For the Record: These characters are not mine in any way, and this story is an ALTERNATIVE storyline from the movie - some facts have changed and might not necessarily end where the movie picks up. Hope you like it!
In The Beginning, Part 1
"I'm a freshman!" Kat cried joyously as she sat at the kitchen table with her parents. It was the first morning of her freshman year at Padua High School, and she couldn't have been happier.
Kat's younger sister, Bianca, still in middle school and not a morning person, growled back, "Ugh...how can you be so chipper this early in the morning?"
"Because today is the first day of an exciting new chapter in my life!"
Walter and Sharon Stratford, their parents, silently watched the exchange between their daughters. It had been a tense week for them. Walter's job as an obstetrical doctor was stressful and the long hours had put a strain on their 15-year marriage. But they tried to conceal the problems from their daughters, instead putting on brave smiles and acting as though nothing was wrong.
Kat was completely aware of the conflict between her parents, and tried her best to act normal for their sakes. Kat also knew that Bianca was completely in the dark and just thought that her parents were normal.
Bianca continued to stare at her sister after her declaration of excitement. "I can't believe you are happy about going to school," she said with distaste.
Kat's blue eyes sparkled as she stood and picked up her backpack. "Well, just because you aren't smart doesn't mean school is bad."
Bianca was about to respond to the insult when her mother put out a hand to stop her. "Girls, let's not fight this morning, okay?"
Kat nodded and kissed her mom on the cheek. "I'm off - I want to get there early so Mandella and I can roam the hallways for a bit."
Mr. Stratford put down his newspaper to receive his kiss from Kat. "Have a good day, Katarina. Be careful of the boys, though. It's never to early to be cautious."
Kat just laughed as she headed to the front hallway. "Thanks for that, Dad. I'll make sure no ruffians take advantage of me."
"She thinks I'm kidding, Sharon," he deadpanned before calling out, "I'm not kidding!" to the door that closed behind his elder daughter.
* * *
"Can you believe we're finally in high school?" Mandella asked Kat as they walked down the street towards the large castle-like building that was to be their school for the next four years.
Kat smiled back at her lifelong best friend, "This is going to be so great, Mandella. Just think - we'll meet more interesting people, take more interesting classes, start dating boys who can drive -- it's going to be amazing!"
Mandella grinned easily. "I just can't wait to study some Shakespeare with students who actually know what he's talking about. Middle school kids just don't know anything."
Kat laughed. "Uh, Mandella, you were in middle school until about three months ago."
Mandella nodded as she responded with, "Ah yes, but now I am in high school, and it's all a different world."
With that they came up to the front door to the school's main entrance. They both came to a stop only briefly before each grabbing a handle and yanking open the doors together.
"Here we go!" Kat said. And with that, they entered Padua High School as freshmen.
Padua High School was located in Tacoma, Washington and its student body was a conglomeration from many areas in the town. Within one freshman class came students from four different middle schools. Because Padua could house over 4,000 students at one time, the school's population was varied and disparate in background and culture.
Kat and Mandella escorted each other to their lockers, finding that they were in the same hallway but about fifty feet apart. During the freshman orientation that had taken place the Saturday before they had received their class schedule, and were happy to find that they shared three classes together, History just before lunch, and then the last two classes of the day - Gym class and English.
"Where do you have to go for your first class," Kat asked as they met up halfway between lockers.
Mandella peered at her class list and replied, "I'm on the fourth floor, South Wing, in Freshman Algebra."
"Well, I'm on second floor, North Wing, in Geography. So I suppose I'll see you third period in our history class."
"You got it!"
With that, Kat and Mandella parted ways, each headed in opposite directions. The school was easy enough to negotiate. The main portion of the building contained the faculty offices, student lounges, restrooms, two cafeterias and the theater and planetarium. The two wings that came off the side of the main building housed the classrooms and student lockers.
As Kat moved up one flight of stairs to the second floor, she wasn't paying attention to where she was stepping and inadvertently rushed into a person that had stopped at the top of the stairs.
"Oh sorry!" she moaned, embarrassed as a cute boy turned around impatiently.
