CHAPTER FOUR
(chapter title - Back to School)
Here we go, first day of school Jules thought to herself, adjusting her teal backpack so that it was snug on her shoulders. She was wearing a knee-length denim skirt, a blue t-shirt and a denim jacket. On her feet were brown ankle-high cowboy boots. Taking in a deep breath, she made her way up the stairs of Mount Vernon Junior High and entered the common area.
"Jules! Over here!" John called, jumping up and down to get her attention. She smiled and went over to where John and Eileen were standing near a row of lockers. Abi, Jules' friend from Drama Club, came over to where the three of them were standing. Eileen and John had never gotten along with Abi, but Jules did and that's what mattered.
"Hey guys." Abi greeted them, tossing her long strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder and played with one of the key chains on her backpack. John and Eileen muttered hi and compared schedules with each other.
"We have the same PE, lunch, math and English classes." Jules told her friends.
"Yay chica! Both you and I have the same Spanish class this year!" Eileen exclaimed.
"John, both you and I have the same choir, drama and history classes." Jules told him, smiling.
"At least we have most of our classes together." Jules said, looking at her friends.
"Well, it looks like I'm not welcome here, so I'm gonna go." With that, Abi turned on her heel and walked away. Before Jules could open her mouth to call Abi back, the bell for first period rang. Jules headed to study hall while Eileen headed to biology. John went to the office where he worked as an office aide.
"Thank goodness it's lunchtime!" Jules sighed as she sat down on a bench in the large cafeteria. John nodded and sat down next to her. Eileen sat down on the other side of Jules and unwrapped her taco. Jules just played with her macaroni and cheese.
"What do you guys think of Ms. Hanson? Pretty cool, huh?" John asked, taking a bite of his burger. Jules shrugged her shoulders and continued to play with her macaroni and cheese.
"She's awesome! She's the best English teacher in the world!" Eileen answered, smiling. John smiled back just as Jules got up and threw her lunch away. Walking back to the table, she picked up her backpack and headed to an empty practice room in the music wing. Closing and locking the door, she sat at the piano and played Moonlight Sonata. She was on her favorite part when someone knocked on the door. Sighing, she got up from the piano bench and went to answer the door. Opening the door, she saw that it was a boy from her choir class - Danny.
"Hi, Jules." he greeted her.
"Danny, I really don't feel like talking right now." Jules told him.
"I just came to tell you that the bell for fourth period rang about two minutes ago." Danny said, coming into the practice room.
"Damn!" Jules quickly gathered her backpack and sprinted to the language wing. She slipped into her seat next to Eileen just as the final bell rang for class to begin.
"Where were you?" Eileen asked as Jules took out her Spanish book.
"I - was - in - one - of - the - practice - rooms - in - the - music - wing." Jules panted. Eileen smiled slightly as Senorita Renderous called role.
"Collins, Eileen?" the teacher called.
"Here!" Eileen raised her hand.
"Davis, Julie?" Senorita Renderous called again.
"Here." Jules said half-heartedly. She smiled and continued to call role. She was just about to call on the last student in the class, when an office aide handed a note to the teacher.
"Julie Davis and Eileen Collins, you're needed in the office." Renderous told the girls. Jules and Eileen exchanged confused looks as they gathered their backpacks and headed out the door. John was standing outside the door, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"What's wrong, John?" Jules asked.
"It's Uncle Collins - he's in the hospital." John sobbed. Jules turned to Eileen to see her best friend's eyes well up with tears as the three of them walked to the office. Jules put an arm around Eileen's shoulders and tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn't. Collins had been in her life for as long as she could remember.