"Morning mom." Amanda said as she came into the kitchen one morning.
"Morning." Amanda's mother replied, "Did you study last night … or did you gossip all night instead?"
"Mom stop worrying so much, we studied last night." Amanda said.
"Well gotta jet now. Bye, Love ya!" Amanda said as she grabbed her lunch and bag and ran out the door.
**KNOCK! KNOCK!**
"Who is it?" and voice called from inside.
"It's me, Amanda, I'm here to pick up Stacey…" Amanda replied to the voice.
"OH! Amanda! Please come in…" A woman said as she opened the door, it was Stacey's Mother, "Stacey will be down soon."
"Hey Amanda!" Stacey exploded with energy running down the stairs, "Is Susan here? SUSAN! WHERE ARE YOU?"
"No Stacey, " Amanda explained, "We need to go get her still. /She's so full of energy every morning and she's so odd… but I guess that's why she's Susan and I's friend/ Ready?"
"YEA! Let's go get Susan!" Stacey yelled pulling Amanda out the door.
"WHA!" Amanda yelped, "Slow down Stacey!"
"Oh yea! I almost forgot to tell you!" Stacey stated, "I've got a boyfriend!"
"/Does she have to rub it in/" Amanda thought.
"Amanda…" Stacey asked, "Are you ok? HELLO! Anyone home?"
"Wha?" Amanda was confused, "Yea, I'm here…"
"I'm sorry. I forgot you don't have a boyfriend…" Stacey got a little serious.
"That's ok." Amanda said with a little smile, "How about we get Susan now?"
"Okay!" Stacey was back to her hyper self again, "HERE WE COME SUSAN!"
"/How do I put up with her?/" Amanda thought.
"/I can't believe that I was so stupid, I knew that Amanda didn't have a boyfriend. Why did I go and do that? /" Stacey yelled at herself in her thoughts.
**DING… DONG!**
"Oh, hey Amanda." Susan's mother answered the door.
"HEY! I'm here too!" Stacey yelled trying to get noticed.
"Sorry Stacey, I didn't see you behind there." Susan's mother apologized.
"MOM! Let them in already!" Susan yelled from inside.
"HEY SUSAN!" Stacey yelled.
"SHUT UP STACEY!" Susan yelled back.
"OK!" Stacey yelled down.
"SUSAN HURRY UP!" Susan's mom yelled up the stairs.
"I'm coming!" Susan yelled back.
When Susan finally came down she was dressed in the usual. It actually was the only thing you were allowed to wear to Crosswinds High. Our uniform, which included a long blue skirt, white long sleeve or short sleeve shirt with a red bow in the front, and had to wear black shoes. The only day we are allowed to wear something else is on the last Friday of every month.
"Ready now Susan?" Amanda asked.
"I'm as ready as I'm gonna get." Susan replied sarcastically.
"Hey Susan!" Stacey yelled.
"What do you want Stacey?" Susan asked.
"I've got a boyfriend!" Stacey sang.
"So what's his name? Not that I care." Susan teased back.
"His name is Tommy! He's so cute! You should see him!" Stacey boasted.
"Really…?" Susan questioned, "What's your point? I've got one too!"
"Hey, Amanda why don't have a guy?" Susan questioned Amanda.
"WHAT? Why are you asking me!"
"Cause I want to know!" Susan said with an annoying tone.
"I don't know… I guess it's because…" Amanda stared to say.
"You guess it because of what? Susan persisted.
"I guess it because I always getting into a fight so all the boys fear me…" Amanda explained quite fast.
"Well, here's and idea… STOP FIGHTING!" Susan yelled.
Unfortunately Amanda, even though she had a very straight face all the time, being teased was her weak point, and with Susan laughing and Stacey bragging about her boyfriend. Amanda turned towards the school and started to run.
"/I don't understand… why can't I have a boyfriend? It's just not fair! Stacey is YOUNGER then I am, and she's got a guy, why can't I get a boyfriend! But then again, I guess age doesn't matter. Am I really like that? Is the reason why because I fight all the time? /" Amanda thought.
**At School**
When Amanda got to the front doors of the school she went straight to her locker without stopping.
"Right 10, left 26, right 12, ok, lets here, what books do I need?" Amanda wondered.
SLAM!
"Wha!" Amanda jumped.
"Oh, sorry…" a guy next to Amanda's locker said rubbing the back of his head as a sweat drop appeared on the side of his head, "I have a habit of slamming things."
