Another Day In 7TH Grade Chapter 2

Chapter 2
The First Day Of Seventh Grade

Seven years later not much had changed. The sleepy little town of Shylow went about its usual business. Summer had just ended and school was about to start again, just like it did every year for as long as the town existed. Behind the church, on the back streets of Maple Drive, sat a little white house. It wasn't special, it wasn't even eye catching, it was just there in the middle of a long row of other ordinary white houses. Inside lived the same girl that had lived there since the day she was born. Yup, that's me, Sofya Quade. Everything was the same except my excitement for school. It faded over the years, as most kid's enthusiasm does. I lay on my bed with a pillow over my head. I was trying to block out the sound of my sisters running around. I knew I should get up but I was in no hurry.
"Sofya! You're going to be late for school!" My mom yelled up the steps.
"What?" I asked sleepily. I looked over at my clock. I was fifteen minutes behind my getting ready schedule. I guess I was later than I thought. It wasn't my fault though, or at least not entirely. Summer just ended so I wasn't used to the whole school schedule yet. Plus, I forgot to set my alarm, so that may have caused me to start off late too.
"Ohhh…." I moaned. I stood up and rubbed my eyes.
"Sofya, lets go! You haven't even eaten yet!" My mom yelled again. I sleepily walked over to my closet to find something to wear.
"Hmm... I think I'll wear this purple sweeter." I said to myself. I knelt down to the bottom dresser drawer to grab a pair of jeans. Yup, another boring  school year was about to start.

I walked to the bathroom door to find it locked. I'll never have time to take a shower and get dressed now. "Come on! I need to get ready!" I said with a yawn.
"Too bad it's my turn!" My little sister, Isabel, yelled from inside. Oh no! She takes the longest to get ready! She is the biggest bathroom hog in the world!
"Hurry up." I moaned.
"Don't be so pushy! It's my first day too!" Just perfect! I'll be late for sure now! I decided to go down stairs and eat breakfast before getting dressed.

I walked halfway down the steps when I heard my mom gasp at the sight of me. "Sofya! You're not dressed yet!"
"I know I know! Isabel is in the bathroom." I tried to explain. "I thought it would be better to eat something instead of sitting there waiting."
"You're going to be late." She mumbled under her breath.

Every girl in my family has strawberry blonde hair. My mom says we're blessed, but I think it's a curse. She says we should be proud to be Irish. I don't mind my heritage, but I wished my skin wasn't so pale, and I wished it did more than just burn in the sun. I wished I didn't have so many freckles, and I wished I could have been a little taller. Being short is one thing, but being the shortest girl in your class gets old at times. I'm the type of girl that tries to blend in, but my appearance makes it hard not to stick out.  

The strange triplet, also known as Keyda, was sitting at the kitchen table with a plate of mashed potatoes. Today she was making a small town out of her food, complete with a hospital and little nurses walking out. I had to admit the girl had talent.
The last triplet came out from the living room with a sly look on her little face. She threw a book at me and snickered. "Your diary hinge fell off." She mocked. An evil little grin began to form across her face. She sat down at the table next to Keyda. She is the evil triplet...
"You read my diary?!" I screamed. "Mom!"
"Don't Mom me! I'm late for work!" She said in a panic. She glanced at the clock quickly then ran back in her bedroom.
"You're such a little brat Sidney!" I yelled, but I could tell my anger just made her feel more victorious.  
"At least I'm not in love with Alex Stone!" She teased.
My face turned red but I quickly snapped out of it."Shut it Sidney!" I demanded.
"Make me." She said with a bring it on look.
"Who is Alex Stone?" Keyda asked.
"He's no one!" I said quickly.
"Mind your own business." Sidney ordered. She grabbed an orange from the fruit dish in the center of the table and smashed Keyda's mashed potato village. Keyda sighed and left the kitchen. She was hurt by what Sidney did but was also used to it.
Isabel finally walked down the steps in a little pink dress to her knees. She looked me over and started giggling. "You aren't going in that are you?" She asked.
I looked down at my pajamas and sighed. "No, I just haven't had time to get ready. Maybe if someone wasn't such a bathroom hog!"
"Well, you better get ready soon." She said simply. She skipped down to the kitchen and poured herself some cereal. I could not believe her! How annoying could she be?

