What Changed Her

Chapter One

It was Monday: the day I hate the most. I had just gotten out of my car and I walked into my school. I passed the same things, just as always: the gym, the main office, the kids hanging in the halls, and the smart kids hovering in front of Mr. Cast's calculus classroom. Then I saw my group of friends doing the same thing as always standing; at their lockers watching. I never knew what they were watching, some days I think they watch to make sure the school is still functioning the way it is supposed to. Other days I think they are watching people, gossiping about people they have no clue about, just gossiping to gossip. So like every day I look at the floor as I pass them when I hear, "Hey, Hannah, how was your weekend?" Jenny, the most popular girl in school says before going on to say, "You know what? Get your stuff for class and we can talk about it on the way there."

"But we don't have the same first hour classes?" I said it ended up sounding more like a question that a statement. I always got nervous around Jenny for no reason. She talks to me every day so I should be used to it by now.

"So? Mrs. Kit is always late, it's not like you'll be missed..." Jenny paused as if there was more when I heard from across the hall,

"Hey Hannah!" Sometimes I am thankful to be in some of the AP classes because when any of the people in one of my AP classes talk to me Jenny and her crew usually leave.

"Ben how do you do that!?" I ask thankfully as Ben, who helps me keep a decent grade in all my classes, makes his way through the kids headed for class.

"What?" he asks with a hint of sarcasm. Thank god he is smart or else I would have thought he was serious. "Because when you see a Jenny talking to a nerd like me there is something up. NO Jenny is comfortable around more than one nerd."

"More than one nerd I don't see any nerds?"

"Well I say if you make it into an AP class you become a nerd."

"I must be the dumbest nerd ever!" I say. "We should get to class." With that we headed into geometery.

Mrs. Kit's class was the same as usual. She gave us notes and explained what we were doing, then gave us the homework for the week. Seeing what we were doing, I groaned.

"Lost?" Ben said, hearing my groan.

"Yes, how are you not?"

"Nerd," he said pointing to himself, "Dumb nerd/popular girl." he said when he pointed at me.

"Not really."

"Jenny talks to you."

"So that makes me popular?"

"Yes, in a nerd's eyes."

"You are not a nerd!"

"Do you see what Jenny and her crew do every time I try to talk to you?"

"No, what?"

"First, they see it's me. Then, they roll their eyes and peel out."

"Well what do you expect? She IS Jenny. Most people worship the ground she walks on."

"So?"

"Ms. York, would you and Mr. Fords like to share with the class what is so much more interesting than your assignments?" Mrs. Kit asked interrupting our conversation.

"No," Ben and I responded simultaneously. Thankfully right after that the bell rang.

The rest of the morning went uneventfully; I didn't see Ben or Jenny and her crew. The bell rang releasing everyone to lunch, when, a pair of hands covered my eyes. "Guess who," a familiar voice asked. But to act a little stupid I responded,

"Michel Jackson! You're back from the dead?!?"

"Cause this is THRRIIIILLER!" John started singing and dancing.

I walked away from John and spotted Ben across the cafeteria and headed his way only to run into the one person I didn't want to see. "Hey, Jenny, how are you?"

"A little disappointed since you were attacked by the nerd and you couldn't walk us to class so we had to walk by ourselves," Jenny said like she actually cared.

"Sorry, it's just Ben. He helps me in my classes." I said, trying to not offend Jenny.

"I just don't understand why you took all those AP classes. I mean, if you didn't, we could have had the same schedule and we could hang out. Even get people like Ben to do our homework for us without having to associate with them."

"But Jenny, Ben is really nice."

"But he is also a total nerd. They are not cool, they only talk about school. It's like they have no life outside of school. It's quite disturbing."

"Not really. Maybe their life outside of school isn't happy so they don't talk about it. Did you ever think of it that way?"

"No. But still couldn't they talk like normal people?"

"Whatever Jenny, I've gotta go talk to Ben."

"So, should I tell your boyfriend that you are more into nerds like Ben? I mean, he is the best player on the football team. If you don't want him I will gladly take him off your hands."

"No, I still want John, Jenny. I'm just going to tell Ben I can't come to tutoring after school." I wanted to hide. I did want to go to tutoring; I did want to stay in my AP classes. But I can't do that and stay with John and his in crowd. Most of them are nice. But then there is Jenny, who hates that I am dating John.

Summer vacation isn't coming fast enough! This summer it will be my parents and their friends and me on their private beach house in Florida! I can't wait to be away from all of this! Thankfully there's only a week of school left.

The rest of the day I actually did hide, though. I called my house and the house keeper was there. Her name is Mina and she is like a grandmother to me. I asked her to bring my favorite sweats and a black hoodie to school.

"What is wrong Anna?" Mina said calling me the name I called myself when I was a little.

"I just need to blend in." I said as the secretary look up at me and gave me a strange look.

"Then you won't want black but your favorite sweats will be fine I know what you need."

"Thank you so much Mina. Have a good day." I said. Mina said good-bye and told me she would be there shortly. The secretary said I could stay until Mina came. Mina brought me my light gray sweatpants and a purple shirt that when together well with the sweatpants. I looked like a different person after I pulled up my hair.

I went through the rest of the day unnoticed. People even bumped into me but I kept my head down and kept walking. When the last bell rang I headed straight to my locker, then to my car. When I got home Mina asked if I wanted to talk about it but I just said that I was tired (I was) and thankfully I got all my homework done. I went into my room and went to bed with my iPod playing.

The same routine as always: wake up, get ready for school, leave for school, get to school, try to avoid Jenny like the plague, fail, go to my locker, and somehow lose Jenny and get to Mrs. Kit's class before the bell. Since we got our weeks' worth of work yesterday we had all class to work on it and with the help of Ben, I have three of the five pages done. After sleeping for an hour and a half last night Mina came to my room and woke me up saying Ben just called. I called him back and it turns out I forgot about tutoring after the lunch disaster. So at lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday I went to lunch and ate with John then went to the library for a tutoring session with Ben.