Ariana

A Chapter by Faith

Meet Ariana.

Chapter 1
Ariana - September 4

"Ariana! Ariana! Your going to be late for school! On your first day too!" Ariana's mother called from downstairs. Ariana had just moved to Hawaii. That was every kids dream... But Ariana's. Ariana loved all of her friends back in England. She didn't want to move to the other side of the globe. Sure, it was pretty and warm, but there was no Abby. She was betting she would never see Abby again.

"Coming!" Ariana yelled. She got ready fast so she could get downstairs and have breakfast. She was confident that someone at school was going to make fun of her accent. Funny, only because to her, it was everyone else with the accent, not her!

"Ariana! You've barley touched your bagels!" Ariana looked down and she had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she had forgotten about the food. In England that never happened. Just here. Her mom looked at her before saying,

"It's going to be fine, you will love it and make many new friends." Yeah right, Ariana thought to herself before running to catch the bus that was pulling to her stop.

Ariana arrived at school. It was nothing like the one in England. There she went to school in a little castle. Here... Well, here it was a school building. Nothing more nothing less. As she walked in she saw a list with all of the classes. She went to 8th grade. She was in Mrs. Pederson's class. One problem, she had no idea where it was. In England the class list also had the location of the class. Everyone seemed to be talking to their friends but one girl in next to her. She was an Asian girl with the most beautiful hair you had ever seen.

"Um, yeah, hi, I'm new, do you know where Mrs. Pederson's room is?" Ariana asked nervously.

"No, sorry, I'm new too! My name's Bay Ling. You are..?"

"Oh! Well, I'm Ariana! I guess we'll get lost together then!" Ariana laughed.

"I guess so! By the way, I love your accent! It soo cute! Can you teach me?"

"Yeah! Love to! Lets see if we can find a teacher and find the class, hey! Your in my class!" Ariana exclaimed.

"Cool! Lets hurry before the bell!" Bay Ling smiled. She had a great smile. It reminded Ariana of her best friend in England's smile, Abby. She realized how much she missed her.

They ran into a teacher who pointed them to class. Maybe I should give this place a shot Ariana thought to herself. The bell rang.

Ariana took her seat. She sat next to Bay Ling! Also a girl named Mary Ann. There was one more empty seat sitting there as well. Just then, a scruffy looking boy with dark hair and eyes ran in.

"I'm here! Sorry I'm late. I had a wacky morning." He giggled himself as he said it. Mrs. Pederson looked up.

"So nice of you to join us Mr. Blackwood." She said sternly.

"Sorry ma'am." He muttered as he sat down. Pederson walked over. She raised her hand to give Leo the tardy slip and he flinched like he thought she was going to hit him! Ariana pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled on it:

Did you see the kid Leo? It was like he was afraid of her!

Bay Ling took the note, read it, and scribbled back on the note:

Yeah, that was weird. On a completely unrelated subject, I think she (teacher) put all the new kids together.

Bay Ling passed it back and the bell rang. As Ariana and Bay Ling checked their schedules, they found out that they were in the same classes! They went to math, then language arts, ect.

Finally the bell for lunch rang! Ariana ran off to her locker and grabbed her lunch. She found Bay Line at her locker down the hall.

"Lunch! Finally!" Bay Ling cried out. Ariana laughed.

"Let's find an empty table."

"Yes, yes, let's go out and find the most empty table and isolate ourselves from the rest of the school, becoming loners."

"Glad you get my point!" Ariana joked. Ariana and Bay Ling head over to the empty table. They sat silently starring at their food. Bay Ling broke a very awkward silence.

"Soo, Mary Ann and Leo seemed nice! Maybe they'll come sit with us and become the social school outcasts with us!"

"Yes, yes," Ariana laughed, "because if anyone ever gave me that offer, I would be flattered and agree in a heartbeat!" Just then, Mary Ann walked over.

"Hey, can I join you guys?" Mary Ann ask curiously.

"Ok," Ariana smiled, "Mary Ann right? I'm Ariana and this is Bay Ling."

"Call me Bay," Bay said smiling as well.

"Ok, hi! So, I'm new so.." Mary Ann started.

"So are we!" Ariana said matter of faculty. Just then that boy, Leo came over.

"Hi! I'm Leo and there seems to be a shortage of seats! May I sit here?" He said with a funny grin. Bay smiled.

"Yeah! I'm Bay Ling, but you can call me Bay!" Leo did a little bow as if talking to royalty.

"With honor madam." They all laughed.

"I'm Ariana!" Ariana said happily.

"I'm Mary Ann" she said matching Ariana's smile.

