Ch. 1: New School New Friends

Julia, her step mother and half of her brothers and sisters go to a new school. Julia already makes an enemy and a few new friends.

Beep! Beep! Beep, went my alarm clock. I took my pillow from under my head and threw it at my clock. The clock fell to the floor with a loud crash and the batteries fell out. I groaned and then got out and picked up the batteries that fell out. Then I went back under the blankets. A few minutes later my step mother Linda came in the room and shook me awake. I moaned.

 “Get up, sleepy head!” Linda said.

 “Please, let me go back to sleep?!” I cried.

 “Now, Julia, it’s the first day of school. New school, new friends,” Linda said. She pulled the blankets off of my face and shook me lightly.

 “Please, Linda?” I said.

 “You would listen to your mother, but not me?” Linda said. My eyes opened wide.

“How dare you? How could you talk about my mother – in front of me?” I cried. I jumped out of my bed and grabbed my clothes. Then I stalked angrily to the bathroom. After I got dressed there were three slow knocks on the bathroom door. I opened it up and Linda was standing on the other side.

 “I’m sorry, Julia, did I say something wrong?” Linda asked me.

 “No, it’s fine, Linda. It’s just that ever since my mom died I’ve been very lonely – I mean, you are a great step, but it seems like you’re trying to replace her,” I replied.

 “Julia, no one could replace your mother. She was a special person, and my best friend,” Linda said. I nodded. I knew that my mother Claire and Linda had been best friends since my mom was in junior year in college and Linda was in freshman year. They were both in the same dance class and were partners in one of the dances, and then they became best friends.

 “It’s alright, Linda,” I said.

 “Yeah, and ever since she died only four years ago I’ve been so upset and I cried for a long time,” Linda said. I went over to hug her, smelling the heavenly perfume that I got her for her birthday last year.

 “Let’s not start to cry now because it is the first day of school – for both of us,” I said. Linda nodded. I kissed her on her cheek lightly. She knew that it was the first day as well as I did, obviously, though since the first week of summer. But I was starting a new school in Indiana , I might add. I always went to the same school in New York , but then Linda and my father decided to move to Indiana last year because they wanted to live in a place that wasn’t so crowded. But I did meet some wonderful people in New York . I met Ashley Tisdale for the first time in my life! All my friends were jealous. But my only best friend was named Mary-Kate, and it wasn’t Mary Kate Olsen, though.

  Anyway, so Linda taught 7^th and 8^th grade Science and Social Studies. I love Science because she helped me with my homework and studying for tests and quizzes, so I got straight A’s in that class. I didn’t like Social Studies that much because the names and places were too confusing to me.

 

 “Hurry up, Julia!” Linda cried up the stairs. I put down the old picture of my mom back on my desk. Her sparkling white smile made me remember how perfect she was. Although I wasn’t adopted or anything, the two of us were very different in so many ways. I could name three reasons how we were different. 1) I needed braces; her teeth were always straight and white because she never drank coffee or anything with caffeine in it. 2) She was the smartest kid in the grade every year; I only did well in Science, Math and English. 3) She was very popular in school; I am shy and quiet and not popular at all. My mom was perfect in pretty much everything. Suddenly the picture dropped onto the floor. The glass cracked and it was thrown everywhere, taking me out of my thoughtfulness.

 “Julia!” Linda cried again.

 “Coming, Linda!” I cried back down the stairs. I grabbed the blank notebooks that I got yesterday from my desk and stuffed them into my messenger bag. Then I took some pens and threw them at the bottom of my bag. Then I ran downstairs. I dropped my bag by the front door and right after I did that my little step sister who was in second grade ran into me. I crashed onto the dirty ground screaming in horror; I was very angry at her.

 “Phoebe!” I growled through gritted teeth. “Linda!” I cried.

 “I’m sorry!” Phoebe cried. Linda came running in and pulled Phoebe off of me.

 “Thank you!” I said. I brushed the front of my skirt and shirt off from all the dirt. Linda gave me a dirty look and then walked into the kitchen. I grimaced at her. When I walked into the kitchen I grabbed a bagel and put it in the toaster. A few minutes later my dad came down. Linda already made him toast, eggs and pancakes for breakfast. She always spoiled him, even though usually he didn’t even have time for breakfast. My dad kissed Linda on the lips quickly and sat down. Linda sighed.

 “Here you go, Steven. Enjoy!” She said putting the plate in front of him. Then she put her arms around him. She kissed his cheek and then rested her chin on his shoulder. I rolled my eyes.

 “Looks delicious, Linda,” he said. Suddenly the bagel popped up. I jumped up and grabbed it, switching it from hand to hand because it was so hot. I received a plate and put the bagel on it. My dad picked up the newspaper and started reading it. My step sister Renee bounced into the kitchen. She was the same age as me, so we were in the same grade. Usually we were in the same class, except in fifth and second grade (we still went to the same school back then too). This year we’d both be in Linda’s class which was very unfortunate to the both of us. But Renee and I were so different, even if we were sisters by marriage. Renee was popular by the second month of school! She was very girl and sometimes way too preppy, especially around girls who are unpopular. Girls like me. We’ve always pretty much hated each other since the first grade when Renee took my book from me and then threw it in the mud, and it was my mom’s book! She got so mad at me, my mom did. Also she teased me a lot because I was unpopular. But once I beat her up because she was teasing me too much. But then I got detention – the little tattle tail! That is how I became shy. Well, I might be shy, but I’m still tough. Another reason how we are different is that I don’t speak up much in class and Renee is always talking to her friends, but both of us get straight A’s in class. I was more of a tomboy, and she was too much of a girly girl. I made friends with the guys and a few of the girls. She made friends with pretty much the whole school – and even the teachers sometimes! I skateboarded; Renee ice-skated. I took Greek dancing, Irish clogging, and tap dancing; Renee took ballet and yoga. I hung out at the skateboarding rink most of the time and my step sister hung out at the mall. The only time I was actually loud was when I was played electric guitar. Renee was usually chatting it up with her friends on her cell or texting them. But anyway, I wanted to think good of my sister, but it was pretty impossible.

 “Hi, mom, hi, Steven,” Renee said cheerfully.

 “Hi, honey,” Linda said as she kissed Renee on the top of her head.

 “Hi, Julia,” Renee said to me mockingly. Ok, that’s it, I thought.

 “Get lost, loser,” I cried.

 “Julia!” Linda cried between clentched teeth. Then I smiled a fake smile.

 “I mean, hello, dear sister, Renee,” I said. Then the two of us went upstairs to our rooms. They were right next to each other except for the bathroom in the middle that connected out rooms. When I walked into my room I looked around. My room was messy. It was painted two colors, pink and black. If you walked through the doorway it was stringed with beads. Renee’s room was pointed bright green and blue and very organized. All around her room the walls were plastered with posters of her favorite band, Paramore. Mine is Evanescence and they are all over my walls as well.

  Me and Renee both went to the bathroom at the same time and brushed our teeth. I just got my braces taken off a few weeks ago and it still felt weird having them off. Renee had perfect teeth, just like my own mom. I shook my head making the images fad away. Renee and I walked down the stairs.

 “Layla!” Linda cried up to my fifteen year old sister.

 “Coming!” Layla cried. She came down the stairs talking on her cell phone to her best friends Amy Miller. We climbed into the car and mom drove off. She dropped off Layla, Jesse, and Elise off at Adams high school.

Author's Note

Please comment on what you think about it.