#5 Not What I Expected (2 page)

Aunt Lilly shot her daughter a look. “There's nothing wrong with Thomas. If that's Izzy's choice, you should respect it.”

“Sure,” said Amanda. Then she took a bite out of a drumstick like she didn't care what kind of lunch box Izzy got.

Gaga continued on around the table. “June, fourth grade is big. I'm sure you will excel academically and watch out for your younger cousins.”

“I'll be in third grade,” said June.

Gaga ignored the correction and kept going. “May, are you ready for middle school?”

“I guess,” said May. But as I watched her shift around in her chair, I could tell she was nervous. I think Gaga could tell too because she looked at Amanda, who dresses and acts like she's sixteen, but is only a year ahead of May in school.

“Amanda, do you have any advice for your younger cousin?”

Amanda smacked her overly glossed lips. “Yep. Don't go in the bathroom by the gym. The seventh and eighth grade girls will beat the crap out of you.”

“Amanda!” Aunt Lilly and Uncle Dusty looked furious.

“Please tell your cousin you're kidding,” said Uncle Dusty.

Amanda rolled her eyes. “Sure,” she said to May. “I'm kidding.” Then she started laughing, which made it impossible to tell if she was kidding or not. May looked terrified.

Gaga frowned at Amanda, but then she smiled at Sophie's mom, Emma. “Your dad and I are so happy you and Sophie are here in Faraway with us, Emma, especially with Sophie and April going to school together.”

Emma smiled like she's happy too, but I know from Sophie that her mom is having a hard time with the “trial separation” thing and living in Faraway. How could she not? It must be so different from what she's used to in Paris or New York.

Gaga finished what I guess she considered to be her obligatory back-to-school round up with a nod toward my oldest cousin. “Harry, I really can't believe you'll be a junior this year. I'm sure you understand that the decisions you make now will affect the rest of your life.”

Aunt Lilly put her hand on her son's shoulder. “With college applications right around the corner, we've talked about how important it is to do well academically. Harry's on board. Right, Harry?”

Harry frowned. I wasn't sure if it was because he was annoyed that his mother was talking about him in this weird third-person way or because he wasn't happy about the added pressure. “Junior year is going to suck,” he said.

Aunt Lila looked at her twins and gasped. “I don't like that word,” she told them.

“Harry!” Aunt Lilly scolded. “Please don't use that word, and try to be positive.” Amanda laughed again.

“I get what he's saying,” said Sophie. “It's kind of scary knowing that how you do in school affects where you go to college, and even how your life could turn out.” Then she winked at Harry. He looked surprised, and maybe even happy, that she'd come to his rescue.

When dinner was over, everyone said goodnight and we went home. But as we drove, my mind filled with so many thoughts. Big things, like when do the decisions you make and the things you do start to affect the rest of your life? Junior year? Earlier?

Also more personal things, like, will I still be close with Billy and Brynn? They've been my best friends since third grade, but things have changed since they started going out this summer. It's mostly Brynn. She's so possessive of Billy, like he belongs to her or something. I'm not even sure he's aware of it. But it feels weird to me, especially since he and I went out way before he got together with Brynn.

And what will it be like going to school with Sophie? It's surreal that I have an almost-cousin/new best friend in Faraway. It's still weird that her grandfather and Gaga got married, and crazy that she and her mom moved here when her parents decided to separate, and that tomorrow, she's going to Faraway High School with me.

And then there's Matt. Things were so good when we went out last spring, but he was such a jerk this summer for trying to kiss Sophie. I was so upset when I came home from camp, and we broke up. He said we'd see how things are when school starts. It's not even like I want to get back together with him. I'm pretty much over it now. But it doesn't help that he lives next door. I just have no idea what it's going to be like when I see him at school or on the street. I don't really know what anything will be like.

As I was leaving the diner, Sophie looped an arm through mine and said, “High school here we come!” Like we're going on some exciting adventure.

