• Prologue

    There’s always been that kind of girl: nerd, new, issues, etc. Well, this is coming from a girl who moved here from Italy. And you know how most people pick on girls like me? This is a true story on what happens in high school and you’re the new kid.

    “It’s August 1st. I am the new girl. But I don’t have to worry too much…school starts in a month.” Emma thought when she first woke up. She thought about her dream: she was the only new kid and everyone hated her and on her first day she already had essays, reports, and short stories due. After she shuddered at the thought she got up, turned on her warm shower, found some clean clothes, and turned on the radio.

    While she combed her hair and got rearranged she got undressed and when she was done she stepped into the steamy hot shower. While in the shower she heard one of her favorite songs: County Line. She was so happy that she started dancing and singing and hit the faucet with her knee.

    “s**t!” she muttered. Then she saw a bruise come to life all blotchy and painful.

    “At least I can still walk.” She finished her shower and got ready for school shopping in America. She got back to her room and found that her dad made her bed, like he always does when she’s in the shower. She went down the stairs for her mom’s homemade breakfast.

    Her mom had eggs and biscuits and everything.

    “Thanks, Mom. What’s today’s date?” Emma asked
    “The 30th. Why?” Her mom answered.
    Emma’s body felt like it had just been thrown in ice water.
    “The 30th?”
    “Yes. Would you like some bacon?”
    “No. Thanks though.” She was too shocked to even eat. But when she got up and checked in red marker the 30th was marked: Take Emma school shopping today.

    “Hello?” Came her dad.
    “Hey, Dad. I’m ready!” Emma called back.

    She went to Target and found a sea-green backpack, 3 binders, 5 notebooks, 4 packs of pencils and pens, 1 pack of highlighters, and 2 stacks of loose paper. She had a very hectic morning so for lunch they had Subway. When she got home, she had to pack everything away and pick out an outfit for Monday. After that she went to the bathroom and tried to fix her black hair with blonde highlights. She also noticed that her bangs covered one of her bright green eyes. Then she pointed out her imperfections just for the heck of it.
    “Let’s see… ah yes my NOT super skinny body. My not so fake tan skin. My Italian accent. I better get to bed.” She got changed then fell asleep but had another nightmare about high school in this one she was all alone to finish everyone’s homework. The teachers looming over…

    She woke up in sweat and looked at her clock. The time was 8:30am. She got ready and went down for breakfast.
    “Tomorrow I start high school. Holy crap!” she thought. The rest of the day she played on the computer and surfed the internet. She went to sleep around 9:00pm and thought about her next morning.

