First Day Back:

It's time for real
Tired of playin' it safe
Inside I feel
I've got what it takes
To prove to the world
Who I really can be
I know for sure
There's no stoppin' me!

I was singing to the music as I got dressed for my first day back to school since Christmas break. My dad had gotten me everything that I could possibly have asked for. Of course it wouldn't have been Christmas without visiting the Camden's and exchanging gifts with the kids.

No time to wait on the side
Watchin' they all pass me by
I'm gonna be in the game
Watch me play it!
Im comin' with it you know
Let's get to startin' the show
Turn up the lights of this stage
No more waitin'!

Ruthie was meeting me at the corner and we were going to walk to school together.

It's my turn now and you know that I'm ready!
It's my turn now ya Im strong and I'm steady!
Break down the walls gonna go for it all
It's my time gonna shine show you how because it's my turn now

My father always told me that I should try out for the Talent Show because I had a great voice. He said that I would probably be picked.

I'm in my groove
Now I'm havin' some fun
I know what to do and how to get it done
Doin' things up tight and there's no holdin' back
Make it good make it right hear the crowd react

I started dancin' as I grabbed my purse and backpack full of books and gear for the walk home from school.

No time to wait on the side
Watchin' it all pass me by
I'm gonna be in the game
Watch me play it!
Im comin' with it you know
Let's get to startin' the show
Turn up the lights of this stage
No more waitin'!

"Alyssa hurry up, you're gonna be late if you dawdle any longer."

"Coming, just give me another minute. I gotta get my IPOD."

It's my turn now and you know that I'm ready!
It's my turn now ya Im strong and I'm steady!
Break down the walls gonna go for it all
It's my time for to shine show you how
Because it's my turn now

I grabbed my IPOD and thundered down the steps and into the kitchen, still singing to 'It's My Turn'.

It's my turn now
In my heart I Believe it
And I can see how
I can live what I'm dreamin'
I understand now I know Who i am
It's my chance
Gonna dance
Play it loud
Because it's my turn now!
My turn now

"Go Alyssa, go Alyssa, do your thing," my cousin Aaron said. He was gay, but I still loved him. He was one of the only people I knew that no one made fun of. All the jocks loved him. Everybody loved him.

1 2 Now we do just what I've always wanted to
3 4 Do some more everything I've ever wanted and waited for

We headed out the door, arms around each other's waist, dancin' and singing.

It's my turn now and you know that I'm ready!
It's my turn now ya Im strong and I'm steady!
Break down the walls gonna go for it all
It's my time for to shine show you how
Because it's my turn now

Ruthie was waiting for us with Martin at the corner and they burst out laughing when they saw us coming down the sidewalk, arms around each other dancin' and singing.

It's my turn now
In my heart I Believe it
And I can see how
I can live what I'm dreamin'
I understand now I know Who i am
It's my chance
Gonna dance
Play it loud
Because it's my turn now!

They got into the groove as I pulled my headphone around my neck so they could hear the music. The song switched to 'Push It To The Limit' and the guys started singing to it.

Yeah
Come on now
Here we go
Let's do it

Yeeaah...

We were laughing, dancin' and singing as we came around the corner and headed towards the high school.

Push it push it to the limit limit
Cause we're in it to win it in it to win it
Oh yeah

I realized that this is where my heart is
Now is the time to finish what I started
Can't worry bout what other people might say
It's who I am
Gotta live my dream my own way

We were havin' fun and some of the jocks started cheering us on. I started doin' my street dancin' that I had learned when I had run with the Street Thugs in Texas.

Work work it harder
Gotta take it farther
No holding back
You know we gotta do it right now
Be even better
Work work together
It's now or it's never
Show em how we shine we gotta

People were laughin' and havin' fun while we danced and sang together.

Push it push it to the limit limit
Cause we're in it to win it in it to win it
Oh yeah

Push it push it to the limit limit
Give it all we can give it
We're in it to win it
Oh yeah

Could we have had any more fun before school began? Probably but we had to head in for classes.

Push it push it to the limit limit

That's right

Gonna turn it up
That's the way we do it now
No time to stop
The champions are in the house
Yeah we can be
Winners cause we understand
Our destiny is right here in our hands

I put my headphones back on and told Ruthie that I'd see her after school for the Talent Show tryouts. Listening to the rest of the song, I headed to my first class.

Work work it harder
Gotta take it farther
No holding back
We reachin for the sky now
Be even better
Work work together
It's now or never
Show em how we fly we gotta

Push it push it to the limit limit
Cause we're in it to win it in it to win it
Oh yeah

Push it push it to the limit limit
Give it all we can give it
We're in it to win it
Oh yeah

Gotta work it now
Work it out
We got it
Wanna hear the crowd
Everybody now
Gotta work it now
Work it out
Can't stop us
Gotta show them how
We gonna bring the house down

Push it push it to the limit limit
Cause we're in it to win it in it to win it
Let's go

Push it push it to the limit limit
Give it all we can give it
We're in it to win it
Oh yeah

Push it push it to the limit limit
Cause we're in it to win it in it to win it
Oh yeah

Push it push it to the limit limit
Give it all we can give it
We're in it to win it
Oh yeah

Push it push it to the limit limit
Cause we're in it to win it in it to win it
Oh yeah

Push it push it to the limit limit
Give it all we can give it
We're in it to win it
Oh yeah

Push it to the limit...

Oh how did we not know what was about to happen next? Did we think that it would never happen to us? Were we that blind, thinking that Glenoak High School was safe and always would be?