High school is a new beginning, right? So it should be exciting. But I feel unprepared. I wish there was something simple I could do to feel ready. I have exactly eight hours and forty-two minutes to sleep, wake, shower, flatiron my hair, put on makeup, pick out the perfect first-day outfit, and eat breakfast before getting to school by the time the first bell rings tomorrow. I kind of doubt straight hair is all I'm missing, but I'm out of time for anything else.

Sophie's words echo in my brain. High school here we come.

Ready or not.

Hi. I'm Elle Woods and this is Bruiser Woods. We're both Gemini vegetarians.

—Elle Woods,
Legally Blonde

Monday, August 18, 4:30 p.m.

High School, Day 1

Bottom Line: Uneventful

I can't help that part of me was hoping high school would start and somehow it would be fabulous. I don't know what I was hoping for. Hot guys? No homework? Low-cal snacks? But it wasn't anything like that. At least for me.

My day started in Mrs. Monteleone's homeroom. She asked us to go around the room and introduce ourselves and tell the class something we'd like everyone to know. Even though I went to middle school with half the kids in my homeroom, I still wanted to lead with something interesting. But I couldn't think of one interesting thing to say about myself that wasn't weird.

Things that came to mind: (1) my dog's name is Gilligan (weird), (2) my dad owns the Love Doctor Diner downtown, which makes the best pecan pies and Key lime pies around (also weird), and (3) until last year, my boobs were two different sizes (very weird).

But as I was thinking, my stomach started rumbling (probably from the bacon and eggs Mom insisted I eat this morning), which was completely distracting, and by the time Mrs. Monteleone got to me, I'd only thought about things I obviously couldn't say about myself and how much I wished I hadn't eaten the bacon.

“Um, my name is April Sinclair.” I looked down and picked a fleck of dirt off my freshly washed jeans. I knew I wasn't being interesting. “I'm on the dance team.” Slightly more interesting. “And I'm really excited about high school.” Ugh. Uninteresting, bordering on pathetic. That was enough. I looked at Mrs. Monteleone and pressed my lips together like I was done.

Fortunately, she picked up on my cue. “Thank you, April. I'm excited you're here too.”

I ignored a stray giggle coming from the back of the classroom and focused on Mrs. Monteleone's chin. From where I was sitting, it looked like there was a hair sprouting out of it, which I later confirmed with Julia Lozano, who has Mrs. Monteleone for second period history, is in fact the case. Writing that makes me feel pathetic, like noticing my homeroom teacher's chin hair was the most interesting thing that happened to me today.

The rest of my day was just so very predictable. I found out who's in all my classes. I have bio with Sophie. Algebra with Brynn. English with Sophie and Billy. History with Emily. I ate lunch. I was assigned a locker. I got my student ID card.

Nothing bad happened, but nothing good happened either. Everything fell into the nonmemorable shade of gray category, even the picture on my ID, which did nothing to highlight my soft skin or naturally good-smelling breath and made my bad features (misshapen nose/hair that tends to frizz) look worse than usual. The day made me feel very mediocre, especially in contrast to Sophie. As we walked home after school, she was literally brimming with excitement. “I love Faraway High,” she said.

I didn't see how that could be possible. I know Sophie is a glass-half-full kind of girl, but honestly, she went to an art school in New York, and before that, an American School in Paris that was filled with kids of foreign diplomats. This had to pale in comparison. “What did you like best?” I asked. “The wilted lettuce on the salad bar or the unairconditioned bio lab?”

Sophie frowned like she disapproved of my sarcasm. “I liked a lot of things, but what I liked best was that everyone was so friendly.”

I actually laughed when she said that. “Really?”

Sophie paused and looked at me like what she was about to say was for my benefit. “It's a new year. New things can happen. You have to stay open to the possibilities.”

“Sure,” I said. And I intend to. But that's easier said than done, and much easier for Sophie than for me. She just has this way about her. The world and everyone in it (including me) likes her. Though sometimes her optimism gets on my nerves.

Like today.

Thursday, August 21, 6:18 p.m.

Everyone likes Sophie

She's definitely the new
it
girl at Faraway High School. Part of it is that she's from New York and Paris, which makes her cool. Plus, with her long dark hair and pale skin, she's pretty in a unique way, which doesn't hurt. But I think the reason she's so popular is because she's nice to everyone. Even weird people like Katia Sommers and Harry.