"/Wow…/" Amanda thought, "/He's hot /"
"Hello?" the boy questioned waving his hand in front of her face, "Anyone home?"
"Wha?" Amanda snapped back to reality, "huh?"
"Hey, you're kinda cute, what's your name?" he asked.
"Um … yea, my name … is uh … Amanda, Amanda Nictoka. You are?"
"The names Carlos. I'm an exchange student from South America." Carlos explained, "So what homeroom ya in?"
"Um … 216…" Amanda replied.
"Anyway!" Amanda said giggling, "So, what homeroom are you in?"
"216 too!" Carlos answered.
"COOL!" Amanda said, "Lets go before we're late for homeroom."
"Amanda!" a boy's voice echoed loudly in the empty halls.
"Hum…" Amanda turned, "What do you want Ted?"
"What do think your doing with that outcast!" Ted demanded.
"Excuse me?" Amanda asked, "Who gave you permission to tell me who I'm supposed to walk and talk with?"
"ME!" Ted yelled, "Amanda, I have feelings for you that now OUTCAST could ever show!"
"Get lost Ted!" Amanda yelled, "When I would date you, would be when Hell freezes over!"
"Amanda…" Carlos whispered, "Who is that?"
"That's Ted Stiles, the only kid in this school without a brain!" Amanda whispered back.
"Amanda get away from that OUTCAST!"
"Alright that's it!" Amanda yelled, "If you call him an outcast on more time…"
"Outcast!" Ted yelled, "What ya gonna do about it?"
"THAT'S IT! You are SO DEAD!" Amanda yelled tossing her books to the floor.
"Oh, what ya gonna do?" Ted harassed, "I'm so scared… Somebody save me…"
"You won't be smiling after this!" Amanda said with an evil smile.
*Gasp*
"Humph…" Amanda laughed.
"You…" Ted stuttered.
"Amanda you just…" Carlos started.
"He deserved it! How dare he call you an outcast!" Amanda interrupted Carlos.
"Well, Amanda violence never solves anything…" Carlos explained.
"Now I even got new students giving me the stupid 'violence doesn't solve anything' speech!" Amanda picked up her books and stormed off to homeroom.
"Amanda wait!" Carlos yelled, "I don't know where my homeroom is!"
"Bitch…" Ted said knowing Amanda was too far to hear, "Just you wait, one day you'll be mine…all mine!"
In homeroom Amanda apologized to Carlos for freaking out like she did. When Mr. Hundly introduced Amanda's homeroom to Carlos. Mr. Hundly asked who wanted to show him around the school and made sure he got to his classes on time. Immediately all the girls raised their hands with a few of the popular guys. Amanda's hand was the highest, and the first to go up. There were maybe 3 girls who didn't raise their hands; those few were Susan, Tracy, and Nicole. Susan could tell Amanda liked Carlos.
As the day went on Carlos and Amanda became very good friends. They had planned to see a movie that Friday.
**After School**
"AMANDA!" Someone yelled.
"What do you want Ted?" Amanda asked.
"Why have become such good friends with that outcast Carlos?"
Amanda stopped walking and turned around and gave Ted an evil look.
"You have called him an outcast for the last time Ted!" Amanda screamed.
"What do you mean?" Ted asked confused.
"I mean YOU'RE DEAD!" Amanda yelled as she attacked Ted.
"WHA!" Ted yelled as he dodged out of the way.
"STAND STILL!"
"Why?"
"SO I CAN KILL YOU!"
"NO WAY!" Ted yelled, "I'm smarter then that! I'm outta here!"
"Good!" Amanda yelled after Ted, "God, I'm sick of him…"
"Hey Mel, isn't that Amanda Nictoka the fighting freak?" some girl whispered.
"Yea, and you know what I don't get Sal?" a girl addressed as Mel whispered back.
"What's that?"
"She's smart … pretty…so why does she have to start fights?"
"That's a good question…"
"No one understands!" Amanda whispered to herself, "No one knows what I go through everyday since I was 8…" Amanda looked up at a plane passing over her head in the sky, "Oh, Dad… I miss you so much…"
Amanda quickly ran towards the park. She wanted to be alone. No one to bother her. She couldn't go home, not yet… she would never get left alone at home. Amanda just wanted to cry, but she promised herself that she would never cry again. She had cried herself out at her father's funeral so long ago.
"Will my life ever be right again?" Amanda asked herself sitting down under the big oak tree, "No… nothing will ever bring my father back…not even a miracle. It's been what… 8 years that he's been dead? … Oh dad… I only wish I could have gotten to say good-bye…"
"Morning." Amanda's mother replied, "Did you study last night … or did you gossip all night instead?"
