Hey guys! No, I didn't die in a hole. No, I didn't forget about the story. NO, I DIDN'T STOP WRITING! Trust me, I am going to write this story until it is done. I have over twelve pages in a notebook full of ideas for this story. I've spent over three months preparing for it; there's no backing down now!

On that note, there's something you may want to know. This year, I am participating in Winter Color Guard, which, for those of you who don't know, is where color guard is taken out of marching band and put into it's own show. Once competition month starts (February) we compete every weekend with a seven minute show we prepared. Now, it's a lot of fun and all, but it takes up about 25% of my time. Literally, I spend 9-20 hours a week color guarding.

The point I'm trying to make here is I don't have a lot of time to REALLY write, meaning sit-down for five hours like I used to and get 5,000 words typed up. That is why it has been almost two weeks since I updated. Although this makes me sad that I can't produce chapters as frequently as I want, it does NOT mean I am not thinking about my story every day. I promise you I will finish this story and am always working on it. Chapters might come out a little bit later than wanted, but I want to make this story as great as it can be for you guys, and for myself. Keep following the story if you deem it worthy, becuase trust me, I think it will be worth the wait!

-Katie

Lucy's Point of View

Why did I think it would be different in America? I groaned at the mirror and dared to look at the clock. It was 8:45 am, and I had to leave the house now or I was going to be late for my first American school day. Too excited to wait, I gave up on my frustrating hair bun and simply let my partially curly and straight blonde hair fly in front of my face. After I grabbed my preparatory school bag, I headed down the Lucia's stairs and smoothed my plaid uniform. Sucks we have to wear this the first week though. It makes it seem like we are still at our regular schools.

The Lucia's house was quite beautiful, indeed. By the looks of their multiple paintings, stating the slogan 'True Love Lives Below" and chandelier that rose above the dining room table, I could tell this family was on the higher end of society. It made me guilty (and slightly chuckle) at the fact Elizabeth was back home at my dinky little place.

"Good morning, Lucy!" Mr. Lucia perked from the kitchen. He placed his newspaper onto to the beige table. "How did you sleep?" He asked while sipping his morning coffee.

"Very well, sir. Thank you." Both Mr. and Mrs. Lucia hid a grin on their face. I had been there for a couple of days, and they still could not get over my accent.

"Here, dear," Mrs. Lucia handed me a bagel with cream cheese and orange juice. "Don't want you to be late or hungry on your first day!"

Mrs. Lucia was nice enough to drive me to the school for my first day. After about ten minutes, she turned off the car and unlocked the doors. "Well, here we are! Del Campo High School!" Mrs. Lucia looked at her watch and brought her hand to her cheek.

"Oh dear!" She exclaimed. "I might be late as well! Off you go, Lucy! Have a wonderful day! You can call me or Mike if you need anything."

And with that, she drove off, leaving me on the busy Californian side walk. Teenagers that ranged in all heights, sizes, and types roamed the campus of the large high school, wearing whatever they like and doing whatever they like. More nervous than I was excited, I gripped my bag and walked toward the school. The tardy bell rang as scattering students piled into the building.

I could feel numerous eyes daze upon me and what I was wearing. Whispers rang over the crowd.

"Is that a new girl?"

"No, I think she's a foreign exchange student. Just look at her clothes. It's a uniform. Sucks that she has to wear THAT every day. Bet she's glad she's here now!"

"Where's she from?"

"That random London school"

"Oh, boring! At least we have some people from China and stuff, as well. There are different countries doing it, you know."

"Yeah, but still. England! Hey! Go ask her how to say 'hello' in British!"

And although I could have taken those comments negatively, they were right. I was glad I was here. By the size of the building and excitement through just the halls, I knew these next three months were bound to be something great.

The air felt clean and cool as I stepped into the empty hallway. After being in a meeting for hours, it was nice to finally start the school day. All of the exchange students had an introduction meeting that described what they were going to do the next three months. Most included small trips to places that pulled no one's interest. In there, I looked around and saw everyone's body language screaming disinterest and anxiety. We all just wanted to enjoy our first day in an American school; not in a boring discussion room.

The lunch bell rang as I made my way down the empty hallway. Instantaneously, ravenous students flooded down the same route I was heading. I ended up being pushed into the cafeteria by the crowd. Luckily, I found that was where I was supposed to be. Lunch Period 3, or at least my schedule said so.

