The Ultimate Rescue

Chapter I

MACKENZIE

Music: Cleopactra (compressed) from Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness

I've only been in the public school system for a little over a year and a half now. Most of my childhood was spent homeschooled, and I only really got to experience a real school setting midway through the 7th grade. I had what I like to call an "extremely complicated excuse for a past", but all of that's behind me now.

I like to think I can adapt to most situations quicker than most can. When I first started attending public school, it took me less than a week to fit in. Considering the kind of family I came from, saying that I beat every odd is a severe understatement. I went from not knowing what "homeroom" means to being a straight-A student, a top cheerleader, a great chorist, and a well-known, likeable, average girl at my school. Not many kids who were raised by a conspiracy organization and then put through the adoption process can say that.

Then again, I don't know if any other kids were raised by a conspiracy organization and then put through the adoption process. Maybe that's just me.

Transitioning isn't always a piece of cake, as I've learned all too well over the past couple of years. There's always going to be some people who view you as an outcast, and my bubbly, outgoing personality at school can conflict with the typical excluding, intolerant groups that I find myself running into frequently. And with how little of a "normal" life I've experienced for most of the first twelve years of my existence, learning all the ins and outs of this lifestyle has not always been a walk in the park. It's a miracle I haven't gotten stares from everyday civilians everywhere I go.

But when you have the world's best foster sister and the world's best group of friends to help you every step of the way, that always makes things a lot more manageable.

And while I'm on the topic of transitions, I'm currently in the middle of one. Just when I was getting used to the middle school life, my sister, all of my friends, and I have to make the transition to high school together. Classes are now a step up from what they were in middle school, activities require much more time from you, and the campus expands by about ten times. At least, our high school does. About a month has passed since freshman year has started, and I'd say I'm starting to get the hang of it.

My bus pulls into the parking lot just in front of the entrance to our school's "B" building. I tap my foster sister, Mia, on the shoulder, pull an earbud out of her ear, and tell her, "We're here."

Mia raises an annoyed eyebrow at me and replies, "You could've been nicer about it, y'know." She's not much of a morning person, whereas I can be up and ready in the blink of an eye.

"Well, when you don't notice that we've stopped and are the only person left on the bus before the bus driver takes off, you only have yourself to blame," I laugh. Mia rolls her eyes, and a small smile forms on her face.

The two of us walk off the bus, and Mia checks her phone and tells me, "The others are in the PAC-" Performing Arts Center- "lobby."

"I need to stop by my Algebra I teacher for a question I have on our homework," I tell her. "Wanna come?"

"Sure."

Mia and I walk inside B building and up to the second floor, where all of the math classes are. I locate my Algebra I classroom, and walk inside while Mia waits outside.

"Hey, I was a little bit confused on question thirteen on our homework yesterday," I tell Mr. Fox, pulling the sheet of notebook paper I used for my homework out of my backpack.

"We'll go over it in class today. I had a lot of people ask me about that last night," Mr. Fox responds.

"Alright, thank you!"