I woke up at six the next morning and went to go have a shower. As I was drying my hair, my uncle called me down for breakfast.
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"I'll be down in a sec!" My aunt didn't tell me that I needed a uniform so I just wore my skinny jeans and my grey New York hoodie.
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I brushed my hair and grabbed my backpack on the way down the tiny stairwell. I got to the bottom of the stairs and turned right and entered the kitchen. I gave a little wave to my uncle and sat down in one of the chairs. The kitchen was about the same size as mine, except they had more windows overlooking a field. I took one of the bowls from the centre of the table and filled it with Cheerios and milk. I quickly ate and then checked my phone. It was 6:45 and I had to leave in 5 minutes to catch my bus.
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I said goodbye and put on a jacket. The temperature in Victoria was significantly better than Calgary's weather, being by the ocean and all, but it was still cold enough to have to wear a coat. I closed the door behind me and walked towards the bus stop about a kilometre away.
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There wasn't much evidence of an actual bus stop, but there was a sign just a few feet from the curb. I checked my phone and saw that the bus was late by two minutes. I waited patiently until I saw the bus come around a corner. I got out my bus pass and waited for the bus to stop before I got on.
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There was hardly anybody on the bus, most likely because it was 6:57 in the morning. The only other person beside myself and the bus driver was a girl sitting at the back. I gave her a faint smile and sat near the front. The bus continued on its way for about a half an hour, without making any stops, and then we arrived just in front of the high school.
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I got off and thanked the bus driver, then walked over to the crosswalk. There was no one on the road so I went across without waiting for the walking signal. I entered through the school's front door and went to the office.
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"Uh, excuse me?" I said quietly to the secretary behind the desk.
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She looked up at me and I handed her my transfer papers.
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"I just moved here from Calgary and my aunt said that you already arranged my classes? My name is Sarah, Sarah Turner." She took the papers from my hand and flipped through them.
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"Yes, it seems like everything is in order. It's a good thing you got here early, Sarah Turner, because I'm sure you'll need to familiarize yourself with the school. Just hold on a second dear, I'll just call up your homeroom teacher and he'll be able to show you around." I nodded and she picked up the phone to call him.
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"Mr. Fischer will be down in a few minutes. Why don't you take a seat by the door?" I stretched her arm out and pointed to the row of chairs behind me.
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It wasn't long before someone opened the door, I assumed it was Mr. Fischer, and he asked if I was Sarah Turner. He looked to be in his mid-forties. I nodded and got up. We walked out the office and down the hallway. It was about a half an hour later that he showed me where my locker was. He gave me the code and I opened it up. I put my text books that I got from the library in it and then we walked down another hallway.
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He directed me to what was going to be my first class and told me it was AP English. I thanked him and then he left. There were only a couple minutes until the bell rang so I sat on the ground beside the door and waited. The bell rang and the teacher came and unlocked the door. I walked in and followed the teacher to his desk. I cleared my throat and he turned around.
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"Is there some sort of seating plan for this class?" I asked him quietly as a few students came in.
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"Nope, you can sit wherever you like, uh, what's your name? I don't think I've seen you here before."
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"My name's Sarah Turner. I just moved here from Calgary." He nodded and then added my name to the class list.
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"I recommend sitting in the back corner if you don't want to be harassed by anyone. And don't worry, you haven't missed anything. The education system here is the same in Calgary." He told me his name was Mr. Jackson.
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I turned on the balls of my heels and went to go sit in the corner. It's nice and quiet here, and no one seems to be paying any attention to me. I smiled and took out my notebook. I never liked to draw any attention to myself, which is one of the reasons I didn't have very many friends. I hated to waste anybody's time with my problems, and the only ones who can stand me are Lydia, Ian and Anthony. I miss them so much, especially Ian.
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I started to doodle on my paper as Mr. Jackson told us to take out our projects that we were working on. Wow, he wasn't kidding when he said the systems were identical. I took out my personal copy of The Crucible and put my earphones in. I quietly listened to my music as I read when Mr. Jackson suddenly spoke up and told everyone to face him.
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"Excuse me class, I have an announcement to make," the whole room went quiet. "We have a new student joining us today, her name is Sarah Turner. Just so you don't think that she's just some random person joining us for class today." I tried to hide my face after that.
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A few people turned towards me, looking slightly confused. Oh God, avert eyes, avert eyes! Wait, don't panic, don't make them think you're scared. STOP LOOKING AT ME GOD DAMN IT! I turned away and played my music. I pulled my knees up to my chest, hugging them with my right hand while holding my book with the other. After I finished reading, I then started to make some notes on it, and then moved onto the actual project; writing an essay.
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I can't believe I have write another essay. I could have sworn I just wrote one no less than a couple days ago for Lord of the Flies! I shrugged and then started to write. The bell rang and I went onto my next class, which was band. I walked quickly through the school and found the music room down another hallway. I was hoping that this class wouldn't be as bad as the last.
