Adina Brown suddenly awoke from a horrible dream. A bead of sweat
flowed down her face, and her face was hot and damp from the tears that had
sprung from her clear blue eyes. Abruptly, she came to the realization,
that the dream was more the a nightmare. It was a memory. She looked around
the room, Sarah, her roommate, was still sleeping soundly, and it was then
Adina remembered what happened. Her mother had really died. Feelings of
sorrow and guilt clouded her mind, and she laid back down, hoping to get in
a few more hours of sleep before class began. Moonlight caught on the
silver picture frame next to her bed. She glanced at it, studying the
picture of her and her family before her mother's death. One last tear
rolled down her cheek, before she drifted into a restless sleep.
The school bell clanged noisily, and Adina quickly ran to her next class. She took her seat towards the back, next to her best friend Isabel. Adina let out a sigh of relief, and opened her history book, as Isabel gave her a disapproving glance. The was the one thing that was different between Adina and Isabel. Isabel was always so serious, and school meant the world to her, where as Adina was more frivolous, and took her studies lightly.
"Ok, class, let's begin. Who can tell me where we left off yesterday?" Mrs. Christensen asked, her high-pitched voice making Adina cringe,"Miss Brown?" A look of horror crossed Adina's face. She had spent the day before drawing in her notebook.
"Uh...,"Adina began. She looked over at Isabel who mouthed "The fall of the Russian Empire" to her.
"The fall of the Russian Empire?" Adina asked, biting her bottom lip.
"Very good Miss Brown," Mrs. Christensen congratulated before going on. Another sigh of relief escaped Adina, before she whispered "thank you" to Isabel.
Soon enough, school had ended, and the students were allowed to go back to their rooms. The perks of boarding school were you could do whatever you wanted for a few hours, and if you were an upperclassmen you could even go off-campus for meals. Unfortunately, Adina was still a ninth grader and had two years left before she'd have those privileges. She walked slowly back to her dorm, taking the view of the courtyard in, and letting the warm New York sun heat her soft skin. A light breeze swept her honey colored hair behind her, and she shut her eyes and just stopped, relishing the feeling of joy spring brought her. Suddenly, she felt a hand tap her shoulder. She whirled around, to find her friend Chris.
"Hey Chris, you scared me a little," Adina greeted, continuing on the path to her dorm.
"Hey D, you know one of these days the principal is going to bust you for wearing your uniform like that," Chris replied, glancing at her uniform. Adina looked down at her outfit, seeing that Chris was referring to her skirt being shorter than regulations and her belly button peeking out from under her crisp white shirt.
"Yeah, probably, but hey, what's the fun in following the rules?" Adina asked playfully, as she entered her building.
"I agree. So, I was thinking we skip tomorrow, have our roomies report us sick, and then go out for the day," Chris proposed, waiting for Adina's reply.
"Sounds good to me," She finally agreed, "See ya at dinner!" Adina waved goodbye and walked up the stairs to her room. She swiftly opened the door to her room, and collapsed on the couch. The dorms were small, but accomidateing. Sarah and her had been able to fit both their beds, a computer, a couch, a TV, and a mini-fridge all in the small space they were given. They each had a closet of their own, and a rickety shelving unit. Sarah turned around to face Adina. She was holding the phone to her ear, and grinning at Adina.
"It's your dad," Sarah said, raising her eyebrows. Adina wacked her and grabbed the phone. Her stomach flip flopped, since her dad rarely called her unless there was trouble.
"Hello?" Adina asked, trying to sound cheerful.
"Hello Sweetie, how are you?" Sure enough it was her father.
"I'm good, how're you?" Adina hated pointless chit-chat, but she knew her father would get to the point sooner or later, so she just waited it out.
"Great. So are your brother and sister. They're doing quite well here," Her father answered, proudly, as if everything he had done wrong as a father was compensated for. Adina rolled her eyes, and crossed her legs.
"Cool," Adina answered, still faking a happy voice, "So, what's up?"
"Well I was thinking, since your spring break is coming up, you should join us here in Everwood, instead of going to your grandparents as usual," Her father announced, a hint of excitement in his voice. Adina's stomach finally eased, and her heart took a regular pace. Here she was waiting for some horrible news, and all her dad wanted was for her to come home for spring break.
"Um sure Dad," Adina responded, "When do I come?"
