so, it’s my birthday coming up soon and I’m not really doing anything big. I’m turning fifteen but I don’t really want a big party or anything. But, I want to go to Disney for a day.” “Oh cool! I have never been to Disney World! I mean, I have always wanted to go, but my mom is always too busy,” I replied. “Yeah, well, I was wondering if you would like to come. You could get a chance to meet my dad. Your mom can come too, if she wants,” he said. “What! You want me to come? Oh, that would be soooo awesome! I would love to!” I said shocked. “But, wait, why aren’t you asking one of your other friends to go?” I asked curiously. “Well, we do this small celebration thing with my basketball friends, but this would be different—just us,” he replied. “Oh…um... thanks,” I said kind of blushing.
That weekend we packed our bags for a one day, one night at Disney World. We got to meet Lucas’ dad one week before we left. It took about twenty minutes for all four of us to be laughing and talking. My mom and Lucas’ dad got along very well. My mom and I were so excited to go on the trip. Lucas and his dad picked us up in their truck on Saturday morning. The drive was about one hour to Disney. Once we got there we checked into our hotel room. Then we took the bus to Magic Kingdom. We went on all of the roller coasters and thrilling rides. After that we went to Epcot for dinner and more fun. Before I knew it—our day was coming to an end. I had so much fun I didn’t want the day to end. We all went back to the hotel and crashed. The next morning we ate breakfast and headed home. “I had soooo much fun!” I told Lucas when they dropped us off. “I will never forget it!” I said wi
th a grin. “I know! It was awesome!” he said laughing. I gave him a big hug. “Thanks for letting me come.” He just smiled and said, “No, thank you for coming.” He waved goodbye and hopped in his truck with his dad.
That experience at Disney would never be forgotten, but we had other fun times too. Summer came around only two months after I moved in. Lucas and I biked almost every day down to the ice cream shop to get our favorite flavors of ice cream. We also spent a lot of time on the beach. Since Lucas loved skateboarding and I loved snowboarding, we both decided to give something else with a board a shot. We took surfing classes together. We both had a great time. Every day was a new adventure for Lucas and me. One day Lucas and I were walking down to the pier to get something to eat. On the way we heard something crying. It actually sounded more like whining or whimpering. “What is that?” Lucas asked. “I don’t know. Come on, let’s find out,” I said. We walked down a path that looked liked it led to the beach. The sound came from somewhere inside a bunch of tangled bushes and trees alongside the path. I stepped into the thicket and saw the cutest thing I had ever seen. It was a small, golden Labrador retriever puppy. “Oh my---, Lucas….. Get in here!” I yelled. Lucas stepped off the path and helped me get the puppy untangled. It didn’t have a collar, and I had a feeling this puppy didn’t have an owner. At least it didn’t anymore. “Lucas what do we do? It’s all scratched up! Poor little thing!” I said holding the tired puppy in my arms. “Well,” he said, “we could take it back to your house and clean it up. Then we could take it down to the animal shelter.” I nodded with agreement. “Okay, let’s go.”
We took the little creature back to my house, and my mom helped us wash it and bandage its wounds. We fed it and let it sleep on a pillow. I sighed. “Now what? It’s so cute, I wish I could help it more,” I said. My mom looked at me for a second. She looked like she was trying to decide on something important. “Ok… well… I--- I guess, if you want, you could keep it,” she said with a shrug. I jumped out of my seat totally shocked. “What! Really! Oh, thank you mom! Thank you!” I hollered hugging her and jumping up and down. Then I hugged Lucas. “This is awesome!” he said laughing. I was so excited. No matter what Lucas and I did, we always had a blast. I was so glad, and so fortunate to have a friend like him. Living in Florida was getting better every single day.
