A Work in Progress

Chapter 1

I sat in my room, under my covers in denial. Today was not, could not, be the first day of school. I hadn't picked out my outfit, I hadn't packed my book bag, and I hadn't done the required reading for English class. The summer whizzed by and everyday I assured myself that school was just a small dot in the distance. But clearly that small dot was actually a skyscraper right in front of my freckled nose. Between my summer job at the local ice cream stand and going on vacation, I hadn't had time to think about school. I scurried out of bed, figuring that being late to school wasn't going to help my cause much. I rushed into the bathroom and brushed my teeth while rubbing yesterday's makeup off of my eyes. I crashed through the hall and into my room throwing open my closet to see the empty hangers staring back at me. Damn, it was laundry day. I picked a romper that I bought a year or two ago that seemed to make my hips even bigger than they were. I looked at my long knotted brown hair, trying to decide what I would do with it. A ponytail would have to do. I threw on my usual eye make up and a light coat of foundation. I was a train wreck but at least I was a slightly attractive train wreck. I scooped my fluorescent binders, floral notebooks, and my pink pencil case into my light blue book bag as I tried to locate my phone. It was 6:51, I had plenty of time to make the bus, thank goodness. I ran into our small rustic kitchen and threw a handful of granola bars into my bag, I had no time to pester my mom for lunch money. Besides, school lunch sucks. I quickly put on my strappy sandals and rushed outside to catch my bus which always smelled like spoiled sandwiches. I could hear the cafeteria on wheels approaching before I could see it, or better yet smell it. It crawled to a slow stop in front of my house and I hopped on before my mom could run outside and embarrass me like she has done many times before. I plopped down in the seventh seat on the left, the seat I had shared with my best friend Maggie since kindergarten.
"H.." she started but before she could finish her greeting I interrupted her.
"Did you read The Odyssey?"
"Uh yeah, didn't we have to?" she asked confused by my outburst.
"Yes but I completely forgot." I moaned, "help me"
"Just read the spark notes, that's what I did!" she said taking out her phone and bringing up the page for the spark notes, "here".
"I don't know" I bit my lip, "I feel like that's cheating.
"It's not Ashley, and besides, what other choice do you have?" she raised her eyebrows. I hesitated then took her phone. I grunted a thanks and scanned the spark notes quickly. I was almost done with it when Maggie shoved me.
"Ash we're here. Come on get up, time to start eleventh grade." she said faking her cheery tone.
"Wait" I said scrolling through the web page as I quickly tried to absorbed all the information I could.
"Ash the only people left on the bus are the freshies, move!" she said as she took her phone out of my sweaty hands. I groaned as she scooted me out of my seat. I got off the bus and turned around to face Maggie.
"I'm going to fail English and then I'm going to fail eleventh grade and then I'll have to live in a sack outside Sam's Club the rest of my life." I whined.
"Come on sweetie, we both now that the people at Sam's Club would shoe you away. It's more realistic for you to live in a sack outside Walmart, they see everything there" she grinned.
"Ha ha, very funny!" I said as I gave her the finger.
"Yes, yes, we all know I'm number one" she smiled falsely, "now go scamper off to English class, you don't want to fail and be tardy all in one day. Save something for tomorrow" she said waving me off. I threw my hand up as a goodbye and rushed off to my doom.

I collapsed into a random desk in my English classroom, throwing my book bag down next to me and taking out my phone to read what was left of the spark notes on The Odyssey. My teacher, Mr. Elliot, hobbled in and croaked something I couldn't hear. Mr.Elliot was almost eighty five but he refused to retire because, "they didn't make good teachers like him anymore." Sadly, I had the old geezer in ninth grade and barely scraped by with a ninety which was bad compared to my usual ninety-eight or one hundred. Behind Mr. Elliot, swaggered in Nick Reynolds, who I considered the Voldemort to my Harry, the Darth Vader to my Luke Skywalker, etc. I shot him a glare as he sat down right next to me.
"Hey honey, how's it going." he grinned.
"Call me honey one more time I'll punch you so hard your mother will feel it." I hissed to him, avoiding his stare.
"You're feisty, I like that!"
"Would you also like for me to kick your junk so far into you that you choke on it?" Before he could respond Mr. Elliot addressed the class. Luckily, the whole period was about the requirements and expectations, all of which I heard two years ago. When the bell ring I packed my stuff up quickly so I wouldn't have to talk to Nick. Next period was gym which I didn't dread that much, the first day was usually just going over the rules. I walked in to find the gym dividers stacked against the wall and the bleachers set out for us to sit on. I found Maggie and Connor sitting far away from other people. I sat down next to Connor and out my bag next to theirs.
"So?" asked Maggie, "How did English go?"
"We just listened to Mr. Elliot babble the whole time. It wasn't that bad besides Nick sitting next to me."
"Ew" Connor said making a face.
"My sentiments exactly" I grinned. The bell rang and the two gym teachers sat behind a fold out desk and started calling off names. Right on cue, Eric rushed through the gym doors yelling apologizes left and right until he finally sat down in front of me, panting and sweaty.
"You ok there?" Maggie asked.
"I'm...fine" he wheezed.
"Would it kill you to come to a class on time?" Connor asked, rolling his eyes.
"It's...killing me...now" Eric replied trying to catch his breath.
"Fair point" I grinned.