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Chapter 1- Meeting McKenna

I continue to stare at my shoes as I walk into the classroom. I walk alone, silent, separated from the others. Some of the other students chat and laugh as they sit in their seats, and I look around for the teacher anxiously. I finally see him. A tall man near a desk in the back of the room, clasping hands and he begins to fiddle with his coat as he looks around at his new students. I approach the tall man, come near him and stare up at him. 

"Um, hi." I say awkwardly. "Are you Mr. Christopher?" I continue to make a timid smile waiting for a reply.
" Yes, I am. And you must be McKenna. Welcome to English class." He says as he bends down to greet me. I look more carefully at the room. I notice the walls empty and bare, except for a small poster hanging on the opposite side of the room saying 'Welcome Back Students'. I turn back to Mr. Christopher. 

"I know being new can be scary. But you don't have to face it alone. If you don't already know, this is my first year teaching at Asheville Middle School." He said calmly. 

I make another small smile before Mr. Christopher points me to a seat. I quickly walk over, not recognizing anyone in the room. Mr. C goes to the front of the room and begins talking. English, blah blah, classroom expectations, blah. 

I quickly begin to zone out. I stare out the window next to my desk on the right side of the room. I don't see anything unusual, some pine trees, a little grassy area to play on. I'm in sixth grade, my first year at middle school. I don't know anyone, and I just moved here with my parents and siblings to Asheville, North Carolina far away from my friends back at my old home in San Diego. I continue to think about what my life is going to be like, worried about making friends, until I see a girl pass by the window. She has short bob cut dirty blond hair and blue eyes with lots of freckles. She is walking with another girl who has long wavy dark brown hair and they are laughing, having fun. I think to myself, those are the people I want to be friends with. I turn my head back to the board and refocus my attention, then realizing that we are heading to the next class. I scramble and get out of my seat, grabbing the schedule off my desk that Mr. C gave me and am about to walk out the door when Mr. C stops me, letting the others go by.

" So, was my class okay?" Mr. C says jokingly.
" It was great. I was wondering, where is the math room?" I ask.
" It's just two doors to the right. Have a good day, McKenna. And let me know if you anything." Mr. C exclaims kindly.
" I will. And thanks! " I say quietly as I hustle out of the room. 

Looks like everyone else just got out of class too, I say to myself. I get jammed into a wall. I look around, realizing that everyone here is giant! I am so short compared to everyone else. I thought Mr. C was just especially tall, but I guess I was wrong. I continue to be jostled around until I make my way into the math room. I sit down slowly in the back of the room and all of the students turn their heads and look at me. The woman at the front of the room gives me a warm glance before continuing on with her lesson. She must have guessed I was new because I must have looked lost. Soon once we were given time to begin our homework, the teacher strides over to my desk in a pencil skirt and a teal blouse and crouches beside me.

" Hi, I was wondering if you needed any help with the math, you're McKenna, aren't you?" She said kindly whispering next to me. A few turned and giggled, and then I saw the same bob cut freckled girl and the wavy brown haired girl who I saw before sitting at the front of the class. The wavy haired one whispered something to the other and they both bursted out in laughter before they both stood up and began to walk directly towards me. I continued to talk with the math teacher but as I turn my head to look at her out of the corner of my eye I see the much taller than me girls come straight up to the front of my desk. I think, this is my moment! I might be able to make friends!

" Hi, I'm Kit and this is Molly." The bob cut haired girl says and she points to her giggly friend beside her. " And who are you?" Kit asks
" Hi, I'm McKenna." I flash a friendly smile. I kick my legs under my desk and wave them in the air. That was my nervous habit. Molly notices my kicking and cocks her head.
" Oh. Wow you are short. Your legs can't even touch the ground!" Molly says in a tone I can't say if it is jokingly or teasingly.
" Yeah, I guess I am pretty small." I say in a less confident voice.
" Skinny, too." Molly says.
" So, McKenna, why don't you come and eat lunch with us! Doesn't that sound like fun!" Kit says in a cool tone as she flips her hair and twirls a pinch of it in her fingertips.
" Yeah, sure!" I say with more excitement.

Just as quick as they had came, they turned on their heals and were out of the room. Molly stays behind and takes a seat on the other side of the classroom and the teacher goes and begins to talk to her. I look down at my weak little legs and realize that I am really short, and really skinny. Maybe they will change their minds about me being their friend. As I pack up my things to head over to P.E., I see the girl with the dark brown wavy hair, Molly, with her forehead on the desk and the math teacher talking other about something. I stand and watch for a few seconds and I see the girl whip out of her chair and storm out of the room.

" Sorry, McKenna. She's a challenging one." The math teacher says holding her forehead in her hand.
" What was that?" I ask.
" That's Molly, she has a bad temperament and struggles in school so I tutor her. Look, McKenna I think you need to get to class. I am glad you are going to eat lunch with someone." She says as she returns to her desk and takes a seat abruptly.
" Me too." I whisper as I walk timidly out of the room.

 I continue to pass the grass and pine trees I had saw earlier in English until I see a big brown building similar to the chain of classrooms parallel to it. The other students and I enter, and I continue to follow the crowd to the locker rooms where we will get changed to our P.E. uniforms. I find a locker near a wall and put my gymnastics backpack inside, and I pull out a pair of shorts and tee. I glance around the room of about fifteen girls of all sizes beginning to change. Out of all of them, I am definitely the smallest and least developed. Kit pulls off her polo with Molly next to her like a puppy dog. I wave before glancing down at my clothes. Many girls are very developed, like Kit. I already feel self-conscious even before I take off my shirt. I hide in the corner behind a little wall and face it while getting dressed. Quickly I finish changing and race towards Kit and Molly who are already in the gym with some of the other girls and some of the boys too. Kit motions to me and I take a seat on the floor beside her.

" Hi! Ready for P.E.? Kit questions me.
" I guess. So what are we doing today?" I ask. Kit turns and points behind her. A long rope connected to the ceiling is hanging and swaying.
" Wow I have never done this at my old school before. Luckily I take gymnastics." I exclaim.
" You do? I take dance!" Kit smiles and pats me on the back. I smile back. Molly rolls her eyes at me and gives me a glance.
" Well, you know I'm always great at these. I bet I can beat your time." Molly says and gives me a smirk.
" Well, we can race if you want. May the best climber win!" I say, ignoring her smirks. Kit laughs as continue to block out Molly from our conversation.

 We finally reach lunch. It seems like an eternity from when the day began to this moment. I'm standing in the middle of the lunchroom, my tray with my food in hand. Kit approaches me and leads me to a table. I plop my stuff down and then I realize, I need a drink. I grab a crisp dollar bill from my bag and begin to go to where they are sold in the vending machine when Molly grabs my arm and yanks me into the girl's bathroom.