Before I Fall
Chapter 21
Rikki's Journal
Well, let's just say, the date didn't go well, at all. Then, on top of that, my father was fired from his job, and he hadn't been working for more than two months. With little money, no job in the area and bad memories, my dad decided early one morning to move us. A week later, the house was up for sale and my father was showing me pictures of the small home we were renting across the country. I was a bit confused, but smiled and went along with it. He seemed so happy.
Now trees passed by the window as my father goes on and on about how nice the new house and new neighborhood was going to be. Apparently there was a pool, and a park with a sports league. I could join whatever I wanted, soccer, swimming, basketball, softball, you name it, they had a team for it, and my dad wanted me to join one. I just nodded and agreed, keeping my eyes glued on the trees.
The house was about the same size as the other. It wasn't big; there wasn't even a second story. But it was nice, and this one had three rooms. My room was about the same size as my old one, but this one I couldn't paint. All of my furniture fit nicely in about the same style as it had in my old room, but it wasn't the same at all. It was all new.
School was actually about the same. There were really only two months left of it, but my dad still wanted me to go. I was placed in the smallest of the three classes, which was actually bigger than my old class. Lucky for me, the girls in this class were so much nicer than my old class. Before school was over for the day, seven girls had already said hi to me, like I was some kind of super star. Everyone wanted to play with me. Everyone wanted to sit near me. I guess that is how it was when a new girl moved into a small town.
Before I knew it, I was part of a clique. Three girls wanted me to be friends with them, and every girl at the school wanted to be friends with them. They taught me everything about the town and school, who to talk to, where to go, what to wear. They showed me what was fun around town, and what was babyish and lame. They were great friends, but I still felt as if I was being pushed around. I had little say, and my option didn't really mater. This small town stuff was something I was going to have to get use to.
Ivy was the ring leader, head of grade 3. She had the prettiest straight red hair that shined in the sun. She wore a lot of pinks, blues, and other bright colors. She was a fan of skirts and dresses, and fancy shoes. Her mother was rich, so she could get whatever she wanted whenever she wants. She was so lucky.
Lilith was the organizer, plainer and smart one of the group. She had long straight brown hair, the kind I wanted. She wore white everything, from white shirts, white skirts, white pants, white dresses, even a white backpack. She liked her things orderly, plain and perfect, if there was such a thing. She also liked rules and following them, not that the other girls didn't. Lilith was just a little more cautious about them.
Michelle had the style of the group. She looks great in anything she wears. Her style is over the top, bright colors, puffy skirts, feathers, sparks, and big glasses. I admire her style, on her. It is over the top. But she is not a speaker, at all. She has barely said more than a few words for as long as I knew her. Michelle likes to let her style talk for her, which I guess is ok.
When I first met these girls, I was afraid they weren't going to like me in my plain light pink dress and white shoes. I looked plain and boring next to Michelle. I was never that smart, and seemed like a total dummy compared to Lilith. What did I have that Ivy would like, really? But they took me in like I was a lost puppy, which was great, I think.
I had friends in this town, and people did not hate me. So far, this was the best place my father had taken me, not that we had been to more than two towns. Still I liked this place; I didn't ever want to leave.
My dream seemed to get better when my dad started to go on and on about his new job. He kept saying things about how this was the place for us, and how we were really going to start a life here. I hardly understood a lot of the things he was saying, but they sounded good. So I smiled and nodded and let my dad dress me up and show me off to his friends as his pretty little girl. I would do anything to stay here and be friends with Ivy and the others. I didn't care if I was the cute little girl my dad wanted me to be, not that I was far off anyway.
The only thing I didn't like about our new home was the big kids that lived next door. Ivy called them the Torture Twins. They weren't really twins, a sixth grade boy and a fifth grade girl, but they acted like twins and they were mean to me and the other younger kids on the street. Ivy told me to ignore them; that they would go away. But I really didn't want them to ruin this place for me. I really didn't want to have to move again. So if that meant holding my breath, and I could hold my breath for a long time, and pushing through, then I would.