Well, hello there! Sorry again for the long wait, but a lot of events have been happening recently and the writing just wasn't fitting in. Finally, though, I was able to sit myself down and write some more, and now I'm back in the swing. I have a suspicion that you're really going to like these chapters, too - especially Chapter 19, which is short but very eventful:)

Meghan walked into her fourth class of the day relieved to be out of the crowds. It was English class, with someone named Mrs. Blithe. As amusing as it was to think about that last name, Meghan was still feeling very irritable, and getting more irritable by the second. She'd just gotten out of her PE class, and was sweaty and exhausted.

Quickly, she looked for a chair. There was one near the front. She walked over and practically fell into it. Then, she put her head down, resting it in her arms. She was beginning to calm down when, all of a sudden, she heard sniggering not far behind her.

Meghan raised her head for a moment, and the sniggering stopped. She took a deep breath and lay down again.

More sniggering.

Again, Meghan raised her head, and that action had the same effect as before. She lowered it again.

When more sniggering commenced, Meghan finally sat all the way up, and turned to look behind her. Her drowsy eyes met the stares of three girls. With that, Meghan's condition went from bad to worse.

There she was. Yet again. In the middle, right at the back of Meghan's row, in between two of her very snobby friends. The blonde from the black lagoon.

"And just what are you staring at?" the monster said with a smirk.

Taken by surprise, all Meghan could do was just keep on staring. Then one of them started giggling again, and they all joined in. Quickly Meghan turned away, and was now staring at the bustling teacher as she wrote on the board, apparently completely oblivious to what went on behind her.

The bell rang. As if struck by lightning, the teacher immediately turned around sharply with her back arched straight up. The class went immediately silent.

"Thank you." she said, as she picked up her roll sheet. Mrs. Blithe then adjusted her glasses, and began to read.

Now, Meghan didn't really pay attention to any of the names called, except that she recognized one name, "Cheridan Eves", as the girl who'd called her short. She hoped she wouldn't have to add that name to her list of enemies. Also, she hoped that this class wouldn't end up being a total nightmare, which is what it currently looked like.

She wasn't paying that much attention at all after that, until she heard another name.

"Meghan Reynolds. Is there a Meghan Reynolds here?"

Lazily, she put up her hand. "Right here."

She heard more noises from the back, this time more stifled.

"Well, good then." the teacher said simply. "On to the next one."

As Mrs. Blithe slowly droned through the entire roll sheet, Meghan wondered if she and Mr. Harlison had ever dated. If not, she decided, they should. They would be perfect for each other.

"What are those?"

Meghan stared down at her plate of so-called gourmet food, with a look of disgust on her face.

Her schoolmate, Faye, did the same, daring to poke at some very odd-looking dark green masses with her fork.

"Brussel-sprouts, I believe."

Well, as far as Meghan was concerned, Brussels could take back their sprouts. All of them.

"I ain't touchin' those."

Faye brought one of them up to her nose to sniff. She immediately recoiled as her nose wrinkled in distaste.

"It's very strange - they've never served these before."

Both girls immediately decided to push the alien vegetables aside and focus on the rest of their meals. They were of course surrounded once again by Faye's friends, along with the other exchange student, who came from the east.

Despite the rotten day she was having, Meghan was actually kind of enjoying the mashed potatoes she'd been given. She was putting her mouth around another spoonful when she suddenly felt a presence behind her.

"Hmmmm..." came a sort of sneering murmur. "Hong Kong, and the United States. Two countries that should still belong to England."

Oh, come on.

Of course, Meghan already knew who it was. Mouth full of potatoes, she turned to see one of her previously listed adversaries, along with several other girls who typically orbited around her.

Really, the conceited girl's lame attempt at a jab wasn't even worth any response at all, much less a witty comeback. Still, Meghan knew a reaction from her was just what the girl wanted. Like a mangy dog, drooling for a bone.

But even if she actually wanted to give her that reaction, she knew that it was not possible. Not anymore.

Meghan looked down for a moment, swallowing her food to speak. A dull look came across her face.

"Hullo, Clarissa."

With those two words, everyone nearby was made dumbfounded. Faye looked at Meghan, and seemed almost frightened. Every girl at that table stopped eating, frozen in silence. And then there was that group of popular girls (or rather, one popular girl and the lucky few she allowed to be in her prescience), who all looked positively shocked.

