From Bad to Good to Bad Again
Disclaimer: I do not own the School of Rock. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this story, would I? But I do own Kara Stanton and her parents.
Summary: Kara Stanton is a girl with a bad habit of getting in trouble with the law. But she goes too far and is sent to live with her uncle in New Jersey, an uncle who pretends to be nice, but isn't what he seems.
When Kara first checks into Horace Green High, things go great, until a trouble maker much like herself, Freddy Jones, gets involved in her life. That's when things go bad.
Kara Stanton knelt defiantly before her parents; hands tied behind her back so she wouldn't run to her room or hit anybody. Her sage green eyes pierced through her mother, whose bluish-gray eyes were filled with anger, with a hint of fear.
"I'm afraid that after you robbed AmeriStop, Cincinnati can't handle your stupid ass around here," Her father murmured loud enough for her to hear. She harrumphed, shifting her weight.
"Sweetheart," Her mother started slowly, hesitant to continue. "You have two choices..."
"What," spat out Kara nastily, staring evenly at her mother. "Send me to jail where I can rot? Or to some nasty counselor who always says, "M'kay" after every word they say?" Her mother flushed.
"Don't talk to your mother like that," snapped her father automatically. Kara made a face. Her mother began to speak.
"Y-your choices are juvenile court, whereas you'll spend a year there...or we'll send you to Uncle Sheldon's so you can attend Horace Green High."
"Hmph." Kara dropped her head, as if ducking from something. "Uncle Sheldon ain't so bad," She spoke up, lifting her head. "He'll treat me right, unlike some people I know." She looked straight at her father, who blushed.
"Fine. It's settled. Pack your bags; you're going to Uncle Sheldon's. Tonight." Her mother stood up, and tried not to look at her daughter. Kara knew if her mom looked at her, she would burst into hysterics. She stood herself.
"Get this rope off my arms," She ordered, her red-streaked sandy blonde hair falling in her eyes. He stood, and walked briskly over to his only daughter, took out a pocket knife, and cut through the ropes.
"Get your bags packed," Her father demanded, crossly walking out of the living room and slamming a door a few moments later. Kara angrily stomped up to her messy room, and began throwing things into suitcases, until her room was completely empty, besides her dresser and bed.
"Kara!" screamed her father. Kara ran to the top of the stairs, holding only 2 suitcases of her prized possessions.
"What the hell do you want?" She shouted back, thundering down the stairs.
"Don't you use fucking swear words in this damn house!" Her father positively shrieked, slapping her. Kara shoved her father, and ran out to the car, waiting for her mother to drive her.
"Kara..." Her mother sighed. Kara ignored her, pulling on her headphones. She blasted her Walkman, which was playing her Foo Fighter's CD. Her mother gave up talking to her, and drove the hour drive to the train station.
"We're here," Her mother said curtly when they got there. She nudged her 16-year-old daughter, and watched as she yanked off the headphones.
"Please...Kara...just promise me one thing." Kara turned to face her mother, a porcelain-skinned woman with dark hair and bluish-gray eyes. Her face was tearstained.
"What," Kara growled darkly. Her mother closed her eyes for a minute.
"...Stay out of trouble." Kara rolled her eyes, and took the suitcases and the money her mother gave her and went to buy a ticket, to go to New Jersey.
OoOoOoO
Kara got aboard the graffiti-covered train, a smelly train, a hard-to-breathe-in train. She went to the back, piled her suitcases on the seat, and put her feet on the seat, listening to her CD over and over.
She watched as the train stopped every hour or so, and different people from different cultures got on. Black people, white people, Asian people. Old people, young people, middle-aged people. Thugs, preps, morons. Poor people, rich people, average people.
Kara sighed as she shifted uncomfortably in the hard seat, watching night fall. She sighed again, and leaned her head against the cool window. A lyric from a song ran through her head, a song by Kittie.
She is not scared to die.
Best things in life drive her to cry.
Crucify than learn.
