• Monday, August 25th
    tab The calender said the 25th, the clock 5:30 but all I could think of was why. Stumbling to my alarm clock that was still buzzing, I tripped over my book bag that I'd put out the night before. I fell and raising myself by my elbow, I managed to hit the off button without getting up. Then, I pain in my left side from hitting the edge of the dresser, I got up and switched the light. I walked over to the book bag that had not only made me fall and hit my side, but also reminded me it was the first day of school. I didn't intend on going, at first, I had simply refused. I didn't even want to be here. I wanted to be at home, with mom, where I was supposed to be. But then again, I knew that's what mother wanted too. She didn't want to be in a hospital, wondering day and night when she would be free of cancer, or if she would.
    tab So know, having to live with Rena is a lot harder than you'd imagine. I'm not used to my surroundings in her small town home. I'm not used to my room, or Rena's dog, Jasmine. I'm not used to having my mother cry every time I came to visit her because she didn't want me to see her that way. In fact, I'm not used to anything anymore. Scarcely even myself.
    tab I got ready for school, putting on my most casual outfit, a red t-shirt and dark jeans. I stuffed my feet into my old sneakers and threw my new book bag over my shoulder. I clipped my bangs back with red bobby pins and brushed the rest back into a red scrunchy. Looking at how stupid my brown stub looked in the pony tail, I took it down and left it hanging flatly. I grabbed a piece of toast off of a plate and tried to walk past Rena without a word. "Want me to drive you?" She asked, looking out from behind the newspaper she probably wasn't even reading.
    tab "I can just take the bus, Rena." I replied, trying to get past her without another word. She stood up from the recliner she had been sitting in and smiled. "You could, but its your first day." She grabbed the keys off of the hook near the door and opened the door wide enough for me to get through. With a heavy sigh of disapproval, I stomp to her white car. Stuffing my book bag in the back, I hurried to the front, slamming the door to let her know I didn't want her to drive me, anyway. She gets in the drivers seat and smiles. "I thought you'd want to drive." She added, and we were off.

    tab When we got to the school, I jumped out. I didn't want her to hug me, say goodbye even. I wanted to let her know how angry I was that I had to even go to this drab school. I grabbed my book bag and before I slammed the door, she smiled and said, innocently, "Bye, have a good first day!". I walked to the front door, where other kids were flooding in in front and behind me. Everyone had on what I guessed was the latest fashion. Stumbling was a new thing for me, but I stumbled over somebody's untied shoelace. My head went into the back of the person in front of me, and with a sharp yelp, the girl turned around, a look so filled with hatred I knew I wouldn't make one good friend if anyone else heard about it.
    tab "Watch it!" She screeched, but she quickly turned back around and straightened her shirt. By the time I got into the office, I'd tripped again, but this time, I wasn't in the crowd, I was at the door of the office. I tripped over my shoelace and my left shoulder hit the door with a thud. Suddenly there was laughter around me, and I could feel my face grow hotter and hotter as I opened the office door and came in. When I was in, a woman in a blue nurse suit looked at me, her eyebrows raised with concern as I clutched my shoulder. "It's fine." I say, letting go. I walk up to a woman behind a cherry wood desk in the middle of the room. "May I help you, ma'am?" She asked, a genuine smile on her face. I nod.
    tab "I'm new here and came to get my books and schedule." I say, looking at a stack of books in the corner. "Oh, yes, sorry about that, your Miss. Finch, correct?" I nod, trying to get all of this over with.
    tab "We're extremely sorry for the inconvenience, you registered so late you missed the open house and didn't have enough time to make a teacher meeting specially for you."
    tab "It's alright, really."
    tab She hands me three textbooks that I load into my near empty book bag. "Here's your schedule." she says, handing me a pink sheet of paper when I was done. I nod, thank her and then, my book bag much heavier and my left shoulder and side still aching, I go off to my first class: Biology with Mr. Headman.

    tab Halfway into the school day, during a lecture of conduct from Mrs. Leonard, my English teacher, a bell unlike the normal bells ring. I look around, startled and confused on what it meant. Then, I realized everyone was rushing to pack up and get out of the room. I do the same, still not sure what we're doing. "That's the lunch bell." A small voice says as I pack away my English book. When I look up, a sincere face is looking down at me. "I'm Mary Gradeigh, and your Milly?" She added when I didn't respond after a couple seconds. I nod and we go out the door. "The cafeteria is just downstairs." She said, leading the way. I follow, but can't help but look at her odd outfit.
    tab She's wearing a long, gray dress and has black tennis shoes hidden under them. As she walks, I get peeks of not only the shoes, but her socks. Gray. Is this girl goth or something? She has this long, black hair that flows almost past her knees and is as straight as a beanpole. As she leads me down the steps, I realize only a few people, running late, are moving through the halls other than us. Finally, at the end of the steps, we go into a rather crowded room that has a line a mile long leading down one side, along the other side and in the center regions, as well, are short circular tables with built in stools. Mary gets into the back of the line and picks up a tray, and I do the same.
    tab As we get our lunch, Mary says not a word and neither do I. By the time we get to the register, I'm confused again. Unwillingly, I pull out my wallet. I look up at her, then over at Mary, who's waiting next to me. "Lunch is $3.00." Mary finnaly says, after many yells to hurry up from behind. I give her a five and take my two dollars and stick them back into my wallet, which I hurriedly put into my pocket again. Then, me and Mary go to a table where a red head and two blonds are sitting. There's two seats left, and Mary asks politely, "Do you mind if we sit here?"
    tab One of the blonds turns and faces us and rolls her eyes. "Why not?" Then she turns back and chatters with her friends again. The other blond, a girl who's wearing a red vest over a white t-shirt turns and smiles at us as we sit down. "You're like new, right?" She asks me, and I realize she doesn't have a tray in front of her. I slide mine away from me and smile. "Not really new to the town, but the school, yeah." I smile. She's the kind of girl who wouldn't even notice me back at my old school, and its a refreshing feeling that she is now. "Oh, why'd you change schools?" She asks, her smile fading. "I moved to a new home and this school was closer, so, I transferred here."
    tab The red haired girl turns around and faces us. "Sara, what are you doing?" She asks, a snobby look on her over powdered face. "Just getting to now the new girl, a little." She says, smiling. "Well don't." She barks, then turns back to the blond, who has pulled out a mirror and is checking her lip gloss. "Don't listen to her, I want to know more." She whispers, a smile so wide I can see all her white, front teeth.
    tab So me and her talk all through lunch, and the red haired girl doesn't bother us anymore. At the bell, I realize Mary has been sitting there, as quite as a mouse. "Oh, sorry, Mary." I mention, and me and Sara walk to the next class together, leaving Mary sitting there. For the rest of the day, my mind is reeling. I've made someone who wouldn't have even glanced at me once, or thought about saying hi my friend. It was a new feeling to not have a totally invisible friend. People kept waving at me and Sara in the hall, and some even stopped to get to know me some in between classes.
    tab This day wasn't totally bad, and I knew the rest of the year wouldn't, either, but every time I saw Mary in the halls, by herself, looking so peaceful, I felt bad about not including her. One thing was for sure, Sara was different from girls like her. She didn't care about who she talked to, and she defiantly wasn't a snob.