"Aurora, despertarse!" Her aunt Lucia called to her, knocking on her door. Aurora sat up and rubbed her eyes. She blinked back the bright California sun that had entered her window and swung her feet onto the cold ground. Her tile-floored hall way tickled the soles of her feet until she reached the soft mat in her bathroom. She pulled back her hair and attempted to tame it, but her wild brown curls had other plans. She pulled them back and tied them loosely in a ribbon. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror and stared into her own brown eyes. She smiled into the mirror. She put her uniform skirt and blouse on, as well as her stockings and brown boots. After getting ready, she walked down the stairs. Her mother and aunt sat at the kitchen table with the housekeeper.
"Buenos di'as, Aurora," Her aunt greeted her.
Aurora just mumbled something about it being too early in the morning.
"How many times have I told you, talk to her in English!" Her mother, Carmen, reminded her sister-in-law.
"I don't like English, it too hard for me." Lucia retorted.
Aurora smiled at the age-old argument. She sipped some juice and her buttered her bread.
Her mother sighed and sipped her tea. She glanced at her morning paper and excused herself to get ready for the day.
Aurora turned to her aunt. "Adónde va mi padre?"
"El esta en New York." Lucia replied.
Aurora sighed and pouted a little bit. Her father always seemed to be away. He was a reporter, always traveling where there's a story or somewhere he thinks he can get published. Aurora finished her breakfast and picked up her books. She smoothed her skirt and looked down to assure herself that her uniform was neat. She kissed her aunt good-bye and started her walk to school.
On her way she dazed about what would be happening at school today. She knew she would have an exam, and was confident she'd do well. She kicked a rock with the toe of her shoe and thought about the other girls in her class. She went to an all girls academy, with a boys' academy directly across the street. She recalled some of the things people had said the day before, and prepared her self for what she predicted people would be saying at school today. Her best friend Maria had been talking about a new student entering the school, and Aurora tried to guess what the girl might be like. It was hopeless.
As Aurora neared the school, she met up with some of her classmates. They were studying by quizzing each other, and every so often getting side tracked by rumors of the new student. A few feet from the school Maria ran up to Aurora.
"There she is over there," Maria said turning her head in the direction of the new girl, Mariana. The girl stood awkwardly and shyly, seeming to feel all the stares arriving in her direction. She held her head high, but the quivering of the papers in her arms were a dead give away that she was nervous. She was pretty, but not overly well kept. Her shoes and stockings looked worn, but the fresh uniform caused people not to notice the tiny holes in the ankles of her stockings. Her hair was long, but slightly tangled, hanging freely down her back and on her shoulders.
"Come on. Have you talked to her yet?" Aurora asked Maria, taking a step towards Mariana.
"Talked to her? No. No one has yet." Maria said. She shook her head. "They'll introduce her in class, we'll wait until then." Maria said.
"Why wait? She looks lonely." Aurora glanced around the schoolyard to see all the other girls eyeing her. Aurora took a few steps closer, and turned around and beckoned to Maria to come. She gave her a look as if to say `I'll do this with out you' and Maria crossed her arms and walked over.
"This was your idea," Maria reminded Aurora, incase the girl was unwelcoming.
"Hello. I'm Aurora, this is Maria." She introduced herself.
"Mariana," the girl said with a smile.
"What class are you in?" Maria asked.
Mariana glanced uneasily at her scuffed boots. "Mister Douglas." She said. The girls blinked back their surprise. The girl looked to be at least a year older than them, but she was two classes behind them academically.
Aurora smiled. She tried to be welcoming. A woman came out and rang a bell, and the girls entered the large brick building. Maria and Aurora showed Mariana to her room, and arrived a moment late to their own. Neither said anything about their surprise with the class she was in, but the both knew what the other was thinking.
"Aurora Esperanza and Maria Flores, thank you for deciding to come to class." Mister Young greeted them sardonically. Both girls blushed, and rushed to their seats on the far side of the room.