"I got it cleared with your principal for you to stay a whole extra week," He told her. Adina heard the smoke alarm go off in the background, and Delia's voice, "Well I have to be going, your grandparents will pick you up on Monday and take you to the airport, then someone will pick you up after your flight gets in."
"Ok," Adina confirmed, "Love ya, and see you then."
"I love you too, Ady," He responded before hanging up. Adina winced as he called her by her child-hood nick name. Her mom had called her Ady when she was little, and ever since she had gotten flack from her friends and brother when ever she was called that.
"What was that all about?" Sarah asked as she played a game of solitaire on their computer.
"Oh, my dad just wants me to go to Colorado for spring break," Adina explained, opening the window.
"You're going to Colorado? I thought you were going to stay in New York so we could go to that party that hot senior is having!" Sarah exclaimed, turning around abruptly.
"Well I wasn't going to say no," Adina replied, "You'll be fine with out me. I'll go to the next one." Sarah sighed, and went back to her game.
Adina turned the radio up a little, and looked out the rain streaked window. Huge raindrops splashed against the car, as the windshield wipers squeaked and squealed. Adina's mother, strained her eyes, trying her hardest to see out of the window. As she turned into the next lane, the car went spinning out of control. Adina screamed, and she grabbed for her mother, who was desperately trying to regain control. A loud honk blasted, and suddenly, Adina felt someone shaking her. Her eyes blinked open, and she realized she was still on the plane to Colorado. The woman sitting next to her had woke her, to inform her they were about to land. Adina quickly unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her things a few minutes after the plane landed. Outside the terminal, she could see her father standing near the window waiting for her. He already had her luggage, and a couple cups of coffee with him. She jogged over to him.
"Hey pops," She greeted, remembering that he hated when she called him that. He greeted her back, and embraced her in a warm hug. She smiled and hugged him back, happy to feel safe and content. "Wow, Adina, you've grown a lot since I saw you last," Her father commented, taking a good look at her. She grinned and grabbed her luggage.
"From what I remember, you are an avid coffee drinker," He said, handing her a coffee. She nodded, and took a sip, letting the hot liquid warm her throat.
"Yup, coffee is a definite staple along with my daily pack of cigs," Adina replied, as they made their way to the entrance. A priceless look of horror spread across her father's face, causing her to burst out laughing.
"Just kidding," Adina laughed, patting him on the shoulder," Adult humor, you wouldn't get it." He shook his head and chuckled, as they walked out off the airport.
The school bell clanged noisily, and Adina quickly ran to her next class. She took her seat towards the back, next to her best friend Isabel. Adina let out a sigh of relief, and opened her history book, as Isabel gave her a disapproving glance. The was the one thing that was different between Adina and Isabel. Isabel was always so serious, and school meant the world to her, where as Adina was more frivolous, and took her studies lightly.
"Ok, class, let's begin. Who can tell me where we left off yesterday?" Mrs. Christensen asked, her high-pitched voice making Adina cringe,"Miss Brown?" A look of horror crossed Adina's face. She had spent the day before drawing in her notebook.
"Uh...,"Adina began. She looked over at Isabel who mouthed "The fall of the Russian Empire" to her.
"The fall of the Russian Empire?" Adina asked, biting her bottom lip.
"Very good Miss Brown," Mrs. Christensen congratulated before going on. Another sigh of relief escaped Adina, before she whispered "thank you" to Isabel.
Soon enough, school had ended, and the students were allowed to go back to their rooms. The perks of boarding school were you could do whatever you wanted for a few hours, and if you were an upperclassmen you could even go off-campus for meals. Unfortunately, Adina was still a ninth grader and had two years left before she'd have those privileges. She walked slowly back to her dorm, taking the view of the courtyard in, and letting the warm New York sun heat her soft skin. A light breeze swept her honey colored hair behind her, and she shut her eyes and just stopped, relishing the feeling of joy spring brought her. Suddenly, she felt a hand tap her shoulder. She whirled around, to find her friend Chris.
"Hey Chris, you scared me a little," Adina greeted, continuing on the path to her dorm.
"Hey D, you know one of these days the principal is going to bust you for wearing your uniform like that," Chris replied, glancing at her uniform. Adina looked down at her outfit, seeing that Chris was referring to her skirt being shorter than regulations and her belly button peeking out from under her crisp white shirt.
