Chapters 1-3 are found at the 10/2/09 blog.
Chapter 4 10/3/09
Amanda froze. Should she yell back? Ignore him?
“Get to class. That was the two-minute bell.” Thank God for annoying teachers. Mr. Shamley was walking back and forth shooing kids into homeroom. When Amanda turned around she noticed Sherry and Christine huddled in a whisper down the hall. She put her head down and squeezed though between between a couple of kids standing in front of the door. Amanda had never had a fight in her life. What were Sherry and Christine planning?
“Hi. I’m Kevin.
“Amanda looked up, somewhat startled. She didn’t expect anyone to be in class or to talk to her, for that matter. Kevin sat right in front of Mrs. Shamley’s desk. His toes barely touched the floor and his mouth sparkled with silver. His hair was slicked back like he just walked out of the 1950’s. Even his clothes said he came out of another decade. He had on a yellow shirt with a collar and pants that looked like his mother ironed them. He was the first person she had spoken to since she left the house.
“Hi.”
“You are new here, right? Where are you from?”
“We just moved from Bradfield, Vermont, last weekend.”
“I bet you get lots of snow days up there.”
“Some, but usually they only call school off if we loose the electricity.”
“What is your name?”
“Amanda…Mathews.” Three days in a brand new school and this is the first time anyone asked her name. The teachers had her name on a memo from the office.
That new guy who everybody is talking about is your brother?
“Oh, yeah. Ted. He is a senior. Did you see the game last night?”
She thought she saw Kevin winch. “Ah, no, I had to babysit my little sister.”
“Hey, How come you moved here?”
“My mother got a new job.” Amanda was in no mood to give details. Finding a safe seat was more important. The window seat would let her stare outside instead of making eye contact with Sherry.
The kids started pushing and shoving their way into the room with Mr. Shamley coming in with his arms spread as if he were getting the hens and roosters back into the chicken coup. He warned them to be in their seat before the bell rang. Two boys went straight to the back. One sat down, flopped his head down on the desk and pulled his hoodie over his face. The other turned his desk around so he faced the girl in back of him. Another girl wanted a lav pass. Her friend said she forgot a book in her locker. Others were standing around, leaning against a desk and talking. Mr. Shamley repeated his warning. A voice over the intercom asked for a moment of silent meditation. He bowed his head but kept giving the talkers a dirty look. When it was time for the Pledge, he moved back from his desk and saluted along with the voice. Kevin stood and joined in. Amanda could still hear whispers around her. She did not know why, but she did not have the courage to stand either. She felt guilty. Then Mr. Shamley gave them a quick review and passed out a test.
“Amanda, this test covers the last two weeks. Do what you can.”
She nodded and hoped her face did not turn red.
She knew how to do most of the problems. There was one about a car going at a certain speed that reminded her of her father’s accident. Another one was about the chances of winning the lottery. She wondered if they had a lot of money they could have stayed in Vermont. Everything made her think of the past. It was hard to concentrate. But she wanted to show Mr. Shamley, she was smart.
The bell rang. Mr. Shamely yelled over the rush to give your test to him on the way out. She fumbled with her book bag until the girls left. She and Kevin were the only two still there.
Mrs. Adams asked them to free write for ten minutes on anything they wanted. She warned them to be careful and not say anything she was required to give to the principal. The class groaned at her example. “Last night the cops almost caught us when we ran out the restaurant without paying.” Who would be stupid enough to write that in their journal?” Billy asked. Everybody snickered. You could tell Mrs. Adams was annoyed. She got very quiet and just stood there waiting for the kids to quiet down.
Amanda glanced over at Sherry turning her eyes, not her head. Sherry was already staring at Amanda.
“Last weekend Ted, my older brother, and my mom and I moved to Connecticut from Bradfield, Vermont, because my mother got a better job. I didn’t want to leave Bradfield but my friend’s mother got sick so I couldn’t stay with her. My other best friend lives in a little house with four brothers. It is hard to leave all the friends you grew up with and come to a new school. Morgan High is a lot different from my old high school. At home we used to wear jeans and baggy sweatshirts all the time. These kids must have more money than my mom or the parents at my old school.” Amanda tried to think of more to write but her head hurt from no sleep and the IM’s kept pushing the other thoughts out of her head.
“Last night my mother and I watched my brother play his second basketball game for Morgan. I went right to bed after I check my IM’s. Some of the messages I got yesterday were from my old friends in Vermont, but most were from the girls here.” I better stop writing about this before I say too much. Amanda glanced at the clock. There was still five minutes left. She decided to write a poem to fill the page and the time.
In Vermont, the days are cold
But my friends make it warm.
We take care of each other and
Don’t let anyone hurt alone.
When someone feels lonely
We hug and hug.
Sometimes new places can be
Cold and scary.
It’s hard to leave old friends
And make new ones.
Why do some people hate
The people they do not know.
Why do some kids think
Being mean is the way to get
Attention.
I hope I make new friends at
Morgan High.
Sincerely,
Amanda Mathews
Amanda read over her poem. It made her feel a little better and she really didn’t say anything that Mrs. Adams would have to report. Her poem showed she was not completely happy here at Morgan, but it is not a crime to be lonely.
Mrs. Adams collected the journals, passed out today’s assignment, along with a 3x5. S told them to find the person with the matching number Amanda prayed to her father. Please, Dad, tell God not to give me Sherry, Kisha, or Christine. He was listening because when she opened her eyes Kevin was holding up his number 3.
“Hey, I have number three. What do you have?”
“Three.” Amanda sighed, with relief. “Do you have a book list?”
“Yeah, Mrs. Adams makes us read one book a month from it. She says the more you read, the better you write. I checked off the ones I read, but there are still a lot to choose from.”
“Who did you have for a partner the other times?”
“No one. This is the first time she told us to do it this way.”
“What do you like to read?”
“I don’t care really. I read everything. You pick, Amanda.”
“What about a mystery like, I Know What You did Last Summer.”
“Then we could watch the movie and compare them for our report.”
“Sounds good, Kevin. Let’s tell Mrs. Adams.”
She was walking around writing the partners’ names.
“So have you two decided on a book?”
“I Know What You Did Last Summer,” Kevin answered.
“You won’t just watch the movie will you? Mrs. Adams asked with a little smile.
“No,” Amanda said. “After we finish the book, we will. Then we will talk about both of them in our report.
“Terrific. Get two copies off the shelf and sign them out.”
Just then the bell rang. Everybody scrambled to put their binders in their book bags. Mrs. Adams was shouting something about deciding on a book by Wednesday.
Kevin had history in the 600’s so he was going to take the back stairs. Amanda hurried out hoping she could get by the girls before they noticed her. But when she walked out, Christine, Sherry and Kisha were standing across the hall. Were they waiting for her?
