Turning Over A New Leaf

Chapter 2

Author's Note:

I know, I know, it's late. I'm sorry, okay? We Strathmorons over here get our spring break from April 22-May 1. And I wasn't really trying to get things done on time during spring break. Anyways, enjoy reading, even though it's late!

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Scarlett lay on her bed, trying to stop her brain from thinking. Thinking hurt too much. Thinking about leaving the town she had been born in, thinking about leaving Jacki – stop! She told herself. She couldn’t get over the fact that they had a landlord… She wondered if Penny knew. She probably didn’t, because she was still bouncing off the walls. Then again, she probably wouldn’t know what the word ‘moving’ meant, let alone ‘evicted’. She jumped off her bed and into her brother’s room on a sudden impulse.

“We’re moving,” she told him.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” he replied sarcastically, looking up from his computer screen.  

Ignoring that comment, she started pacing his room. “Did you know we had a landlord?”

“No. So what? Maybe Mom and Dad have secrets. I have secrets. Penny probably has secrets. You’re the only one I know who doesn’t. You have to tell everybody everything.”

Scarlett frowned, “I have secrets!”

“Really,” Joey replied. “Like what?”

Uh oh. “Well… uhh… I… I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.”

Turning back to his computer screen, Joey scoffed. “Sure. Whatever. Now can you get out of my room?”

Without protest, Scarlett walked back to her own room and looked at her walls. They were bright pink and had been painted as soon as she was born. The mismatched shelves held a very orderly variety of objects. Most of them were occupied with books of all kind. They were arranged in height order. Scarlett turned around and saw her single bed, which had a slight crease in the top blanket. She quickly smoothed it out. Her closet was perfectly organized, by sleeve length and then color. The binders she used for school were the same way – perfect. Scarlett walked to the closet and picked out what she was going to wear the next day: old flared jeans with a hole in the knee, paired with a shirt that Scarlett has had since sixth grade. She bought all her clothes from places like Old Navy or Gap. Without thinking, she grabbed a book from her bedside table and started reading it, flopped out on her bed.

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January 18, 2009

A lot has happened since yesterday. Jacki and I made up. When I got home, my mom told me that we’re moving. Our landlord evicted us. I didn’t know we had a landlord! 3 weeks…

Scarlett Eve

  Scarlett walked out of LA in a daze – well, she pretty much walked everywhere in a daze. Jacki didn’t understand at first.

“Are you okay? You seem sad.”

“I am,” Scarlett replied.

“What happened? You know you can tell me anything. I won’t be mad!” Jacki nodded earnestly.

Scarlett sighed. Her eyes got a little blurry. “I-I’m moving!” She buried her head in her hands.

“What? Why?” Jacki’s eyes widened.

“Our landlord evicted us,” Scarlett muttered through her hands. “We have to go live with Grandma Sophie, in Pascagoula, Mississippi.”

Jacki asked, disbelieving, “In America?”

“Yes! It’s horrible! I’m not even going to be able to come visit.”

“Wait,” Jacki said, frowning. “You have a landlord?”

“Apparently,” Scarlett wiped her eyes.

 As Scarlett filled Jacki in on the details, Tracy and her “posse” walked up.

“What’s the matter?” she asked in a sickly sweet voice. Scarlett shrank back. Jacki, noticing that Scarlett was afraid, stepped up.

“She’s moving. Why do you care, anyway? Why don’t you and your… friends… go back to the popular group and leave Scarlett alone?”

Tracy smiled menacingly. “Aww, poor baby. Are you going away and leaving the freak over here ALL ALONE?” she asked in a baby voice. Luckily, the bell rang.

Scarlett and Jacki walked to the only class they had together, social studies. While the teacher attempted to quiet two loud boys, they sat in silence.

“Boys! If you don’t quiet down at once, you will go to the office and talk to Mr. Choe!” Mr. Choe was the principal.

One of the boys asked, “Who’s that?”

The teacher fumed. “You know him perfectly well! You’ve talked to him more times than I have, and I’ve worked here for 23 years! Come with me, both of you!”

Laughing, the two troublemakers stood up and followed him out of the room. As soon as everyone started talking again, Scarlett and Jacki turned towards to each other.

“So…” Jacki tried to start amore lighthearted conversation. “How’s Penny?”

Scarlett was glad for the distraction. “She’s good. When I got home yesterday, she ran out and told me I’m 13 years old. Mom’s been telling her some numbers. The best part was when I asked her how old Mom was. She said, ‘I don’t know. She won’t tell me.’”

Jacki smiled. “Aww!” Just then, the social teacher walked back in.

“All right class, page 316 in your textbooks.”

The rest of the day passed in near silence. As soon as Scarlett got home she went straight to her room. She unpacked her homework and went to work. She was only on her second question when Vicky knocked lightly on the door. 

“Hi, honey. How was school?”

Scarlett sighed. “It was… okay, I guess.”

“Did Tracy bother you again?” Vicky sat down on a chair.

“Yes. She was making fun of me and Jacki.”

Vicky made a sound of sympathy. They sat in silence, until Vicky said, “Well, I just wanted to let you know that you should start packing. The landlord is giving us 3 weeks, but it would be much better if we could leave sooner.”

Scarlett nodded her head mutely.

They heard a crash, and then a shrill cry from downstairs. “Uh oh. Penny broke something.”

Vicky got up and quickly walked down the stairs. Scarlett heard her saying, “It’s okay, Penny. It was only an irreplaceable china doll. I’m not mad.” Scarlett grimaced and closed the door. Her father, Matt, collected china dolls from all over the world, believe it or not. The one Penny broke was probably the one from Peru, since it was the only one she could reach.

She turned back to the desk and opened her textbook. She still had 17 Math questions and 5 Science questions.  It didn’t take long before she was finished her homework and lying on her bed, reading.

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Author's Note:

Not much to say, except for VOMMENT!