"Yeah, probably, but hey, what's the fun in following the rules?" Adina asked playfully, as she entered her building.
"I agree. So, I was thinking we skip tomorrow, have our roomies report us sick, and then go out for the day," Chris proposed, waiting for Adina's reply.
"Sounds good to me," She finally agreed, "See ya at dinner!" Adina waved goodbye and walked up the stairs to her room. She swiftly opened the door to her room, and collapsed on the couch. The dorms were small, but accomidateing. Sarah and her had been able to fit both their beds, a computer, a couch, a TV, and a mini-fridge all in the small space they were given. They each had a closet of their own, and a rickety shelving unit. Sarah turned around to face Adina. She was holding the phone to her ear, and grinning at Adina.
"It's your dad," Sarah said, raising her eyebrows. Adina wacked her and grabbed the phone. Her stomach flip flopped, since her dad rarely called her unless there was trouble.
"Hello?" Adina asked, trying to sound cheerful.
"Hello Sweetie, how are you?" Sure enough it was her father.
"I'm good, how're you?" Adina hated pointless chit-chat, but she knew her father would get to the point sooner or later, so she just waited it out.
"Great. So are your brother and sister. They're doing quite well here," Her father answered, proudly, as if everything he had done wrong as a father was compensated for. Adina rolled her eyes, and crossed her legs.
"Cool," Adina answered, still faking a happy voice, "So, what's up?"
"Well I was thinking, since your spring break is coming up, you should join us here in Everwood, instead of going to your grandparents as usual," Her father announced, a hint of excitement in his voice. Adina's stomach finally eased, and her heart took a regular pace. Here she was waiting for some horrible news, and all her dad wanted was for her to come home for spring break.
"Um sure Dad," Adina responded, "When do I come?"
"I got it cleared with your principal for you to stay a whole extra week," He told her. Adina heard the smoke alarm go off in the background, and Delia's voice, "Well I have to be going, your grandparents will pick you up on Monday and take you to the airport, then someone will pick you up after your flight gets in."
"Ok," Adina confirmed, "Love ya, and see you then."
"I love you too, Ady," He responded before hanging up. Adina winced as he called her by her child-hood nick name. Her mom had called her Ady when she was little, and ever since she had gotten flack from her friends and brother when ever she was called that.
"What was that all about?" Sarah asked as she played a game of solitaire on their computer.
"Oh, my dad just wants me to go to Colorado for spring break," Adina explained, opening the window.
"You're going to Colorado? I thought you were going to stay in New York so we could go to that party that hot senior is having!" Sarah exclaimed, turning around abruptly.
"Well I wasn't going to say no," Adina replied, "You'll be fine with out me. I'll go to the next one." Sarah sighed, and went back to her game.
Adina turned the radio up a little, and looked out the rain streaked window. Huge raindrops splashed against the car, as the windshield wipers squeaked and squealed. Adina's mother, strained her eyes, trying her hardest to see out of the window. As she turned into the next lane, the car went spinning out of control. Adina screamed, and she grabbed for her mother, who was desperately trying to regain control. A loud honk blasted, and suddenly, Adina felt someone shaking her. Her eyes blinked open, and she realized she was still on the plane to Colorado. The woman sitting next to her had woke her, to inform her they were about to land. Adina quickly unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her things a few minutes after the plane landed. Outside the terminal, she could see her father standing near the window waiting for her. He already had her luggage, and a couple cups of coffee with him. She jogged over to him.
"Hey pops," She greeted, remembering that he hated when she called him that. He greeted her back, and embraced her in a warm hug. She smiled and hugged him back, happy to feel safe and content. "Wow, Adina, you've grown a lot since I saw you last," Her father commented, taking a good look at her. She grinned and grabbed her luggage.
"From what I remember, you are an avid coffee drinker," He said, handing her a coffee. She nodded, and took a sip, letting the hot liquid warm her throat.
"Yup, coffee is a definite staple along with my daily pack of cigs," Adina replied, as they made their way to the entrance. A priceless look of horror spread across her father's face, causing her to burst out laughing.
"Just kidding," Adina laughed, patting him on the shoulder," Adult humor, you wouldn't get it." He shook his head and chuckled, as they walked out off the airport.