Life is already complicated enough for 12 year-old Summer Patefield when she is selected to attend Green Valley Tennis Academy for the next 8 years to play and excel at tennis. Green Valley is well known around the world for producing the most excel...
"Eugenie, I honestly still can't process what happened last night! It's the first time you've seen your sister in like what? Nine years? And this is the way you make your debut?!" I said as we walked along the beautiful, green, trimmed grass of the central area in our school.
"You wouldn't understand! She's so annoying!" she complained.
"She's seen you for like 10 minutes since 9 years ago. How annoying can she get?" I asked, not understanding my friend's logic.
"Summer, just shut up for once,"
"Woah, I'm just trying to help here! If you don't want me, I'll back off. You can deal with your sister on your own!" I said a little bit louder, triggered at how rude she was.
"Fine, I'll deal with it on my own! It's none of your business, anyway. You've never experienced a family, so I understand why you would be jealous," she said, sashaying her hair at me.
"HEY! YOU KNOW WHAT? I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A FAMILY! SO BE THANKFUL THAT YOU AT LEAST HAVE ONE. AND YES, I AM JEALOUSTHAT YOU HAVE A FAMILY AND I DON'T, SO DON'T TAKE YOUR SISTER FOR GRANTED!!" I screamed at her, stomping away.
We had been the main attraction for any 1er exploring the school, so from the first actual day, we've already wrote 'bad, angry, terrible, don't be friends with her!' under our reputation.
"Ms. Patefield! Now would be the perfect time to talk," a deep, low voice said behind me that sent chills rushing up my spine.
"Oh! Headmaster Bergamine! Uh, yes! Sure! Anytime! I mean, wait you wanted to talk now, right? Okay, let's go! Wait, are we gonna talk here, or are we gonna--
"We best be on our way," he said, annoyed of my social awkwardness. A couple people hid their face under their sleeves and chuckled, a couple people actually chuckled, and one person snickered and sashayed her hair for the second time in 2 minutes. That one person was Ms. Eugenie Linda Wylson. Ugh.
~🥀~
"Now, I am sure you are curious why you have been accepted to this school," Mr. Bergamine told me on this huge, quite intimidating conference table.
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"Uh, well yeah. I mean, I don't know the first thing about tennis!" I replied.
"Well, Ms. Pat-
"Uh, not saying I don't wanna try!" I cut him off, just not wanting to go back to that dreadful orphanage.
"Yes. Ms. Patefield, please don't ever cut-
"I'm so sorry I cut you off. Oh my god. I just cut you off again. Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Um, uh, continue!" I said, my cheeks burning red. WHY AM I SO FREAKING SOCIALLY AWKWARD?!!
"A-alright," he chuckled, "As I was saying, you must be wondering why you got accepted to Green Valley. And the real reason is because as a kid, Eugenie Wylson experienced trauma. Her parents were forced to be killed. This made her very shy, and not confident. She is now in a very competitive school with very competitive people. The school heads and I have thought about this for a long time, and we have concluded that having her friend by her side these 8 years would really benefit her situation," he explained.
It felt like the veins in my brain were going to explode and my blood was going to burst into the room and mess up the probably million dollar carpet. I couldn't believe my ears! I was at this school to 'comfort and benefit' the girl who treated me like absolute, dirty, trashy, old, shit ten minutes ago!?
"Well, you picked the wrong person, Mr. Bergamine. I'm not here to 'comfort' my ex-friend. Oh yeah, she's not my friend anymore. But I'm not going! I'm staying right here because I want to attend this school, not because some other girl is attending this school!" I yelled at him while banging my fist on his old Gran Abouelo table.
"I don't understand... You are not friends with Eugenie Wylson anymore?" he asked, stunned.
"Mr. Bergamine! Did you not see that crazy argument we had minutes before you came and took me away?" I asked him, "I honestly can't believe you and your other colleagues! You're using me as an object to comfort Eugenie! Why? Why is she so special? Why do I have to be her toy? Why can't I be treated like her?!"
"Ms. Patefield! Sit down and listen!" he screamed as I huffed out of the room.
"I can't believe you. How about you sit down and think about you're actions?" I said, only turning back my head at him once before I ran out of the room.
Hot tears dropped from my eyes as I ran past the old offices and out into the bright day. It felt like the world was spinning. I sat down on the beautifully mowed grass and picked up a daisy. I looked at it and observed the ladybug climbing on its petals. I couldn't even hold the flower in my hand without my body shaking. I crouched my head into my lap and blasted into tears. I thought about all the things that had happened to me, and why I couldn't be a happy kid with wonderful parents in a wonderful house. I didn't want to go back, but I didn't want to stay here. I didn't understand why I was so unfortunate, and why other kids get to live great lives. I looked at the blazing sun and lay down. The sun boiled on my fragile skin, but I didn't care.
