Chapter 1

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!" I heard my stupid alarm clock wake me up again. I hit the snooze button and tried to go back to bed again. I soon heard my older sister, Helena, scream "Lizzie wake up!" I got out of bed with most likely a rat`s nest in my hair. I got out of my pajamas and put on a purple short sleeve shirt with black shorts. I walked downstairs to see my sister making breakfast. She said "Lizzie, would it kill you to brush your hair? You want to look pretty in case you meet someone nice." I rolled my eyes, grabbed the brush, started brushing my long, auburn hair, and said "You know I am too young, besides, you`d probably knock his lights out." She smiled and said "You know me to well. But you should brush your hair to make some new friends at your new school." Helena and I moved to Hillwood because our mother died and our father left us. I`m nine while Helena`s twenty-four. Mom died when she had me, I don`t even remember the slightest thing of her aside from pictures, I have her blue eyes and dad`s auburn hair. Four years after that, dad left us do to him drinking every night. We lived in Pennsylvania but had to move since Helena wasn't making that much money. When we moved to Hillwood was during the summer, we got better from there. The apartment we are living in isn`t a suite, but it`s way better than the one we lived in when we got here.

After breakfast, it was time for me to go to school and for Helena to go to work. When we went out the door, Helena said "Remember, the school is P.S 118. And here`s a map if you get lost." I said "Helena, I`m nine years old, I`m pretty sure I can find my way home." She said "Whether you like it or not, you`re taking the map." I rolled my eyes but took the map. She waved to me and said "See you at 5:00." I smiled. When she turned the corner, I threw the map in a trash can.

After half an hour, I found the school! I looked at my watch and saw it said "7:30." I still had thirty minutes to try and make new friends before school started. I walked inside the school and saw some kids. I shyly walked to my classroom. I`m the type of girl who`s really shy, but isn't afraid to stand up to big jerks.

When I found my classroom, I saw a few kids; one had black hair and a red dress. One had a long, purple shirt with black hair. One girl had blond hair, was wearing a pink dress, and had a unibrow! I sat down at an empty desk. Suddenly, the girl with black hair and was wearing a red dress came over to me and asked "Are you new here?" I quietly said "Yes." She said "What was that?" I quietly said again "Yes." She said "Ok, you have to speak up." I said "Yes." She asked "What`s your name?" I said "Lizzie, what`s yours?" She smiled and said "Rhonda." She was about to say something, but then, the girl with the unibrow shot a spit ball at me! She said "What a stupid looking new kid, she looks more stupid than Arnold!" I scowled and said "Says the girl with the unibrow." She glared at me. She wanted to say something else, but she just opened a pink book and started writing something. Rhonda said "Anyways, do you mind if I braid your hair?" I shrugged and said "No not at all." She started braiding my hair.

After fifteen minutes, she was done. Before I could say something, she started putting hair ribbons on me. I said "Rhonda, what are you doing?" She said "Fixing you up, you want to look pretty, in case you meet someone nice." I got up, rolled my eyes, randomly walked near the door, and said "Yeah, yeah, as if he`s going to walk right through that-." Before I could finish, someone accidently slammed the door on my face! I shouted "OUCH!" When the door closed, I was ready to slug them in the face! But, I saw a kid with a football shaped head and a kid with a tall stack of hair! The kid with the football head said "I am so sorry!" The kid with the stack of hair said "Are you ok?" I nodded while turning red a little bit. Then, the girl with the unibrow shot another spit ball at me! I turned around and shouted "WILL YOU STOP THAT?!" She smirked and continued writing in the pink book. Then the kid with the stack of hair said "I see you and Helga know each other." I turned around and said "Yeah, I guess you could say that." The kid with the football head said "I`m Arnold, and this is Gerald." I smiled and said "I`m Lizzie."

