Chapter 2

AP Language & Composition

US History

Algebra II

Spanish III

Lunch

AP Physics

Ceramics/Sculpture

Drawing/Painting

This was Marie's new schedule that she was surprisingly happy with. Sure she started the day with an AP course and math, but her afternoon was finished off with science and art, her favorite classes. Marie was able to get away with not taking a gym since she had fulfilled her gym credits at her old school. She stuffed her schedule into her jean pocket as she finally arrived at her new school, Lee and May abandoning her already.

Marie started walking up the stone steps to Peach Creek High School, her shoes hitting the cement harshly, her headphones blasting in her ear, and her hoodie up. A kid suddenly ran by her, hitting her shoulder sharply. She looked up to only see a kid with a stupid black ski cap running and by being pulled by some tall kid, only mumbling a quiet, yet very polite, apology. Marie sighed. It wasn't his fault, he was just being pulled by his friend.

It was already a bad morning for her.

When she had woken up that morning, she saw that she was the first in the Kanker house to wake up. This annoyed her as she would have nothing to do but become more anxious for the coming school day. She could already feel a headache coming on.

She slowly got out of bed, so that she didn't get a head rush and then add to the ache in the left side of her head. She quietly got dressed, putting on pink jeans, her regular black sweatshirt, and converse. She went to the bathroom, closing the door slowly, so that she could do her usual morning routine. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and did her make-up. She looked at her bright blue hair thinking of what she could do with it. It was a little knotty and stuck up a little at the top. Marie just put some water in her hands and flattened her hair so that at least she didn't have fly-aways.

Marie went downstairs to the kitchen, only to find a note on the kitchen table. She already knew that it was from her mother, informing the sisters that she had gone to work or to do some other errand. Marie looked at the hastily written note and noticed that at the bottom it was signed 'Love, Mom.'

Bullshit, thought Marie. She left the note where it was so that May and Lee could read it and possibly feel mom's 'love.' All Marie had for breakfast was a granola bar and a cup of coffee, black. When she finished her breakfast, she quickly gathered her school stuff and heard her sisters start moving around. She didn't really want to interact with them, so she left, slamming the door loudly so as to alert her sisters that she had gone.

Marie didn't want to go to school early like a geek would, so she decided to explore her new neighborhood.

She went past the construction site, studying the architecture, but decided to leave since workers were showing up and machines were starting up.

Marie walked through the lane, running her slender fingers across the wood, listening to music. She suddenly stopped walking leaned against the wooden fence, sliding to the ground. She put her face in her hands. She didn't cry, she didn't really feel a need to, she just had a sudden whirl of emotions within her about moving and starting at a new school. What if they made fun of her like they did at her old school? What if they saw her scars and stayed away from her? All these questions went through her as she sat on the dirt, listening to her alternative music. She finally sat back up, her face looking pale and tired.

She looked at her watch and started going to school, seeing Lee and May on her way there. May was wearing a short denim skirt and pink tank top that was very tight, her hair in it's usual ponytail. Lee was wearing extra-short denim shorts, flip-flops, and a blue blouse open to a white shirt. Marie walked over to them.

"Hey Marie, why do you look so glum?" May said, fake concern on her face. Marie scrunched her nose, looking down at her shoes.

"Yeah. Hey May, I actually think she looks too happy. She actually moved her face!" Lee exclaimed to May.

"Oh yeah, I think you're right. Watch it Marie, you might actually crack your face with all the emotion you're showing!" May and Lee laughed at their jokes, Marie seething at her sisters.

"At least I don't look like a slut." Marie said quietly.

May and Lee stopped laughing suddenly and looked at Marie with confused looks on their faces.

"What did you say?" Lee asked threateningly.

"I said," Marie started louder, "That at least I don't look like a slut." Marie's voice didn't waver at all, it was steady and she was looking her sisters dead in the eye.

"Well," May started, her voice all fake innocence, "At least I don't look like some washed-up, high, band groupie with bad hair." May and Lee started laughing again, getting louder when they saw that Marie had stopped in her tracks, her face blank. They continued walking without their sister, their laughs getting distant as they continued to school.

Marie stood there for a few minutes, thinking about what her sisters said about her. Band-groupie? High? Bad hair?

Marie started laughing and took out her schedule, still shaking from her laughter, reaching her school in a few minutes.

Double D woke up groggily, he didn't want to stop dreaming. He turned his alarm off, took his morning shower, got dressed, got his books, went downstairs, ate breakfast, and went to get Ed and Eddy, his normal morning routine coming back to him easily.

He took out his schedule and read it while he walked to Ed's house, straightening his hat.

AP Language & Composition

College Algebra

AP US History

Lunch

AP Physics

Fitness and Weights

AP Spanish

He yawned as he reached Ed's window, putting his schedule away, and knocked on it harshly, knowing how deep a sleeper Ed was. Double D saw Ed poke his head out, checking to see who was knocking at his window. Ed motioned for Double D to crawl in. Double D shrugged his shoulders then sighed, he didn't want to be late for his first day.

Double D crawled in, jumping into Ed's dirty room. Double D started tapping his hand against his thigh, Ed's room really annoyed him.

Ed was a tall, gangly kid with red hair in a buzz cut. He usually wore old clothes that were dirty and wrinkly. Currently, Ed was looking in his couch for something.

"Whatcha looking for Ed?" asked Double D.

"Double D, I can't find my lucky lizard's foot."

Double D groaned, he didn't want to wait for Ed to look for some stupid lizard foot and then become late for his first day of school.

Double D suddenly remembered that Eddy had hid it in school for his amusement, breaking in yesterday during the day to only put it in Ed's locker. Double D rolled his eyes at Eddy's prank.

"Hey Ed, I know where your lucky object is at."

Ed's head snapped up. "Where, Double D, where?!" Double D told him where and suddenly he was being dragged by Ed to school. Ed was stronger than he looked, so carrying Double D's weight was no big deal. Ed ran to school, breaking a record, and made Double D run into a girl. Double D sighed at his friend's apprehensiveness. He quickly turned around to say an apology, when he noticed who he had run into.

The girl with blue hair.