The Cinderella of Cherry Park

Chapter 5

I dragged myself up to my room. I was exhausted so I just fell into bed in my full makeup and clothes. I had the strangest dream. I was back in Adam's room, but now his mother was standing over me. I'd never seen his mother, but I just knew it was her because of her Army uniform. "Anna, baby, I'm leaving." I sprung out of bad and gave her a hug. I realized we were both crying. I then realized I was going through what Adam had gone through. "I love you." I sobbed into his mother's chest. I guess in the dream she was my mother, but that would get really confusing. "Mom..." I cried. "What is it baby?" She said as she wiped tears out of her eyes. "Promise you'll come back to me? Please?" I sobbed. "Of course baby. I'll do my best." I hugged her one last time and then she left the room. The scenes changed, and I was at a birthday party. My birthday party. I opened all the presents from my family. Then I was excused and I ran upstairs. I locked my door and opened a drawer in the corner. Inside, underneath a bunch of clothes, was a neatly wrapped, thin box. On it was an old note that, in swirly handwriting, it said: To my love, Happy Birthday! Open only on your 14th birthday. I ripped open the paper and found a gift certificate to me and my mom's favorite place. Inside was a note that said, I'm coming home soon! I thought we could use this when I get there! I hugged the letter and the scene changed again. I was opening the letter with the U.S. Army seal on it. It was a week before Adam's mom was coming home. I watched as tears welled up in my eyes and I put the letter down. I ran to Adam's grandma, whom I was living with. She read the letter and collapsed onto the floor sobbing with me in her arms. The scene shifted, and I was standing outside. I was wearing a black long dress with a hooded cloak. We were at the funeral. I was silently crying as they lowered the casket into the ground. Once everyone had payed their respects, they left. I was the only one left, kneeling at my mother's side. Finally, after what felt like an hour, I got up and left. But first I laid a white rose on my mother's grave.
          I finally woke up, and I was drenched in my own sweat and tears. Was that really what Adam had been through? The next day I walked into school and saw that my friends were by my locker. Apparently, they were talking about me, because the minute I walked in they stopped talking and they all put on phony smiles. "Oh, stop the act." Jordan spat at them. For weeks now, my friends had been growing distant, and become better friends with my arch nemesis- Julie Adams. She is a bully, and that's how she maintains her power in school. Think of it like this- I kept my power in the school by being nice to everyone, having a lot of friends, being generous, and being an overall good person. Of course, I have my flaws like everyone else. But Julie? She maintains her power by seeming nice, and getting her friends to do her dirty work. I'll put it like this- Julie runs a dictatorship. I run more of a democracy. I let people do what they want. So, never trust Julie Adams. Jordan was the only one who stuck by me, my only true friend. I was still pretty shaken up after my dream, but I said "You know what? Screw you! I don't need fake friends who will never have my back! So stay the hell away from me!" I realized I was sobbing as I said it. Julie had took things from me before- school president, Michael (he was dating Julie now) and even one pigtail in Kindergarten. But she was taking some of my only friends. Now that wasn't ok. She was going to pay for that.