A couple days passed, and I grew еще and еще anxious. I didn't know which would be worse: being a freshman, when I'm supposed to be a sophomore; или being a sophomore when I was nowhere near smart enough to be a sophomore.
"High school's not so bad," Jori assured me. I shrugged. Maybe by now the kids would be еще mature, and leave me the hell alone. "I could help Ты with homework if Ты need it," she offered. Ugh. There was another problem. Homework. It took me forever to do homework in third grade.
I was going to die in high school.
"Mail's here!" Blair announced, coming in. We all came downstairs. Today was the day. She smiled at us, and opened a letter. "Sage's in first grade," she сказал(-а) slowly. Of course. She hadn't been taught by Paige for long, so she was at the right level for first grade. "Paige, you're going to be a sophomore." What? Paige should be a junior. I swallowed. What would that make me? "Kirsten, you're going to be in fifth grade." Crap, crap, crap. I wasn't much smarter than Kirsten. "Shelby, you're going to be in eighth grade," she сказал(-а) finally.
Shit.
"Eight grade?!" I said. She nodded. I wasn't even going to high school?! Everyone else was just a год behind what they should be. I was behind two years!
"Ew," Jori said, wrinkling her nose. "Eighth grade su--" Blair glared at her. "Um. I mean, it was ok..." I swallowed. Great.
"You'll be fine, Shelby," Blair assured me. "I'm sure the kids there will be very nice." Jori looked at her like she was completely out of her mind.
"Why can't I at least be a freshman?" I asked. "Do Ты think they'd be able to change it?" Blair shook her head.
"Sorry, sweetie. That's the highest they could put you. It won't be so bad. Ты can make a bunch of new friends!" Ugh. I do not want to be Друзья with little kids.
That night at dinner, James asked us if we were excited for school. Paige, Kirsten, and Sage nodded. I did not.
"Shelby, what about you? What grade are Ты in?"
"Eighth," I grumbled. I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone'll make fun of me because I'm behind two grades. I'll get picked on. It'll be elementary school all over again.
"That's good," he said. "At least you're not too far behind." I ignored him. From what Jori had said, eighth grade is hell. The kids are so immature, Ты get a lot of homework, the teachers are jerks, and it just plain sucks.
"May I be excused?" I mumbled, staring at my plate.
"Sure," Blair said. I got up from my seat, and went and took a hot shower, until my skin was inflamed and felt like it'd peel off. Then I went straight to bed, with my hair soaking my подушка and my stomach growling. I didn't care anymore. I didn't care what anyone said. I was not going to like school. There was nothing they could do to make me like it.
***
I jolted awake, from the sound of something screeching. I covered my ears, looking around for the source. The clock in the corner of the room blared. It read 6:00. You've got to be kidding. I ran over to the alarm, and slammed my hand down on вверх of it, shutting it up. The bedroom door opened, and a bright and cheery Blair poked her head in.
"Rise and shine," she smiled. I bit my tongue. "Well, don't just stand there. Time to get ready for school. Bus comes in an hour." She closed the door behind her. I got dressed, half dead, and then trudged downstairs, only to decide I wasn't in the mood for eating. I returned upstairs, then brushed my teeth and fixed my hair.
"Hurry up," Jori said. "You gotta go soon. My ride's here. Paige and I will see ya later." She waved at me real quick, then practically skipped downstairs. That is what getting up early does to you. It messes with your mind apparently. I growled at myself, and finished getting ready.
"Be safe," Paige сказал(-а) as she followed after Jori. I nodded, pouting. I wanted to tell her the same thing, but I couldn't manage it. I'm not supposed to care. I'm supposed to be the strong one.
"Shelby! Hurry! The bus is coming!" Blair called. Scrambling, I grabbed my bag and swung it over my shoulder. She hugged me goodbye, and Sage and Kirsten wished me good luck. I ran out the front door, catching the bus just in time.
"G'morning," the bus driver mumbled as he opened the door. I stood there for a moment, gaping. "Well, are Ты gonna get on?" I snapped my mouth shut and got on. The bus was loud, with kids screaming at each other, and paper balls flying everywhere. My eyes scanned for an empty seat, which was impossible to find. Not wanting to just stand there, I walked down the aisle, until I found myself at the back of the bus. I turned to the only person sitting in a сиденье, место, сиденья by themselves.
"Can I please sit here?" I asked, my voice trembling. The kid looked at me, and others snickered.
"Losers sit at the front of the bus," she retorted. I pursed my lips, and headed to the front, looking for a seat.
Welcome to middle school.
"High school's not so bad," Jori assured me. I shrugged. Maybe by now the kids would be еще mature, and leave me the hell alone. "I could help Ты with homework if Ты need it," she offered. Ugh. There was another problem. Homework. It took me forever to do homework in third grade.
