Second Chance

Chapter 4- A Histroy in the Girls' Bathroom

Beginning of 4th grade...

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Mrs. Stein was my homeroom teacher. Neither Jem, Zach, nor Zoe were in my class and I hadn't met Kate yet, so I was alone. I was so nervous that I would be the lonely loser in the class, that I promised myself this year, I was going to make a desperate attempt to make at least one new friend.

Mackenzie Rodriguez, you sit over here, Mrs. Stein says pointing to a desk. Rebecca Kerstan, you sit here next to Miss Rodriguez.

A short, round little girl walks towards to me looking a little shy. She hides her face behind her straight, dirty blonde hair goes down to her shoulders, just barely touching them. Her first day of school outfit consists of a shirt that looks to small and a short skirt.

She drops into the seat next to me glumly.

Hello, I say cheerfully. Is your name Rebecca?

Uh huh, she says quietly, hanging her head out of shyness.

I stare at her as she unpacks her stuff in the desk beside me. I notice that she is nervous, maybe for the same reason I am? After a few deep breaths I finally blurt out, "DO YOU WANNA BE FRIENDS?"

She gets startled and stares wide eyed at me. We sit in silence and we don't talk until lunch.

***

I'm sitting at the lunch table with Jem, Zach, Zoe, and Jake and we're telling each other about our first days.

The Rebecca girl and her friend walk up to us. She was skinny and slightly taller than me. She looked cheerful and trying maybe a little too hard at making a good first impression.

Hey, can we sit with you guys? Rebecca's friend asks.

Yeah, Zoe says politely.

They sit at the other end of the table not talking. I remember the promise I'd made myself.

I look over at them. What's your name?

I'm Kate, says Rebecca's friend. Um, and this is Rebecca, she says gesturing to Rebecca.

What teacher do you have? I ask. I've got Mrs. Stein.

I have Mr. Lancer.

Oh. I scrunch my face. I heard he keeps pictures of Mrs. Stein in his drawers.

Yeah! Jem cuts in. Dare you to break into one of them and give us a picture!

No way! Kate screams. Rebecca starts to crack a smile.

Come on! It'll be easy!

I mean... I do sit right by his desk...

HAH! Jake yells. Then just do it! Don't be a scaredy cat.

No, I'm not!

We all start laughing at that was the day I had accomplished my goal.

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A couple years later we were in the 6th grade...

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Yet again, I was alone and the only one in our squad that was was not in anybody else's class besides lunch. Homeroom and my locker were nowhere near any of them and I had to go my whole day without catching any of them until lunch.