But there was no one more shocked than Miss Payne herself.

"You mean, that's all you have to say?"

In response, Meghan just shrugged.

"I guess. Is something wrong?"

Her opponent looked as if she would explode.

"Don't play dumb with me you brash American slug -"

Meghan picked up her plate, holding it out to Clarissa.

"Want some of my brussel-sprouts?"

Now, Clarissa was in complete and utter disbelief, her eyes widening in a mixture of fury and surprise. This was very new to her.

"Take your food out of my face." She was losing her short string of patience.

"Okay." Meghan set the plate down and turned back to eat from it.

Almost ready to burst into flames, Clarissa on a whim decided to try another tactic. She looked at Faye.

"Lovely day, isn't it, Wiztrip? Tell me, did you father make the sprouts?"

Faye just stared. That really didn't matter to Clarissa too much, however, because her real interest lied in aggravating Meghan. By the little stunt yesterday, Meghan had just made herself Clarissa's new main target. Determined to get revenge for being knocked over and made a fool, the snobby blonde would stop at nothing to break that fiery spirit - and get a bit of a thrill in the process. And hey, taunting the friend in braids had worked before - why not now?

But Meghan just went right on eating meat and potatoes. There seemed to be no fiery spirit to break.

At that, Clarissa decided to make one last desperate attempt. She immediately grabbed Faye's plate, and daintily scooped up the mashed potatoes, the brussel sprouts, and the meat, bit by bit, shoveling it all into Meghan's bag. Faye sat there, helpless, while Meghan pretended not to notice. Only when the empty plate was set back in front of her friend did she turn her head to look.

"Oh! My gosh, Faye, you're finished already? Here, have some of my potatoes. They gave me too much anyway. Man, do you eat fast!" Instantly, more of the mushy substance that had been there before was plopped onto Faye's plate. Confused, Faye took a bite and sheepishly looked away.

Meghan then heard a very loud, frustrated noise. She saw Clarissa and her cronies begin to stomp away. But it wasn't quite over yet.

"I swear to you, I'll make you pay for what you've done! Do you hear me, Reynolds? You're going to PAY!!"

With that, she bashed through the double doors that led inside of the building. As the doors swung closed, Meghan was sure she heard someone clapping.

I'm not quite sure what to think about the incident just described, except that it sure was a pain trying to get all the mashed potatoes out of my bag. What a mess that was.

But really, I don't feel hurt. Sure, I would've liked to stand up to that wanker, but that would be sinking to her level, am I right? I said, AM I RIGHT?!

Seriously though. Mouthing off would not be responsible. And I have to be responsible. I promised Aunt Libby. And there's really no point in mouthing off anyway, except that it makes a person feel tough. Which is precisely why Clarissa was doing it.

See, I've got her all figured out. She just pushes people around to make sure they cater to her needs, which makes her feel special and somewhat respected. Those who rebel, Clarissa stomps on. And if I'm the only one who's ever rebelled...well, that's just pathetic.

It seems to be that way, though, considering how the world seems to come to a halt whenever Clarissa has a spat.

In New York, it ain't like that. Sure, fights get attention, but only because the vast majority of teenagers at my school are moronic barbarians who for some reason find it interesting to watch two idiots bash each other until some fat security guard comes and pulls the hyenas apart. Funny enough, girl fights are usually the most brutal. Or so I've heard.

As you know from an earlier incident, though, I can be pretty assertive when I feel like it. I actually got that from...well, my dad. He taught me to never back down, to stand up for whatever you've set your heart on. It was one of his strengths - that's why it doesn't hurt so much to talk about it.

And I know someone else who's that way - my one and only cousin, Daphne Reynolds. She's like me in that some things scare her to the point of crawling in a hole while other things are extremely easy for her to just confront and stare in the face. She doesn't like to hurt people's feelings, but when someone flat out wrongs her or crosses the line in any sort of way, she will get out the artillery and shoot their planes down, and those planes will crash, then burn, then explode, then decompose.

Get my drift?

And frankly, I'm not sure WHERE she gets it from. Both of her parents seem to be the most timid things on the planet, to either run away from people like Clarissa, or silently put up with them on a daily basis.