Just a Feeling

Chapter 1

Once upon a time doesn't start with happily ever after. And happily ever after doesn't end with once upon a time. At least that's what I've been told.
I wake up to the sound of "Lips are Moving", my phone alarm.
I arise from dawn to a dark sky descending in the midst of light. A new day has begun.
It's 7 in the morning, I don't want to get up, but I have to. It's the first day of 8th grade.
I finally roll out of bed and look at myself in the mirror. Jesus Christ I look so disheveled. I wonder how some people can wake up looking like they did before they slept. I make my messy bed. Blankets all over the place. And so many throw pillows. Bathroom time.
I always leave my clothes for school the day before on my bed. Today I'm going to wear Abercrombie skinny jeans with a pink, blue, and white plaid button shirt. I always go into the bathroom after I make my bed. It's part of my Monday to Friday routine every morning. After I've done my business it's time to brush my mane. I part my hair in the middle and brush both sides. It's going to be chilly, so I flip my hair to one side and let it down. Now I actually pull my clothes on and walk out the bathroom.
The hallway is still dark and eerie as I pass by the yellow sponged walls. My family was still soundly asleep and I had to be up and about. As I descend the stairs I look out the window. The sun is rising from behind the condos and trees which gives a beautiful color to the morning sky. The living room is still and all is quiet. I make my way to the kitchen and grab a Minnie Mouse mug from the beige wooden cabinets and pour milk into it. Most people don't warm up their milk when they eat cereal but I put it in the microwave for one minute and I use it as a timer. I let Minnie outside to do her business and watch her sniff and spin in circles until she finds a satisfying spot to crap. I let her back in and she comes running and I set down her food bowl. Lucky dog. She doesn't have to worry about an education.
I hear three beeps that reminds me my milk is warm. I dump Cocoa Krispies into my mug and grab a spoon.
I hear my cereal crisp and crackle like it always says on the box. I prefer warm cereal over cold. It's like my coffee, only I don't drink coffee.
When I finish my breakfast I hear my mom's light footsteps on the stairs. She looks nice especially because she preens in the bathroom for ten minutes. If she's downstairs before me, it's unusual. I'm so used to a regular morning routine.
We both mumble "Morning" to each other and walk in different directions. I walk upstairs to the bathroom to brush my yellow teeth. I really wish I had pearly whites.
I walk downstairs and grab my backpack and shoes in the closet.
"Ready for the first day?" my mom says in Portuguese.
"Yeah I guess. We still have to pick up Kathrine." My best friend from 6th grade.
I open the door, it's bright outside. I guess the sun finally came up. And now it's time to go. My mother backs up her black Highlander and drives me to school. First we pick up Kathryn, who literally lives behind my condo.
"Morning!" she says a bit enthusiastically. "Morning" I say back, not excited at all. Okay, maybe a bit excited.
My school is barely a five minute drive unless there are a lot of cars going to the school across from mine. My mom takes a right into my very old ghetto-looking school. Students fill the lawn and settle in groups and hug their friends.
"Here we are." my mother says. "Have a good day, love you." I turn around to give her a kiss on the cheek. I get out of the car and step onto the lawn covered in due. Students are starting to go inside when the principal says,
"6th graders in the cafeteria, 7th graders in the auditorium, and 8th graders in the gym!"
We file in and I suddenly see people I know from last year. We walk past the yellow tile walls straight into the smelly gym. It's filled with students. Kathryn and I walk and find a girl we know.
"Hey Mariana!" I exclaim. "Oh, hi Bianca!" she says back. We give each other friendly hugs, with Kathryn still standing behind us.
"This is Kathrine." I say, even though she knows her. We talk for ten minutes until everyone is settled down. The director of the school, Mrs.Raymond is in charge of setting up our school schedules. I just hope I have some people I know in my classes, if Kathryn and I aren't lucky like last year.
"Mrs.Kells, please form a line in front of me if I call your name." She went through a list of names of people that were in my homeroom last year. And then I heard, "Kathryn Sampson" Well there goes my luck.
"Mrs.Corally, Sandy Andrade, André Braham, Zenny Blue," and she continued on. Mariana was in that class, and so was Brady, the sweet, new boy from last year. I hoped I was in that class. I crossed my fingers tightly until I heard, "Bianca Silva" That was my name. My name! I walked on happily right behind Nelly Rousse. We followed our new homeroom teacher to the classroom. We walked passed the cafeteria, where the new 6th graders got into their new classes. We took a right and walked up the stairs. Turns out my classroom is in a hallway that I've never been to. I walk in and sit in a desk next to Mariana. I see Brady take a seat at a table with the other boys. I have the urge to sit next to him, but it's abnormal for a girl to voluntarily sit with the boys so I stay put. We wait for the teacher to come in and lecture us on "8th grade expectations."
Instead, Mrs.Corally comes in and takes attendance and gives us our new schedules for the day.
"You stay here for first period because I'm your English teacher", she states. I check my schedule and see that she's right. "First Period; Mrs.Corally, advanced English, hmrm 207"
The bell rings at 8:15am, the bell for first period. We hear students rustling to their first class of the day while we have the luck to stay in ours. Mrs.Corally hands out a sheet that says "Elements of Fiction" with a line the becomes an open triangle to a line again. Forty-five minutes pass by quickly and I walk out with Mariana.
"What do you have next?" she asks me. "Um...let me see. I have Health, you?" "I have Tech-Ed" she says.
Oh well. Looks like I'm on my own. Health class is between three different classrooms. The easier way would be to go in by the Tech-Ed room, right across from the gym on the first floor. I walk with Mariana and we check schedules. It looks like we have a lot of classes together except for two specialists and 7th period. I have Spanish and she has Latin.
I walk to the back of the room and open the door to my health class. I
know some students from seeing them in the hallways. Other than that,
no one I actually know. 8th grade is off to a good start, and I wait for
Mr.Gonzales to walk in.