Kara looked up, and suddenly sat up, opening one of her suitcases. She grabbed a tattered notebook, the front cover a simple gray.
Her journal.
Dear Journal,
Life is so fucking dreary now. Mom and Dad practically threw me out on the streets. Well, Dad tried to. Mom was upset that I was leaving. Or were those tears of happiness?
Oh well, I'm out of their stupid ass lives, and they're out of my own fucked-up one.
I'm moving in with Uncle Sheldon. He lives in New Jersey, the best damn place in my life, as far as I'm concerned.
I didn't even mean to rob AmeriStop. It was a dare. Even though I had gotten in trouble plenty of times, I was trying so fucking hard to stop. I wanted to be loved. By my mom.
Well, the train's stopping now. I better close this and pack it up tight or Uncle Sheldon'll find it and I'll be stabbed in the eye.
Kara snapped her journal shut and tucked it neatly in her suitcases, and walked out of the train, to greet her Uncle Sheldon. A man about 28, 6'8'' with blonde hair and crystal blue eyes stood out amongst the crowd under the brilliant light from the street lights. His broad shoulders and muscular arms plainly told anybody that he worked out.
"Kara!" called the man. Uncle Sheldon!
"Uncle Sheldon!" cried Kara with glee. She ran to her uncle, as he swept the teenager into a big bear hug.
"I missed 'cha, lil' girl," He whispered in her ear, his minty-like breath tingling her ear.
"Now, let's get a good look at'cha!" Uncle Sheldon put her down and began to study her. Kara stroke a pose, her baggy blue hooded sweater and her loose jeans hiding her somewhat curvy figure. Her red-streaked sandy blonde was tousled and her sage green eyes were filled with happiness, something she hadn't felt for a long time.
"You've gotten real pretty, Kara," Uncle Sheldon said quietly, taking one of her suitcases and leading her to his sleek black BMW. She took a seat in the passenger's seat, just as Sheldon slammed the back door and got in. He started the car, and turned to his niece.
"So," He said, pulling out of the station. "I hear you're a trouble maker." Kara smiled.
"So Dad's told you. That asshole," She swore.
"Hey, no swearing. And no trouble 'round here, y'here? Or you'll have a price to pay," He warned, driving up a busy avenue.
"Sorry," She mumbled. Kara pulled out her headphones and blasted on her music. She watched as the houses got bigger, until they pulled into a huge, beautiful one. There was a house on the left that had a porch on the side, where it met another porch. Kara wanted that porch.
"We're here," Sheldon said softly, pulling off Kara's headphones and grabbing both the suitcases. He led her into the house, up the grand staircase, and to the room with the porch. Kara couldn't believe her luck. She quickly unpacked, and sat on the porch, already furnished and such.
Pulling out the stereo that was in her room, she threw her Foo Fighter's CD in there and turned it on 'Walking After You.'
Kara tilted her head back, and began to sing along softly, popping in some candy in her mouth. Until a male voice broke her thoughts. She sat up, opened her eyes, and saw the hottest boy she's ever seen.
"I'm on your back," The boy sang, a smile playing on his face.
"If you walk out on me, walking after you," Kara sang, the boy joining in. She turned off the stereo, and smiled.
"Name's Freddy Jones. You?" He grinned, and Kara felt she would melt. But...she's never fallen in love. No boy's ever made her melt. They were all afraid of her. But...he didn't know her.
"Kara Stanton." She looked down. Maybe it was because he was the first boy that's spoken to her like she was a human, not some kind of a pet or animal.
"Nice to meet you. You must be Shel's niece or somethin', right?" He asked. Kara nodded.
"Yeah, got kicked outta my own home, 'cause my parents are a bunch of sorry ass losers who need to get a life. But..." Her voice trailed off as she looked into his chocolate eyes.
They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, until Freddy broke the silence.
"So...what grade are ya in?"
"Tenth...you?" She replied.
"Same. So...you know what teachers ya got?" Kara nodded.
