Prologue
Instead of the usual rooster screeching as the sun crept up, Beatrice Kidd found herself tossing and turning as her alarm clock went off; the cold beeping noise echoing the gray room. She groaned, barely opening her eyes as she finally got out of bed, feeling more drained than she ever did as her barn. Beatrice shuffled around in the room and towards the bathroom to change, lazily nudging some of the cardboard boxes that were placed all around her room.
"Beatrice? Hurry on up there! You don't wanna be late for your first day!", her father, Kilo's, southern accent yelled, making Beatrice groan once more. Man, why did the last of her summer get filled up by packing and stuffing some stupid boxes? Why couldn't that happen during the first week? After getting dress in the uniform the school sent (a white shirt with a grey vest and matching skirt), she threw on her grey cowboy boots and made her way into the kitchen, watching her father pour a carton of oil.
"Dad, did we really have to move? I dunno if I like it here. There wasn't anything wrong with our barn! I don't know why we couldn't stay!", Beatrice complained, stirring her cereal. Oh, what she would've done to have some of her chicken's fresh eggs once more instead.
"Beatrice, you know why we couldn't stay there anymore. It's just too painful now.", Kilo said, shaking her head with a frown, "Your mother was the farming and ranching expert anyways. I don't have nearly as much skill."
"Still, you could've managed, dad."
"Well, what's done is done. Now, I don't wanna hear no more complainin' missy. This is in our best interest and I would appreciate it if you'd show a bit more support."
"Come on, dad! We were a lot happier there than we are here. Back at home, we had acres of land to raise our animals and play yard games, and we had fresh food just about every day! But now that we're here, we can barely go two minutes without bumping into one another. Not to mention, everything here is just so damn grey.."
"Hey! We don't use that language at the table, young lady!", Kilo snapped, looking at Beatrice impatiently, sighing, "Look, I understand how much you loved it over there, but after what had happened, we just couldn't take care of the barn of the animals like your mother could. Plus, you and I have school and work on top of everything."
Beatrice looked down at her cereal, a small snarl on her face as she stirred her spoon around, barely paying any attention to her father. Kilo sighed sadly.
"Listen Beatrice, I moved us here because I just didn't think we'd be able to take care of the barn and ourselves at the same time, especially since we're both still trying to process what had happened. You ain't gotta like it, I ain't forcin' ya to. But, I'm trying to do something good for us. Understand?"
"Yeah but how is moving into the city supposed to be good for us? I mean, I guess you're closer to work now, but it stinks around here! It smells like oil and fuel, not to mention I hardly get to see the sun anymore!"
"Well, sometimes you gotta make sacrifices in life. I know you miss home, but I just don't think we're in the right headspace to take care of a barn anymore. This is better for us right now both mentally and financially anyways.", Kilo said before a loud honking sound was heard, "Well, looks like yer bus is here. I'll see you later, Beatrice."
"Yeah, bye dad.", Beatrice groaned, grabbing her trapper keeping and slinging it over her shoulder, walking outside to climb onto a dark gray bus that said, "C.O.G.S ISD" on the side. Beatrice made her way towards the back seats when she noticed a tall girl with large, keyboard like teeth, and a pink headband in between her dirty blonde, scroll-like, hair, crinkle her nose at her.
"Ew, were you raised in a barn or something?", the girl asked, looking up and down at Beatrice, who took the seat across from her.
"Yeah? What's it to ya?"
"You smell like you went swimming with toons or something.", the girl snarked, before digging into her backpack, grabbing out a sheet of homework.
"Uh..what ya up to?", Beatrice asked. The girl rolled her eyes.
"Well, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to double check my homework so I don't fail like I did the last time.", she said, grabbing out a pencil from her bag.
"Dang. What'd you get?"
"A 97"
"Heh. I'm lucky if I even get above a 65. I guess you're one of those people, eh?"
"What's that supposed to mean?", the girl asked, glaring at Beatrice, "I don't really like your tone,..eh..what's your name again?"
"Beatrice. I just moved into town yesterday with my dad. Who are you, miss high and mightly?"
"Kylie..Kylie Case. Now, can you please just let me finish my homework?"
"Well Ms. Case, if you're so concerned about your grade, why didn't you finish it at home?", Beatrice laughed, grabbing Kylie's attention, "I mean, I figured you'd be a bit more on top of things since you care about your stupid grades THAT much."
"I'm double checking, dummy! I completed the worksheet, but I'm checking my answers! I figured you'd be a bit better at listening seeing those big ears of yours!", Kylie yelled before dropping her pencil, bending her torso to pick it up, "Oh, and by the way, cowboy boots aren't business appropriate. The dress code says we have to wear clothes that represent C.O.G.S incorporated well, not like we're about to go to the rodeo."
Beatrice groaned softly as she threw herself in the back of her seat, ignoring any other criticisms Kylie had to offer, as if it were any of her business. Occasionally, she would look over where Kylie was busy cramming her head in books, wondering how punchable her face would be given her 18 million teeth. She closed her eyes and leaned back towards the seat to fantasize about it, but knew her dad would flip out if she actually did it. Oh well, she could dream..couldn't she?
A few minutes later, Beatrice felt the bus coming to a halt, with Kylie quickly throwing her books back into her bag. After climbing down the steel steps to enter the black metal building, she made her way inside the principal's office, where she was handed her schedule and a map around the classroom.
"Man, what kinda cotton pickin' map is this? Is this a school or a shoppin' mall?", Beatrice questioned as the lady in front of her tapped her foot, "Do y'all really have to have three floors? Why can't we all just have the same teachers teach? How do you expect me to get to each class on time?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out.", the lady groaned, "Now, I think you should get going. Class is about to start soon. Oh, and I'd considering getting rid of those boots before you get dress coded."
Beatrice rolled her eyes as she exited the double doors, her foul mood getting worse as she made her way to Toon Studies in Room 108. Beatrice barely had any problems finding the room, the straight hallways organized neatly into 100-120, 121-140, 141-160, and so on. Once she found the room, Beatrice heard the bell rung, forcing all the other studies to crowd up and fill the hallways, students now coming into the room and taking up available seats. But as the seats were coming more and more scare, Beatrice felt a tall figure looming over her, before hearing the same obnoxious voice that had complained about her homework.
"Hey, that's my spot. You need to get up and move before I tell the teacher."
