"I can't believe it! How can summer already be over?" I moaned on a warm August morning.

"Oh, don't give me that. I know you can't wait to get your schedule and see who's in all of your classes," my mom said.

I smiled. "That's true."

Who would I have classes with? I may have many friends, but I still had the nagging fear that I have at the beginning of every school year - that I won't know anyone in any of my classes. My freshman year was hell, but last year was a little better. I'm sure that this year, my junior year of high school, will be the best so far.

Let me tell you a little about myself. I have shoulder-length blond hair and clear green eyes and I'm 5'4". I live in Genoa, Illinois, and all of my life I went to school with every other kid that lives in Genoa. However, we live in the outskirts of the town, so instead of going to Genoa High School, where almost everyone I know went, I had to go to Boulder Ridge High School, which was in the next town over, Boulder Ridge. My freshman year was hell because only two of my old friends also went to Boulder Ridge, Jill and Stacey. I'm very close to both of them, but I still spent most of freshman year wishing I could go to Genoa High School.

However, by the end of freshman year that had all changed. My friends that had gone to Genoa High School didn't really put forth any effort to keep in touch with me, which hurt. But things at Boulder Ridge were really looking up. During my freshman year I had been in choir and done the school musical, Gyys and Dolls. I love singing, acting, and dancing, and I've been involved with musicals and choirs since I was little. I was a Hot Box dancer in Guys and Dolls, which was a lot of fun, and that's where I met a lot of my current friends.

As a freshman girl, the only choir I could be involved in was Beginning Treble Choir. However, as a sophomore, I had more options. I could go on to Advanced Treble Choir, which anyone could be a part of, or I could try out for Acapella Choir, which was an audition-only choir for sophomore, junior, and senior men and women. I tried out for Acapella Choir as an alto and made it, which thrilled me, since barely any sophomores made it.

However, I also tried out for Madrigals, which is an extra-curricular choir. There are only three altos in Madrigals, so I knew I had a lot of competition. Five of us freshman girls tried out for both Acapella Choir and Madrigals, and made it. Many others tried out and didn't. However, everyone knew that us five would make it. We had always stood out as being very serious and dedicated to our music, and many people said that Mr. Jacobs, the choir and musical director, played favorites, and that we were his favorites.

Is that true? I don't know. But either way, making Acapella and Madrigals made my sophomore year a year of furthering friendships with those I had met during Guys and Dolls, and it gave me the confidence to make friends in other areas, too.

"Jessica! What the hell are you doing? It's time to go!" my older brother, Derek, yelled.

"Mommy, Derek said a bad word!" my 9 year old sister Jaina called.

"Derek, what have I told you about swearing in this house?"

"Mama, come on."

"Derek, if you don't watch it, Kayla's first word will be - "

"Mama, please no swearing," Derek said, coming into the kitchen.

She gave him a would-be serious look, then couldn't help smiling. "You're such a bad kid."

"You know you love me."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help smiling. My brother Derek is about 18 months older than me, and is a senior at Boulder Ridge this year. He's our school's star football player, and one of the most popular guys in school. It's kind of annoying when all these girls come up to me and tell me how hot they think my brother is - I mean, what am I supposed to say to that? My 9 year old sister Jaina and I both look EXACTLY like my mother, but Derek and Kayla both look like Dad with their blue eyes and dark brown hair. Derek and I have always gotten along pretty well. Derek's also in Acapella Choir, but he can't do Madrigals because of football. He was in the musical last year, though. He played Sky Masterson, which I really don't think was that much of a stretch.

Still, he's a good big brother. He always drives me to and from school, and he didn't let anyone give me a hard time when I was a freshman. I go to all of his football games to support him. Of course, I'm also a Boulder Ridge cheerleader, so we have to go to all of the varsity games anyway. However, I always put Madrigals and musical rehearsals and performances before cheerleading. Pretty much the only reason I do cheerleading is because I like the outfit.

"Hey, you guys better get going," my dad said, coming into the kitchen and bringing my baby sister Kayla, who's about a year old, in with him.

"Tell that to your daughter," Derek said sarcastically.

"Derek, shut up. Who was the first one down here? Uh, I think it was me, not you," I replied.

"Whatever. We've gotta go if we want to get our schedules in time."

It takes us about 20 minutes to get to our school - it's pretty far away. "Fine. I'm ready."

"Bye kids," my dad said.

"Bye," I replied.

Mom came over and kissed us both on the cheek. "I know you'll both have a great first day. See you tonight."

"See ya, Mama," Derek and I replied.

We got into Derek's car and he pulled out of the driveway. I looked back and saw Jaina and Kayla waving from the window. I waved back, then turned around in my seat and faced front.

"Ready?" Derek asked, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

This was it. I was going to the first day of school, the thing that scared me most in the world. I took a deep breath. "Yeah."

Author's Note: This will be a long story, and the chapters will be growing longer. Chapter 2 is already much longer than this one. What did you think? Please R&R! Just click the little button to your left!