    Chapter 1
    “Get up, America! This is Joan Richards giving you new music! And here’s Within Temptation with The Howling!” the radio blared.
    “Huh?” Emma wasn’t used to English radio quite yet. She got up and looked at herself in her mirror. But all she saw was an Italian girl who looked nothing like what she was used to. She got her shower over with and got her ‘not the girl next door’ gray t-shirt and comfy jeans on and went down stairs for a quick breakfast so she would get to school faster. She found her backpack and the letter with her homeroom in it. She got her granola bar and water bottle and walked 20 minutes to school, dreading every step. She kept rereading the letter she could repeat it word for word if she wanted to. When she looked up, she saw a girl about her age and a Dear Bourne High t-shirt. She noticed that the other girl went to the same school as her so she tried to catch up with her and when she did the girl turned and smiled and said “Hi.”
    “Hi, I’m Emma Rodierguiz.”
    “I’m Jennifer Wicks. Jen for short.”
    “You go to Dear Bourne?”
    “Well, yeah. You too?”
    “I am the new girl.”
    “Oh, I’ll show you around if you like?”
    “I’d like it very much. Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome. When you meet a girl named Cary, stay away from her. She sucks in new kids to her group and turns them into bitchy clones.”
    “What does she look like?”
    “Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a toothy smile.”
    “I see. I forgot to mention, I’m from Italy.”
    “I kinda figured. Your accent.”
    “What homeroom are you in?”
    “Mr. Blaine’s. You?”
    “Same.” The rest of the walk they got to know each other and soon they became good friends. When they got to school, they saw seniors smoking like it was cool, girls comparing fake tans, guys checking girls out, and teachers warning students.
    “What a great school!” Emma said sarcastically. Jen laughed. Then out of nowhere, a freshman girl laughs so hard that everyone looked at her. She approached Emma with a smile and ignored Jen like she wasn’t there.
    “Are you new?”
    “Yeah, I’m Emma Rodierguiz.”
    “I’m Cary Morgan.”
    “Oh, I’ve heard of you. You use new kids.” And with that Emma and Jen walked off laughing. The bell rang and everyone went inside to find their lockers.
    “Locker 108D. What’s your locker?”
    “Locker 108B. Damn. Well see ya in homeroom.” And she ran off to find her locker. Emma turned to hers and put in her combination but when she opened it she heard a voice that she didn’t recognize say “Hi, I’m Matthew Drew.”
    “Hi, I’m Emma Rodierguiz. Is your locker around here?”
    “Yeah, right next to yours.” Then he opened his locker.
    “You new?”
    “Yea. I moved here from Italy.”
    “That’s nice. How is Italy?”
    “Sunny and very beautiful.”
    “That’s nice. Hey I went to Italy for a summer vacation once.” The 1st bell rang for class to start.
    “See you around.” Emma said as she ran off for Mr. Blaine’s class. She found Jen and sat next to her and told her of her locker mate.
    “Ok, class. To get started I’m Mr. Blaine. Now we are going to go around the room and everyone will introduce themselves. Let’s start with Cary.” This went on for about all of homeroom period. At the end Mr. Blaine handed out schedules to the class and ushered them out. Emma looked at hers then at Jen’s.
    “Yay! We have every class together!!!!!” Emma whispered loudly.
    “ I know!” Jen whispered back.
    “ Why are you guys whispering?” Matt whispered.
    “Whoa how’d you get here?” They said in unison.
    “Well, walking. Like you know put one foot in front of the other?”
    “ Naw really?” Then Jen looked at his and had a surprised look on her face.
    “ Same classes.”
    “Yeah. I know.”
    “Oh Jen this is my locker mate.”
    “I see.”
    “You’re not jealous, are you?” Matt asked.
    “Dude, I’ve known you since like 3rd grade. Why would I be jealous?”
    “I don’t know. Just a question.”
    “Anyway, does anyone know where Mr. Ronde is?” Emma butted in.
    “Room 109.” Jen said.
    “How’d you know that?” Matt said.
    “Well, using common sense it’s on the paper.”
    “Oh…” Matt blushed. The morning consisted of introductions of the teachers and one five-paragraph essay on what they did over summer. At lunch they were allowed to eat outside or inside and from school lunch or Sardella’s, Taco Bell, or KFC.
    “What are you gonna have?” Jen asked them both.
    “Maybe KFC.” Matt answered.
    “Same here. You wanna know what’s sad?”
    “What?”
    “I’ve never had KFC.”
    “No way?” Jen said in astonishment.
    “Way.” Emma blushed.
    “Well, now today is your lucky day!” Matt sounded like an overpaid T.V. host. They got their lunches and sat down on the green lawn. Not soon after, Cary comes up to them.
    “Hi!” Cary said. Everybody looked at her like she was on crack or something.
    “May we help you?” Matt asked in a tone that sounded mean. Cary didn’t acknowledge him and kept her eyes on Emma.
    “Are you a lesbo?” Emma asked in genuine concern. This didn’t work because Cary didn’t take the obvious hint to leave.
    “You are so funny!” Cary said with a fake laugh. Emma was still looking at her funny but started eating anyway.
    “Did you know that KFC contains bunches of calories?” Cary asked in concern.
    “Did you know that I don’t care?” Emma replied. Finally, Cary got the hint and left with a look that said “I’m hurt” but in a fake way. Emma’s eyes followed her when she sat down at her table then Emma surveyed the people at the table. There were mostly girls, but there was one guy who immediately caught her eye. He looked like a male model. His skin was tan but not fake tan. “Oh, there’s a change!” Emma couldn’t help but think. He was wearing a T-shirt and his arms were big but not “steroid big”, which was a pleasant surprise for Emma. He had some scuffed boot cut blue jeans. When she got to his face, she stared. He had a sunny-blonde faux-hawk. His eyes were a nice hazel underneath his curved eyebrows. She was staring a little to long because when he turned toward her, their eyes met and she turned away blushing. Jen noticed this.
    “You ok there, Emma?”
    “Have you ever read Twilight?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Well, I found my Edward.”
    “What is this Edward of which you speak?” Matt was confused. Jen and Emma rolled their eyes in unison.
    “Edward, my friend, is a very hot, godlike vampire who falls in love with a human girl named Bella” Jen answered.
    “So, what Emma is saying is that she found a godlike ‘vampire’?”
    “Well, not a vampire, per say, but yes.” Emma answered. She checked her schedule and sees she has Civics next. The bell rang and everyone got up, throws the remains of their lunch away, and go to class. When the trio entered the room, they had to stand in the back just like everyone else. The teacher, Mrs. Andrews, had assigned seats. She called out names in alphabetical order. “Edward” ’s name was Eric DeAngello. Emma had to sit next to him but she was jittery.
    “Cio.” Emma said politely trying to make some conversation.
    “Cio.” Eric said, startled. “You speak Italian?”
    “Ci. You?”
    “I was born in Italy.”
    “So was I.” They had a very interesting conversation in Italian through the whole class. When Jen and Matt caught up with her a little while later, they were shocked.
    “You seem to like Eric.” Jen remarked.
    “He’s from Italy.” Emma said randomly.
    “And this helps us how?” Matt asked. Emma just shrugged.
    “So, do you like him more?”
    “Yes!” Emma was so happy. They looked at the bulletin board for upcoming events. The saw a dance coming up in a couple weeks.
    “Wow, it’s only the first day of school and already there’s a dance!” Matt commented. Then for the last period, they had to write an autobiography for English. On the way home, they each got each others e-mail addresses.
    “Ok, email you guys later!” Emma said just as they departed on their separate ways to home. When Emma reached her house, while she was fishing for her key, she thought that it was only the first day of school and she had 2 friends, a crush, and homework! She clicked the door to an empty house. She found some Ritz and sat down to write and complete homework. She was done around 6-ish and noticed her parents still weren’t home. “Over-time” Emma thought with a scowl. “Stupid boss, probably doesn’t know who I am or that I even exist.” She plopped down on the long couch and found the remote. She was flipping through channels when the computer in her room made an email alert noise. Emma was slightly startled but looked at it anyway. There was 3 emails : 1 from Jen, 1 from Matt, and 1 from her mom. She clicked the first one.
    Dear Emma,
    It’s Jen! How are you? I’m so bored, thanks for asking. I don’t know how to do the Civics homework. Can you help?
    Thx,
    Jen