Disclaimer; I do not in any way own Saved by the Bell or its characters except my own.

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Saved by the Bell: A New Generation

Chapter One

The morning sunshine streamed in through Ariana's bedroom window, allowing the sunlight to land directly onto her face, causing Ariana to dastardly awake from her peaceful slumber. A peaceful slumber wasn't something Ariana was in all familiar with-since her world was felted and presented with the arrival of her four year old brother Jackson. It may have been four years ago when her younger brother made his arrival into the world that for twelve previous years-she, her mum and dad were called family-but still, in four years, any chance of gaining extra morning shut eye was impossible when she had an over energised four year old brother who'd wake up before the crack of dawn, running into her own room to jump on her bed, claiming she needed to play with him.

Sometimes, she did wish she was an only child again like she was for many years while both her parents finished making their way through school. Unlike her brother's birth, her own was very much an unplanned surprise yet it turned into a happy surprise. Neither her mother nor father was expecting to have a baby let alone get pregnant while they were both continuing to put themselves through school at such a tender age of twenty.

They always assumed they'd start their family once they successfully graduated from college and set down roots in a career path of their personal preference. Only their long term desire adorned them earlier in life and with a large support network built of family and friends, they survived the combined the few years of parenthood, employees and students.

As much as Ariana wished she was an only child, she knew it was merely a distant memory implanted in her brain. Because as much of an annoyance her brother came to be like any inquisitive four year old child, she'd never wish on anything to have no little brother in her world.

In a blissful attempt to block the morning sunshine out of her view so she could at least try to gain a few more minutes sleep, she turned over to her side and wept her eyes shut. But it was no use. Once morning dawned on her and she finally woke from her agitated sleep, call it intuition but she was never able to drift off to any form of sleep.

Rising from her foetal position where she lay in bed under her purple comforter, she rubbed her eye and smoothed the back of her chocolate brown coloured hair. She didn't have time to sleep. Today was Monday morning. School was returning for its first day since class finished for the summer holidays. Yet, for Ariana-it was different. She would be starting a whole new school rather than the school she would be going to with all her friends if she still lived in San Francisco. Friends-something she wouldn't have beside her when she walked through the doors of Bayside High School.

A school where she knew of no one and only of the fact that both her mum and dad attended the school, finding one another as they continued to mention to her-like she didn't already know of the story. She had been told so many times before. She didn't need to know again. What, was she expected to meet her soul mate there as well and then go off to college together and get married? It definitely wasn't on the case. She had no plans to marry any one until she was done with school altogether, travelled the world and started out in her career of choice-something she wasn't sure about yet.

In Los Angeles, she knew no one but her family and they wouldn't be with her at school when she started. She would be all alone except for her principal whom her parents were somewhat of friends with. Though she entrusted and demanded that she be treated as any other student going to school. The last thing Ariana wanted on her first day at a new school was favouritism from the principal because they knew each other. That would be a great way to meet new friends. She could just imagine it. They'd all think she was a goody-two-shoe because she was friends with the principal though technically, she wasn't friends with him. Her parents were.

If Ariana had her choice, she'd be living in San Francisco right now. She'd be going to school with all her friends she so sorely missed and wished she was with. This time was meant to be her year, she was going to be a junior and she was entitled to try out for the cheerleading squad as much as she despised cheerleading, she knew she had a knack for it and vowed to compete for a spot in order to follow in her mother's footsteps.

Unfortunately she didn't have a choice but to move. Ariana's mother Kelly had been offered a job as a doctor at a hospital based in Los Angeles. The job had plenty of perks including a highly efficient salary. It was considered an opportunity unworthy to pass up so to the dismay of Ariana-like she never had a choice to stay-she accepted the offer and they began making arrangements to move. Ariana had tried reasoning with her parents to let her stay in San Francisco with her grandparents so she could go to school with her friends but her parents had refused saying they were a family and so they insisted there was no negations. She was moving to Los Angeles with her family. Within the few weeks of school drawing to a close for summer, she did her best to ignore her parents' decision and allow her to stay but by the third week into school finishing, they were all leaving.

Arriving in Los Angeles, she was faced with spending the rest of the holiday alone, knowing no one with her only companion being Jackson or her parents whom she tried her best to tolerate, and for the most part, she found herself holed up in her room listening to her dark, edgy music she loved to blast-mostly to her parents annoyance-and drawing which was another favourite past time of hers.

