"Hey Julie. Wanna see some pictures of Scooter?" I giggled. They're pictures of him when he was little. Rather embarrassing pictures too. "Sure. I have to do one thing first. Meet me in Charlie and Adam's room." she smiled and walked away. Hopefully these pictures will take my mind of the fact that today is my birthday. 16, wow. Like Mom and Dad even remember. Probably too busy with their work or arguing with each other over the phone.

"Charlie, Adam, anyone home?" I knocked on the door. "Why don't you just go in." Julie popped up behind me. "Geez Julie, don't do that." I said. "Sorry. Just go in." she smiled. Something about that smile told me that I should be prepared for something. But I don't quite know what. "What's going on?" I asked suspiciously. "Nothing, just open the door."

As soon as I opened the everybody popped up. "Surprise!" "What's going on here?" I asked. I stooped to pick up my photo album after I had dropped it. "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Hallie, Happy Birthday to you." Julie sang. "No, it's Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, You look like a monkey, And you act like one too." Scooter sang.

"I'm guessing you were tipped off by a little birdie." I smiled. "Yeah, he's right behind you." Goldberg said. "Yes, I know, that's who I was talking about." "Oh." he said. "You have to open your presents now. Open mine first." Julie said. "You people scare me some days." I said, laughing. "You scare me every day." Riley said. "Oh shut up." Scooter said.

"I agree." I said. "Me too." Connie said. "Open your presents now." Julie said excitedly. "Okay, okay." I said. "Sit, right there." Goldberg commanded. "Bossy people." I said. "Oh just sit down and open them." Averman said. "Mine first." Julie shoved an odd shapped package in my arms. "Wonder what this is." I said.

~*Later that Day*~
"How was your day?" Shondelle asked. "Exhausting, and fun." I said. I got a whole bunch of cool things. Julie had given me a scrapbook full of pictures of them and me. Plus an address book so I could write to them. "How was yours?" "Okay. I had some tests but they were pretty easy." she answered. She has to be the smartest person I know.

"What's that smell." Shondelle sniffed. "I don't know. It smells like smoke." I said. "But nobody smokes down here. You can get expelled for that." she gasped. My eyes were tearing up, I had to get out of there. "Let's just get out of here." I said. "Good idea." As soon as we got outside, I noticed we weren't the only ones who had smelled the smoke.

"Hey. What's going on?" Adam asked. "I don't know, but I think it's as fire." I answered. Not again. It is so not happening again. This can't be possible, can it?

~*4 Hours Later*~
"Hey, you're wnated by Dean Buckley." some kid came over. "For what?" I asked. Uh-oh. "I don't know, he just told me to get you." "Okay."

"Hey Dean. Whatcha need?" I asked. " Would you know who started the fire by the girls' dorms?" he asked. "No." "Are you sure? Because it says here on your transfer papers that you were kicked out of your last school for starting a fire in your dorm room. The school before that because you wrecked the brand new computer lab. The school before because of stealing an important peice of paper from the main office. Do you have a goal of getting kicked out of every school in the whole United States of America?" his voice rised with every word.

"I guess I'd better go pack my bags because I know better than trying to explain to you. You won't believe me, none the other deans did. They just told me to pack my bags and get the hell out of their school. But before I do go, I'm going to tell you something. I sure as hell did not start that fire." I slammed the door as hard as I could.

"You just can't escape the past. can you?" Claudia said. "Go to hell. You just can't get over the fact that she beat you out for captain of the cheerleading squad. Leave her alone. Or else something might happen to you." Rachel snapped.