Hellooo! MeggyMooTaterTot here with a new story! While this is not my first story to publish, the other one only has one chapter and I don't plan on continuing it any time soon. I first off want to thank you for taking the time to read this story, it means so much to me.

I want to warn you guys, I'm probably not going to be the kind of person who updates every day, but I will try to update about once a week.

Uh, what else? Oh yeah! If you find any spelling, grammar, you-name-it mistakes in any of my writing, feel free to tell me about it. I always love to get constructive criticism, as it makes the writing better. No hating, though, please! But I definitely won't mind if you want to help me make my story better.

Now, without further ado, the story.

Peg POV

"And don't forget your final is next Tuesday! That's only six days from now! Remember to study!" my seventh-hour teacher called as the bell to end the day rang and students started dashing out the door.

I slowly stood and pulled my backpack up to set it on my chair. I always preferred to pack up my things in the classroom, rather than in the commotion of the hallway. My teacher, Mr. Parker, was just settling back down into his chair. He was my favorite teacher of the day, and he taught my favorite subject: math. Plus, he always knew how to make me smile.

"So, Peggy, got any plans for your Winter Break?" he asked, reaching for his mug of tea. My real name is Margaret, but I prefer Peg, and my friends call me Peggy. Just goes to show that I'm a nerd.

"Nothing new since yesterday," I chuckled back. Mr. Parker has asked me the same question since the beginning of December. It was sort of an inside joke between us now. "Nope, we're just gonna sit around the Christmas tree and watch Holiday Inn all two weeks of break." The two of us would always talk after class as I was packing up. Sometimes I would run errands for him if he needed it. People liked to tease me about being the teacher's pet, but I thought of myself more as his friend, or his companion.

"Alright then. Hey, you'd better get going, hadn't you? You've been in here for nearly five minutes." I checked the clock. He was right; I needed to get going.

"Oh! Yes! I'll see you tomorrow Mr. Parker, say hi to Fiana for me!" I called as I bustled out the door and down the hallway toward the busses (Fiana was Mr. Parker's dog; he may have invited me over for dinner a time or two, and his dog may just love me. It's not creepy!).

Settling down in my window seat on the bus, I was once again grateful that the track season doesn't start until spring. Last year, it seemed that every day of track practice after school, I was wishing for my book so I could read. I am a total readaholic, and on my bus route last year, I was like the second-to-last person off. Thus, I became accustomed to reading for about fifteen minutes every day right after school, and I was suffering from deprivation. With track going on, I didn't get to read for an extra two hours every day. Don't believe my suffering was real? Ask my guyfriends, they can tell you otherwise; they were there (I don't have boyfriends, I have guyfriends. I'm not allowed to have a boyfriend for over another year, until I'm sixteen.).

All this ran through my brain in the time it took me to open to my bookmarked page in my copy of The Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. Yeah, I'm a complete Potterhead here. No regrets. Settling down further, I began to read.

Twenty minutes later, my eyes snapped up as I noticed the bus was a block from my house. I sat up, shouldered my backpack, and readied myself to depart from the bus. As I stepped down the stairs by the door, I said cheerily, "Bye, have a good evening," as I do every day. It's almost a reflex now.

I quickly crossed the front yard on the pathway and approached the front door as the bus pulled away down the road. Turning the handle, I swung the door open to be met by my eager dog, Buckles, who always loved it when I came home. I flung my backpack next to the banister rail in the entryway and called, "Hello? I'm home." No reply.

Then I remembered: My two older sisters were at college and only visited a couple times a week, my dad was out of town on a business trip and wouldn't be back 'till tonight, my mom had said this morning that she had to work late, and my younger sister was still at school. I grinned; I had the house to myself for about half an hour.

Now, I'm not the kind of kid who would find themselves home alone and decide to browse YouTube, or eat a ton of junk food, or anything immature like that. No, I just like the quiet house for the peace and tranquility. I'm used to being home alone for a few hours a week, so this was nothing new to me. I decided to get a start on my homework while I could still do so in the quiet.

Dinner that evening was a noisy affair. My dad had just arrived home from his trip (I think it was to Louisiana this time?) and my older sisters, Jen and Stace, were back home at the same time, a rare occasion as they both have different work schedules. As soon as dinner was served and my father spoke a prayer over the meal, we tucked in. Tonight was chicken night, with biscuits, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. Yum!

After my dad began with the traditional, "Mmm, mmm, mmm!" as he ALWAYS does at EVERY MEAL as soon at the food touched his lips, dinner conversation began. It was the usual chatter, stories from college, punny jokes, and random things Stace's boyfriend, Ben, sends her. As we were finishing up the last of our food, my dad cleared his throat loudly.

"I . . . I have an announcement to make." All eyes turned to him with rapt attention. I spared a quick glance around at my family. From the looks on their faces, they were just as clueless as I was. Except for my mom; she had a smirk on her face and a glint in her eye. "Well, this morning my boss announced to all of us gift planners that we have earned a vacation." Gasps of wonder and cheer were heard all around the table.

"Well," my father continued, "he told us that we are getting a free round trip to anywhere of our choice, saying that he doesn't appreciate us enough and we deserve a break. And . . . we get to bring our entire families!" The chorus of cheers grew louder as we realized what this meant.

"We are going on a free vacation?"

"I can't believe this!"

"Where are we going?" My one quiet, simple question silenced the table.

My dad glanced across the table at my mom. "Er, your mother and I talked it over on the phone as I was on the plane home, and we have decided that you guys deserve a real break," he gestured at my three sisters and I. "So, we decided: how about we go on a trip to a foreign country? The gold coast in Australia, to be exact." Even though our squeals could not get any louder without breaking the rules of science, they did. My dad covered his ears. "Alright, alright, quiet down!"

"When are we leaving?" my sister, Stace, asked.

The reply was, "This Saturday. We're going to be gone for a month. So, you little ones," he pointed to my little sister, Sophia, and I, "are going to have to miss the last week of this semester and the first week of next semester. That means plan to take your finals tomorrow and Friday, because we leave the day after."

I inwardly groaned at this. I had to take all my finals in two days. This especially sucked because all of the core classes I decided to take were the advanced courses. The tests were sure to be hard. "Well in that case, I'd better get studying," I said as I leapt up from my seat and hurried back to my bedroom.

The rest of the night was spent in that manner, me holed up in my room studying for my early exams. By nightfall, I was exhausted – like, I-was-dead-asleep-within-five-minutes-of-lying-down exhausted. Little did I know that I forgot to set my alarm for the morning.

So, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Yes, I know things are slow right now, but they are sure to get going soon! Just stick with me. Remember, reviewing gives me a reason to continue writing, because it shows that people out there read and appreciate my story. So, please be sure to review! See ya later!

-Moo