I ran up the steps, put my diary away, and jumped in the shower. After I finished getting ready I ran back down the stairs, grabbed my lunch, and ran out the door. Looks like no breakfast for me. My mom started honking the car horn meaning I was very, very late.
. . .

When we reached the middle school I ran through the front doors as fast as I could. Now where could my locker be? "My locker number is 587. I hope I'm close." I glanced at the locker I stood next to. Locker 23. "No! No! No! This can not be happening!" I ran around looking for my locker, praying the tardy bell wouldn't go off as I searched.

I finally found it in the east hall. Now if I can remember my combination I just might make it to class in time. I entered my combination, but it wouldn't work. "You have got to be kidding me!"
'Brrring' went the bell. Oh yeah, late on the first day of school... I'll make a great first impression.  I banged my head on the locker door. This is it for me, I can't even get my stupid locker open!
"Hey Sofy!" A familiar voice called out of nowhere. I looked up to find Tommy standing next to me. "It's awesome our lockers are so close." She pushed her long brown hair behind her shoulders and smiled. She wore a baggy black tee shirt her brother out grew and her baggy jeans with holes in the knees. Her clothes didn't look like a proper first day of school outfit, but it didn't have to. For Tommy the first day was just as pointless, if not more so, than any other day of school. But that didn't matter, all that mattered was maybe she could help me make it to class.   
"Tommy! Thank God you're here! Can you help me with my locker?" I begged. From the sound of my voice I was even freaking myself out a bit. She looked at me strangely but decided to help. She pushed me away from the locker door and reached in her deep pockets for a tool. She pulled out a bobby pin then started to fiddle with the lock.
"What are you doing?" I asked curiously. I didn't understand her method.  
"If you place this in a certain way it'll open without breaking the lock. I did it all the time last year." She reassured.
"Is that yours?" I asked in a teasing sort of way. It wasn't natural for a tomboy to own a bobby pin.
"No I found it." She said quickly.
"Are you sure about that?" I laughed.
She folded her arms. "Do you want me to open it or not?"
"Yes, sorry! Go ahead." She shoved the bobby pin inside the lock then click! My locker opened.
"Thank you so much!"
"No problem." She leaned against her locker as she waited for me.
"Wait." I said while opening my locker wider. "Now that I think about it, what are you doing in the halls right now?" I put my backpack away and gathered supplies for my first hour classes.
"I'm late too." She said calmly. "Except I choose to be."
"Oh no, not this again. I thought you learned your lesson from last year, and the year before that."
"I have learned, I learned how smart of an idea it is." She argued.
"Even on the first day?" I shut my locker as I listened to her response.
"Especially the first day!" She said as she prepared to state her arguments. She opened her locker and began. "When you're late the teacher remembers your name faster. When she knows your name she won't ask for it all the time, and trust me, when teachers always ask for your name it gets really annoying!"
I never understood how Tommy thought, and I probably never would. I glanced up and down the halls as I waited for her to get her things. "Aren't you bringing anything?" I looked up at the clock and prayed the teacher wouldn't be too upset with us.
She slammed her locker shut. "Just a stick of gum." She answered. She slipped the gum in her mouth and smiled at the rebellious rush.
"Okay lets go!" I said in a panic. I started running to class as fast as I could. Tommy just casually walked behind me as if she wasn't late at all.

