Chapter Four
The next day Kara was slowly eating breakfast in her new jeans and
shirt. "She doesn't like to wear very tight stuff," Teresa had told him
last night after she had handed back the credit card. "Thank God for
that," TC had remarked.
"Hurry up, Kara. I have to get to work and you're going to be late for school! Get your back pack!" TC commanded. "You said you were off!" she accused. "That doesn't mean I don't have to go in. I have to finish up what Bobby didn't. This afternoon I'll be free." He explained. "Where'd I get a backpack from?" she asked. "I got your school supplies late last night."
When they got to the school TC had to go in and register her. She sat out in the hall while kids ran back and forth from different places. One kid stopped and talked to her. "Who are you?" he asked. "Who are you?" she asked right back. "Oh, you're a new kid. I'm Damon. In the sixth grade." he said, smiled, and entered the office. Soon, the principal and TC stepped out. "Usually, we wouldn't allow such a case," hte principal was saying, "but since I know you and your mother, I believe you a hundred percent." "Hi, Kara. I'm you principal, Mrs. Stayner," Mrs. Stayner introduced herself. Kara just nodded. "Well, I have to go, Kara Bear. I'll be here to get you when school lets out." TC said and left. "Kara, you'll be in Mr. Parker's sixth-grade class. It's a small class, only 15 kids. All the other classes have more, so I decided to put you in there." Mrs. Stayner started talking but soon Kara blocked her out. She looked around as they walked down the long hallway. They walked through the seventh grade hallway and passed all the kids switching classes. They were all loud and some of them turned to see the new kid walk down the hall. "She's in sixth," a boy whispered to some girl. "Gee, ya think?" she answered.
They finally got there. Homeroom was still in progress. Mrs. stayner walked in and Kara followed. THe principal talked to Mr. Parker and finally left. "Class, this is Kara Jameson," Mr. Parker smiled and introduced her. "It's Callaway." Kara said quietly. "Sorry, Kara, I have to go by the legal name. Your dad's name is Jameson, so that's yours." He said. "Tell the class some things about yourself."
"I'm Kara. I live with my brother, TC. My parents, older brother and little sister are in Newark, New Jersey." she said, looking at the floor. Suddenly the door re-opened and the boy KAra saw in the hallway walked in and smiled at her. "Damon, you'll behave now, right?" Mr. Parker asked. "Of course, teach," Damon answered slyly and went to his seat.
"Why do you live with your brother?" a girl asked. "That's personal, Jamie," Mr. Parker scolded. Kara didn't answer her so she backed off. "Well, you can take a seat between Sarah and TJ. Raise your hand, guys," he ordered.
Kara walked to there and slid in her seat. TJ was still looking at her. "Got roughed up, huh?" he asked. "No." Kara snapped and took out her binder. "Well, there's not enough time before first period to give you your locker combination or a schedule. Just shadow TJ. TJ, no funny stuff." Mr. Parker warned.
The first bell rang and Kara got up but was immidiately shoved down by some of the students pushing her to get past her. TJ was waiting at the door. "First we have Williams-social studies." he told her and he ran up the stairs, she quickly following and stopped at a room where a lady was writing on the blackboard. "Miss Williams, this is Kara Callaway. She's new." TJ said, Kara shot him a grateful look.
"Okay. Well there's an empty spot at your table so just let her sit next to you." she said, not turning around. TJ rolled his eyes and walked back to his table, where another girl and boy already sat. They must've been from another homeroom because Kara didn't reconize them. "Whose this, Teej?" the boy asked. "This is Kara. Kara Callaway-" "Wait?! Callaway? Your dad is TC Callaway?" the boy interupted. "NO. My brother." "Well your brother busted my dad, thank you!" he said angrily. "Shut up, Marc. Kara, this is Marc. And this is Sherri Hobert." Kara smiled. "Hi," she said. Sherri smiled back. "Hi. Ignore Marc. He's an idiot," she explained. Marc glared at her. "Just watch it, Callaway."
During social studies they were given book work while Miss Williams read a magazine. "Is this how it always is?" Kara whispered to Sherri. "Yeah," SHerri answered. Miss Williams' head snapped up. "Sherri Hobert. No talking!" she scolded. "Oh, uh, it wasn't Sherri. It was me." Kara spoke up.
"Who are you? You're on the wrong team, young lady." "I'm Kara. TJ told you about me..the new kid..." Kara siad, trying to refresh her memory. "Oh. Well, Kara, you need NOT to talk in my classroom. Ever," she said in an icy tone. Kara just went back to her work. "What a witch," she whispered.
