There are many ways we could start this story, once upon a time, in a land far far away many years forgotten, but I think the best way to start is it was a bright sunny day in a small town that’s name doesn’t matter. There where five girls. The first was Lauren she had long dark brown hair that would fall off in every direction but she never seemed to care. The next were twins Tracy and Sarah who yes, where the kind of twins that dressed the same and always seemed to know what the other was thinking, today they both strolled into school wearing skinny jeans and pink polo shirts, Sarah with a pony tail going to the right Tracy’s fell to the left. They both had that smile on their face and we all knew that they were talking without words again. Even though I have known them since forth grade it still freaked me out when they did that. Five minutes after that, at exactly seven fifty-five and not a minute before or after, Megan bounced in. She was caring her bag, a purse, and a face full of make up. Don’t get me wrong it never looked bad but it always seemed like she was trying a bit too hard. And then there’s me, Jessica the girl who rolls out of bed, rolls out the door, and rolls into that ugly brownish-orange building we call school.
“OMG Jess you will never guess!” Tracy and Sarah sang to me at the same time.
“Jess-I-ca” I spat back. I hate being called Jess.
Silence.
“What?” I asked in my best I really really care voice.
“We have an assembly this morning!” Tracy said. I had the vision of pink bubble letters flying out of her lip gloss lined mouth and crashing into my forehead.
“Hello?” Sarah asked as if I started out talking to her.
“Ok so what does that mean?” I asked trying my best to register what was going on.
“We miss out on the science test, DUH”
“Oh yeah that’s great, uh I’ll talk to you later” I said as I slipped into the crowd pouring into the gymnasium, becoming one of the faceless students are principle “cared about and would try his best to understand” oh yeah? For the first three years of my middle school life he called me Katie. First of all my name doesn’t sound anything like Katie and even if it was what makes him think he knew me well enough to call me Katie, it’s Katelyn to him, but anyway that was all in the past.
The assembly dragged on for most of first period with principle Cook talking about bullying and the importance of returning late library books.
Snore.
I looked around at the fifth graders that sat in the bleachers across from us they always seemed to be a little bit afraid of the mighty eighth graders, and it felt good to finally be at the top. The assembly lasted another ten minutes and then freedom well of course after all the timid under classmen safely returned to their class rooms. My group and I slowly got up and lugged our way down the bleachers being careful to avoid the boys playing football with some poor girls yellow flip flop. We all looked at each other then said almost all at once said,”See ya!” (Ha! Tracy and Sarah we can do it too).

The rest of the day went on like any other: We had a pop quiz in math what a coincidence because my stomach started hurting at right about that time. I spent social studies in the nurses office while she tried to diagnose the “stomach ache” with out her glasses on until they slipped off the top of her head onto her face where she sternly said,
“hmmm I think your fine dear now go back to what ever class you are trying to get out of” She knows me so well. With a smile and a pass I slowly made my way to P.E where I got picked last for soccer. Meagan and some kid that I didn’t really know were captains; I didn’t want to be on Megan’s team anyway. After a very eventful P.E I walked into study hall I was among the lucky ones who had it last. So I walked in sat down and tried to stay awake for the last period of the day. Boys were stupid, time stopped, and I never believed my teachers when they said my homework won’t do itself. Then I counted down the minutes until this day would end.

Yes the bell did in fact ring, and yes I was among the first out of the school, but that does not mean that my sister did in fact remember to come get me.
“Hello? It’s Jessica your one and only sister, flesh-and-blood relative who walked home in the thirteen degree weather and almost got hit by a snow plow. Hypothermia is setting in!” I shouted as I walked into the yellow two story house
“Oh calm down drama queen” theses loving words from my sister Caroline greeted me like a smack in the face.
“Good to see you too” I thought back but didn’t dare say. Caroline was in her second year of college and could easily beat me to a pulp. I headed up to my room passing by the bathroom, my parents room, and a closet that I don’t think I have ever opened. I took a peek, just towels. Then there is my room it is a light but deep purple. I flicked on the lights then went to sit down on my bed and sat on my iPod that immediately began playing some rap song I didn’t recognize through the three blankets that muffled the speakers. I didn’t bother turning it off. I sat at my desk and opened a word document on my laptop, I typed for an hour on my Language arts paper before my computer died and I lost it all.
“Well at least I tried”, I headed down stairs to get a snack just as my mom burst through the front door and knocked me off my feet. She turned back to me, looked down, and said,
“Oh honey you should be more careful.” Nice to see you too mom.
“Its ok, I’m fine, no permanent damage” I murmured as I headed upstairs. I smacked my bed until the now country music stopped. I slipped into the cool sheets and tensed. I finally warmed up and relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.


I slept great that night. I was having one of those dreams that are just great even though you can’t remember one thing about them, but you just want to talk about how great it was all day. I was at the best part of my dream when some maniac started shaking me.
“Ok, ok I’m up” I said. Or at least that’s what I thought I said, I was later informed that it sounded more like
“Phfff gorge” and was followed by a sarcastic sounding,
“Fiphhh huie” My mom walked over and removed the pillow that was covering my face and let light flow into my poor unsuspecting eyes. I blinked.
“Can I help you?” I asked the woman who was trying to blind me.
“If you want a ride to school I’m leaving in twenty minutes”
“Crap.” I got up, ran to the bathroom, brushed my hair and teeth, threw on the first thing I saw in my closet, and headed downstairs. I stopped on the way to lookout the window,
“Ugh raining.” I then continued down the stairs almost tripped and killed myself on a dog toy and ran out to the garage where my mom sat impatiently in her car. I got in and we headed off to school it took us about five minutes to get there, well it took everyone about five minutes to get there.
I strolled into the school at 7:54 so I waited at the door for Megan, she showed up twenty seconds later.
“Hey”
“Oh…my gosh!” she replied
“What? You look like you saw a ghost” which would be very funny to see.
“Your shirt, did you look in the mirror this morning?”
I don’t need a mirror to know I look this good”
“Well you might want to take another look” she said as she patted my back and walked away. I slowly made my way to the bathroom and got several weird looks, this made me pick up my pace. I tore around the corner and looked in the mirror and there it was, “The sweater”. That one sweater that every girl and even some unlucky boys get for Christmas from that relative you’ve never met, and your mom, in the even that Auntie X would ever come over for a surprise visit, made you keep in the back of you closet. My sweater wasn’t a sweater at all it was a blue shirt that from the back looked like my old track shirt but from the front unicorns, rainbows, and a glued on cotton ball bunny danced around the saying, “You can be anything you want to be”. Which wouldn’t even be that bad if it didn’t have “I love you sweetie hope you can get out of diapers soon” written on it with that 3D fabric pen thing. The best part of this whole story was that I got this gift two years ago when I was twelve. Today’s going to be another lovely day.