Chapter One
I got the worst news of my life two weeks ago. My father had been offered a new job. He was to be one of the big-wig guys at for the new addition to his company. But it meant leaving the home I had grown up in.
I had lived in Jacksonville the entire sixteen years I'd been on this planet. And I had no want or incentive to move all the way to Maine. They couldn't have at least gone all the way to Canada or somewhere in Europe? Maine is practically another country anyways!
I'd miss the sun; I'd miss being able to go outside every single day. And I would miss all of my friends. My grandmother was here, too, and I would miss her most of all.
But my father took the job offer. So here I am, standing in front of an enormous brick house. There was more than enough room in the house for my parents, my brother and sister, and myself. It looked like the kind of house you'd see in a horror movie. I almost expected to see the killer jump out and attack me at any moment.
He didn't, but I almost wish he had, because it would have made a great headline for this rinky-dink town. We didn't even live in a big town. Apparently Portland was too busy of a town with too many schools. My mom wanted us to be able to go to a small school, where we'd have a better chance of making friends and fitting in. Carter and Leah, the twins, were already in their senior year, so they were even more angry than I was when Mom and Dad said we were moving.
I was a junior, so I didn't mind quite as much about changing schools; I still had time to make friends before school was over. I had just turned sixteen a few weeks before we moved, so at least I got to have my Sweet Sixteen party with my friends. It would have sucked to have had nobody but my immediate family to share it with.
My new room was larger than my last, and I took full advantage by adding an actual computer desk and chair to my furniture collection. I chose to paint my walls black, much to my parents dismay. I put up a handful of posters of my favorite bands and actors, though, that you couldn't see much of the paint anyways. And my bedspread was bright red. My furniture was white, so the colors played off the walls nicely.
I was unpacking my last box, a box of books, when my sister knocked on my door.
"Mom and Dad want us all downstairs. Family meeting sort of thing, I guess."
"Okay. I'll be right down." I dumped the contents of the box on my bed and carried the box downstairs.
"Come on, Grace. We can't start without you!" my mother called from the living room. I trudge in and flopped on the couch next to Leah.
"You three are starting school Monday. I know you two-" she pointed at Carter and Danielle- "are upset about this, but I don't want to hear about. Your father and I are going to take the three of you shopping for clothes and whatever else you need."
"Like a car?" Carter asked, heavy sarcasm in his tone. Mom rolled her eyes and ignored his comment.
"Carter you'll go with your father on Saturday. Gracie, Leah-you'll go with me on Sunday."
"Mom, don't call me Gracie. It makes me feel like I'm five again," I said. I truly did hate being called Gracie. It sounded like a dog's name.
"You'll always be five to me, Grace." I rolled my eyes at her.
"Are we done here?" I asked.
She sighed. "I guess. Go ahead and go." I jumped off the couch and ran right back up to my room to put my books away.
Sunday was fun enough. Mom bought each of us enough clothes to last us through the end of school without washing anything but our socks and underwear.
I dreaded waking up on Monday, but I knew I had to. I chose a pair of dark-wash jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt, and my black and pink Converse shoes. I threw a notebook and some pens in my canvas bag-that conveniently matched my shoes-and headed downstairs.
Breakfast was quiet. We were heading out the door before anyone said anything.
"Did you give Carter the keys, Rob?" Mom asked.
"Keys for what?" Carter asked.
"Here." Dad pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and tossed them at my brother. "You're grandfather drove your mom's old truck out from Washington. It's for the three of you to share, well as soon you can drive, Grace."
"Mom's old truck? How old can thing be?" Leah asked.
"It was a few years old in the late fifties," Mom answered.
"And it still runs?" Carter asked.
"Like a trooper. That thing will hold up in any kind of accident." She poured herself a cup of coffee. Taking a sip, she added, "Be careful not to take it over sixty though."
"So where's grandpa if he drove it over here?" I asked.
"He got in very late, so he just decided to stay at a hotel. He's going to stop by when you guys get home from school."