"Mom stop worrying so much, we studied last night." Amanda said.
"Well gotta jet now. Bye, Love ya!" Amanda said as she grabbed her lunch and bag and ran out the door.
**KNOCK! KNOCK!**
"Who is it?" and voice called from inside.
"It's me, Amanda, I'm here to pick up Stacey…" Amanda replied to the voice.
"OH! Amanda! Please come in…" A woman said as she opened the door, it was Stacey's Mother, "Stacey will be down soon."
"Hey Amanda!" Stacey exploded with energy running down the stairs, "Is Susan here? SUSAN! WHERE ARE YOU?"
"No Stacey, " Amanda explained, "We need to go get her still. /She's so full of energy every morning and she's so odd… but I guess that's why she's Susan and I's friend/ Ready?"
"YEA! Let's go get Susan!" Stacey yelled pulling Amanda out the door.
"WHA!" Amanda yelped, "Slow down Stacey!"
"Oh yea! I almost forgot to tell you!" Stacey stated, "I've got a boyfriend!"
"/Does she have to rub it in/" Amanda thought.
"Amanda…" Stacey asked, "Are you ok? HELLO! Anyone home?"
"Wha?" Amanda was confused, "Yea, I'm here…"
"I'm sorry. I forgot you don't have a boyfriend…" Stacey got a little serious.
"That's ok." Amanda said with a little smile, "How about we get Susan now?"
"Okay!" Stacey was back to her hyper self again, "HERE WE COME SUSAN!"
"/How do I put up with her?/" Amanda thought.
"/I can't believe that I was so stupid, I knew that Amanda didn't have a boyfriend. Why did I go and do that? /" Stacey yelled at herself in her thoughts.
**DING… DONG!**
"Oh, hey Amanda." Susan's mother answered the door.
"HEY! I'm here too!" Stacey yelled trying to get noticed.
"Sorry Stacey, I didn't see you behind there." Susan's mother apologized.
"MOM! Let them in already!" Susan yelled from inside.
"HEY SUSAN!" Stacey yelled.
"SHUT UP STACEY!" Susan yelled back.
"OK!" Stacey yelled down.
"SUSAN HURRY UP!" Susan's mom yelled up the stairs.
"I'm coming!" Susan yelled back.
When Susan finally came down she was dressed in the usual. It actually was the only thing you were allowed to wear to Crosswinds High. Our uniform, which included a long blue skirt, white long sleeve or short sleeve shirt with a red bow in the front, and had to wear black shoes. The only day we are allowed to wear something else is on the last Friday of every month.
"Ready now Susan?" Amanda asked.
"I'm as ready as I'm gonna get." Susan replied sarcastically.
"Hey Susan!" Stacey yelled.
"What do you want Stacey?" Susan asked.
"I've got a boyfriend!" Stacey sang.
"So what's his name? Not that I care." Susan teased back.
"His name is Tommy! He's so cute! You should see him!" Stacey boasted.
"Really…?" Susan questioned, "What's your point? I've got one too!"
"Hey, Amanda why don't have a guy?" Susan questioned Amanda.
"WHAT? Why are you asking me!"
"Cause I want to know!" Susan said with an annoying tone.
"I don't know… I guess it's because…" Amanda stared to say.
"You guess it because of what? Susan persisted.
"I guess it because I always getting into a fight so all the boys fear me…" Amanda explained quite fast.
"Well, here's and idea… STOP FIGHTING!" Susan yelled.
Unfortunately Amanda, even though she had a very straight face all the time, being teased was her weak point, and with Susan laughing and Stacey bragging about her boyfriend. Amanda turned towards the school and started to run.
"/I don't understand… why can't I have a boyfriend? It's just not fair! Stacey is YOUNGER then I am, and she's got a guy, why can't I get a boyfriend! But then again, I guess age doesn't matter. Am I really like that? Is the reason why because I fight all the time? /" Amanda thought.
**At School**
When Amanda got to the front doors of the school she went straight to her locker without stopping.
"Right 10, left 26, right 12, ok, lets here, what books do I need?" Amanda wondered.
SLAM!
"Wha!" Amanda jumped.
"Oh, sorry…" a guy next to Amanda's locker said rubbing the back of his head as a sweat drop appeared on the side of his head, "I have a habit of slamming things."
"/Wow…/" Amanda thought, "/He's hot /"
"Hello?" the boy questioned waving his hand in front of her face, "Anyone home?"
