Who's next, hm?|| English version

Chapter 1

Five thirty three in the morning. Fresh air and dew in the grass. Iza was standing next to her house and putting the last of her bags (she hoped so) into the car. She looked at her house for the last time. Then, she rubbed and hugged her dog. Finally, she got in. So she's going to come back here in June... Iza thought about the last events from her past.

Two months ago, she found out that she had won The International English Competition. It changed her whole life. The main prize was ten-month-long stay abroad (including going to an American High School and fifteen thousand dollars). Also, her flight tickets were paid and her seat taken.

However, it required a huge effort from Iza for about one and half year. She began in March during her first year of high school. It took all Iza's free time. She was studying and studying English whenever she could. All of her friends didn't understand her crazy determination. Iza has always liked English but she could use it on upper intermediate level. Then, she had to work much more harder. When she decided to take part in that competiton, she was counting on taking place as a one of hundred members. But she never thought about the main prize. Despite this, Iza was doing her best. She was going to the language school, talking to native speakers, practising her pronunciation or listening to BBC. Also, she was reading breaking news or books only in English, listening English songs, trying to think in English (sometimes even speak to herself!), learning differences between American and British English... She even started to dream in English! Iza had to reconcile doing this all things with school (she decided to learn her main subjects in English too). You could say that time without English didn't exist for her.

Finally, that long-awaited day came. Iza went with her dad to Warsaw where the competition for Polish people took place. Leaving the buliding she knew she wrote the test quite well. But... the first place? Never.

A month later, in June, she answered a phone straight from London. It contained a message about her win! When Iza had heard that, she almost fainted. First, she hadn't believed it but at least she started to thank for all congratulations with tears in her eyes and feeling a lump in her thoart. Obviously, Iza's family and teachers were so proud of her. The victress gave an interview to the three newspapers. In July, the organisers sent an e-mail to her to inform her about a place which she will go to (based on the rules of the competition, this information was a surprise earlier). To Gotham. Iza has heard that name before. It seemed to be the safest city in America (or, who knows, even in the world!). Gotham was full of criminals a few years ago but, nowadays, it all ended. Everything thanks to The Batman - The Masked Hero who helped police catch them. So she had nothing to fear! In that email, there were also the address and basic information about the family she will live with. Amy Pratchett (forty-year-old woman) and her daughter (Iza's peer) Caroline. Iza wanted to meet them very much before her arrival, so she writed to them on Facebook immediately. Then, they started to talk to each other on Skype. Soon, Iza thought Amy and Caroline were cool. She discovered they had the same music taste (like classic rock and metal)! Besides, Amy and Caroline were nice and smiling, so Iza was glad she was going to live with them. Living for a year in the USA in the safest city with great people - couldn't be better! It was some kind of dream... Only thanks to her hard work.

She put her headphones on, calling to her mind that last events. Robert Plant sang silently about a wicked woman and Iza's parents got in. Then, they departed from their house to drive Iza to the airport. Her plane (straight to Gotham) was at eleven. Iza said goodbye to the rest of her family earlier.

She looked at her parents and saw the same pride in their eyes again. Also, she noticed they were stressed. Her mum had tears in her eyes (Iza wasn't sure)? And dad was still smoking. Iza put a pillow under her head, and closed eyes trying to fall asleep. Recently, she couldn't sleep, was tired all the time because she was so excited about this day! She was sitting on her bed for all night before. For that moment, she know that it wasn't going to work either, because of her loud heartbeating and feeling queasy. After five minutes, she decided to give up. She opened her eyes and saw that mum and dad were looking at each other. Well. Here we go.

"Darling, you're sure you've got their phone numbers? Maybe you should check it out one more time. And don't forget to call us when you are in Gotham, finally! Do you really think you're going to take care of you there?" Mum asked. The same questions. Since two months.

"Yes, mum, I've got their numbers. I'll inform you when I am in Gotham surely. You repeat this for the umpteenth time. I can take care of myself." Iza rolled her eyes.

"Iza, don't be surprised that your mum worries about you. Some time ago, you were our little daughter and now, as an adult person, you're going to the United States. You're going to live so far away on another continent. Parents would like to live with their children forever. We will miss you so much," Dad said.

Iza put her headphones off and turn music off. Actually, she was SURPRISED because she never heard from dad's mouth words like that. Well, he wasn't emotional.

"I see. But you have my word that I'll be back soon. Ten months - it's not a long time! I will be here, in Poland, again before you know it. With great memories. And my English will be even better! Don't worry, I'll try to behave as rationally as possible!" Iza smiled.

"Call us every day, remember, sweeetheart."

"Yeah, I will. But please, don't talk about it yet. Mum, could you hand me a sandwich? This one with cottage cheese and lettuce."

***

Chapter 1 - here it is! :D Please, be patient, the action is growing fast. And it's always good to see any comments. :)