Trapped in the Real World

Chapter 2 - When Weird Stuff Starts to Happen

Candace's bus driver, Ms. Gariff, glared at her with her usual cheer as she mumbled something about stupid lazy teenagers causing her to miss her cooking show.

Candace quickly made her way to the middle of the bus where she sat down next to her best friend, Justine, who was a sophomore. Ms. Gariff grumbled again about idiot teenagers who take to long to sit down and continued to talk under her breath as she turned the hard rock music up so it filled the bus. Justine and she had met through cross country a couple years ago when they became the only two girls who were on the middle school cross country team and they were obligated to become friends or else they would have to brave the locker rooms by themselves with all the middle school cheerleaders.

Candace shuddered as she thought about the terrifying prospects of the girls' locker room. She recalled the first day of practice when the cheerleaders had overtaken the locker rooms. A terrified new 7th grader, she cautiously poked her head through the door. The curiosity of what was beyond that door was overwhelming beyond comparison. Her little 12 year old heart was pitter pattering like she had never experienced. The pounding in her head was almost excruciating as she took one step into the locker room.

Immediately, her entrance was greeted with 15 spoiled rich girls staring right at her. Their eyes seemed to burn into her very soul. Her eyes must have been as big as plates as she stared right back at the scowling girls. Hurriedly, she maneuvered desperately around their many bags to reach her locker. There, sitting on the bench in front of it with her earbuds in, was a beautiful girl. She looked like the popular girls only there was warmth in her eyes and a perfect smile on her cheerful face.

Suddenly, with a crash and a brutal sounding thud, Candace went down, tripping over the most bedazzled bag she had ever seen. Lying with her stomach on the floor, she looked up to behold a pair of perfectly cleaned, white cheerleading shoes. She slowly looked up to stare cautiously right into the eyes of the horrible Jaelyn Monet, an 8th grader. Jaelyn peered menacingly down her snooty nose at Candace. "Get up," she firmly demanded in a harsh tone. Candace slowly hoisted herself up, trembling with fear and terror. As she straightened up, she looked right into Jaelyn's cold, piercing blue eyes. "Now, apologize," she demanded again, her pitch black curls bounced with enthusiasm. The other girls looking on giggled amongst themselves as Candace's ears turned as red as a batch of ripe tomatoes.

"Apologize!" Candace heard Jaelyn say with more authority than ever.

"No. Don't apologize," the girl in the corner broke through the tension in the air. All the girls whirled around in surprise as the girl stood up, walked to Jaelyn, and, standing nose to nose, squared her shoulders.

"That's so like you, Jaelyn. Threatening the new kid and picking on someone smaller than you. What's the matter? Huh? Do you have a problem with picking on someone your own size?" the girl challenged.

Jaelyn whimpered as she slowly started to shrink back. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry I didn't know," she mumbled as she quickly retreated to her side of the locker room and the other preppy cheerleaders gathered around in fake concern.

The girl turned towards Candace with a smile on her face. "And that's how it's done. Learn well, young one," she jokingly laughed as she beckoned at Candace to follow her to the other side of the room.

"Hi. I'm Justine Hutcherson. I'm an 8th grader and I'm guessing you're the new runner," she said as she extended her hand in a welcoming handshake.

"Hello," Candace shyly shook her hand and smiled, "Yeah, I'm the new girl. Candace Daniels. Thanks for helping me back there. I didn't know locker rooms could be so dangerous," she said as her eyes widened into what resembled to be a young child tasting ice cream for the first time.