I woke up at six fifty five AM to the vision of bright sunlight pouring in through my open window. The breeze blowing through it on that chilled August morning made me pull the covers in all around me. I could smell the bacon and pancakes that my mom was making in the kitchen all the way from downstairs, and my stomach was grumbling.
More than anything I wanted to get out of bed for breakfast. I could hear the crispy, salted bacon calling my name. "Jeremy...get up...eat me!!!!" If I had that feeling last year, or even last week, I would have jumped out of bed for just one taste of those homemade, melt in your mouth pancakes. But today, I was too depressed, because today was my first day of high school at Eden Hall Academy.
Five minuets later, I was still in bed, debating weather or not to get up. Maybe I could fake sick! That could be my ticket out of today. But then again, I thought to myself, why prolong the agony? I would have to go to school sometime or other, and besides, my father would kill me if he found out that I was faking.
Just then my father called out to me from the hallway "Jeremy Banks, get out of bed!" He cried.
"Speak of the devil." I mumbled into my pillow.
"You don't want to be late on your first day of school. Adam never slept in on the first day- or ever come to think of it! You will get up, get dressed and go to school- NOW!" My father bellowed.
I rolled my eyes, moodily as I pulled my six-foot frame out of bed. Of course, he would compare me to Adam. He did it constantly. Reason one not to go to Eden Hall: Adam. He had been on the dean's list honor roll. He had been a nation merit finalist, he was the alternate captain on the varsity hockey team, and helped lead them to the state championship three years in a row. After graduating second in his class last year (second ONLY to Julie Gaffney) he had been a first round draft pick for the NHL, however after careful consideration had decided to play hockey at Minnesota University instead, much to my father's delight. Our eldest brother, Matthew had been every bit as perfect as Adam...and then there was me. I don't care about school. I'm smart; I can make B's without studying. I don't really even care about hockey. I like hockey, it's fun, but I'm not as serious as Adam or Matthew had been, there's no way I ever could be.
JV hockey team tryouts were after school today. There was no doubt in my mind that I would make it, I would probably be first line left wing, but I couldn't help but wonder if it would be becuase of tallent alone, or because I had the name "Banks" plastered on the back of my jersey.
There was only one good reason that I could think of for going to Eden Hall. Two words: Laura Germaine, Guy Germaine's little sister. I'd known her since I was young, but I hadn't seen her all summer. I didn't even know that she was going to Eden Hall until a week ago when my mother learned that she had accepted an academic scholarship for writing. I got this dreamy look in my eyes even thinking about her. Her bright blue eyes shone behind a mass of blond curls, and she stood a mere 5'3" to my six feet. She made me feel strong, and yet- sensitive, like I wanted to take care of her, and hold her in my arms. Laura was the sweetest girl that you would ever meet. Some of my fondest memories were of us playing together on the playground in Minneapolis outside the rink where the ducks used to practice. We had even gotten `married' once, in a pretend ceremony. She was the only girl that I had ever kissed. So what if I was five? It was on the lips, so I still count it.
I shook myself out of my thoughts, as I pulled the navy blue cardigan sweater that my mom had picked out for me to wear today. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I prepared myself for the "Adam comments" that I knew that I would get that day. I would probably be mixed up with him about fifty times. I knew that everyone would give me the speech about how I had so much to live up to, and about how wonderful my brother was. I would just grin and bear it like I had so many times before.
I trudged down the stairs that morning, as my mother got all weepy over how grown up I looked. I ate breakfast quickly and then joined my father in the car for him to drop me off at school. "Now, make sure to pay attention, and do everything they say. Take notes in your head- you know what I mean? You need to do your best this year, Jeremy. I will not tolerate any slacking. I know you can cut it, you just have to show them that. Like I said, just do your best." My father recited to me, as we turned onto the Minneapolis exit on the free way. You would have thought that he's talking about school right, wrong. "Just...make sure to stay on sides. That's always a tell tale sign of a good, focused player- especially at your level."