When he saw Kat his frown converted into a bright smile that lit up his face. He had a dark summer tan and chocolate brown eyes that alighted upon her as they were jostled by students moving around them on the stairs.
"Not a problem," he said smoothly, hitching his backpack securely on his shoulder. "Seems we're both in a hurry."
"Yeah, it's my first day and I just don't want to make a bad impression on my teachers."
Kat moved to pass him and leave him on the stairs, but he reached out and said, "I'm Joey Donner. I'm a freshman, too."
Kat felt his hand on her arm and felt the blood rush to her face in an embarrassing flush. "Uh, I'm Kat. Kat Stratford."
Joey pulled on her arm slightly and led her away from the stairway to a spot in the hallway that was less crowded. "What class are you going to, Kat Stratford?" he asked.
"Geography in room 215 with Mr. Stone."
"Hey me too!" he said. "Why don't we find it together?"
"Sure," she answered as he continued to lead her down the hallway. After only a few steps they came to a stop."
Joey turned to Kat and said, "Well, that was easier than I thought. We're here!"
He moved into the classroom and urged Kat to follow him. "Want to sit next to each other, Kat?" he asked.
"That would be nice," Kat said, sitting in one of the middle seats next to Joey. She couldn't believe her luck. First day and she had already met a cute boy who seemed really nice.
Students continued filing into the room. Kat knew a few of them from her own school but none well enough to greet with more than a soft hello. Joey, on the other hand, was pounced on by several boys who obviously knew him well. She heard references to baseball and realized that they were probably all athletes from different middle schools who played against each other before coming together at Padua.
Just as the bell rung, the teacher, a short tired-looking man with a tattered briefcase, walked into the room and took off his jacket. Without waiting a moment he began calling out the roll, and upon putting away the attendance list immediately began a lecture on the qualities of rocks and the earth. Kat quickly took out her notebook and began taking notes.
She felt a pencil stick her in side and looked over at Joey, who was smiling at her. "I'm glad you are sitting next to me, Kat. I'm going to enjoy this class much more with you here." With that he winked at her before turning his attention back to Mr. Stone's lecture.
High school is going to be fun, she thought to herself with a smile.
In The Beginning, Part 1
"I'm a freshman!" Kat cried joyously as she sat at the kitchen table with her parents. It was the first morning of her freshman year at Padua High School, and she couldn't have been happier.
Kat's younger sister, Bianca, still in middle school and not a morning person, growled back, "Ugh...how can you be so chipper this early in the morning?"
"Because today is the first day of an exciting new chapter in my life!"
Walter and Sharon Stratford, their parents, silently watched the exchange between their daughters. It had been a tense week for them. Walter's job as an obstetrical doctor was stressful and the long hours had put a strain on their 15-year marriage. But they tried to conceal the problems from their daughters, instead putting on brave smiles and acting as though nothing was wrong.
Kat was completely aware of the conflict between her parents, and tried her best to act normal for their sakes. Kat also knew that Bianca was completely in the dark and just thought that her parents were normal.
Bianca continued to stare at her sister after her declaration of excitement. "I can't believe you are happy about going to school," she said with distaste.
Kat's blue eyes sparkled as she stood and picked up her backpack. "Well, just because you aren't smart doesn't mean school is bad."
Bianca was about to respond to the insult when her mother put out a hand to stop her. "Girls, let's not fight this morning, okay?"
Kat nodded and kissed her mom on the cheek. "I'm off - I want to get there early so Mandella and I can roam the hallways for a bit."
Mr. Stratford put down his newspaper to receive his kiss from Kat. "Have a good day, Katarina. Be careful of the boys, though. It's never to early to be cautious."
Kat just laughed as she headed to the front hallway. "Thanks for that, Dad. I'll make sure no ruffians take advantage of me."
"She thinks I'm kidding, Sharon," he deadpanned before calling out, "I'm not kidding!" to the door that closed behind his elder daughter.
* * *
"Can you believe we're finally in high school?" Mandella asked Kat as they walked down the street towards the large castle-like building that was to be their school for the next four years.