Walking outside, we were all in aw of the old beat-up red monster sitting in the driveway. It was indeed half a century old, if not older than that. Leah and I walked around to the passenger side of the of the truck, and we both slid in, Carter taking the driver's seat.
The school was much smaller than the one we had gone to in Florida. There were maybe 500 students in the entire school; there were at least 350 in the junior class alone back home. I stared at the brown brick building and let out a deep sigh. We started for the building just as the first bell was ringing.
Inside, students were running for their classes. The three of us wove in and out of the mob of students on our way to the main office.
Our schedules were already printed out and waiting for us at the front desk. The maps they gave us had lines drawn in for the fastest routes to each class. Geometry with Mr. Peebody was first on my schedule. I had taken this class in Florida, but for some reason the credit didn't transfer. Neither did the credits for my P.E. class or my creative writing class.
I walked into Mr. Peebody's classroom just as the last bell rang. I introduced myself to him, and he gave me a book from a large metal cabinet. I turned towards the other students, and sighed. There was only one seat left, at a table by itself. Mr. Peebody put a page number and a few problem numbers on the board for us to do while he handed the class back their papers from the previous day.
"You're new, aren't you?" I heard a voice ask. Turning, I was welcomed by a friendly smile; I noticed her frizzy red hair before anything else.
I nodded. "From Florida. I'm Grace."
She leaned a bit closer and whispered. "I'm Izzy, short for Isadora, but I hate the name. Welcome to Maine."
"Thanks," was all I could come up with.
"You'll enjoy this class; it's the easiest 'A' anyone can get. I do want to warn you though. You got stuck in a bad seat. Nobody's ever sat there; the guy who sits there isn't that social."
"I'm sure I can handle it. If he doesn't like it, he can kiss it." She laughed at this, and Mr. Peebody gave us one of those be quiet looks.
When the bell for the end of class rang, I was relieved he hadn't made me introduce myself. I looked at the map and followed the green pen line to the gymnasium, which was, surprisingly enough, attached to the main building. I didn't know any school was small enough not to have a main building and a separate building for the gym.
Gym was uneventful. I didn't have to participate on this day because it was my first day. I was almost looking forward to tomorrow, though, because we were playing basketball. I could play well enough to like the game.
I did not, however, like Miss Brennon. She made me give a stupid introduction of myself. I had not wanted to get in front of a group of strangers and talk about myself. I turned bright red halfway through, and bolted straight for my seat as soon as I was done. If it hadn't been a required speech class, I may have considered getting a replacement class instead.
It was as if Izzy had some kind of radar built into her brain. As soon as she saw me walk out of the food line, she ran up to me and insisted I sit with her and her friends. I'm glad I'm good with names, otherwise I would never had remembered them all.
Sam was the blonde girl with the big teeth; she was dating Trevor, the skinny guy with dark hair. Rachael was the blonde girl with normal size teeth. Matt was her cousin; he was the guy with blonde hair. And Brian was the dark-haired, self-proclaimed band geek.
They were an enlightening group, and they made me laugh, so in the end I was happy I'd decided to sit with them. The food wasn't half bad, but I would much rather have gone somewhere off-campus; this school didn't allow you to go off campus for lunch though. I guess an odd number of years before a kid had gone off campus and went missing. They never found him, and the school instated a no-more-off-campus-lunches rule.
My next class was a creative writing class. I was looking forward to this class.
Ms. Gage seemed fun enough, and she did not make me introduce myself, which made me grateful to her. My seat was in the back of the room, which I didn't quite mind. I was also thankful there was an empty seat next to me. Another bonus: nobody wanted to talk to me.
After class, I followed the pen line again; this was one red, and it lead to my earth science class. Izzy's friendly smile greeted me when she saw me walk in, and she ushered me over to her small group.
It was only Izzy, Sam, and Rachael, so I went ahead and joined their group. Mr. Smithington handed me a textbook, and we got to work on the assignments he had given us.
Carter and Leah were already waiting for me at the truck when school was over. It was a quiet ride home, which unnerved me. It was never quiet when it was just the three of us.