The morning passed by very slowly, lesson after lesson, seemingly getting more and more dull. Finally lunch came, and Aurora went to Maria's house as usual. The girls got some final studying in for the exam that was to take place immediately after lunch. It was on English, Maria's favorite subject. She found herself easily recalling every thing that would be on the exam. Aurora struggled a little, but remained calm. For some reason, her luck always seemed to win out on questions she wasn't sure of.
"Buenos di'as, Aurora," Her aunt greeted her.
Aurora just mumbled something about it being too early in the morning.
"How many times have I told you, talk to her in English!" Her mother, Carmen, reminded her sister-in-law.
"I don't like English, it too hard for me." Lucia retorted.
Aurora smiled at the age-old argument. She sipped some juice and her buttered her bread.
Her mother sighed and sipped her tea. She glanced at her morning paper and excused herself to get ready for the day.
Aurora turned to her aunt. "Adónde va mi padre?"
"El esta en New York." Lucia replied.
Aurora sighed and pouted a little bit. Her father always seemed to be away. He was a reporter, always traveling where there's a story or somewhere he thinks he can get published. Aurora finished her breakfast and picked up her books. She smoothed her skirt and looked down to assure herself that her uniform was neat. She kissed her aunt good-bye and started her walk to school.
On her way she dazed about what would be happening at school today. She knew she would have an exam, and was confident she'd do well. She kicked a rock with the toe of her shoe and thought about the other girls in her class. She went to an all girls academy, with a boys' academy directly across the street. She recalled some of the things people had said the day before, and prepared her self for what she predicted people would be saying at school today. Her best friend Maria had been talking about a new student entering the school, and Aurora tried to guess what the girl might be like. It was hopeless.
As Aurora neared the school, she met up with some of her classmates. They were studying by quizzing each other, and every so often getting side tracked by rumors of the new student. A few feet from the school Maria ran up to Aurora.
"There she is over there," Maria said turning her head in the direction of the new girl, Mariana. The girl stood awkwardly and shyly, seeming to feel all the stares arriving in her direction. She held her head high, but the quivering of the papers in her arms were a dead give away that she was nervous. She was pretty, but not overly well kept. Her shoes and stockings looked worn, but the fresh uniform caused people not to notice the tiny holes in the ankles of her stockings. Her hair was long, but slightly tangled, hanging freely down her back and on her shoulders.
"Come on. Have you talked to her yet?" Aurora asked Maria, taking a step towards Mariana.
"Talked to her? No. No one has yet." Maria said. She shook her head. "They'll introduce her in class, we'll wait until then." Maria said.
"Why wait? She looks lonely." Aurora glanced around the schoolyard to see all the other girls eyeing her. Aurora took a few steps closer, and turned around and beckoned to Maria to come. She gave her a look as if to say `I'll do this with out you' and Maria crossed her arms and walked over.
"This was your idea," Maria reminded Aurora, incase the girl was unwelcoming.
"Hello. I'm Aurora, this is Maria." She introduced herself.
"Mariana," the girl said with a smile.
"What class are you in?" Maria asked.
Mariana glanced uneasily at her scuffed boots. "Mister Douglas." She said. The girls blinked back their surprise. The girl looked to be at least a year older than them, but she was two classes behind them academically.
Aurora smiled. She tried to be welcoming. A woman came out and rang a bell, and the girls entered the large brick building. Maria and Aurora showed Mariana to her room, and arrived a moment late to their own. Neither said anything about their surprise with the class she was in, but the both knew what the other was thinking.
"Aurora Esperanza and Maria Flores, thank you for deciding to come to class." Mister Young greeted them sardonically. Both girls blushed, and rushed to their seats on the far side of the room.
The morning passed by very slowly, lesson after lesson, seemingly getting more and more dull. Finally lunch came, and Aurora went to Maria's house as usual. The girls got some final studying in for the exam that was to take place immediately after lunch. It was on English, Maria's favorite subject. She found herself easily recalling every thing that would be on the exam. Aurora struggled a little, but remained calm. For some reason, her luck always seemed to win out on questions she wasn't sure of.