Kat smiled back at her lifelong best friend, "This is going to be so great, Mandella. Just think - we'll meet more interesting people, take more interesting classes, start dating boys who can drive -- it's going to be amazing!"
Mandella grinned easily. "I just can't wait to study some Shakespeare with students who actually know what he's talking about. Middle school kids just don't know anything."
Kat laughed. "Uh, Mandella, you were in middle school until about three months ago."
Mandella nodded as she responded with, "Ah yes, but now I am in high school, and it's all a different world."
With that they came up to the front door to the school's main entrance. They both came to a stop only briefly before each grabbing a handle and yanking open the doors together.
"Here we go!" Kat said. And with that, they entered Padua High School as freshmen.
Padua High School was located in Tacoma, Washington and its student body was a conglomeration from many areas in the town. Within one freshman class came students from four different middle schools. Because Padua could house over 4,000 students at one time, the school's population was varied and disparate in background and culture.
Kat and Mandella escorted each other to their lockers, finding that they were in the same hallway but about fifty feet apart. During the freshman orientation that had taken place the Saturday before they had received their class schedule, and were happy to find that they shared three classes together, History just before lunch, and then the last two classes of the day - Gym class and English.
"Where do you have to go for your first class," Kat asked as they met up halfway between lockers.
Mandella peered at her class list and replied, "I'm on the fourth floor, South Wing, in Freshman Algebra."
"Well, I'm on second floor, North Wing, in Geography. So I suppose I'll see you third period in our history class."
"You got it!"
With that, Kat and Mandella parted ways, each headed in opposite directions. The school was easy enough to negotiate. The main portion of the building contained the faculty offices, student lounges, restrooms, two cafeterias and the theater and planetarium. The two wings that came off the side of the main building housed the classrooms and student lockers.
As Kat moved up one flight of stairs to the second floor, she wasn't paying attention to where she was stepping and inadvertently rushed into a person that had stopped at the top of the stairs.
"Oh sorry!" she moaned, embarrassed as a cute boy turned around impatiently.
When he saw Kat his frown converted into a bright smile that lit up his face. He had a dark summer tan and chocolate brown eyes that alighted upon her as they were jostled by students moving around them on the stairs.
"Not a problem," he said smoothly, hitching his backpack securely on his shoulder. "Seems we're both in a hurry."
"Yeah, it's my first day and I just don't want to make a bad impression on my teachers."
Kat moved to pass him and leave him on the stairs, but he reached out and said, "I'm Joey Donner. I'm a freshman, too."
Kat felt his hand on her arm and felt the blood rush to her face in an embarrassing flush. "Uh, I'm Kat. Kat Stratford."
Joey pulled on her arm slightly and led her away from the stairway to a spot in the hallway that was less crowded. "What class are you going to, Kat Stratford?" he asked.
"Geography in room 215 with Mr. Stone."
"Hey me too!" he said. "Why don't we find it together?"
"Sure," she answered as he continued to lead her down the hallway. After only a few steps they came to a stop."
Joey turned to Kat and said, "Well, that was easier than I thought. We're here!"
He moved into the classroom and urged Kat to follow him. "Want to sit next to each other, Kat?" he asked.
"That would be nice," Kat said, sitting in one of the middle seats next to Joey. She couldn't believe her luck. First day and she had already met a cute boy who seemed really nice.
Students continued filing into the room. Kat knew a few of them from her own school but none well enough to greet with more than a soft hello. Joey, on the other hand, was pounced on by several boys who obviously knew him well. She heard references to baseball and realized that they were probably all athletes from different middle schools who played against each other before coming together at Padua.
Just as the bell rung, the teacher, a short tired-looking man with a tattered briefcase, walked into the room and took off his jacket. Without waiting a moment he began calling out the roll, and upon putting away the attendance list immediately began a lecture on the qualities of rocks and the earth. Kat quickly took out her notebook and began taking notes.
She felt a pencil stick her in side and looked over at Joey, who was smiling at her. "I'm glad you are sitting next to me, Kat. I'm going to enjoy this class much more with you here." With that he winked at her before turning his attention back to Mr. Stone's lecture.
High school is going to be fun, she thought to herself with a smile.