Rumor Has It

Ch. 7 ~Monday Mornings

Lizzy's POV

I woke up at 5:45 on Monday morning, and I was not happy.

I have to go to school today.

***

I quickly downed a bowl of cereal, and cleared my dish. Then, I pulled on my boots, and headed outside to the barn with my cousins.

Immediately, I went and said good morning to Crackers, like I had been doing since she became mine.

"Morning girly," I said in a goofy voice, and Crackers was already waiting for me. I pressed my face up against her cheek, and she leaned into me. I closed my eyes, think about how I could use just 5 more minutes of sleep, but then Crackers snorted, and I jumped out of my thoughts and laughed. "You just want your breakfast," I said, then entered her stall and took out her empty feed bucket.

I scooped her grain into her bucket, mixed it up, then brought it back to a hungry Crackers. She gobbled it up immediately, and I chuckled.

In record time, I fed, cleaned out stalls, and put the three horses in their pastures. I never imagined myself like this. I went from a popular, friendly, city girl, to a parentless, horse crazy, friendless, cowgirl. But I liked it. Except for the no friends part.

***

I was dressed in dark blue skinny jeans, black ballet flats, and a a baby pink silky shirt. My hair was straightened and left down, and I only put on a tiny bit of clear mascara, and voila, ready for my first day at a new school.

My backpack was the same one I used to have: a navy Land's End backpack. I have tons of keychains, and my favorite is a blue and purple lion that my friend got me from San Diego.

I grabbed my brown sacked lunch, then followed Gigi and Brit out of the door, and to the bus stop.

Even though Gigi and I were in middle school, and Brit was in high school, we were still on the same bus. When the doors opened, I climbed on and took a seat next to Gigi. She was going on and on about how much fun it will be to be going to the same school, and how I can sit with her at lunch anytime. I just nodded, my head blank. I wasn't ready to go to a new school. Not yet. Too soon.

I still miss my old friends. I try to text them, but they only answer a little bit. I think it's cause they are nervous about what to say.

I text Belle the most. She and I were so close, and this has torn that apart. We used to have sleepovers every weekend, and now I have no idea when I'll get to see her again! I miss her, a lot. She always knew what I was thinking or feeling. She always knew what to say.

I'll never forget what her face looked like when she stood next to me and heard about my parents' accident. She was completely shocked, and for the first time ever, she was speechless.
I shook the thought out of my head as the bus rolled to a stop at my new school.

I stepped off of the bus and remembered that the principal told me that my locker number was 216, and I remember the code to the lock. 8675309. I should be able to remember that. I like how it's the number of the song 867-5309!

I strolled down the hallway like I knew exactly where I was going, even though I didn't. Everybody stared me down as I found my locker, and dumped everything in it. I ignored the looks, and organized my locker. For the finishing touch, I hung up a picture of my parents, and a picture of me with Crackers.

I also taped my schedule up there, so I would remember. I know we have enough time between classes to go to our lockers, but I didn't feel like coming to my locker all the time. So, I grabbed my homework binder, my Math binder and book cover, Spanish folder, notebook, and book cover, and my Science folder and notebook. I would come to my locker after Science and grab my Language Arts stuff, and then after LA is lunch. Then I have Social Studies, Study Hall, and finally, Art! I was excited for Art, it was my favorite subject.