New Me

It is my first day at McKinley. I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. I still remember every bad memory from the last school. I don't want to have no friends again. I want to be happy. That's what I intend to do this year. Be happy. I pulled out my crumbled schedule looking at my locker number. I stumbled around the school to find my locker. After a few minutes of rushing, I found it. I jammed my backpack into the locker and took out my binders. I slammed the locker shut. I glanced at my schedule, seeing I had English first. Just as I was about to walk into my class I saw a poster. Glee club. Immediately I knew I was going to tryout. I smiled at the poster. A crowd of students pushed me in the door trying to get in. I sat down in a free seat. Through the entire lesson I kept thinking of what my glee club audition song would be.

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It wasn't long before lunch came. A time to see mom. I quickly walked to the lunch room. I hopped onto the lunch line. I picked out some food before getting to mom. I smiled at her. She gave an unsure smile back. I frowned. I hate that I have to keep acting like I don't know my own mom. I got the courage to speak to her. "Hi mom" I whispered. No one was that close to me that they could hear. "Guess what? I'm trying out for glee club!" I tried not to scream about of excitement. My mom shushed me as people started coming closer to me in the line. She smiled at me. I kept moving along the lunch line. Once I snuck out my free lunch pass without anyone seeing, hopefully, I took a look around. I looked at all the tables. Oh crap. How will I find someone to sit with? I looked over at a table in the middle of the room. There they were. Glee club. I walked up to their table. "You guys are the Glee club right?"I asked. "I'm going to try out. I'm a sophomore, my names Marley." I smiled. One of the girls spoke up. "Great. Lots of competition, so good luck to you." I smiled and walked away. One of the glee club members just talked to me! ME! Marley Rose! I sat at a table of some girls talking. They didn't seem to notice much. I heard laughter behind me. I turned around to see the glee club making fun of my mom. "Well maybe she has a medical condition or swallowed someone with a medical condition.." A blonde girl said. "Right Artie?" A football player said. There was a silence from the boy for a few seconds. Then he said, "When she sits around the house, she really sits around the house." They all laughed. I turned back. They were really making fun of my mom. I sighed, trying not to cry.

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I walked into the kitchen to see my mom at the end of the day. "Hey.

Ready to go?" I said, a smile on my face. "Hey! I thought you could wear this to your glee audition." She held up a blue sweater. It was pretty, even for something from Goodwill. "Even if they think it's second hand, the tag will say high class second hand." She said. I looked at the tag she had sewed on. Jcrew. "It's high school it all about being special," she sighed "but the right kind of special. Not goodwill clothes, daughter of the lunch lady special." She sighed again. "Do you really think I have a chance of getting into glee club?" I asked. "You have magic in your throat Marley. It's time to share it with the world." She smiled. "Now I'm going to drive the car a couple blocks away, and I will wait for you there. Don't want to risk anyone seeing you get in the car with me." I sighed. I hate hiding the fact that this was my mom. Mom have me a huge hug. I smiled. I walked out of the kitchen and walked to my locker to get the last of my homework.

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I walked a few blocks away from the school. I saw my mom waiting in the car. I ran over to the car and slipped in without getting noticed. "Hey mom!" I smiled, hugging her. "Hi darling." She smiled, "have you found a song for your audition yet." "Not yet." I sighed. "Well, you'll find one soon honey, and when you do you will rock that song at your auditions." I smiled as my mom started the car. When we arrived home I ran into my room. I grabbed a pen and paper and made a list of all the songs I could sing for my audition. I crossed off the ones I thought weren't good for the audition. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew what song I was signing for auditions.

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"I'm Marley and I'll be singing New York State of Mind written by Billy Joel." I smiled. I felt so sick. It feels like someone was kicking me in the stomach. I know it's just nerves because I'm freaking out. I took a deep breath. Mr. Shue, the Glee club teacher, nodded his head. I took another deep breath when I heard the piano start playing the song. Then I began to sing.

Marley:

Some folks like to get away

For the holiday from

The neighborhood

Hop on a flight to

Miami Beach

Or to Hollywood

But I'm taking a

Greyhound

On The Hudson

River line

I'm in a New York

State of mind

It was easy living

Day by day

Out of touch with

The rhythm and the

Blues

But now I need a

Little give and take

The New York Times

The daily news

It's comes down

To reality and it's fine

With me 'cause I've

Let it slide

Don't care if it's

Chinatown or on

Riverside

I don't have any reasons

I've left them all behind

I'm in a New York

State of mind

I'm just taking a greyhound

On the Hudson

River line

'Cause I'm in

I'm in a New York

State of mind

New York State of mind

I smiled at myself. "Thank you! Thank you!" Mr. Shue called out. I smiled big and walked off stage. I just did it. I sung in front of people. I walked out of the auditorium.

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The next day I was waiting by the board for Mr. Shue to put up the Glee club list. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Mr. Shue take a piece of paper and put I on the board. As he walked away I took a deep breath. I walked up to the paper. I ran my finger down the list. Then I saw it. My name.

Marley Rose

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Song: New York State of Mind//By Billy Joel.