A Second Chance At Life

Glad You're Here

     "So when did you move here?" the girl asked, as though I hadn't been in the same Biology course as her for a week.

     "I just got here last month, actually. I'm staying with my aunt. What did you say your name was?" I asked, smothering a laugh at her suddenly offended face.

     "Ella," she said sharply, but smiled quickly. "Welcome to Tennessee, city girl." Ella left my table as quickly as she had sat down, and left me to think.

     I started my senior year at Clark Range High School before I met Ella, and it wasn't horrible. Everyone seemed nice enough, even if everyone I had met tried to get me to join them at the prayer group held Friday mornings. It's not that I don't believe in God. It's that I don't particularly enjoy organized religion.

     Aside from the fauna, everything was at least a city block away from anything else. I had to ride a bus for an hour every morning to arrive at school on time, since Pam's house was farther up the mountain than the high school. The elementary and middle school children even rode the bus with the high schoolers. Still, none of the busses were full.

     Aunt Pam was easygoing enough, and Lucy was never really around, since she worked nights in the nearest city. Still, we attended church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday afternoon. When in Rome.

     I had droves of time to spend crafting, including lunch, where Ella had approached me. She was the first to approach me so openly. Usually I got stares, or caught snippets of hushed conversations.

      Apparently my sense of fashion is a little "odd". I don't really mind, though. There are worse things for people to say than, "She looks so strange."