Intro
Payton was at the starting line of the 100 meter race. The gun was shot. She started the race running as fast as she could. Her mother was following her the whole way yelling from the sidelines, "you better win this race. Come on, push it!
She tried to focus herself but all she could think about was losing the race and disappointing her mother. She crossed the finish line. There was a pause. It was close. No one knew who was first. It was up to the referee. Three, two, one, the whistle blew. They called us over. I came in second. I was going to tell my mother, but she looked at my face and already knew the truth. Then she made an angry face and raised her hand as if to slap me. Her mother opened her mouth to say something, but all that 16-year-old Payton could make out was beeping.
She woke up to find her alarm clock at 8:00 am. It was beeping so she turned it off. She walked into the bathroom, took a shower, and did her hair. She looked in the mirror at her chocolate skin and hair and thought, I am so ugly. Yet I've had 6 boyfriends. God what did they see in me? Obviously something I can't see myself. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and stepped out for a 10-minute run around the neighborhood.
She came back soon after and picked up the mail. She shuffled through it until she found an envelope with her name on it. It was from the Juilliard School of the Arts. Her heart began to beat 15 times faster. Could they be accepting her for the scholarship she applied for? School was going to start in two weeks she HAD to find out now. She couldn't do it. She opened the envelope and took out the letter.
Then she beckoned her sister, "Jonnell! Come here! I need you to do me a favor."
Her 13 year old sister emerged from her room with an annoyed look on her face. "What do you want NOW, Payton?"
"I got a letter from that school I applied a scholarship for. This letter is going to tell me whether or not I got in. But I'm too afraid to open it. Can you be nice for once and open it for me?" Payton asked.
She gave her an annoyed and took the letter. She read it out loud, " Dear Ms. Jones, Congratulations! We are proud to inform you that you have been accepted to the Juilliard School of the Arts on a full scholarship."
"What did you say?" asked Payton.
Then Jonnell repeated, "I said: Dear Ms. Jones, Congratulations! We are proud to inform you that you have been accepted to the Juilliard School of the Arts on a full scholarship."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Payton yelled ecstatic.
"YOU GOT THE SCHOLARSHIP! Now can I go back to bed please?" yelled Jonnell. She stormed away and slammed the door shut. Just as she was about to tell her friends the phone rang. She answered it. It was Katrina Santiago. Her best friend of 6 years. She was yelling on the phone.
"DID YOU GET IT? DID YOU GET THE SCHOLARSHIP?"
"OMG! YES! WE HAVE TO CALL TESSA! We have to see if she got hers." said Payton. Tessa was also their best friend of six years. She dialed Tessa's number and soon they were on three-way. Tessa began to yell basically the same thing that Katrina and Payton had just established. They were going to have a sleepover at Payton's house that same night. Tomorrow they would read their school lists and buy their supplies. They came over at around 4 p.m. and stayed up until 3 a.m. They talked about their supplies, the rules, the boys, the surprises.
Little did they know that this school was going to completely change their lives forever. . .