Chapter 6: Shocking News
As the summer went by, Lucas and I continued our daily fun. We couldn’t wait till high school. I had always dreamed of going to high school. There, most people wouldn’t know each other and everyone would have to meet new people, kind of like what I had been doing my whole life. Lucas and I became close friends. We went to each other for advice and always felt comfortable around each other. Each day I spent with Lucas brought me back to that same lively girl I had once been back in Colorado. Even my mom started to loosen up about work and would take days off to take me to the movies or lunch. I finally felt like I could call a place home. Sure, that’s what I called Colorado, but things were different in Florida. I felt more relaxed and I wasn’t so closed up to the world anymore. But everything that Florida had given me came crashing down one August afternoon. I had just finished going surfing with Lucas when I walked in the living room with my towel around my shoulders. “Hey! Mom, you wouldn’t believe the waves tod--,” I stopped. My mom was crying. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at my face with a depressed, sorrowful look. “Mom!” I flung my towel off and crouched down on the couch next to her. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you sick?” I looked at her concerned. The last time my mom cried was when my dad passed away. “Annabelle…. I can’t tell you how much this hurts me…” she began to say. “What?” I said persistently. “I just got a call from my manager down at my office,” she continued. “What? Did you get fired?” I yelled. “No, no honey,” The tears came again, “I, we have to…. move… again...” she said choking up. You think that, since I have heard this so many times, I could handle it. Well, you’re wrong. Instead at these words, tears started rolling down my cheeks. “I’m so sorry Annabelle. I-I tried to tell them no… I am sorry,” my mom whispered. I wanted to scream but stayed calm. I hugged my mom and stood up. “Annabelle, wh—where are you going?” She asked. I didn’t respond. I just opened the porch door and ran. I ran as fast as I could. My vision blurred up as tears flowed from them. Not again! Why does this always happen to me? I screamed in my head. I ran to the end of the path that led from our house to the beach. I stopped and caught my breath. “I should just run away,” I mumbled. Instead I just continued to walk slowly. I thought about where we would be shipped off to now, why my mom couldn’t just quit her job, and most all…. Lucas. He was the best friend I ever had. Now I would have to leave him. It broke my heart and made me cry harder. “I’m such a cry baby,” I said. But the truth is I didn’t care if anyone called me a cry baby. I would still cry and still be depressed. When I finally gathered my courage and strength, I walked back home and went inside our now old home. My mom was now sitting at the table with a cold cup of coffee. I slumped into a chair. I sighed and said, “When? Where? Why?” I asked solemnly. My mom responded, “Two weeks. North Carolina. And the same reason we have been moved before, because now I’m needed there, not here.” I nodded. “Listen, I’m sorry Anna…” I stopped her and held up my hand. “Whatever, I’m going to Lucas’s house.” She looked hurt but I knew she understood. I grabbed my shoes and ran out the door.
When I got to Lucas’s house I used all the confidence I had to knock on the door. Lucas answered and when he saw me he smiled and yelled, “Annabelle! What’s up? I thought you said you would see me tomorrow?” He saw my bike and looked confused. Then he realized my puffy eyes. “Yeah, uumm, well... we need to talk,” I spit out. He made a confused face but followed me outside. “Is everything okay?” he asked. I sighed. “No, Lucas. I’m not okay. This is harder than ever. But I have to say it,” I took a deep breath, and said, “I am… moving. Again. For like the billionth time!” Tears stung but I held them back. He looked sad but said nothing. He gave me a hug and said, “It’ll be okay. We’ll work things out.” I nodded and looked into his eyes. They were sad but sweet. I began to realize leaving Lucas was going to be harder than I thought. Then I realized that I liked Lucas a lot. And that maybe, maybe I liked him more than just friends.
Chapter 7: Saying Goodbye?
For the next week I spent as much time as I could with Lucas. Every time I thought about it, Lucas was very similar to me. Whenever I would have to go home and pack for the move, I would miss being with him. I got aggravated with my mom and would yell at her a lot. She was very quiet and didn’t say much. I could tell she felt bad for me but I still yelled at her for every little thing that went wrong.
When the last three days of living in Florida came, I tried to have the most fun I could. I spent almost the whole time with Lucas and tried to avoid my mom. But I couldn’t shake off the feeling of depression from the fact that we were moving. When I was with Lucas, any time I caught his eye, I couldn’t help but get lost in them. They were dreamy and magical. I would go into a daze. But when I did get lost in his eyes, I also felt a hole in my heart grow bigger and bigger. The thought of moving away from him hurt my heart. I knew he was sad to see me go, but I could never understand what he could have been thinking. Anyway, we did all of our favorite activities, such as surfing, playing with my puppy, biking, going to the ice cream shop, swimming at the beach, and more. We shared laughs and joked around. We had fun, but that annoying thought that kept bugging me still stirred in the back of my head.
The Meandering Mind - Creative Musings of 7th Graders Page 15
