Second Chances

Chapter One- Return

ALINE

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Aline lazily opened her eyes to see her alarm clock blinking the time: 6:30. She hit the snooze and rolled back over in her bed. Aline knew she would have to get up eventually, but all she wanted to do right now was go back to sleep. Today was August twenty-fifth. Her first day back to school. Aline was going to be a sophomore at Ridgeview High, and she was absolutely dreading it.
Last year, Aline was almost excited to be a freshman. She soon figured out that high school is not as fun as it sounds. She had been laughed at, bullied, and to make matters worse, she had had a lot of trouble with her grades. This year, Aline had decided to focus on her school work, so she could get into a good college, so she could finally leave this dumb-ass town. The small town of Ridgeview was located in Ohio. The winters were harsh and the summers were sweltering. It was Aline's one and only dream to get out of there.
Ten minutes later, Aline was finally up. She pulled on some jean shorts, a plain blue tee, and her black vans. She twisted her long, chocolate brown hair into a knot on the top of her head. Aline ate some cereal, brushed her teeth and went to stand in front of the mirror in the hall. A long, thin, figure stood back at her. Aline didn't think she looked pretty, but it was time to go. She grabbed her keys and went to her old, broken down Jeep.
When Aline got to school, the time was 7:45. She could relax for a little bit. Aline turned off the engine, and propped her arm on the inside of the window. She stared out at all the kids talking, laughing, and getting enthusiastic hugs from the friends they had most likely seen just yesterday. Aline knew there was no one out there waiting for her. Her one friend, Sylvia, was out backpacking in Italy and wouldn't come back until next week.
Then, Aline saw one of the worst things she hated about Ridgeview: The Ravens. The Ravens were the all-too-popular cheerleading squad at the school. Their head cheerleader, Kassandra Martins, was one of Aline's main tormentors. Aline watched the group, all orange with fake tans, high, blonde ponytails, and black and white cheerleading outfits. "How do they even get those?" Aline wondered. "It's only the first day of school?!" Kassandra turned to Aline and for a moment, she appeared to miss a step in her flaunty walk. She turned away, and Aline assumed she had just imagined it. Whatever this year would hold for her, Aline was determined that no one would get in her way.