At the end of the period she got up as everyone else did. "Just remember what I said, Callaway," Marc said and fled the room. "What's his problem?" she asked Sherri, who had the exact same schedule as TJ, as they all three walked to Math. "Who knows. He's one of those kids who aren't really at-risk, but then again aren't a teacher's best friend. His dad got busted for handling drugs, and his mom died giving birth to his little sister Marissa. So they live in a really crowded temporary foster home." Sherri explained. "Oh." was all Kara answered.
During math Kara couldn't help but think about how awful it must be to not have a family except a little sister who killed your mom. "Kara? The answer?" the teacher-Mr. Parker-asked. "Um.." she stuttered. Some kid sitting next to her whispered, "a half," and so she answered the same. "Thank you. Now pay attention." he scolded. Kara looked to her side to the boy to say thanks but he was busy looking at his math book. His curly brown hair covered his head and his eyes. Kara had a feeling this was one of the misfits.
All through the day Kara tried to stay clear of Marc. Until lunch- which they had the same class together-language arts. TJ sat on one side of her and Sherri across. No one sat at the other seat. Then two boys plopped down-one next to her and one next to Sherri. Damon was sitting next to SHerri. "Hi, Kara," he said and smiled. 'He is too cute,' Kara thought and smiled back. But Marc smiled sarcastically and said in a high- pitched voice, 'Hi, Kara'. "Cut it out, Marc," Damon started. "Shut up!" Marc sneered and Damon did as he was told. Kara couldn't believe this; obviously they were friends but he treated him like crap.
"Listen Marc, you shut up," TJ stood up for Damon. "Hmmm...Thimas Jackson Rolling. Interesting name, Teej," Marc said and laughd. TJ glared. "You said you wouldn't tell, Marc!" he yelled. "You believed me? Ha!"
Then he turned to Kara. "So did TC slug 'ya?" he asked, motioning towards her eye. "No," she snapped. "Oooh, kinda antsy there huh?" he asked sarcastically. She didn't answer. He looked up and grinned at one of his friends and grabbed his milk. "Thirsty, Kara?" he asked and started pouring the milk all over her tray. She jumped up and pushed him. "You bastard!" she yelled. One of the teachers came over and grabbed her collar. "Young lady! Marc! Follow me!" she ordered.
"Hurry up, Kara. I have to get to work and you're going to be late for school! Get your back pack!" TC commanded. "You said you were off!" she accused. "That doesn't mean I don't have to go in. I have to finish up what Bobby didn't. This afternoon I'll be free." He explained. "Where'd I get a backpack from?" she asked. "I got your school supplies late last night."
When they got to the school TC had to go in and register her. She sat out in the hall while kids ran back and forth from different places. One kid stopped and talked to her. "Who are you?" he asked. "Who are you?" she asked right back. "Oh, you're a new kid. I'm Damon. In the sixth grade." he said, smiled, and entered the office. Soon, the principal and TC stepped out. "Usually, we wouldn't allow such a case," hte principal was saying, "but since I know you and your mother, I believe you a hundred percent." "Hi, Kara. I'm you principal, Mrs. Stayner," Mrs. Stayner introduced herself. Kara just nodded. "Well, I have to go, Kara Bear. I'll be here to get you when school lets out." TC said and left. "Kara, you'll be in Mr. Parker's sixth-grade class. It's a small class, only 15 kids. All the other classes have more, so I decided to put you in there." Mrs. Stayner started talking but soon Kara blocked her out. She looked around as they walked down the long hallway. They walked through the seventh grade hallway and passed all the kids switching classes. They were all loud and some of them turned to see the new kid walk down the hall. "She's in sixth," a boy whispered to some girl. "Gee, ya think?" she answered.
They finally got there. Homeroom was still in progress. Mrs. stayner walked in and Kara followed. THe principal talked to Mr. Parker and finally left. "Class, this is Kara Jameson," Mr. Parker smiled and introduced her. "It's Callaway." Kara said quietly. "Sorry, Kara, I have to go by the legal name. Your dad's name is Jameson, so that's yours." He said. "Tell the class some things about yourself."
"I'm Kara. I live with my brother, TC. My parents, older brother and little sister are in Newark, New Jersey." she said, looking at the floor. Suddenly the door re-opened and the boy KAra saw in the hallway walked in and smiled at her. "Damon, you'll behave now, right?" Mr. Parker asked. "Of course, teach," Damon answered slyly and went to his seat.
