Disclaimer: I don't own...Oh, you know the drill.
***
Summary: Karen is now in eighth grade. Everything is rapidly changing around her...will she survive?
***
I checked my free auto insurance pocket calendar. Friday. Going-To- Daddy's Friday. I packed the little possessions I needed. Shortly after packing the old fashioned camera I found in old Ben Brewer's bedroom, Mom called for Andrew and me. In a matter of minutes, she parked her car in front of Dad's mansion. It looked the same on the outside, but on the inside it was much different. Besides Elizabeth's dreaded Martha Stewart Interior-for-the-Inferior phase, the house seemed more half-empty than half- full if you catch my drift. As I walked upstairs and down the hallway, I caught a glimpse of Kristy's bedroom. I averted my eyes quickly and continued to my own room. I ignored my sudden pangs of missing her and threw my bag to the side. I realized that Elizabeth took the liberty to re- organize my stuffed animal collection. Surprise surprise. I heard a soft knock on my door. It was Dad.
"Hi, Karen."
"Hey, Dad."
"Lunch will be ready in a few minutes."
The weekend smorgasbord. What was fun when I was seven was now annoyingly unavoidable. I humored Dad by putting on a fake smile.
"Sounds great."
He pat me on the shoulder and returned downstairs. A couple seconds later, there was another knock. I'll give you three guesses.
"Um, Karen, do you know where my..."
"No. I don't, Andrew. Go Away."
Little brothers are ruining our nation.
"But Karen!" he whined, "you don't even know what I'm gonna ask!"
"Oh, well, pardon me," I said half-sarcastically.
"As I was saying," he continued, "do you know where my Harpie Lady Yu-Gi- Oh! card-"
"Andrew, scram."
"Fine," he replied. What a nuisance.
***
I ate my peanut butter and banana sandwich quietly. Dad cleared his throat and set down his glass of water.
"So Karen, can't wait to go back to school?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"I guess so."
The doorbell rang. It was Hannie, much to Dad's chargin.
"Don't you think you should finish your lunch?"
I took one more bite of my sandwich and said my farewells. I met Hannie outside and we exchanged greetings.
"Wanna go to the park?" she asked.
"What's there?"
"Scott, Rick, and Bobby."
I pushed Bobby's e-mail to the furthermost corner of my brain.
"Cool, let's go."
As we walked to Stoneybrook Park, I spotted a dead dog. It had no
collar.
"Karen?"
"Yeah?"
"You know about the party at Leslie's?"
"Leslie Morris?"
"Yeah."
"Hannie, in case you haven't noticed, Leslie is one of Pamela's cronies."
"So?"
"Leslie Morris. Pamela Harding. Friend. Our Enemies."
"Well, Leslie and I have been hanging out all summer, and..."
I stopped in my tracks.
"Hannie Papadakis, you have permanently lost your mind. Don't you remember what the Milky Ways have done to us?"
"Oh Karen, quit being so immature. That was years ago."
"More like months ago."
"Whatever. The point is, it's all in the past."
"I can't believe you."
"What do you mean?"
"Nevermind," I murmured.
"Look Kare, going to that party can do wonders for our popularity."
"Correction: your popularity."
"Now I can't believe you."
I raised an eyebrow.
"How can you not care what they think of you? It matters Karen. I'm not going to be exiled to the Losers of America."
"Traitor."
"Traitor?! How am I a traitor?"
"Don't you remember the Three Musketeers' motto? 'All for one and one for all'."
"Quit being so childish! We were in second grade!"
"It's the principle of the thing. The pact lives on, Hannie. Even when we're worm food."
"What is your problem?"
"I'm not the one with the problem."
"Yes you are! First you start wearing all this black, then it's the weird music, and now it's your negative behavior! You don't even support your own friend!"
"Maybe you'll find more support with Leslie."
I turned my heel and walked the opposite way. I didn't feel like going home quite yet. I had lost Hannie. Not only that, but to the Milky Ways. The ones that have tormented the Three Musketeers since second grade. Pamela Harding, Jannie Gilbert, and Leslie Morris. Eye candy fashion fiends with nothing but frontal lobotomies and licenses to pilfer boyfriends and spread filthy rumors about our peers. There's a group of them in every school. They can be seen traveling in packs like llamas, applying fourteen layers of makeup, and denying any involvement with the outsiders. Add water and you have the Milky Ways.
***
Hey, sorry I took so long. I know this chapter's kind of crappy, but I'll do better in (hopefully) future chapters.
