JEM: School Days
Jem and related characters are property of Hasbro.
Chapter 1: Jerrica, Aja, and Shana
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Jerrica Benton groaned as she threw herself out of bed and proceeded towards the full-length mirror she kept in her room.
Good morning to you too, "Beanpole Benton". she thought as she studied her gangly reflection in her mirror. A large set of old-fashioned braces adorned her mouth. She squinted as she tried to focus on the blurry image in the mirror.
Oh right. Need these. she thought as she grabbed a crocodile-leather glasses case.
"Wake up sunshine/open up your sleepy eyes for me!"
Aja Leith groaned as she threw herself out of the bottom bunk.
"Hey, Shana- wake up!"
"Five m-"
"Up. Now."
Shana Elmsford gingerly dismounted from the top bunk and landed feet-first.
"Well, another day, another heckling from the peanut gallery." Aja griped as she threw on a red trenchcoat.
"You do realize that you're not helping your case by looking like a William Gibson reject." Shana retorted.
Aja punched her foster sister in the arm.
"E tu, Shana?"
"I'm just saying that maybe if you at least made some concessions, it might help."
Aja groaned.
"Big sis, hurry up! I need to take a shower!"
"Kimber, give me a few more minutes. And stop leaving your bras lying around in here."
"You're just jealous 'cause your little sister started filling out and you haven't-"
"Well, I hit my growth spurt first, you redhead brat. Also, you're adopted."
"Liar!"
"At least *try* to act torn up about it. Or go bother Aja."
"Okay!"
Jerrica smirked as she heard Kimber skipping off towards Aja and Shana's room.
"HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF KNOCKING?!" Aja screeched.
"B-"
There was a dull THUNK! as Aja's fist slammed into Kimber's shoulder.
"Daddy! Aja hit me!" Kimber whined.
TEN MINUTES LATER:
"You don't like the honeydew?" Emmett Benton asked as he looked at Jerrica and Kimber.
"It's fine, Dad. Just not particularly filling." Jerrica replied.
Emmett sighed.
"At least I tried. Your mom was always better at this than me-"
"It's been two years, Dad. We've all moved on-"
"I know. It's just…well, you'll understand when you get married."
Aja was silent as she spread Marmite on a poppy-seed bagel.
"What're you eating?" Kimber asked.
Aja got a wicked grin on her face.
"It's yeast jelly. Care to try?"
Kimber ducked behind her older sister.
"Kimber, you're in the seventh grade! Stop being such a baby!" Shana teased.
WEISMAN HIGH SCHOOL:
"Oh, look who it is- Beanpole Benton."
Jerrica glowered at the brunette next to her locker.
"Chambers, knock it off. I've been putting up with your crap since last year, and I'm tired of it."
"Don't you have a day job or something? Like being- oh, I don't know- a scarecrow?" Chambers continued.
"Couldn't be a scarecrow. She'd blow away on the wind." one of the brunette's entourage replied.
Chambers and her cronies laughed at the low blow.
"Ha ha. Very funny. Now don't you have a class or something?" Jerrica retorted.
"Er-"
"Thought so. Now go bother someone else."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This takes place before Jerrica changed her name to Jessica. Also, here are the characters' approximate ages:
Jerrica, Aja, and Shana: 15
Kimber: 12