Remembrance

Chapter One: New Places and New Faces

"Anna Kay, have you finished packing yet?!" my mother hollered from down stairs. "Almost done mama!" I yelled down, truth be told I hadn't started. I didn't want to move, I had been raised in Texas my whole life, and now I had to move. For what? My father to get more money? I heard footsteps up the stairs and knew my mama was coming up to check on me. If she saw I hadn't started she was gonna kill me. I threw a whole bunch of stuff in a few boxes and emptied my drawers, until... "Anna, you need to finish..". I knew she was right, I didn't have a choice. "Okay mama, I'm almost done." I finally finished packing and got all the boxes out of my room. It was finally empty, just like my heart. I had to start completely over and I was dreading every moment. I moped down the stairs and dragged my feet against the hot cement, wishing I could turn around and stay. "Come on honey, Tennessee will be good for us." my mama hugged me and walked me to the car. Things started flashing by and Texas was all but just a memory, a fading memory.

A couple days later, after staying at Motels and stopping for food we arrived to Memphis. We passed through the city and finally arrived to our new home. We had to live in a mobile home, until we got our feet planted in the ground. With money, as always. "Alright were here, wake up Anna" my momma rubbed my shoulder and woke me up. It wasn't very pleasant, but what choice did I have, and I knew we would be somewhere nicer once we got the money. We got everything unpacked, and got our home as comfortable as we could, and then finally had dinner. I was the only child of my mother and father, they were never able to have any kids, so they adopted me. I had always wanted a sibling, someone to talk to..but God didn't have it in the books I suppose. The next couple days mama let me stay home, letting me wander around to figure out the area we we were in before I started school. I wandered down Beale street and adored it. The music and the excitement, it was all so new. Energetic. My dreaded first day of school came, I was hoping I could just slip by and not have to talk to anyone. I was wearing my new cobalt blue shorts, my white short sleeve shirt with lace, and brown oxfords with a cute cutout pattern on them. I was going to stand out, but that's just who I was. My hair was long and wavy, natural. It was parted on the side, and was dark brown. My eyes were light brown, with a green rim and some yellow. I had dark olive colored skin. I walked out of our Mobile home and mama looked up with a face of concern. "Honey you sure you want to wear that your first day?" "Mama, I have never been more sure of something in my life." She kissed me good luck and I headed off to my misery.

I walked up to the high school, the sign read 'Humes High school'. It was big and red, it almost looked like a factory. I walked in and already I had eyes all over me. I ignored them and looked ahead. I walked into the office and looked around. "Can I help you?" a crackly voice behind me sneered. I turned around and a lady with glasses with a big ole mole on her face was pursing her red lips and glaring back at me. She had crows feet and sags under eyes, she was pretty scary looking. "Um. yes mam I need to get my schedule." "Name.." "Wimberly... Anna Kay Wimberly...". She disappeared into a room behind her and came back with a yellow sheet of wrinkled paper. "Just go to the first class and then follow by the bells." "yes mam, thank you.". I walked to my first class, Math. As I walked in every ones eyes fell on me, 'perfect just what I wanted' I thought to myself. I went and sat down in the back avoiding eye contact with anyone. Class dragged on and the teachers voice mumbled. I couldn't tell you anything that we learned in that class, I was staring outside the whole time. Finally the bell rang and I looked at my crinkled paper. Chemistry with some lady teacher. As I walked down the halls, there were posters everywhere about prom. I was a Senior this year, but the last thing I wanted to do was go to a prom at a new school. I walked into class and as I was about to take a seat in the back, the teacher called me out.. "Who are you?" I turned around and whispered "I'm a new student.." "Well you can't walk in here without you introducing yourself, honey". I was taken back that she actually wanted me to speak in front of a class that I didn't know. "Well what am I supposed to say..?" I could feel the students eyes piercing my back. "Your name and where your from, maybe something interesting about you huh?" "uh, okay.." I turned around and just stared at the back. The whole looking at people with only underwear on, yeah, that wouldn't have made me any more comfortable. "My name is Anna Kay, and I'm from Texas.. something interesting about me.. I, uh... was born in Russia?" I could see the shock and surprise in every ones eyes. "How wonderful, can you speak it?" "Just a little, not much I was adopted but my parents still wanted me to learn how to." "say something, if you don't mind" "well what do I say?" I was feeling a little more at ease but I knew they all wanted to hear something amazing. "Anything!" "Okay...uh, Ты моя жизнь, и вы всегда будете моя звезда. ... It means 'you are my life, and you will always be my star." "Beautiful, you can sit down now." She gave me a heart warming smile, lighting up her face. I sat down in the back, my cheeks a little red from all the attention. I was sitting next to a boy with long slicked back hair, he had sideburns and I could tell he probably wasn't real popular at the school. He was listening in and out of class, but I have to admit he was pretty attractive. 'no Anna, no. you said no boys'. I could feel his eyes glancing at me every once in a while but I pretended like I didn't notice. Class was over and I got out as soon as possible. I was in the hallway when a group of boys from my class came up to me around my locker. I was surrounded and there was really no getting away. "Hey cutie, wanna hang tonight at the theater?" I glared at the guy on my right talking, "No thank you." He laughed. He got closer to me and I backed up, unfortunately into another one of his puppets. "Maybe you could woo me with some Russian, huh cutie?" "I said no, if you don't mind I have to get to class." "Listen Cutie, I don't take no for an answer so you might as well say yes." I could not believe that he was actually this persistent. So I decided I was gonna make myself more clear, I leaned in and got close to his ear. "Listen, Cutie .. if you don't let me get to class and stop bothering me, I'm going to stick your head up one of your little puppets ass. Sound good? Okay bye cutie.." I walked away and his face was all I needed to know that if anything, I at least left him speechless.