***
Summary: Karen is now in eighth grade. Everything is rapidly changing around her...will she survive?
***
I checked my free auto insurance pocket calendar. Friday. Going-To- Daddy's Friday. I packed the little possessions I needed. Shortly after packing the old fashioned camera I found in old Ben Brewer's bedroom, Mom called for Andrew and me. In a matter of minutes, she parked her car in front of Dad's mansion. It looked the same on the outside, but on the inside it was much different. Besides Elizabeth's dreaded Martha Stewart Interior-for-the-Inferior phase, the house seemed more half-empty than half- full if you catch my drift. As I walked upstairs and down the hallway, I caught a glimpse of Kristy's bedroom. I averted my eyes quickly and continued to my own room. I ignored my sudden pangs of missing her and threw my bag to the side. I realized that Elizabeth took the liberty to re- organize my stuffed animal collection. Surprise surprise. I heard a soft knock on my door. It was Dad.
"Hi, Karen."
"Hey, Dad."
"Lunch will be ready in a few minutes."
The weekend smorgasbord. What was fun when I was seven was now annoyingly unavoidable. I humored Dad by putting on a fake smile.
"Sounds great."
He pat me on the shoulder and returned downstairs. A couple seconds later, there was another knock. I'll give you three guesses.
"Um, Karen, do you know where my..."
"No. I don't, Andrew. Go Away."
Little brothers are ruining our nation.
"But Karen!" he whined, "you don't even know what I'm gonna ask!"
"Oh, well, pardon me," I said half-sarcastically.
"As I was saying," he continued, "do you know where my Harpie Lady Yu-Gi- Oh! card-"
"Andrew, scram."
"Fine," he replied. What a nuisance.
***
I ate my peanut butter and banana sandwich quietly. Dad cleared his throat and set down his glass of water.
"So Karen, can't wait to go back to school?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"I guess so."
The doorbell rang. It was Hannie, much to Dad's chargin.
"Don't you think you should finish your lunch?"
I took one more bite of my sandwich and said my farewells. I met Hannie outside and we exchanged greetings.
"Wanna go to the park?" she asked.
"What's there?"
"Scott, Rick, and Bobby."
I pushed Bobby's e-mail to the furthermost corner of my brain.
"Cool, let's go."
As we walked to Stoneybrook Park, I spotted a dead dog. It had no
collar.
"Karen?"
"Yeah?"
"You know about the party at Leslie's?"
"Leslie Morris?"
"Yeah."
"Hannie, in case you haven't noticed, Leslie is one of Pamela's cronies."
"So?"
"Leslie Morris. Pamela Harding. Friend. Our Enemies."
"Well, Leslie and I have been hanging out all summer, and..."
I stopped in my tracks.
"Hannie Papadakis, you have permanently lost your mind. Don't you remember what the Milky Ways have done to us?"
"Oh Karen, quit being so immature. That was years ago."
"More like months ago."
"Whatever. The point is, it's all in the past."
"I can't believe you."
"What do you mean?"
"Nevermind," I murmured.
"Look Kare, going to that party can do wonders for our popularity."
"Correction: your popularity."
"Now I can't believe you."
I raised an eyebrow.
"How can you not care what they think of you? It matters Karen. I'm not going to be exiled to the Losers of America."
"Traitor."
"Traitor?! How am I a traitor?"
"Don't you remember the Three Musketeers' motto? 'All for one and one for all'."
"Quit being so childish! We were in second grade!"
"It's the principle of the thing. The pact lives on, Hannie. Even when we're worm food."
"What is your problem?"
"I'm not the one with the problem."
"Yes you are! First you start wearing all this black, then it's the weird music, and now it's your negative behavior! You don't even support your own friend!"
"Maybe you'll find more support with Leslie."
I turned my heel and walked the opposite way. I didn't feel like going home quite yet. I had lost Hannie. Not only that, but to the Milky Ways. The ones that have tormented the Three Musketeers since second grade. Pamela Harding, Jannie Gilbert, and Leslie Morris. Eye candy fashion fiends with nothing but frontal lobotomies and licenses to pilfer boyfriends and spread filthy rumors about our peers. There's a group of them in every school. They can be seen traveling in packs like llamas, applying fourteen layers of makeup, and denying any involvement with the outsiders. Add water and you have the Milky Ways.
***
Hey, sorry I took so long. I know this chapter's kind of crappy, but I'll do better in (hopefully) future chapters.