Our Days

Chapter 3

3 months later

It's the first day of school and I am not excited what so ever. "Do you have everything?" my grandmother asks for the hundredth time handing me my backpack. "Yes grandma, don't worry I'll be fine." I said taking my backpack. It was still stiff since I hadn't touched it since I bought it. "Don't forget your sister!" She yells as I leave the house. "Ugh" I think to myself "I have to take May to school?" "Let's go!" I yell to May. "NO!" she yells back. "Ok, than you can WALK to school!" I yell to her. "FINE!" she yells as she walks up the stairs from her room in the basement.

I have book club first hour. Book club is just talking for the first day, I had to choose a book for us after school. Second hour was math. Boring. Third hour was cooking. No Victoria, Marley, or Sarah, they're going to ask for homework after school gladly there was none. Forth hour was study hall. Fifth hour was lunch, I sat with Julie. She has no friends so, I try to be nice to her. Sixth hour was chorus. Seventh hour was science. Eighth hour was English. Boring school as usual. I went to my locker. It was time.

Victoria, their leader, said "Well, you know what we want. Puppy." I hated that nickname.

"Here." I answered handing them the notes.

"Good, if you just do that every day, then we won't have any problems. Little puppy." Sarah said getting closer.

"Come on lets go" Marley said. She was the nicest of them all. If you could call her that.

I survived. I went to go choose a book for book club. i found a book series that would probably take up the rest of the year. I went to work, went home, I didn't have homework so I just hung out in my room. May left for a party at 8:00. She came home at midnight. Almost every day went by like this until the day they went too far. They had always shoved me around but they went too far this time.

I was at my locker when I heard them coming downstairs. The lockers are in the main hall / entrance. There was a statue of the founder of the school in the middle of the room. The floor was a mixture of rocks and concrete. The basketball team was downstairs practicing. I was walking by the statue when they confronted me.

"Hey, Puppy notes" Victoria said. Shoving my shoulders.

I handed then the notes.

"Class?" Marley asked in a small voice. I should have known then.

I said, "We learned the different ways to cook eggs.

"Good. Puppy." Sarah said. Then it happened.

She shoved me very hard. I fell on my hip. The only thing I remember was him yelling, "HEY, what was that for!"

Marley had backed up at least ten feet at this point.

"What do you want punk!" Victoria had half yelled at the mysterious boy.

"What do I want!? You just shoved this girl to the ground! After she did what you told her to!" He was starting to calm down, "Look, if you leave this girl alone i won't tell anyone but you might what to make up your mind quickly. The whole basketball team will be coming up those stairs in about 5 seconds and they don't appreciate bullying."

Marley thought for a second then said, "Let's go."

The next thing I knew the boy asked, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." I said trying to sit up. It was too painful so i just fell back onto the ground. "It doesn't look like it." he said and i knew he was right. "Where's your car?" he asked picking me up and carrying me out the door. "Blue Pickup. Pool Parking." I could barely speak. He carried me to my car and put me in the passenger's seat. "No," I started to say but he cut me off saying, "You are not driving. Now where do you live?" I answered, "Big farm. Edge of town." "You live there!?" He asked looking over at me. I nodded, and he said, "Wow. That place is huge." He started to drive.

On the way there I called my dad and told him that I hurt myself in PE and I couldn't work. I don't have PE but he doesn't know that. My hip and elbows were both killing me. When we got there the boy asked," so, were do you want me to carry you little lady." "Very funny nickname for not even knowing my actual name but, the barn will be best" I answer. "THE BARN!" He asked loudly. "Yes, now please shut up. I have a horrible headache." I answer. He suddenly jerked me around to look strait at him. He was cute up close. "Ok good. You don't have a concussion." "Okay......." I answer," and how did you know that by looking at my eyes?" "You would have closed your eyes or looked everywere but my eyes if you had a concussion. You didn't." "Oh. That's useful." I answer. At this point we had gotten to the barn and I had shown him the little bathroom that I had in the bottom floor of the barn. He helped me wash and bandage my elbows. "Umm I'm going to have to wash my hip and stuff so........Yeah." He understood and left me to clean and bandage my hip.

When I came out he asked, "Did you get it bandaged?" "Yep" I answered lifting my shirt a little so he could see the top of the bandages. "Hey, did you want to come upstairs and hang out? I have a lot of questions for you and I expect you have a lot for me." I asked. "Yeah, sure." He answered. I showed him that my bedroom was in the barn and that that was why we had gone to the barn to fix my wounds. We decided to just hang there since it would be weird for my family to be there. We sat on my couch and the first thing I asked him was:

"So, what's your name?"

"James Balin, You?"

"Claire Hollins. Do you have Siblings?"

"If I said yes that would be an understatement. I have two sisters, three brothers, and another sibling on the way."

"Wow. I only have an older sister, May. I have a lot of other people in my family too, though. My grandparents, my great grandmother, and of course my parent live with us."

"Wait isn't May in our grade?"

"She got held back."

"Oh"

"Yeah it was in first grade so, it isn't that bad."

"How does your family have enough money to keep this place running?"

".........What?"

"I mean, your dad has a cafe but most of the money must go to that and your family only has the chickens and garden. So, yeah."

How did you know about the garden and chickens?"

"We passed the garden on the way to the barn and when you were washing your hip I went exploring and found the chickens. Now, don't try to change the subject. How?"

"This is really personal and I just met you."

"Oh come on! I saved you from bullies you owe me something my little damsel in distress!"

"Oh so that's my new nickname. Is it?"

"Yes. Now tell me the story, Damsel!"

"Okay. So my great great grandfather was rich. In his will he wrote that his estate and wealth should be left to....me. But I let the rest of my family use the money though."

"Um okay? Why did he leave it to you?"

"I...I have no idea. At all."

"Okay. How much did he leave?"

I mumbled the amount.

"Come on! Just say it!"

I mumbled it slightly louder.

"Claire."

"10 million"

"................. Wow"

"Yeah"

His phone buzzed, that was really convenient. He said that he had to go home to babysit his little sisters. "Good luck!" I yelled to him as he was leaving. "I need it!" he yelled back. I couldn't tell at the time but from this day on I would learn more about my family than I would ever want.