We talked for the last ten minutes until the rest of the class came and then an almost bald man came in, I assumed he was the teacher. When everyone else sat down at a desk, he motioned me to come to the front of the classroom. He said "Class, this is our new student." He turned to me and said "Well, my name is Mr. Simmons. What`s your name?" I said softly "Lizzie." He said "Can you please speak up?" I said softly again "Lizzie." Before Mr. Simmons could ask me to speak up, a kid with a blue baseball cap and was a bit round said "Just say your stupid name!" Mr. Simmons said "Harold, please don`t be mean to-." I said while scowling "Lizzie." Mr. Simmons said "Excellent, now Lizzie, will you please take a seat?" I shyly nodded and sat at a seat in the back. The kid that was sitting next to me was a creepy kid with glasses, a yellow dress like shirt, and kept breathing weirdly! He was staring at me for the past fifteen minutes! When class was almost ending, he put his hand on mine on my desk! I slowly looked over to him and saw him staring at me with frightening, cold, dead eyes! Without thinking, I hit his hand with my ruler as hard and quietly as I could! After he took his hand off my desk, I saw Helga staring at me. I was expecting her to shoot another spit ball at me, but she smiled and gave me thumbs up! I smiled back. Then, the bell for lunch rang.

After lunch, it was time for recess! When I walked out, I saw kids doing multiple things! I saw some girls doing jump rope, I saw some other girls playing hopscotch, than I saw Arnold, Gerald, Harold, a kid with a green baseball cap, a red haired kid, and a kid with a weird nose playing basketball! I smiled and made my way towards them. I said "Can I play?" They turned to me, Gerald said "Uh look, Lizzie-." Before he could finish, Harold said "Girls aren't good at basketball!" I scowled at him, looked at the kid with the weird nose, and said "Give me the ball." He passed me the ball; I aimed it, and shot it! It made it in the basket! I turned to Harold smirking at him. He didn't say anything for a second but then he said "That was luck! Cover your eyes!" I smirked and said "And how am I supposed to do that?" He looked through his pockets and took out a blindfold. I tied it around my head. I could hear Arnold say "Harold, this isn't-." Harold said "Just do it!" I waited for a second, than shot! After I heard the ball fall, I quickly took the blindfold off and turned around. I could see on everyone`s faces that I made it! I smirked proudly at Harold and said "Now, I can see why I`m not ready to play basketball with you." I turned around to leave. But then I heard Gerald shout "That was amazing!" I smiled and blushed with my back turned. For the rest of recess, I played basketball. I then found out the three people playing basketball were Sid, Stinky, and Eugene. And that the creepy kid was named Brainy.

When school ended, everyone lined up for the bus. Since I didn't know that there was a bus to take you home, I didn't bring any money for it. I was walking until I heard Arnold say "You`re not taking the bus?" I turned around and said "No, I didn't bring any money." Gerald said "I`ll pay for you." I shook my head and said "No you shouldn't, I`m sure I can find my way home." He said "Just let me pay for you." I smiled and said "As you wish."

When it got the closest to my house, I got out of my seat and said to Gerald "Thank you." He smiled. I got off the bus and opened the door. I sat my backpack down on a chair and looked dreamy eyed.

When Helena got home, I was "doing" my homework while looking dreamy eyed. She put her purse down and said "I`m home! How was your first day of school?" I didn't make eye contact but said "It was wonderful." She smiled and said "Ok, did you make any new friends?" I still didn't make eye contact and said "A girl named Rhonda, some boys named Arnold, Sid, Stinky, and Gerald." I imagined her having a big smile on her face and she said "And who`s your boyfriend?" I for the final time didn't make eye contact and said "Gerald." Quickly, I shouted "No I didn't mean that!" She was laughing like a crazy woman! I shouted "Didn't you hear me?! I don `t like him!" She kept laughing and said "Yes you do!" I stared coldly at her. She was still completely hysterical and said "Does he look good?" I shouted "Helena!" She partly calmed down and said "Ok, ok, I won`t tell anyone." I rolled my eyes. She said "Wow, you`re not even a week into school and you already have a crush." I said "I do not have a crush on him! I was just thankful for him paying for me on the bus!" She smiled and said "Sure." I said "I`ll go do my homework upstairs." She said in a playful tone "Are you sure you don`t want Gerald to help you?" I shouted "WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP?!" I heard her laughing.