I entered the classroom just as the teacher was finishing up the attendance. I could tell she already passed my name.
"Tommy Veronics?" The teacher called. She looked around the room. The door swung open, hitting the wall with a loud bang.
"Here." Tommy yelled. She had perfect timing! I thought it was so neat! The teacher didn't look too pleased though. She stood in front of my desk for a moment, just staring at me.
"You must be Sofya Quade then." She said annoyed. She had the creepiest eyes I had ever seen! They actually appeared to flash in her anger.
"Ye..Yes." I stumbled as I sank in my seat.
"I'm Miss Stevens." She said angrily. Her lips were thin and appeared  tight as she spoke. "I don't like children who think it's okay to be tardy. Whether it's the first day or the last day you will show up on time. Do you understand?" I nodded and bit my lip. She looked in Tommy's direction. "That goes for you too."
Tommy leaned back in her chair with her arms folded behind her head. "Don't count on it." She said sarcastically. A few kids laughed but I could tell Miss Stevens was not in the mood for a smart aleck. I had never seen a teacher so upset on the first day of school!
Miss Stevens paced around the room as she explained more rules for her classroom. Her dishwater blonde hair was put up in a tight bun, not a single strand was out of place. She was unbelievably skinny; I bet hugging her would be like hugging a skeleton. A few people behind me were whispering to each other, saying how pretty she was. "I bet she could be a model!" I heard someone say. I agreed with them, I would like her to be anything other than my teacher. I had a feeling this year was going to be a long one.  

The only good thing about my first hour class, besides Tommy and Lidia being in it, was Alex being in it. I have had a crush on him for as long as I can remember! He wasn't like any other guy around here. He had a different mindset, and was more mature than most kids our age. He was so kind to everyone, and had the cutest smile. I could talk about him all day and never run out of things to say. The only problem is, getting him to notice me. And if he ever did notice me will he even like me? This was a question I had been afraid to answer for way too long…
. . .

It was nice to take a break from school and just enjoy our lunches, even if Tommy did try to gross us out. Lidia and I watched her as she mashed all of her food into a gross pile of mush.
"You two made Miss Stevens really mad. I was afraid she would expel you right there!" Lidia pointed out. She tried to keep her eyes away from Tommy's tray, but found it difficult.
"I know she creeps me out." I added with a shudder.
"She's a new teacher, fresh out of college, and thinks she needs the kids' respect. That's all." Tommy explained. Lidia could hold back no longer.  
"I didn't think hot lunch could be any grosser but you proved me wrong!" She said disgusted. I'd think Lidia would be used to Tommy's behavior by now, but I guess not.
"It's alive!" Tommy screamed, loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear. "Want some?" She asked. She put her spoon close up to Lidia's face.
"No! Gross!" Lidia screamed. She put her hand over her mouth and nose. Tommy laughed and ate some just to gross us out.
"Sick." I said while watching her lick the spoon.
"Who wants a food fight?" She asked. She mixed her food up even more, and added some applesauce for a sloppier look.
"Not me!" Lidia said in a snotty kind of way. She stood up from her seat and flipped her hair back. "My hair is perfect for the first day and I don't want to mess it up."  She had her eyes closed as she talked, like she did when she tried to look sophisticated. She had one hand laying on her hip, and the other fluffing up her hair. She had perfected her diva pose to a T.  
"Yeah really, you barely moved your head all day." Tommy teased. She threw a green bean in Lidia's hair then watched to see what would happen.
"You're so immature!" Lidia screamed. She jumped back and ran to the bathroom. Tommy started laughing again, like bothering Lidia was the funniest thing she ever seen. I continued eating my lunch. It was the same old food since 5th grade; an apple, a bottle of water, and a cheese sandwich. I was starting to think maybe I needed a change.
Tommy took the gum off her tray and returned it to her mouth. She stood up and looked around the cafeteria. "Come on, let's get out of here."
I followed her to the trash cans and dumped my tray. "Why do you put your gum on the tray like that?" I asked. "Do you have any clue how many kids have eaten off that thing?"
"No, but it gives the gum more flavor." She replied. She opened her mouth wide to reveal the gum sitting on her tongue.
"That's so gross." I said with a cringe. She laughed her evil witch like laugh, as we walked down the hall. I could tell she was hyper and I knew what that meant.
"I'm going to play basketball with the guys." She said the minute we walked outside. She ran to the basketball hoops leaving me alone with my thoughts. She always seemed to do that; she ditches me to hang out with the guys. She is such a tomboy! Luckily, that's where Lidia came in handy. We would hang out together whenever Tommy ditched us.

