RoseWood Highschool

RoseWood Highschool-Chapter One-Bethany Carter

Chapter One- Bethany Carter

First, day back to Rosewood High school! Going in as a Sophomore is better than as a Freshman, but losing your best friend to a car accident, your brother to cancer, and you boyfriend dating 2 girls at the same time is not a great Freshman year. I just wish I could hide away and not go back. I am sick and tired of the stares and the whispers, "that's Kate Ackermen's best friend", "Joe Carter's little sister" and "one of Derek Yetter's ex-girlfriends, yeah when he was dating 2 at once!" Hopefully, they will move on from me this year. At least, I still have Ebony she helped me through all of it Kate in December, Joe in March and to top it off Derek in May. Ebony was my shoulder to cry on the person who was there when I needed her the most. I will never be able to repay her for all she has done. I hope I don't have any classes with Derek this year whenever we have classes together you can feel the tension in the air. 

I can smell my mom's apple-cinnamon pancakes coming up the vents. My stomach starts to rumble. I add a white bow in my hair and done my first day outfit complete. Jeans, a light blue sheer top, white sandals, and the white bow. As, I walk downstairs I hear mom humming and dad's newspaper pages flipping. Its a lot quieter since Joe died, breakfast was his meal he would sing and have his favorite songs blasting on CD player. Oh, how I miss his tone-deaf singing. 

"Good Morning Sweetie" my mom says as she kisses my forehead.

"Excited to go back?" asked my dad. 

"I guess" I replied 

"Good, eat I up we will leave for school in 20" says my mom as she exits the room to finish getting ready.

My dad kisses me on the head grabs his keys, winks (that his special way of saying good bye to me) and leaves. I sit there in silence swirling my pancakes in the syrup. I grab my phone and start to go through old first day pictures of my brother and I. Last year was our last one. I try to hold my tears back  because if I start I will not stop and I will have red and puffy eyes all day! My mom returns already to go. 

"Ready" she says

"Ready" I reply

The car ride there is silent if Joe was still here he  would have his Jr. License and be driving me and as a junior he could park his truck in the parking lot. My brother's brand new Jeep Wrangler is sitting in the garage awaiting him. My mom is quiet I think she knows that I am upset and I am quiet because I know she is upset it is written all over her face. We pass were Kate's car accident was my mom is sure to speed pass but it hurts just as bad. My mind drifts away to memories of her. Best friends since birth. Her mom and my mom still talk they go to lunch every Friday like they have been for the last 20 years. They were best friends since high school. 

As we pull up to RoseWood Highschool we pass my brother's parking spot I look away quickly and try to focus on "CARTER" painted into the pavement. The school said they are not going to paint over I will use it next year. Is it  going to be hard to look at everyday though? I say goodbye to mom and leave and look over my shoulder and there he is Derek Yetter..