As of the moment, the only perk she had come to love about Los Angeles was their new house. It was much bigger compared to the small two storey house they called home in San Francisco. This house could be considered a mansion to their old one.

The door of her bedroom opened, half expecting to see her brother run in all giddy, ready to jump on her bed.

Instead, Ariana's mother walked in, showing a smile on her face, fresh from an obvious shower with her own chocolate brown hair loosely tied into a ponytail. People who'd come to know of Ariana from her parents, continued to remind her that she was the spitting image of Kelly when she was her age. To most, it was an advantage that she looked so much like her mum. Much to the dismay of her dad, she used to always have guys who'd ask her out.

"Good morning, its looks like it'll be a nice day for your first day of school."

Ariana lay back down in bed, wishing she could pull the covers over her head and forget about where she was and whose fault it was that she was even going to a new school. She didn't. She had to try to lift her spirits. Her mum was trying. She had to try too.

"Uh-huh," Ariana muttered, staring off into space.

Kelly made her way to Ariana's bed and sat down on the edge of the bed, smoothing the comforter beneath her.

"Honey, I know this isn't where you want to be. That you'd much prefer to go back to school with all your friends but you'll make friends here. You're very much like me when I was your age-you're out going. You can mix with anyone."

That was true, her mum made a good point. She was socially grounded with her large circle of friends and usually didn't find it hard to make friends. But she didn't have any friends here.

"Uh-huh," she muttered.

"Anyway, you better get up now or you'll be late for your first day of school," Kelly rose from the bed and turned to the doorway. "Or you'll miss your bus."

She paused for a moment before she spoke again. "I am sorry Ariana that you've had to up and move away from all your friends but we've all had to make sacrifices when we moved here."

Ariana watched her mother's facial expression. Ariana hated arguing with her parents. It was something she'd never considered she'd find herself doing. God knows, she had never done it before but this time, she couldn't help it. It was just the way she was feeling. Her emotions were acting up. They were a mess. And her parents were caught in the firing line because they were the cause of her emotional break down.

"Mum," Ariana finally admitted. "Would you be able to drive me to school?"

Her question lingered in the air as she released it from her mouth. Ariana watched her mother's face pipe up with a glee of excitement. Obviously she had expected her daughter to favour her for a lift to school over the bus. It was definitely a first. She couldn't remember the last time Kelly had offered to drive her to school and heard a flat out refusal saying it was so uncool of parents to drop their children off at school. Even now, Ariana wasn't so sure what had made her come out and say what she knew she wouldn't have heard herself saying in a million years. Call it a hunch but as of this moment, Ariana was resilient to any sudden urges of being with her family.

"Of course I can. I was hoping to drive you anyway; I just thought I'd provide you with the option to take the bus as well-to give you your independence that you've opted to console since you started high school. I didn't know if you'd want your mother dropping you off at school. You've never asked me to take you to school before."

Ariana sat up in bed. "I know, but it's the first day at a new school. I kind of want my mum to take me." "For support and confidence that I feel I am lacking." She felt like confiding out loud though she kept it to herself. She didn't need her mum to see that she was scared to start school. She could do this, she knew she could. Today she just felt like having her mum drive her to school. Maybe it'd give her the boost she surely needed about now. "Is that okay?"

"Are you kidding?" Kelly beamed. "I've anticipated the day when you'd want me to drive you somewhere. I never thought it would happen again. Anyway, I'll meet you downstairs. I've got to go check on your brother. He's making pancakes with your father."

Ariana laughed as Kelly left the room. She could just imagine the sight of Jackson making pancakes with dad. He'd be a mess. Pulling the covers off her body, she stood up from bed and swiftly pulled the comforter across the bed. Jeez, making the bed these days was a cinch.

Walking to her wardrobe, she entered her medium sized walk-through closet, pondering the choices she could wear for her first day of school. She needed to make an impression so not to appear too 'new' like she didn't know what she was doing but she also didn't want to dress like she was asking for it-whatever 'it' was.

Finally deciding on faded blue skinny jeans and a loose fitting tank top-she couldn't go wrong there-Ariana got dressed, brushed her hair so it swept freely down her back and then grabbed her backpack, ready to make her way downstairs.