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I pushed open the heavy, and probably soundproof, doors and walked in. The room was huge! Not only is the roof as tall as the actual school and doesn't stop at one floor, but there's a set of stairs leading up, and a microwave by the sink. They have a microwave! I know where I'll be eating munch for the rest of grade 12. I saw someone that looked like they were the teacher so I walked over to her.
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"Excuse me, Mrs," I looked at my schedule. "Whitson? I just moved here and I was wondering if I would be able to play in the band today?" She turned around and smiled.
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"Of course! What instrument is it that you play?" I had to think on that one, seeing that I played many.
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"Well at my old school I played clarinet, flute and piccolo, so, whichever one you need in the band." She stood there, thinking.
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"We'll put you on the flute and piccolo and you can switch back and forth through the different pieces. We haven't had a piccolo player at this school for years!" She rushed off into the storage room and came back with two cases, one smaller than the other.
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She placed them in my hands and told me to sit in the front row in the middle. I walked over and sat beside a girl who was holding an oboe. I smiled at her but she didn't smile back. I looked at the music that Mrs. Whitson gave me and I practiced the fingerings on an imaginary flute. Geez, this music is fast. I closed my eyes for a second, and then restarted. I made a couple mistakes, but it was pretty easy to learn.
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"Okay class, settle down. We have a new student with us today. What's your name, sweetie?" I gulped and opened my mouth.
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"Sarah." I managed to say. "Sarah Turner." I heard someone in the back stand up.
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"Hey, are you the girl who won all of those contests and scholarships last year?" I turned around to see a guy, roughly my height, standing a few rows behind.
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"Yeah, that's me." I turned back around, smiling.
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I took the flute out of its case and Mrs. Whitson told us to play the fourth movement, Fantasia on the 'Dargason' from the piece, Second Suite in F. I brought the flute up to my lips and waited for Mrs. Whitson' baton to start us off.
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In no time, we were finished the piece and the bell for lunch rang. Maybe I shouldn't eat here... I thought as I saw that most of the students stuck around to eat their lunch. I walked out of the room and down the hall. I saw a bench to the right at the end, so I walked over there and took my lunch out of my bag.
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I ate my sandwich in silence and then pulled out my phone. I went into the wifi settings and saw that the school had a free connection. I then went onto Facebook and saw that Ian had messaged me.
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Happy Valentine's Day, Sarah. :)
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I instantly smiled and then walked to my locker. I opened it, trading my English book for my AP math and chemistry text books. I followed the school map up the stairs and to the other side of the school. I entered the classroom and went to talk to the teacher. I told her the same thing that I had told the others. She directed me to an empty seat on the left, two rows from the front of the room. I took my chemistry textbook out and my teacher, Ms. Shawcrow, introduced me to the class. We then started taking notes on stoichiometry and soon enough, the class was over. I made my way a couple classes down the hall and into my math class.
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I then went through the routine of telling her what I had already done three times before and right after class started, she told that class my name. Ms. Kelsey told me to sit beside a girl, evidently the same one I saw on the bus, in the back right corner.
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"Hi there, my name is Amber. Amber Parker." The girl turned towards me, smiling. "You were on the bus this morning, right?" I nodded.
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"I thought so. I like getting to school early. So where did you move from?" Ms. Kelsey wrote our homework on the board, so I didn't have to worry about taking notes.
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"Calgary. I just moved here yesterday." Amber seemed a bit surprised at this.
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"Really? Yesterday? Wow, you must have a bit of jetlag, don't you?" We then talked about mindless things like the programs here and the weather differences and such.
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When we were done, I started to do my math homework and finished within minutes of the class ending. I got up and collected my things. I started to walk out of the class when I heard someone call my name.
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"Wait a second, Sarah!" I turned around to see Amber running across the classroom. "Do you mind if we ride the bus together? There's only a couple people who live way out in the country like us so I just wanted to know if you wanted to sit together or something?"
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"Sure, I just need to get my things from my locker first. I'll meet you at the bus stop." I smiled at Amber and then started to walk out of the classroom.
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I got to my locker after a few minutes of pushing past the busy crowds and pulled my books into my backpack. I then left the school and went outside. I saw Amber standing alone at the bus stop so I walked a little faster. I met up with her and waved when I stood beside her.
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"Hey, Sarah! You know, I never got the chance to ask why you moved out here! Soooo, why did you move to the glorious Victoria?" She half-turned towards me and waited patiently.
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"I uh well, it's uh, a long story. I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear it." I said quickly.
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"Oh come on! I want to know!" She lightly nudged my arm with her elbow.
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I sighed. "I'll tell you on the bus okay? Look, here is comes now." I pointed at the bus coming around the corner.
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We got on the bus and went to go sit at the back. Should I actually tell her? She seems like a trustworthy person. I don't know, there's just something about her that is making me feel compelled to tell her, like when Rose went back in time to talk to her father before he got hit by a car. He said that even though he didn't know her that well, he felt like he could trust her with his car. I crossed my legs on the seat and turned to face Amber.
