The Key

Chapter 1

I force open the double doors with a loud sigh. It’s my first day of middle school, and I should be starting at Jefferson, with Annie and Mason and all my other friends. But instead, I’m going to a small, rundown school in central Pennsylvania.

I used to live in California. My mom worked as an extra in Hollywood movies. She met all the actors, she was great friends with some big shot Hollywood directors, and when I was little, she even took me to the set sometimes. So we lived in a nice neighborhood in a small town near Los Angeles. But then my mom died. We couldn’t afford to keep our house, so we had to move. A few months ago, over the summer, my dad, my younger brother and I packed our bags and drove to my grandparents’ house in a barely inhabited town in Pennsylvania.

As soon as I step through the doors of my new school, I hear my name behind me. “Bailey!” I whip around to find my perky cousin, Cali. “Guess what! Mr. Borelli told me I could show you around school! Ready for the grand tour?” she asked.

I don’t have anything against Cali, but there’s just something about her I don’t really like. Honestly, I’m kind of jealous of her. She’s so optimistic. If it were her in my situation, I know she would make the best of it. But I, on the other hand, am miserable.

I sigh. “Yeah,” I say.

“Yay!” exclaims Cali. “Let’s go!”

She drags me down the hall, stopping at everything from the library to the water fountain. I only give her my attention for the important things, like classrooms, and ignore the stupid things. Eventually, we get to my locker. “Your locker is number 524. Here’s your combination!” She hands me a piece of printer paper. “This is your schedule, too. Homeroom starts at eight o’clock.” She points at the clock. It’s already 7:57. “Good luck!” Cali gives me a big grin and walks away toward her homeroom, leaving me alone in a sea of people.

I look at the paper and put in my combination as quickly as I possibly can. I take my backpack that I’ve been using since fourth grade off of my shoulders and toss it on the ground by my locker. I unpack my binder and notebook and shove my empty backpack into my locker, slamming the door.

I check the paper again, looking for my homeroom number, and start down the nearly empty hallway towards room 208. I speed up as I realize how late it is, and eventually my stroll turns into a speed walk. Halfway down the hall, someone runs into me.

My binder falls, and his books crash to the ground. I bend down to pick up my binder, and he bends down to pick up his books. “Watch where you’re go— “I start to say, but I can’t finish my sentence after I look up at the boy.

His hair falls just the right way in front of his face. His beautiful green eyes stare straight into mine, and for just a moment, I forget about everything else.

He’s perfect.

“I’m—I’m so sorry…” I say, stuttering.

He smiles. “It’s fine. Accidents happen.”

I smile back, and it must be obvious that I can’t breathe.

He stands up and hands me my binder and notebook. “Thanks,” I say.

I give him his books, and he smiles. “No problem. Thanks.”

I give him an awkward grin as he looks at the analog clock on the wall. “It’s getting late, better get to class.”

I pretend to look up at the clock, and say, “You’re right.”

“See you later,” he says with a wave.

“Bye,” I say, breathlessly.

I wait until he turns the corner to start down the hall again. I can clearly see my homeroom in the distance when I hear the bell ring. I race down the hall, walking as fast as humanly possible, and finally reach homeroom.