I sat on the bench against the school wall. I waited for Lidia but she was taking a long time to get back. Finally, she walked out of the school looking like a princess once again, even after her green bean incident. It was actually pretty warm outside, so I took my sweater off and adjusted the tee shirt underneath. Lidia walked over to me and sat in the grass.   
"What do you want to do?" I asked. I sighed and looked up at the sky. I wished more than anything I could be back at home sleeping. School was so boring.
"I brought the new Teen magazine with me." Lidia said excitedly. "We can look at all the great clothes and makeup tips!" She quickly pulled the magazine out from her purse before I even had a chance to agree. You can always count on Lidia to have a purse with her, and it's always filled with something girly. She had so many purses it was crazy! She had a purse to match almost all of her outfits!  
"That sounds great." I said, my voice flowed with sarcasm. Lidia of course didn't pick up on my sarcasm, but then again she never did.
"I like that! And that one too!" She squealed at every page. I just continued nodding like an idiot. I laid down in the grass and prayed recess would end soon. When the bell finally did go off I was so happy I could have screamed! She returned her magazine back to her purse. "Don't worry, we can look at the rest tomorrow!" She said as if I were worried.
"Oh goody." I said sarcastically. I sat up and rolled my eyes. She just giggled and smiled at me.
. . .

The day went by so slowly. I had to sit through class, after class of learning new teachers names, and hearing tons of new rules... But finally it was over! I could not believe I had homework on the first day! What kind of teachers would do that? Well, it wasn't exactly a bunch, it was just a few questions about ourselves, but it was still homework just the same.

I eagerly waited in front of the school, searching for my mom's car. It was hard to see through the crowd of kids and parents running around all over the place.
"See you tomorrow." Tommy yelled. I could see her across the street waving to me. She jumped on her skateboard and disappeared down the road. Lidia walked across the street with a bunch of her rich friends. She waved to me and mouthed the words good bye. I peered around the corner at just the right moment. I could see Alex walking around the fence with Darrin. I could feel myself blush. I turned away so he wouldn't see me watching. From the corner of my eye I watched him get in his mom's car with his friend. After they drove away I was able to catch my breath again. He had a power over me... A power I didn't think I would ever fully understand...

After a few minutes with Alex on my mind I noticed my mom's car. She was waiting in a long line with other impatient parents. I waved to her, letting her know I saw her, then ran over to the car. I had to sit in the back with Sidney and Keyda because Isabel took the front seat.
"How was school today honey?" My mom asked. She tried to get out of the crowd, but was having a difficult time.
"It was okay." I replied. I looked out the window and hoped this would be a good year.

When I made it home I ran up to my room. I set my backpack on the floor and took a good look around. If the expression, your bedroom is a view of ones self is true, then mine was a bit misunderstood. My window was open just a crack, allowing my violet curtains to blow gracefully in the breeze. I realized my bedroom was pretty empty looking, aside from my desk. My floors were bare; I kept things neat for the most part. All of my dirty clothes went into the hamper, my clean clothes in my closet or dresser. The only other unorganized space in my room would be my bed, but that could easily be tidied up. I looked at the many piles of paper and notebooks stacked on my desk. I was thinking about sorting it all out, but knew that was a task for another day.
I opened my desk drawer and took out a capped pen. I walked over to my bed. I dug around underneath until I found it. I carefully pulled out a box. This was the box of my past. Things I used to love but didn't feel like me anymore went inside. A few pictures of me and my friends sat at the bottom. They ended up here because I didn't like my haircut in those pictures, or my outfit didn't look quite right, whatever the reason I hid those moments away in a box of time, only accessible by me. I also stored a few pictures I drew when I was just leaning to draw. I'm proud of them, but knew others wouldn't understand. I was looking for something else inside, something that wasn't only the past, but also the present and future. I pulled out my treasure and laid it on my lap. My diary. I knew I had to find a better place to hide it now that Sidney knew where it was, but I hated moving it from its original location. It felt like it belonged there. I opened it up and flipped through the pages. I sat on my bed and tapped the pen against my lips. I stopped at a fresh page. I scribbled down the date in the corner then began writing.




Dear Diary,
Today was the first day of seventh grade. So far things are alright I guess.

Goals for the year
                                        1. Remember my locker combination
                                        2. Get Alex to notice me
                                        3 . Stop being so shy
    4.Just try and survive. Easier said than done…