Author's Note - Hey guys! Next chappy will be super long! Keep those reviews coing please. They make me sooooo happy!!!!!!!!!

Save the whales!

-Helena

Chapter 8

Enter: Entrance Exam

I slowly got bored of watching everybody in the store and my eyes slowly slipped towards the clock on the wall.

Damn! It was already 10 minutes to 2, I was going to be late for the meeting, and this does not look good when trying to get into these types of schools.

"Ryan! Seth! We have to go, I'm going to be late for the exam!" They both looked at the clock.

"Shit," said Ryan, and Seth quickly bought his beloved comic books and grabbed the paper bag just as I started running out of the store. I stopped when I realised that I had nowhere really to go.

"Quick, how long does it take to get to school?" I asked.

"Umm, about 15 minutes on a good day. From here, anyways."

Seth led us out into the parking lot and we scurried into the 4WD and this time Ryan drove.

"Hey, man, why are you driving?"

"Because I drive faster than you."

"Well, then if you're going to drive can I at least suggest taking Route 65 instead of 72."

"72 is the new 65, didn't you know that?"

Their bantering lasted the entire trip and when we finally got to school it was 7 past 2.

They led me up some steps and into the principals office. I saw Kirsten sitting in a seat facing the principal. She turned around as she heard us come in.

"Sorry, Mom, sorry Headmistress, we took Chelsea to the mall and we lost track of time."

"That's fine, she's here now, that's all that matters."

"Thanks for bringing her, boys. You can go home now."

"Uhh, yeah, sure. Good luck Chelsea."

"Good Luck."

"Thankyou," I replied back.

"So, Miss Atwood, I hope that you do realise that when meeting someone for the first time, it seems quite irresponsible to turn up late."

"But she-" Kirsten started.

"It's fine Kirsten. I do realise that, but I just want to let you know, that under these circumstances, it wasn't up to me, when I would come."

"You do know that there are clocks in a shopping mall, do you not?"

"I do, Miss, but me not being familiar with the times and places of Newport, how was I to know how long the trip to school would take."

The principal stared at me for a moment. I had gotten her and she new it. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kirsten holding down a laugh.

"Very, well then, I think you would do quite well on the debating team Miss Atwood, we need a new 3rd speaker, poor Bill Matthews got sick and is in hospital."

The latter part of the conversation was directed at Kirsten, of course, I had no idea who Bill Matthews was.

"You mean, I'm in?"

"Well, from what we've seen of past school records and reports, there is no reason why we shouldn't let you in."

A look of excitement crossed my face.

"But, you still have to do the entrance exam Miss Atwood. Don't get too carried away."

Within a few seconds she had handed me a pencil and had sat me at a desk. A stapled wad of sheets of paper had been placed in front of me.

"This will be testing your general knowledge on Mathematics, English, Science, History and Geography. And I must warn you before you begin, don't think that just because it has been easy getting in so far, doesn't mean that this test will make it any easier for you."

I smiled at her lack of faith in me and began my exam. Two and a half hours later, she beckoned Kirsten into the room and told me to leave.

I left obligingly and waited against the wall outside. The school looked so big and so new. Hardly anything like my old school. I remember the dingy lockers and crappy cafeteria food.

Kirsten walked out of the principals office smiling from ear to ear. She held with her a large package that looked as though it contained many sheets of paper. I followed her to the car, wondering what was going on.

"So did I-"

"You passed, flying colours! The principal said that you were the only person in the history of Harbor to ever get 100 percent on their grade entrance exam!"

"So what does this mean?" I asked excitedly.

"Well, you're going to start tomorrow, and well, she thinks that if it is all right with you, that you get bumped up a grade. You're going to be in Grade 10 with Ryan and Seth!"

All these emotions were flooding through my mind at that very moment. Everything was going right for me. But I couldn't but help feel a sick lump in my stomach. What goes up must come down, and it was inevitable that something would have to happen to cause my bubble to burst.

"So, anyways, dinner isn't for a few hours, I was thinking, that we should go back-to-school shopping together!"

I smiled weakly at the thought and sat myself in the car with Kirsten.

"So, what did you guys do today, apart from getting 100 on an exam of course!"

She was so proud of me. You could tell, she was so happy and so proud. Her mood definitely made me fell happier again. Why was I already worrying about something that hasn't even happened yet anyways?

Most of the car trip Kirsten was talking about how cute Seth was when he was a baby. I laughed a lot and she said that she'd show me the embarrassing picture album of Seth when he was a baby, and I said I'd show her my pictures too.

"So, what does the list tell me to buy?"

"Well, most of it comes in the pack but you have to get 3 highlighters, 5 pencils all of varying hardness's."

As Kirsten was reading out the list, I was grabbing items.

"10 blue pens, 10 black pens and 10 red pens, 1 pencil case, scissors. Wait, you didn't take a pencil case."

"I'd rather make one"

"Ok, moving on, a glue stick, 2 erasers, a package of loose leaf sheets, preferably purple."

"Wait, it actually said, 'preferably purple'?"

"No, but purple is the best."

I smiled at Kirsten's childishness. I wish I could've have fun like this with my mom. This was only stationery shopping and already I was having fun.

"Anything else, "I asked.

"No, the rest is in that enormous package in the car."

We purchased our goods and headed off for the Cohen house.

When we were home, Kirsten showed off with the news that I had gotten full marks and that I was going to be in the 10th grade.

"Well, that's wonderful Chelsea. We're so proud of you, we really are." said Sandy in that way that only Sandy can. The way that makes you feel that very word he is saying is with total truth and honesty.

The second night in my new bed wasn't going to be as bad as the first night, I thought to myself happily. I sat at my desk and was quickly finishing up the stitching of the beads to my pencil case.

It looked very good, I had to say. The material was a bright, hot pink that I had leftover from a previous garment and was covered all over in various patterns of tiny black beads.

I left the room to ask Kirsten where she had placed all the school things when Sandy came up from behind me and touched my shoulder in a gesture of hello.

I shrieked so loud I must have woken the neighbours up. Everybody came rushing into the room to see what was wrong.

"Chelsea!?" Ryan asked in concern as he ran over from the pool house.

"Umm, sorry, it's just, you frightened me a little Sandy. I'm really so, so, sorry, I'll clean up the mess I made-"

"Don't be silly. It's fine Chelsea. You just go and sit down on the sofa for a while. I'll bring you some hot chocolate. On, second thoughts, Sandy will make it, and I'll bring it."

A few minutes later Kirsten came in.

She started feeling my forehead and I flinched a little bit.

"Are you ok? You're not sick or anything are you?"

I shook my head as I gulped down the just right, warm, chocolate milk.

"How did Sandy know that I didn't like hot, hot chocolate?"

"It's written all over you're face." Said Sandy as he walked in. "Are you fine?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. I just had a really big shock. All the changes lately have been making me a bit edgy. It was just a lot of stress and readjustments, I'll be fine."

"Look at the pencil case she made Sandy."

They stared at my work in disbelief for a minute or two.

"Have you ever thought of starting a business? You would be very good."

"Thankyou for your compliment, but I'm only 15, I think I'll stay preoccupied with school for the time being." I took another sip and smiled.

"Well, I better be off to bed. Goodnight."

Tonight's listening would be some Green Day. How about their album Nimrod? I feel like something older.

I switched on the Discman and lay back into the clean, fresh smelling sheets. I dozed off after thinking about my next day's outfit.