"Uncle got my schedule, 'cause he already registered me. Like my parents knew I would come here. Weird, ain't it?" Freddy nodded.
"Let me see your schedule," Freddy demanded. Kara quickly ran to fetch it, and brought it back.
"Hmm. Morris...advisory....got him...so we're in the same homeroom. We got Ondash together...Stacy.....Wadley/Kazmeier.... Dickens, oh she's such a dick head...and Buckler. So...yeah. (A/N: Hahahaha, I'm so clichéd. xD.)" Freddy smiled at her.
"So who are all those teachers? Give me the run down on them." Freddy pointed to Morris.
"He's such an idiot. He tries to be 'cool' but he's so not." Freddy laughed. "Then Ondash. She's the greatest old lady in the world! She's so...happy! Then Stacy? He's the best. Short, but awesome. Let's you chew gum in class. Actually, everyone but Gabbard and Dickhead lets you chew gum. Anyways...Wadley/Kazmeier. I have Kazmeier. Wadley's the greatest gym dude, Kazmeier? She's cool, too. Dickhead, name says it all. And Buckler's cool, too. They make school..." Freddy's voice trailed off.
Kara, however, wasn't going to let him stop just like that. "What?"
"Fun!" whispered Freddy, and fell back, as if he were having a heart attack. Kara laughed loudly.
"Kara! Get ready for bed, you gotta get up earlier than usual to finish with those forms! And get your uniform too..." Kara looked stricken.
"You never said a damn thing about a uniform!" She hissed angrily.
"Oh, yeah...we wear uniforms," Freddy said. "Well, see you tomorrow. I'll help you get to school, I guess...don't die though...just 'cause we have to wear a uniform, God..." He jumped down off the railing he was sitting on and walked into his room. Kara did the same thing.
She sighed, and sat on her bed. She pulled out her journal, and wrote a few sentences.
Dear Journal,
I met my new neighbor. He is so hot. But that doesn't mean I'm going to fall in love with him. Or he'll fall in love with me. That is so Mary-Sue.
I don't like this uniform thing. I mean, UNIFORMS?! Puh-lease, we are too god damn old for stupid plaid skirts and ties. Jesus.
More later.
Kara closed her book, and placed it in her end table, changed into a pair of old plaid pants, a baggy shirt, and went to bed.
OoOoOoO
The next morning, Kara awoke with a startle. Her uncle was standing above her, breathing heavily.
"Oh, my fucking God!" She screamed, practically having a heart attack.
"What'd I say about swearin'? And time to get ready." He left the room, and Kara got up, practically awake anyways from her morning shock.
She dug in the two drawers that her pants occupied, than pulled out some jeans. She sighed. After all, this was the only time she could wear jeans to school ever again.
Kara yanked on a hoodie, this time red, and her sneakers, ran a brush through her hair, and bounded down the stairs. Her uncle eyed her.
"Are you sure you're gonna go like that?" He asked. She rolled her eyes and walked back up to her room, sat down at the vanity, and opened the cosmetics box her uncle bought for her.
Picking through it cautiously, she quickly found midnight blue eyeliner, soft black mascara, and dark purple eye shadow. Kara never wore make-up, but she watched enough fashion shows (courtesy of her mother) to know how to apply it.
In a quick, but careful manner, she put on the eyeliner, and looked in the mirror. A girl with a thin, but noticeable line of midnight blue stared back.
Within seconds, Kara had applied the mascara and the eye shadow, and looked at her reflection. She smiled, satisfied. At least she would look a little better than plain.
Slamming the box shut, she bolted from her room, yanking the door shut. Her uncle was waiting for her by the door, and she sailed out of the house, dancing into the car.
"You look better, Kara," Sheldon said, smiling and starting his car. "And don't forget: You're changing into your uniform at school. They already have your size shoe and waist and such." Kara turned her head, the anger from the night before coming back. It quickly disappeared as the high school came into view.
"Wow," She gasped. It was huge!