I've gone to school with Katia my entire life, and we've never spoken a word to each other. That makes me sound snotty, but it's not the case. Katia always made it clear she didn't want anyone to talk to her. She might as well have worn a T-shirt that said:
One word and I'll deck you.
All through middle school, she sat alone at lunch or assemblies, and if anybody got within a foot of her, she literally growled like a rabid dog that might bite. All week she showed up to school in full Goth black, which made her seem less approachable than ever.

But apparently, not to Sophie. “Can we sit here?” Sophie asked Katia Tuesday at lunch. Without waiting for an answer, she plopped down next to Katia with her tray and looked at me like I should too. “You're in my art class,” said Sophie.

Katia glared in return, but Sophie seemed oblivious as she chatted on about oils and inks. Surprisingly, Katia relaxed into the conversation, and the three of us have been lunch buddies all week. Today, we took a fourth into our group. Harry was walking by our table with a tray and looking around like he had nowhere to go, and Sophie said, “Sit with us.”

Harry stood there. I could tell he was too shocked to move. I'm sure he was thinking that it would be weird for him to eat lunch with a brunch of freshman girls, but Sophie scooted over and patted the empty seat next to her like she'd made room and it would be rude if Harry didn't sit. Honestly, I think he was relieved Sophie invited him to join us.

Then she started talking about music. In the short time she's gotten to know Harry, I know she's figured out that music is one of the few topics he actually likes to talk about. Harry talked for an uncharacteristically long time about a new band from Ireland that he really likes. We all thought they sounded cool, and Sophie said, “Why don't we all get together this weekend. We can hang out and listen to their music.”

So we made a plan, and that's what we're doing on Sunday, which is kind of weird because (a) Harry has been my cousin my whole life, and I've never hung out with him except at family gatherings, and (b) I've also never hung out with (or even spoken to) Katia and now we eat lunch together every day and we're doing something this weekend.

It's not that I have a problem with it. Actually, I think it's cool. It's just weird, because Sophie showed up and brought people together in a way that wouldn't have happened if she hadn't been here, and everyone but Sophie knows that's the case. It's like she forgot to pick up her copy of the Faraway rule book.

Friday, August 22, 6:08 p.m.

I invited Billy, Brynn, and Sophie to come over after school today. That sounds so grade-school playdate-ish, but I wanted to start the year off doing something with Brynn
and
Billy, and I wanted them to get to know Sophie. When she moved here, everyone was busy getting ready for school, and we hadn't really had a chance to all hang out together.

But it didn't turn out like I'd hoped. When we went to my room, Billy picked up the jar of lake water that he brought me back from camp two summers ago when my parents wouldn't let me go. “I can't believe you still have this.” He laughed, I think at the memory of when he gave it to me, which was when he asked me to go out.

I laughed too. “I'd never get rid of a jar of Camp Silver Shores water,” I said.

“That's gross,” said Brynn. Then she plopped down on the floor and patted the space next to her. “Sit here,” she said to Billy. He did, but I think he only did it because it would seem like a big deal if he hadn't. There was an uncomfortable silence.

Billy finally broke it. “So how are you doing with your parents' separation?” he asked Sophie.

Brynn shot him a look. “I'm sure she doesn't want to talk about that.” Then she changed the subject and started talking about how hard her locker is to open.

“I actually don't mind talking about it,” Sophie said to Brynn. “My parents are just going through a trial separation. It's not a big deal.”

But I knew it was a bigger deal to Sophie than she was letting on, and I think Billy knew it too. “It must be hard,” he said.

“It is,” acknowledged Sophie. “My dad is in Paris. I miss him a lot.” Then she smiled at Billy. “Thanks for asking me about it. I guess I haven't really talked about it much.”

Billy smiled at her. “Glad I could help.”

I looked at Brynn as she bit off a cuticle. She only does that when she's nervous. Billy might have been glad he could help Sophie, but it was pretty clear Brynn wasn't.