I tried my best to avoid Sean all week. I couldn't stand it; seeing him. Being near him. But I didn't have to worry about that for long.

In the middle of English, I was called down to the office. They said I was leaving. When I got to the office with my things, I saw mom. My heart stopped. She was crying her eyes out. And I knew. Snake was dead.

I sat in my bedroom. I was too shocked to do anything. I felt numb. I didn't know what to do...I felt suffocated. I couldn't breath, I could hardly move. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But I couldn't. I wanted to pick up the phone and dial Sean's number. So I did.
It rang once, twice...five times before somebody answers.
"Hello?" Sean's voice was husky and out of breath.
"Baby, hang up the freaking phone," I head Lara's voice say from the background.
I slammed the phone down without saying a word.
That was it. That was the last freaking straw.
I opened my closet grabbed all of my clothes...the clothes of the old Emma and threw them in a suitcase. I stashed it in my closet and got out all of the money I had saved for the years. I opened my window and climbed out. I was going to change. To hell with what everyone wanted. To hell with the old me. Screw them. Screw Sean....and Lara and Jay and that stupid car.
I went to a thrift store and bought a whole knew wardrobe. Black cargo capris and tee-shirts. Mostly what I bought was black or gray. After that I went to a store and bought some dark makeup, eyeliner, mascara and smoky eye shadow. I bought a bottle of black hair dye and took my knew life home.
I hung my knew clothes in my closet and put my knew makeup away. I took the hair dye and put black streaks in my hair. I liked the way it looked. It looked dangerous...edgy. That was who I was now. If Sean thinks I don't belong on 'his turf', I'll show him. Hell yeah, I would show him.

In the morning I woke up and got dressed in black capris, and a black spaghetti strapped tank top with a sheer black top over it. I put on eyeliner so dark I looked like a ghost and played the part of the Goth perfectly. I stood back and looked at myself in the mirror. This is who you are now, Emma, I told myself. This is who you are.

When I walked into the hallway at school, people stared. I stopped at my locker and Manny snatched my hand away from the lock.
"That's Emma's locker," she said. she looked at me. "Oh my God," she said. "Emma what did you do to yourself...."
"Shut up, Manny. This is who I am. If you don't like it, too bad," I told her grabbing my books and slammed my locker. I left her standing with her mouth open. A stance I'm sure she's done before.
I walked into Media Immersion and people were silenced. I slammed my things down at my computer and sat down. I checked my e-mail, knowing nothing would be there. I was right.