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"Last Thursday, my parents and my sister were in a terrible car accident. My other sister was supposed to take care of me, but she moved to London with her boyfriend. I had no one with me, so my aunt flew out to take me here. I had to leave everything behind and create a new life here. I was told that my parents and sister wouldn't make it and I have to live here until I turn eighteen, which is in roughly eight months." I gasped for air as I leaned back against the bus.
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I quickly swept away the tears that were starting to fall.
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"Please don't tell anybody." Amber opened her mouth, but closed it again and nodded.
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She then reached over and gave me a hug. I hesitated, but eventually hugged her back. We rode the bus in total silence until I had to get off.
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"I'll message you on Facebook, Sarah. Stay strong!" Amber told me as I walked to the door.
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I got off the bus and then made my way back to the condo. When I got there, I said greeted my aunt and uncle and then went upstairs. I finished my essay in an hour and then went on my laptop. I logged onto Facebook and saw that I had a friend request from Amber. I also saw that Ian had messaged me again. Why isn't Anthony talking to me? I frowned and opened the message from Ian.
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Hey, I just wanted to say that all of us here miss you! And by us I mean Lydia and I. I don't know about Anthony, I haven't seen him since we all hung out. You should get this thing called Skype so we can video chat to each other. I hope everything's alright; I wish I could be with you so you wouldn't be alone.
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I thought about what my answer would be to him.
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It's nice here, I guess. I'll check out Skype and message you in a little bit.
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I Googled Skype and saw that it was a trusted program so I downloaded it. I put my username as and I was glad that it wasn't taken. I messaged Ian telling him my username and he said that his was .
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Skype was finished downloading by now so I opened it and added Ian as a friend. My computer started to make a noise, and I noticed that Ian was calling me on Skype. I clicked the 'answer' button and a screen popped up.
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"Hi, Sarah." Ian waved at the camera.
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I smiled and waved back.
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"Hey, Ian." I grabbed the granola bar that I brought from downstairs and opened it.
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Ian started to type something as I ate the granola bar.
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So how's school going for you? Make any friends yet? :)
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I smiled and looked at Ian.
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It sucks, I wish I was back at home. And I did make a friend, her name's Amber. She's in my AP math class. Have you talked to Anthony at all?
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Ian paused for a second.
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Oh that's good! I didn't know you were in AP math. So you're like, super smart or something? And no, I haven't talked to Anthony yet. Do you know what's up with him?
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I covered my mouth and tried to muffle my laugh.
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I guess you could say that. But, I need to talk to you about something, like, actually talk. Not type.
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Ian sat up and put his hands on his knees, ready to listen to whatever I had to say.
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"I think I know what's going on with Anthony. But if I tell you, you have to promise not to get mad. Okay?" I looked at him with hopeful eyes as he nodded. "The thing is, the night before I left, Anthony came over to my house and we sort of... kissed. But let me explain, please!"
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"What? You kissed him?" Ian looked baffled at my statement.
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"Yes, but let me defend myself here!" Ian calmed down a bit. "This was right after I learned that my parents and Rose might die and that I had to move here! Anthony was there, I was, and still am, an emotional wreck and I just..." I covered my face with my hands. "I'm sorry, Ian..."
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There was silence for the next three minutes, and then I spoke up again.
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"But technically I shouldn't be. I mean, he said he likes me and I told him that I like him. You didn't even say anything! I shouldn't even be apologizing to you!" I got up off my bed and paced the floor. "I should be apologizing to Anthony!" I looked over to the computer screen and saw that Ian had left for something.
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I could see him in the background; I think he was putting on a sweater. I walked over to the wall parallel to my computer and hit my head against it.
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"God. Fucking. Damn it." I said with each hit.
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I stopped after a few more and then turned to see Ian staring at me. I kneeled at my bed and rested my elbows on the blankets.
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"So what should we do?" I spoke softly.
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"...I don't know." I looked into his eyes again.
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"Why did my life have to get all super dramatic all of a sudden?" I asked him, looking for an answer.
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There was another pause.
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"Sarah, dinner is ready!" I heard my aunt call from downstairs.
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"I'll be down in a sec!" I yelled back. "I'll talk to you later, Ian. But probably not for a while, I'll be busy settling in and catching up on schoolwork." I waved goodbye to him and ended the call.
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Why did I lie to him? Oh right, probably because I don't want to talk to him, and by the looks of it, he doesn't want to talk to me either. Maybe it's for the best. I closed my laptop and rushed downstairs.
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"Oh, Sarah, I checked up on that whole internet thing and it looks like we won't be able to afford it." My aunt said to me as I sat down.
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"That's fine. I don't really need it." It was true, I really didn't.
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I only ever used Facebook, but it wasn't that often. It was only until last Thursday when I started to actually use it. We ate dinner in silence and afterwards I got ready for bed. There were no texts from Ian or Anthony, and I didn't expect there to be. I told them both that I wouldn't be able to text them because it would be too expensive.
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I climbed into my bed and turned off the light, and then I closed my eyes.