The Wanderers

Chapter 3 ||Good Morning, Class

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Easton 2004

It's a new school year, the same school. I'm happy for that. Last year was the year of new. New house. New neighbors. New bikes. New Dad. New Mom. Dad has hardly any time and it turns out Mom really likes the money. Sometimes I think she likes it even more than Dad.

I'm officially a fourth grader. Lance and I look at our schedules for the school year and see we have the same class this year with Mrs. Summers. We go to room 52 and sit next to each other. Lance starts showing me his new backpack; it has straps that glow in the dark. Cool. We take turns cupping our hands around a part of the straps to get rid of the light, in order, to see the glow. After we've done that enough times, we began laughing at the way we look looking at the strap. Before we know it, the class has started.

"Good morning, class, and welcome to your fourth-grade classroom. My name is Mrs. Summers and I will be your teacher for the remainder of the year. Before we get started, let's go around, and have you tell us your names and one thing you did this summer. Starting here," she said pointing to the short pudgy kid on the other end of the room, "My names Jonathan and I went to the beach with my family." Lance and I stopped paying attention because I got new wheels for my finger skateboard, so we were putting them on. Then I heard her, "My name is Lacey Anne Peterson and I finished unpacking with my family."

"You moved?" Mrs. Summers asked.

"Yes, we moved at the end of last year, but this summer we unpacked the final box, so we're officially moved in," she smiled. Gag me. This is the girl. Her family is living in my house. Her family is the reason for all the new! I hate her, her tan skin, her dark brown pigtails, her grass green eyes; all of her.

"Teacher's pet," I whisper to Lance, who laughs. She didn't hear me, but she will eventually. The line reached Lance fist, "The names McCoy, Lance McCoy, and this summer I spent my time saving the world. No need to thank me," he winked. He got the whole class laughing even the teacher, who just shook her head. Then it was my turn.

"My names Easton James Connor, you can pretty much call me any of those names. I respond to all and this summer, I rode quads in the desert." I got a couple hoo's and awes. What they didn't know is that the trip was cut short because Dad needed to get in for work, Mom spent the whole trip complaining about the heat, and Elsa did what she always does, ignored me.

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Lacey 2004

This year Luke's in Middle School and Damien is in High School leaving me alone in Elementary school, but one more year and I'll be with Luke again. The kids all seem really nice, I was even invited to play kickball, which I'm not going to lie, I'm really good at. Damien uses to play in the house with us all the time, while Mom was working. Except instead of a ball, we used a pillow and instead of running to the bases we had to jump on the couch before Damien got us.

The teams in the game were mixed and the boy, named Andrew, decided our team needed a girl to be the captain, so I volunteered and got it. The captain of the other team was a boy with beige skin, dark blue eyes, and dirty blonde hair, named Easton. He is also the son of our landlord, but I'm finding it very hard to get along with him. In the past two days, since school started he has found a way to trip me, steal my pencil, and started calling me the teacher's pet. I told Luke this and he said to just ignore him because he'll get bored if I don't respond, so that's what I've been doing. However, Luke also said if Easton does anything to hurt me, he and Damien would knock him into tomorrow. I don't like Easton, but I wouldn't wish that on him, still, it's good to know my brothers have my back.

"Your team does know that you're a girl, right?" Easton calls snidely, walking over to me with the ball in his hand.

"Yes, and unlike your team, they're not intimidated by it, so are you going to start the game or what?"

We played two games and we're tied, my team was good, and at the last call, before the bell, Andrew kicked the ball high and far. We started screaming in victory because with that we won the game, but Easton with a smug face called, "foul!"

"What are you blind?" I called back to him, walking from behind the fence over to where he is. "The kick went straight down the middle," I told him, pointing to where the ball had landed. Easton looked at the ball and then at me. He had an almost wicked gleam in his eye.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about it is a foul, maybe next time girly," he said sweetly patting my cheek with a little force. What a jerk! Instead of standing there, I walk back to my team.

"We won! Easton's blind and stupid. Let's go in," I felt a little mean calling him stupid because his intelligence had nothing to do with it. He is just wrong and sick and I hate him! Ugh. I've never disliked a person so much. He wants to treat me like that and be mean to me fine. I get to do the same, but I will not be mean. No. I will be the nicest person he knows! Kill them with kindness Mom always says, well, my kindness is pointed directly at you, Easton James Connor!

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