I was going to die in high school.
"Mail's here!" Blair announced, coming in. We all came downstairs. Today was the day. She smiled at us, and opened a letter. "Sage's in first grade," she сказал(-а) slowly. Of course. She hadn't been taught by Paige for long, so she was at the right level for first grade. "Paige, you're going to be a sophomore." What? Paige should be a junior. I swallowed. What would that make me? "Kirsten, you're going to be in fifth grade." Crap, crap, crap. I wasn't much smarter than Kirsten. "Shelby, you're going to be in eighth grade," she сказал(-а) finally.
Shit.
"Eight grade?!" I said. She nodded. I wasn't even going to high school?! Everyone else was just a год behind what they should be. I was behind two years!
"Ew," Jori said, wrinkling her nose. "Eighth grade su--" Blair glared at her. "Um. I mean, it was ok..." I swallowed. Great.
"You'll be fine, Shelby," Blair assured me. "I'm sure the kids there will be very nice." Jori looked at her like she was completely out of her mind.
"Why can't I at least be a freshman?" I asked. "Do Ты think they'd be able to change it?" Blair shook her head.
"Sorry, sweetie. That's the highest they could put you. It won't be so bad. Ты can make a bunch of new friends!" Ugh. I do not want to be Друзья with little kids.
That night at dinner, James asked us if we were excited for school. Paige, Kirsten, and Sage nodded. I did not.
"Shelby, what about you? What grade are Ты in?"
"Eighth," I grumbled. I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone'll make fun of me because I'm behind two grades. I'll get picked on. It'll be elementary school all over again.
"That's good," he said. "At least you're not too far behind." I ignored him. From what Jori had said, eighth grade is hell. The kids are so immature, Ты get a lot of homework, the teachers are jerks, and it just plain sucks.
"May I be excused?" I mumbled, staring at my plate.
"Sure," Blair said. I got up from my seat, and went and took a hot shower, until my skin was inflamed and felt like it'd peel off. Then I went straight to bed, with my hair soaking my подушка and my stomach growling. I didn't care anymore. I didn't care what anyone said. I was not going to like school. There was nothing they could do to make me like it.
***
I jolted awake, from the sound of something screeching. I covered my ears, looking around for the source. The clock in the corner of the room blared. It read 6:00. You've got to be kidding. I ran over to the alarm, and slammed my hand down on вверх of it, shutting it up. The bedroom door opened, and a bright and cheery Blair poked her head in.
"Rise and shine," she smiled. I bit my tongue. "Well, don't just stand there. Time to get ready for school. Bus comes in an hour." She closed the door behind her. I got dressed, half dead, and then trudged downstairs, only to decide I wasn't in the mood for eating. I returned upstairs, then brushed my teeth and fixed my hair.
"Hurry up," Jori said. "You gotta go soon. My ride's here. Paige and I will see ya later." She waved at me real quick, then practically skipped downstairs. That is what getting up early does to you. It messes with your mind apparently. I growled at myself, and finished getting ready.
"Be safe," Paige сказал(-а) as she followed after Jori. I nodded, pouting. I wanted to tell her the same thing, but I couldn't manage it. I'm not supposed to care. I'm supposed to be the strong one.
"Shelby! Hurry! The bus is coming!" Blair called. Scrambling, I grabbed my bag and swung it over my shoulder. She hugged me goodbye, and Sage and Kirsten wished me good luck. I ran out the front door, catching the bus just in time.
"G'morning," the bus driver mumbled as he opened the door. I stood there for a moment, gaping. "Well, are Ты gonna get on?" I snapped my mouth shut and got on. The bus was loud, with kids screaming at each other, and paper balls flying everywhere. My eyes scanned for an empty seat, which was impossible to find. Not wanting to just stand there, I walked down the aisle, until I found myself at the back of the bus. I turned to the only person sitting in a сиденье, место, сиденья by themselves.
"Can I please sit here?" I asked, my voice trembling. The kid looked at me, and others snickered.
"Losers sit at the front of the bus," she retorted. I pursed my lips, and headed to the front, looking for a seat.
Welcome to middle school.
"Oh my gawd! Lauren, Ты like Jack?!" сказал(-а) Koshi. I blushed and replied,"... Yeah, so what?" she gave me a puzzled look, and then she caught up with my Вопрос of curiosity and rolled her eyes and said, "So what? Do Ты even know the reason why it's a problem?" I shrug and say, "No," her face starts to get red like a cherry. I пересекать, крест my arms, and shifted my weight on my left leg. "Why? Is it a problem if I like Jack?" Koshi looked down and looked at me like I should've heard."He wasn't a good boyfriend." I raised my eyebrows.What? Why hasn't anybody told me that Koshi and Jack were going out? Why? "Oh.My.GAWD!"