"Hey," Ariana started,"do you guys want to come over to my place to get to know each other?"

Bay nodded, "I will! Sounds like fun!"

"Me too!" Mary Ann grinned still matching the happiness.

"Leo?" Ariana asked intently.

"I... I can't sorry." Leo stuttered. Ariana just did not get this kid, happy funny one minute scared and nervous the next.

The next couple of classes flew by. They went to the front office and called Bay Ling's parents and Mary Ann's parents. They both said it was ok to hang out that night. They all began to head out to Ariana's house. Ariana leaned back to wave to Leo, but then she saw something. She saw a man smack him, make him bleed, and then lead him into a car nearby. Ariana looked over at Bay and Mary Ann.

"Guys! Did you see that!?" She exclaimed.

"See what?" Bay asked curiously.

"Some guy over there just smack Leo and lead him into that car!" Just as Ariana said it, the car drove by. The girls peeked in and saw a man driving angrily. The windows were tinted black so the couldn't see.

"Are you sure it was Leo? Or, you know, anyone?" Mary Ann asked.

Ariana nodded, "quite positive, Leo is pretty much the only scrawny boy in our school. Plus, he's the only one walking around without friends."

"How about we ask him tomorrow," Bay suggested, "and if he isn't there, panic and call the police."

Ariana sighed, "ok, I guess." They continued to walk to Ariana's house. Ariana thought they were talking, but was thinking. Who was that man? Way was he after Leo? It made no sense! As they neared the house Ariana decided that it was ridiculous to worry when it might not be true.

"You got the keys?" Asked Bay intently.

"Yeah! Sorry," Ariana said, "not really paying attention!" They all walked inside. Ariana's house was like museum. So many different artifacts from England. Bay and Mary Ann's faces were priceless!

"Soo, from England?" Mary Ann asked a little stupidly.

"Yeah," Ariana didn't seem to mind, "My family moved here last week."

"How do you like it?" Mary Ann wondered quizzically, "cause I just moved in to, but from just a town away."

"Really?" Bay Ling asked, "because I just moved here from the twin city's!" She got two blank looks, "St. Paul and Minneapolis? Minnesota?"

"Oh!" They said with sudden realization dawning they're faces. Ariana remembered that! She learned about that in class! Never in England though.

"Anyone hungry?" Ariana asked as she head towards the kitchen. The kitchen hardly looked like a kitchen, still a museum.

"Oh yeah!" Bay grinned, "I could eat Mt. Rushmore!"

"Good luck with that!" Ariana laughed taking out a try of cookies and pouring some milk. They all sat down at the table and began to eat. Ariana interrupted the silence.

"Soo, my family's going on vacation. I'd love to meet your folks and see if you can come!"
"Sounds cool, when is it?" Mary Ann asked. "My family goes on vacation as well, but because my family is so big, our 'vacation' was a trip to the local zoo."

"I'll text you when I get the details," Ariana said happily.
All Ariana really knew was that she was going to a castle back in England where her relatives used to live. It was thousands off years old. Their generation was the first not live there. The government thought that the structure might not be stable enough to live there. All the original furniture and everything was in it. They were going to spend two weeks there. It was a great excuse to take a trip back England. She might see Abby and be able to introduce Mary Ann and Bay Ling. Leo too if he could come. She decided she would ask him at school tomorrow.

That afternoon flew by. They played truth or dare, two truths and a lie, and many more fun party games. She found out a ton about everyone. Bay Ling just moved in from China, which they knew, but also, she had a little brother. Mary Ann had TEN siblings! Three older and seven younger. She had a great life. Bay didn't say much about her family, and the other girls didn't push her. All the girls were giggling when the parents arrived to pick them up.

"Bye!" Bay Ling called as she stepped into her dads car. Her brother was there to waiting for her.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Ariana called back as the three of them gave their last goodbyes and Mary Ann and Bay Ling drove off.

"Mom!" Ariana said as she walked inside, "can we have them over tomorrow?"

"No, you have gymnastics."

"Can they come with us England?"

"We'll see."
That was a no in mom talk. Well, at least she was going to get to see Abby! It felt like forever since she'd seen Abby! She just wished she could introduce Bay and Mary Ann. Even though she had just met them, Ariana felt like she had known them forever! Ariana hiked up to her room. See looked around at it. If was the one place in the house that didn't look like a museum. Gymnastics trophies lined the walls. Her best skill, gymnastics. She loved to jump around. Air seemed to be her friend. Tomorrow was her big meet at the competing school... And she hasn't even met her team yet! All she knew was basically they were good. She was very excited.