Author's Note:
Thank you all for checking this story out! I started writing this last year, as a school project, and I really liked my idea, so I kept writing it over the summer!
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Jan. 17th, 2009
Dear Journal,
Today, in LA, we started our journals. In case I haven’t made it clear, that is why I am writing this.
Anyways, so far, I have nothing to write about. Hmmm… well, there is the fight I had with Jacki. She is my best friend. Well, she was. Before the fight, I mean. She was taking forever to take one binder out of her locker, and we were already late for class. I told her that I was going to class, and she didn’t like that. Here is the gist of our conversation.
Me: “Jacki, hurry. We are going to be late!”
Jacki: “I am hurrying! It’s not my fault! Stop rushing me!”
Me: “Okay, sorry. Can I go to class? I don’t want to be late.”
Jacki: “You know what? Go ahead. I don’t care. Just leave. What are you waiting for? Go!”
Me: “I’m sorry! I just… you know, I don’t want to be late…”
Jacki: “Go!”
Me: (almost crying) “Okay, maybe I will!”
Okay, maybe not the worst fight I’ve seen, but between me and Jacki, that was like World War 1. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, we’re kind of nerds. My average grade right now is a 96%. Last term, I was crying in the bathroom because I got an 87%.
My brother, on the other hand, is the opposite.
Hey, there’s the bell. Got to go, bye.
Scarlett Eve
Scarlett stood up from the desk and almost ran towards the teacher to hand in the notebook.
Returning to her desk, she slung her large backpack over both shoulders and picked up two binders and three textbooks. Making her way through the crowd, she kept her head down and shoulders hunched, her 5”5’ frame being pushed through the crowds. She headed straight to her next class, science. As usual, she was the first student there.
“Hi, Mr. Reed.”
“Hi, Scarlett. How are you today?” the teacher replied.
“Actually, not great. I had a fight with -”
Suddenly, Tracy Stockhel and the rest of the ‘popular’ group bursted into the room, talking loudly. Tracy stopped, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “Well, well, if it isn’t Miss Tattle-tail.”
“Tracy,” Mr. Reed warned.
Just in time, the rest of the class filed in, and Scarlett sat in her chosen seat, at the very front and middle of the class, hot tears welling up in her eyes. Mr. Reed started the lecture. “Today we are starting our new unit: plant cells.”
As the lecture went on, Scarlett took careful notes, occasionally dotting her “i’s” with accidental tears.
Finally, the last bell rang. Scarlett took her time, trying to finish the last of her work. She closed her binder and handed in her science homework before hurrying to her locker. Something white sat on top of her coat. Scarlett shoved her textbooks into the top of her locker and unfolded the note.
Scarlett,
I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have freaked out at you. Meet me after school at the French Chicken?
Jacki
Scarlett smiled and tucked the note into her huge polka-dotted book bag. She grabbed her coat and ran out the double doors of the small brown school. Jacki’s worried face peered out of the window of the French Chicken, lighting up as she saw Scarlett dashing across the street.
“I’m sorry!” Jacki blurted out.
“It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong!”
The two girls hugged, best friends once again.
Suddenly Jacki gasped, “Oh my gosh! Your bus!”
Scarlett whirled around and streaked out of the restaurant, yelling her good-byes to Jacki. Just making it onto her bus, she smiled at the bus driver and dropped her bag into her seat. Pulling out her book, she flipped to page 183 and started reading.
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As soon as Scarlett stepped off the bus, her little sister came barreling out of the house and into Scarlett – literally. Scarlett stumbled backwards, smiling at the antics of 4 year-olds.
“Guess what, Scarlett? Guess what?” Penny asked eagerly, pulling Scarlett back to their old farmhouse.
“What?” Scarlett asked.
“I can count! I learned to count to 15 today! You are 13 years old!” Penny yelled, excitedly.
“That’s right! And how old are you?” Scarlett replied, proud of Penny.
“Uhh…. Mommy!” she yelled, letting go of Scarlett’s hand and disappearing into the house. Moments later, she returned, promptly yelling, “Four!”
“Good! How about Mommy?”
Penny raced to Scarlett’s side. “I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me. How old is Joey?”
Scarlett laughed. “He’s 16.”
“Oh.” At that moment, their mother came out of the house.
“Scarlett, I need to talk to you.”
Scarlett was instantly worried. Her mother didn’t have the usual laughing crease between her eyes. Instead it had morphed into a worry line. Following her mom into the living room, she deposited her book bag in the corner. “What’s wrong?”
“Honey, I know this is going to be hard for you. I want you to know that we had no other choice.” Vicky looked down.
“Mom, please tell me what’s going on. You’re scaring me.”
Vicky sighed. “Honey, we’re moving.”
Scarlett’s heart took off at mach 10. Every teenager in their right mind had dreaded those words since they learned how to talk. For the second time that day, Scarlett’s eyes filled to the brim with tears. Vicky was still looking down.
“The landlord evicted us. Well, he’s letting us stay for three weeks to get packed. We are going to live at Grandma Sophie until we are able to pay a rent somewhere.”
Scarlett tried to swallow the lump in her throat. It was getting hard to breathe. All she could think of to say was, “We have a landlord?” And then her legs led her up to her room while her brain went spinning into turmoil.
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Author's Note:
Soo? Good? Please, please, PLEASE vote! Comment! VOMMENT! :P
ILY for reading it! Now, all you have to do is vomment!
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Turning Over A New Leaf
Teen FictionScarlett Eve is a self-proclaimed nerd. She has one friend, gets high 90's in school, and has major problems with bullying. Her family is struggling financially, but Scarlett is happy. So when her mother breaks news to Scarlett that they're moving...
