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Chloe

Chloe

First day of grade six. What do I think about that? Hmm, Well, honestly, I could be happier about it. I mean, what kid likes school?

I roll out of bed and go to the bathroom to brush my teeth and comb my hair. With a huge yawn, I look in the mirror and stare at my tangled copper curls surrounding my face. Successfully avoiding knots, I brush through it as best as I could and walk over to Meghan's room. Julia, Laurie, Maria, and Deanna are already there.

Immediately I notice my twin sister Meghan, who happens to be only 20 minutes older than me, is in a very horrible mood. A scowl and her furrowed eyebrows tells me today was a particularly bad day for her. Which, of course, is because it is the first day of school.

Meggy chucks a stuffed elephant at Jule and they start arguing. Sigh. Some things never change. I love my siblings and all, but sometimes it's a little hard to stand. Especially on days like this.

Meghan is hardly ever happy. She's always been such a grouchy person ever since our older brother, T.J, died in a horrible skiing accident. I understand that, but she doesn't have to take it out on us.

Maria leaves with a pout on her face, so I instantly know Meg's in one of her... "Extra Spicy Meg Moods." That always means, "Beware. Enter room with extra caution." I guess by now I'm used to it. Maybe she'll be happy to see me? Maybe today's different?

Wrong.

All I did was stroll up to her bed to ask to borrow her sweater, and she yells at me as she slams the door in my face. She thinks she can choose MY friends! Can you believe her? Make today one of Meg's "Extra EXTRA spicy Meg Mood" days. Yikes.

What's wrong with Alyssa, Brianna, and Lexi? I think they're cool.

I look at the clock and decide that I'll miss the bus if I don't hurry up. I quickly run down the stairs and scoop a few spoonfuls of lumpy oatmeal into my mouth. I head out the door and catch the bus before it leaves.

I find a seat next to Brianna and Alyssa. Their seat was the best seat on the bus; it had no cuts or dents on the seat, it wasn't a tire seat, and it was in the back. Shockingly, it didn't even have small inky, smudged marker/pen/Sharpie graffiti scribbled on the back like the rest of the bus seats have. And I thought it was impossible.

Everyone adores them and Lexi, so they know not to take that seat, ever. If you get to that seat before they do, you'll be on their bad side all year long. And nobody wants THAT to happen. NOBODY wants to make them mad.

Meg did it once. Probably why she hardly takes the bus anymore. So, in conclusion, Bri, Allie, and Lexi basically claimed that seat.

I plop my bag on the floor under the seat to sit down next to them, but Allie stops me.

"Uh, NO," she barks as she snaps her hand onto the seat. As she stares at me like I'm a hideous bug she just stepped on, she flips her blond hair dramatically and scoffs. "I'm saving this for Lexi."

"Oh, s-sorry," I stammer. "I guess I-I'll sit over here instead."

I smack my hand to my forehead. I've had the most terrible stutter since I was five years old, and it happens whenever I'm nervous.

I plop down on the seat diagonal from them. It was the only available seat near them, but it was a tire seat. I noticed the enormous scratch on the side and a small Sharpie drawing of some girl, who I think was Alyssa, with hearts and smiley faces around it.

Unfortunately, there was also a pen graffiti drawing of Meghan with a bunch of frowny faces around it next to the Alyssa one.

"Nice shirt Cee," snickered Brianna as I slip off my backpack.