"Why do you live with your brother?" a girl asked. "That's personal, Jamie," Mr. Parker scolded. Kara didn't answer her so she backed off. "Well, you can take a seat between Sarah and TJ. Raise your hand, guys," he ordered.
Kara walked to there and slid in her seat. TJ was still looking at her. "Got roughed up, huh?" he asked. "No." Kara snapped and took out her binder. "Well, there's not enough time before first period to give you your locker combination or a schedule. Just shadow TJ. TJ, no funny stuff." Mr. Parker warned.
The first bell rang and Kara got up but was immidiately shoved down by some of the students pushing her to get past her. TJ was waiting at the door. "First we have Williams-social studies." he told her and he ran up the stairs, she quickly following and stopped at a room where a lady was writing on the blackboard. "Miss Williams, this is Kara Callaway. She's new." TJ said, Kara shot him a grateful look.
"Okay. Well there's an empty spot at your table so just let her sit next to you." she said, not turning around. TJ rolled his eyes and walked back to his table, where another girl and boy already sat. They must've been from another homeroom because Kara didn't reconize them. "Whose this, Teej?" the boy asked. "This is Kara. Kara Callaway-" "Wait?! Callaway? Your dad is TC Callaway?" the boy interupted. "NO. My brother." "Well your brother busted my dad, thank you!" he said angrily. "Shut up, Marc. Kara, this is Marc. And this is Sherri Hobert." Kara smiled. "Hi," she said. Sherri smiled back. "Hi. Ignore Marc. He's an idiot," she explained. Marc glared at her. "Just watch it, Callaway."
During social studies they were given book work while Miss Williams read a magazine. "Is this how it always is?" Kara whispered to Sherri. "Yeah," SHerri answered. Miss Williams' head snapped up. "Sherri Hobert. No talking!" she scolded. "Oh, uh, it wasn't Sherri. It was me." Kara spoke up.
"Who are you? You're on the wrong team, young lady." "I'm Kara. TJ told you about me..the new kid..." Kara siad, trying to refresh her memory. "Oh. Well, Kara, you need NOT to talk in my classroom. Ever," she said in an icy tone. Kara just went back to her work. "What a witch," she whispered.
At the end of the period she got up as everyone else did. "Just remember what I said, Callaway," Marc said and fled the room. "What's his problem?" she asked Sherri, who had the exact same schedule as TJ, as they all three walked to Math. "Who knows. He's one of those kids who aren't really at-risk, but then again aren't a teacher's best friend. His dad got busted for handling drugs, and his mom died giving birth to his little sister Marissa. So they live in a really crowded temporary foster home." Sherri explained. "Oh." was all Kara answered.
During math Kara couldn't help but think about how awful it must be to not have a family except a little sister who killed your mom. "Kara? The answer?" the teacher-Mr. Parker-asked. "Um.." she stuttered. Some kid sitting next to her whispered, "a half," and so she answered the same. "Thank you. Now pay attention." he scolded. Kara looked to her side to the boy to say thanks but he was busy looking at his math book. His curly brown hair covered his head and his eyes. Kara had a feeling this was one of the misfits.
All through the day Kara tried to stay clear of Marc. Until lunch- which they had the same class together-language arts. TJ sat on one side of her and Sherri across. No one sat at the other seat. Then two boys plopped down-one next to her and one next to Sherri. Damon was sitting next to SHerri. "Hi, Kara," he said and smiled. 'He is too cute,' Kara thought and smiled back. But Marc smiled sarcastically and said in a high- pitched voice, 'Hi, Kara'. "Cut it out, Marc," Damon started. "Shut up!" Marc sneered and Damon did as he was told. Kara couldn't believe this; obviously they were friends but he treated him like crap.
"Listen Marc, you shut up," TJ stood up for Damon. "Hmmm...Thimas Jackson Rolling. Interesting name, Teej," Marc said and laughd. TJ glared. "You said you wouldn't tell, Marc!" he yelled. "You believed me? Ha!"
Then he turned to Kara. "So did TC slug 'ya?" he asked, motioning towards her eye. "No," she snapped. "Oooh, kinda antsy there huh?" he asked sarcastically. She didn't answer. He looked up and grinned at one of his friends and grabbed his milk. "Thirsty, Kara?" he asked and started pouring the milk all over her tray. She jumped up and pushed him. "You bastard!" she yelled. One of the teachers came over and grabbed her collar. "Young lady! Marc! Follow me!" she ordered.
