Chapter 1: Tamara

Another day at school. Crap, I had forgotten my math homework. Again. I had the most brilliant friends here, but recently I had felt empty. Like they were gone. Well, Seeing my friends after the weekend will clear that up. First class was..french. Ashley was in that class with me.

I walked into the French classroom. I sighed, I had gotten here late again and Ashley had sat next to Sheena. Sheena was new this year, but already seemed to hate me. Oh well. I sat at the other table, on the other side of Ashley.

"Hey, Ashley," I said as I sat down.

"Oh, hi Tamara!" She smiled at me, and the empty feeling was gone.

"There wasn't any homework I forgot about, was there?" I asked.

"Uh, not unless I forgot it too," She replied.

"Great," I said. "Then I won't be alone. Oh, here comes the teacher."

"Yup," She said.

I passed Sheena on the way to my locker. She hissed at me, which was a bit unusual, but not shocking. Ashley was next to her. Huh. Ashley must not have noticed.

"Hey," I said, ignoring Sheena's hisses and glares. "Thank god for no French homework, right?"

"Yeah, hey sorry Tamara, I've gotta run," She said quickly.

"K, Bye!" I called, but she did not return it. Today was really weird. I bet she just forgot to do homework and was doing the responsible thing of getting it done. She was a pretty good student too, so she probably didn't want anyone to know. Yep, completely logical. I walked over to my locker. Let's see if I still remember the combination. I twisted the padlock to the familiar combination, and it opened.

"Whoop-de-doo," I whispered to myself. A girl behind me was glaring. Obviosly she had the top-locker above mine. I grabbed my books, slammed the locker, and politly said, "Sorry,"

Not even a nod. How rude. Let's see how long I take next time! Maybe if you were more polite….

"Hey Tamara," Sarah walked up next to me.

"Hi Sarah," I replied.

"Sorry I can't talk now. See ya at lunch!" She said and hurried by.

"Yeah, lunch," I murmered. Everyone was acting so weird today!

I dropped off my stuff at my next class, history. Nobody had that class with me. I'd just have to hope that we're not doing any group activities today.

I hurried over to our table. We always sat there, so nobody else took that table. It was empty. Well, I had been let out early today. They probably just weren't here yet. I walked over to the table. There was a piece of paper on it. Let's see what it was….

I unfolded it and read…

Tamara,

Sorry we had to do this like this, but we had to.

We won't show up today. We picked a new eating place.

We hate you.

From, Sheena, Ashley, Sarah & Amy

As I read the note over and over, I assumed that this was all Sheena's doing. Ashley was her best friend, so she probably influenced her. Amy would never do something like this, and the rest of the group's names weren't there. They'd probably all show up later. I just had to wait.

As lunch passed slowly by, the rest of the chairs left the table. People kept asking if they were being used, and I had to keep saying no. Soon I was all by myself.

The bell finally rang, and I hurried to PE. I remembered that combination too, and as I opened the locker a folded piece of paper fell out. On the outside, it read: Do not read until you get home. I was in too much of a hurry for PE to read it, so I put it back in my locker and decided I'd wait as long as I could.

All while PE I imagined what it would say. I had never gotten a note in my life! Maybe it'd be from the group, and it'd say that it was all a joke, maybe that the note was written only by Sheena, and the rest of the group wanted to apologize!

Soon, the class was over, I had changed out of my PE clothes, and I was walking with the note in hand. I decided I couldn't wait any longer and opened it. This one took longer than the last one. It read:

Tamara,

I hate doing all of this in a note, but I had to. You have been annoying all of us for too long.

It's annoying to have someone around all of the time! So we have to tell you, we all hate you

Because you annoy us. We can't take it. We ask that you never try to find us at lunch. We

Picked a new spot, and we will move again if you even try to find us. I hate telling you all of this

In a note, but it had to be done and you already received a note from all of us. If you sit with us,

We will move immediately. If you come the next day, we'll move permenantly. I think you should

Go without friends to learn to not be clingy.

Amy

Amy. She hated me too? I began to walk slower and my vision got blurry. Why had this all happened? Why? The tears rolled down my cheeks now. I hadn't cried in so long. I couldn't remember the last time I'd cried. No, I couldn't go to my next class in tears. I quickly wiped them away. I thought the happiest thoughts I could, and look at myself in the glass doors. Perfect. No one would know.

I walked into English. Ashley and Sheena glared as I walked in. Amy looked at her desk. Sarah looked as though nothing had happened. I looked. There was an empty table next to them, where I always sat, and a table across the room. I chose the one across the room, and sat down. Why did all the girls in this class have to hate me now? I could barely listen to the teacher, all I could hear was "you should go without friends." Maybe I should. That would stop people from hating me. That would stop more pain. Maybe I should go without friends, maybe I should go alone.