I shook my head at my father's concern. I knew that all I had to do to make the hockey team was show up. I could stand on my head and blow bubbles in the middle of the ice, and still make the team. We spent most of the rest of the ride to Eden Hall in silence.
More than anything I wanted to get out of bed for breakfast. I could hear the crispy, salted bacon calling my name. "Jeremy...get up...eat me!!!!" If I had that feeling last year, or even last week, I would have jumped out of bed for just one taste of those homemade, melt in your mouth pancakes. But today, I was too depressed, because today was my first day of high school at Eden Hall Academy.
Five minuets later, I was still in bed, debating weather or not to get up. Maybe I could fake sick! That could be my ticket out of today. But then again, I thought to myself, why prolong the agony? I would have to go to school sometime or other, and besides, my father would kill me if he found out that I was faking.
Just then my father called out to me from the hallway "Jeremy Banks, get out of bed!" He cried.
"Speak of the devil." I mumbled into my pillow.
"You don't want to be late on your first day of school. Adam never slept in on the first day- or ever come to think of it! You will get up, get dressed and go to school- NOW!" My father bellowed.
I rolled my eyes, moodily as I pulled my six-foot frame out of bed. Of course, he would compare me to Adam. He did it constantly. Reason one not to go to Eden Hall: Adam. He had been on the dean's list honor roll. He had been a nation merit finalist, he was the alternate captain on the varsity hockey team, and helped lead them to the state championship three years in a row. After graduating second in his class last year (second ONLY to Julie Gaffney) he had been a first round draft pick for the NHL, however after careful consideration had decided to play hockey at Minnesota University instead, much to my father's delight. Our eldest brother, Matthew had been every bit as perfect as Adam...and then there was me. I don't care about school. I'm smart; I can make B's without studying. I don't really even care about hockey. I like hockey, it's fun, but I'm not as serious as Adam or Matthew had been, there's no way I ever could be.
JV hockey team tryouts were after school today. There was no doubt in my mind that I would make it, I would probably be first line left wing, but I couldn't help but wonder if it would be becuase of tallent alone, or because I had the name "Banks" plastered on the back of my jersey.
There was only one good reason that I could think of for going to Eden Hall. Two words: Laura Germaine, Guy Germaine's little sister. I'd known her since I was young, but I hadn't seen her all summer. I didn't even know that she was going to Eden Hall until a week ago when my mother learned that she had accepted an academic scholarship for writing. I got this dreamy look in my eyes even thinking about her. Her bright blue eyes shone behind a mass of blond curls, and she stood a mere 5'3" to my six feet. She made me feel strong, and yet- sensitive, like I wanted to take care of her, and hold her in my arms. Laura was the sweetest girl that you would ever meet. Some of my fondest memories were of us playing together on the playground in Minneapolis outside the rink where the ducks used to practice. We had even gotten `married' once, in a pretend ceremony. She was the only girl that I had ever kissed. So what if I was five? It was on the lips, so I still count it.
I shook myself out of my thoughts, as I pulled the navy blue cardigan sweater that my mom had picked out for me to wear today. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I prepared myself for the "Adam comments" that I knew that I would get that day. I would probably be mixed up with him about fifty times. I knew that everyone would give me the speech about how I had so much to live up to, and about how wonderful my brother was. I would just grin and bear it like I had so many times before.
I trudged down the stairs that morning, as my mother got all weepy over how grown up I looked. I ate breakfast quickly and then joined my father in the car for him to drop me off at school. "Now, make sure to pay attention, and do everything they say. Take notes in your head- you know what I mean? You need to do your best this year, Jeremy. I will not tolerate any slacking. I know you can cut it, you just have to show them that. Like I said, just do your best." My father recited to me, as we turned onto the Minneapolis exit on the free way. You would have thought that he's talking about school right, wrong. "Just...make sure to stay on sides. That's always a tell tale sign of a good, focused player- especially at your level."
I shook my head at my father's concern. I knew that all I had to do to make the hockey team was show up. I could stand on my head and blow bubbles in the middle of the ice, and still make the team. We spent most of the rest of the ride to Eden Hall in silence.