Cotter Woods

Part 1

Hello. My name is Summer, Summer Daves. I'm a junior at Weston High School, well I was. My parents moved me to Burgdorf, Idaho three weeks ago. Now I'll be going to a school called Post Falls High. I start today, today is the "big day." Mom and dad are excited but I'm not at all. What do I have to be excited for? Yay! Now I can go out into a new world and be judged on every little thing I do, say and wear! The best part? I will know absolutely no one.

"Are you ready, hun? We need a photo of the first day!" I hear my mom yell across the house.

"It's not the first day, it's just my first day," I said back, grabbing my books and leaving my room. I suppose before I go on you should know more about me, right? Well, I'm sixteen for starters and my nails are almost always painted blue. I'm allergic to Swedish Fish, the candy, and my parents are scientists. If you can't tell already, I'm not that interesting. The only thing people find slightly amusing is when I tell them about my parents! So, let me elaborate. They were high school sweethearts who fell in love after getting an A+ on a partnered project together. Can you guess what subject it was? Anyways, my father inherited a lab from his grandfather sixteen years ago. They were really excited to take their love for science to the next level... then they had me. A child! A child who grew up around millions of things she didn't understand but couldn't touch, a child who was kicked out of the room every time she wanted to talk to her parents because they were "working on something important," and my favorite, a child who never stays in one state because whatever her parents are so determined to study, won't stop moving! The only friend with whom I've stayed in touch with, through all the moves, is a girl named Emma and she lives in New York. It's been 4 years since I've seen her, yet she's the only one who understands me... still. Her parents are principal and vice principal for the middle school we went to. Sometimes she feels like the kids there are her siblings because her parents pay so much attention to them. Anyways, back to me.

"Ooh, okay! Smile!" My mother squealed holding the camera up to my face, I laughed and posed.

"Look at this, Karen," My dad ran in the room, holding a news paper. My mother read the title page's bold letters and almost dropped the camera from her hands. "This is the perfect time to start the tests!"

"Oh my goodness! That's amazing, Frank!" She set down her camera, carefully this time, and all of her attention was back on the project. "When should we start?"

"Okay, um. I'm going to go catch the bus now.." I said awkwardly.

"Yeah yeah, hun. Uh, have fun! Good luck!" She said, her eyes never meeting mine. I sighed and walked out of the door. I'm happy for them, I hope they find what they're looking for in this old town. Maybe then we won't move again. As I climbed into the bus and searched for a seat, I can't help but wonder what they are working on. They told me they'd tell me one day, but they still haven't. I really want to know, but they're constantly working on it. I just hope it will be over soon. Maybe then I will get my real parents back..

"You can sit here, it's not taken or anything," I heard someone say. I turned around and saw a brown-eyed boy waving at me. I smiled and walked to the seat next to him. As soon as I sat down the bus began moving. "I'm Diego, what's your name?" He said holding out his hand.

"I'm Summer, nice to meet you," I said, shaking his hand.

"Are you new? Or it's just the first time you're taking the bus? No, you're new."

"Is it that obvious?" I asked nervously.

"Well considering no one at our school actually uses that book," he pointed to the book I had under my arm, the book that the administrator of Post Falls recommended, "I can tell you're new." I realized he was making a joke and my butterflies went away. I could tell I was going to make good friends with Diego.