Abandoned

Chapter Two

Stephanie stepped primly through the hall, heading to the teacher to ask where her locker was. Turning her head to look at some banner thing on the window, she bumped into a girl.

Stephanie's eyes widened in surprise. Before she could apologize, the girl cowered away.

"I didn't mean it sure I didn't miss please don't be mad-"

Stephanie was staring at the girl's eyes. Hadn't she seen them somewhere? Then she returned to reality.

"Why are you apologizing?!? I bumped into you! Are you OK?"

The girl jumped in surprise. Stephanie looked her over, noticing her poor clothes and scarred lip. Her own lip pursed. Stephanie's dad sometimes told her stories about neglected children, and this girl was definitely neglected - wait, that was so strange. Their hair color was exactly the same, so was their eyes and height!

"Sure and I'm fine miss thank you!" The girl replied.

"What's your name?" Stephanie asked curiously.

"Sarah, Sarah Brown."

"Oh. Well, nice to meet you, Sarah!" Stephanie gave her a little wave and walked on to get her locker number.

                              ***
Stephanie headed to her favorite class - music. She was wondering about the songs they'd be learning that year when a mean and taunting voice shot her back to reality.

"Haha, Silly Sarah slipped, did she?" The boy was standing right next to her new friend Sarah, and Stephanie had no doubt but that he'd just tripped her up on purpose. "Maybe this year you won't be so-"

Stephanie almost growled as she flew over to them and she had a hard time restraining herself from punching the boy's face in.

"What did you say."

The boy's smile faded, and he ran. Stephanie turned back to Sarah, who was picking herself up painfully.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh yes. Definitely. Thank you."

But Stephanie could've sworn that she'd seen a tear in Sarah's eye.

In music class, Stephanie noticed that Sarah seemed to be the best singer from the last school year. But when the teacher tested her to see where she was situated, his eyes almost popped out of his head as he forcefully slammed his music and picked up the phone on his desk.

"Principal, I need you in here immejitly."

Stephanie gulped. What had she done?

The teacher popped two things of gum in his mouth, then fanned himself with a newspaper as though he thought he was going to faint. Then the principal arrived.

"Princie," the music teacher said, "This year I can assure you we will have thousands attending the quarter recitals - and why, you ask? Simply because we are lucky enough to have two solo jewels in this very room!" He spread his arms wide and smiled foolishly. All the children held their breaths, hoping he meant them. The music teacher continued. "What is more, they happen to be as alike as twins! Even though they're from totally different families and totally different social standings!" He was almost yelling now. "Remarkable, Miss Trent, uniquely r-e-m-a-r-k-a-b-l-e!!!"

Miss Trent looked valuable. "Hmmm. Could I hear these two?"

"Sarah Stephanie! Sing for Miss Trent."

"What do we sing?" Sarah started to ask, but Stephanie whispered, "Do you know 'Ave Maria'? The one like this?" She hummed the first few notes, and Sarah nodded.

When they had finished, some of the kids were in shock, Miss Trent had her mouth wide open, and the music teacher had fainted and his chair had hit the ground with an earsplitting crash.