"Wha?" Amanda snapped back to reality, "huh?"
"Hey, you're kinda cute, what's your name?" he asked.
"Um … yea, my name … is uh … Amanda, Amanda Nictoka. You are?"
"The names Carlos. I'm an exchange student from South America." Carlos explained, "So what homeroom ya in?"
"Um … 216…" Amanda replied.
"Anyway!" Amanda said giggling, "So, what homeroom are you in?"
"216 too!" Carlos answered.
"COOL!" Amanda said, "Lets go before we're late for homeroom."
"Amanda!" a boy's voice echoed loudly in the empty halls.
"Hum…" Amanda turned, "What do you want Ted?"
"What do think your doing with that outcast!" Ted demanded.
"Excuse me?" Amanda asked, "Who gave you permission to tell me who I'm supposed to walk and talk with?"
"ME!" Ted yelled, "Amanda, I have feelings for you that now OUTCAST could ever show!"
"Get lost Ted!" Amanda yelled, "When I would date you, would be when Hell freezes over!"
"Amanda…" Carlos whispered, "Who is that?"
"That's Ted Stiles, the only kid in this school without a brain!" Amanda whispered back.
"Amanda get away from that OUTCAST!"
"Alright that's it!" Amanda yelled, "If you call him an outcast on more time…"
"Outcast!" Ted yelled, "What ya gonna do about it?"
"THAT'S IT! You are SO DEAD!" Amanda yelled tossing her books to the floor.
"Oh, what ya gonna do?" Ted harassed, "I'm so scared… Somebody save me…"
"You won't be smiling after this!" Amanda said with an evil smile.
*Gasp*
"Humph…" Amanda laughed.
"You…" Ted stuttered.
"Amanda you just…" Carlos started.
"He deserved it! How dare he call you an outcast!" Amanda interrupted Carlos.
"Well, Amanda violence never solves anything…" Carlos explained.
"Now I even got new students giving me the stupid 'violence doesn't solve anything' speech!" Amanda picked up her books and stormed off to homeroom.
"Amanda wait!" Carlos yelled, "I don't know where my homeroom is!"
"Bitch…" Ted said knowing Amanda was too far to hear, "Just you wait, one day you'll be mine…all mine!"
In homeroom Amanda apologized to Carlos for freaking out like she did. When Mr. Hundly introduced Amanda's homeroom to Carlos. Mr. Hundly asked who wanted to show him around the school and made sure he got to his classes on time. Immediately all the girls raised their hands with a few of the popular guys. Amanda's hand was the highest, and the first to go up. There were maybe 3 girls who didn't raise their hands; those few were Susan, Tracy, and Nicole. Susan could tell Amanda liked Carlos.
As the day went on Carlos and Amanda became very good friends. They had planned to see a movie that Friday.
**After School**
"AMANDA!" Someone yelled.
"What do you want Ted?" Amanda asked.
"Why have become such good friends with that outcast Carlos?"
Amanda stopped walking and turned around and gave Ted an evil look.
"You have called him an outcast for the last time Ted!" Amanda screamed.
"What do you mean?" Ted asked confused.
"I mean YOU'RE DEAD!" Amanda yelled as she attacked Ted.
"WHA!" Ted yelled as he dodged out of the way.
"STAND STILL!"
"Why?"
"SO I CAN KILL YOU!"
"NO WAY!" Ted yelled, "I'm smarter then that! I'm outta here!"
"Good!" Amanda yelled after Ted, "God, I'm sick of him…"
"Hey Mel, isn't that Amanda Nictoka the fighting freak?" some girl whispered.
"Yea, and you know what I don't get Sal?" a girl addressed as Mel whispered back.
"What's that?"
"She's smart … pretty…so why does she have to start fights?"
"That's a good question…"
"No one understands!" Amanda whispered to herself, "No one knows what I go through everyday since I was 8…" Amanda looked up at a plane passing over her head in the sky, "Oh, Dad… I miss you so much…"
Amanda quickly ran towards the park. She wanted to be alone. No one to bother her. She couldn't go home, not yet… she would never get left alone at home. Amanda just wanted to cry, but she promised herself that she would never cry again. She had cried herself out at her father's funeral so long ago.
"Will my life ever be right again?" Amanda asked herself sitting down under the big oak tree, "No… nothing will ever bring my father back…not even a miracle. It's been what… 8 years that he's been dead? … Oh dad… I only wish I could have gotten to say good-bye…"