When I glanced around, it suddenly hit me: I knew no one. I was completely alone with no one to sit with. I kept walking, half-hoping it would make me seem less awkward and like I knew where to go. I noticed a table in the corner of the room where two girls sat. One had blazing red hair and was touching up her make-up, while the other had mousy brown hair and was twiddling her fingers nervously. They reminded me immensely of Nancy and Bella in every way; from their appearance to their common behavior.

"Um…." The red-headed girl giggled to the side as the other looked up and down at me. "Can I help you?"

Without realizing it, I must have walked up to the familiar girls, who were still absolute strangers. I was standing at their table, creepily staring, reminiscing about their doppelganger appearances. I blushed furiously and opened my mouth to speak. "I…um…" I tried to speak, but nothing came out, making me stand there like a complete fool.

Both girls scrunched their eyebrows and eyed each other. Suddenly, the red-head perked as she saw something and slapped the brunette's arm to attention. They spun around and at the same time squeaked, "Hi, Anthony!"

I turned as well and practically jumped with surprise to see a tall boy standing right behind me. He had dark brown hair that slightly hung in front of his brown eyes. He started straight at me with a dirty and frustrated look. "Alex! I told you! You were supposed to stay with me. Where did you go?!"

I stared back at him. "Wait, wha~?"

The boy (Anthony, I assumed) groaned and grabbed my forearm. "Whatever, just come on." He began to drag me away with him. "Sorry, Sydney and Michelle! I have to drag your little friend away for a while."

Anthony flew across the cafeteria and we heard a desperate, "Oh! It's okay, Anthony! YOU CAN COME BACK ANYTIME!" behind us.

"Mate!" I panted as I waddled behind. "I think you're mistaking me for someone else. I'm not Alex!"

He flung me into a seat at a table that one more person was sitting at. He had bright blue eyes that sparkled as Anthony and I appeared, as if he had been watching the entire performance. As Anthony let go of me, the other boy swiped his distinctive bowl haircut out of his eyes and leaned across the table.

"You're not?" Anthony tsked. "Well, it was a good guess I suppose. Sorry, you just looked like an Alex from behind. I took my best guess, is all."

"Wha~?"

Anthony placed his hands on my shoulder and plopped me into a seat before letting me finish. "You seemed a little…" He and the other boy laughed into their chests. "…lost talking to Sydney and Michelle. Ian and I here~" The brunette waved as his name was called, "~decided to lend you a hand."

"Yeah," Ian continued as we shook hands. "First thing a girl should know about this school is DO NOT make conversation or even interact with Sydney and Michelle. They're bad news."

"Though I guess they're better now than they will ever be. Elizabeth went on the exchange program, right?"

"She did, and dually noted, Ian." I nodded, glancing over to Sydney and Michelle's table, who had their arms folded and were giving me the stink eye. I quickly turned away and avoided eye contact. "Thanks for the help, by the way. Is it that obvious I'm new?"

Ian laughed and nodded his head. Anthony quickly elbowed his ribs and quieted him down. As Ian shrugged and asked what he did, Anthony answered, "Just by your uniform. The name's Anthony, by the way. Anthony Padilla. Nice accent!"

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "I could say the same to you!" I held out my hand and he shook it. "Lucy Lylles. As I'm sure you have guessed, I'm on the exchange program. I'm from Manchester, England."

Anthony grinned and his eyes sparkled. "So!" He leaned back in his chair and put his hands on the back of his head. "How are you liking America? The 'States'?"

I told them about the few things I had seen the days I was there. I mentioned America's comparison to England and about my host family, the Lucias.

"The Lucias?" Ian questioned. "As in, Elizabeth Lucia?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess she's back home with Mum."

"Jesus," Ian sighed. "I hope your mom's going to be okay for the next couple of months."

"Same here," I laughed. "Or else I won't be hearing the last of it." The warning bell rang. Five minutes and lunch would be over. Realizing I still had no idea where to go, I pulled my schedule out of my bag.

"Why didn't I think of that!" Anthony leaped over the table and grabbed my schedule. He placed it between himself and Ian as they judged and compared.

"Damn! Multivariable calculus? What are you, smart?" He kidded.

"Hey!" Anthony perked. "We have chemistry together! Mr. Sievers is awesome, you'll like him." The final bell rang and students scrambled to get to class, including Ian, who claimed he forgot to go to his locker beforehand. I peeked my head over the crowd to find Anthony again. Eventually, I spotted Anthony's black hair that hangs slightly over his eyes. His hand reached through the crowd and grabbed mine. "Here, I'll take you there. C'mon! We're going to be late!"