Anxiety ran through my body as I watched my friends enter the bus. I wasn’t sure of what to call the other emotions that charged at me. I stared at the step in front of me, not wanting to get any closer to it. I turned around and shook my head, only to be pushed towards the door. Someone’s strong hand pulled me inside, forcing me to walk down the long, lonely aisle. My soaking eyes darted towards the window, at the other bus. My tears rolled down my cheek even faster as I saw it begin to move. I threw my bag on the floor and jumped to the window, crushing the other girls who were in that particular seat. I pulled the window down and stuck half of my body outside. I reached my hand out towards the moving vehicle and cried for it to return; but it didn’t. I was pulled back inside by Lisa, my best friend. She looked just as drained as I did. We had stayed up all night together, not wanting today to come. She picked up my bag and led me to the back of the bus were the rest of our friends sat. My friends-no, my family, was being sent away from me. The people that I had grown up were leaving. It wasn’t fair! Just because they were boys…we were being separated…forever…

President George W. Bush had finished his term and President Pewee C. Kitler had taken his place. Oh, how I loathed him…He was the reason that we had to leave. He was the one who made that new stupid law that said that we shouldn’t have co-ed schools. He was the one who made Big Bear Mountain Academy for Girls. He was the It was because of him that I would never be able to see the guys again. He made it so that not all of my girl friends went to the school as me. Some of them had to attend other school that were miles away from my own.

Lisa and Nicole wrapped their arms around me, trying to calm me down. Lisa’s face was as flushed as ever and Nicole seemed as if her face had been drowned. They were my best friends-my sisters. I bit my lip and stared up at the bus driver, who was a man.

“Why is he aloud to come?” I whispered.

Lisa looked up and tried to figure out what I was talking about.

“What? Becka, are you ok?”

I stood up and pointed at the bus driver.

“Why is he aloud to come but not the others!?”

I began to walk towards the front of bus.

“Becka, come back!” Nicole said, trying to pull me back to the seat.

I pushed her hand away and made my steps faster.

“It’s not fair! It’s not-“

The teacher, who sat in the front seat, turned around and told me to sit back down. I cursed at her, making my friends’ eyes widen for they had never heard me say such things.

“Sit back down!” the teacher said.

I made a fist and shook my head.

“Why the fuck is HE aloud to come but not the others!? I wanna know! Tell me!”

The teacher began to stand up but the bus driver had already stopped the bus. I lost my balance due to the suddenness of it all, and fell to the floor. When I re-opened my eyes, I was in the back seat again and the bus was nearly empty.

Nicole looked down at me and sighed in relief.

“Finally! What were you thinking?”

My head felt as if a heavy rock had smashed into it a hundred times. My hand shot up to my forehead as I sat up and looked around. There were trees everywhere and I could smell lake water.

“We’re here?” I asked, slowly standing up.

Nicole nodded and followed me outside. Lisa walked up to us, her hands packed with all of our luggage.

“It’s about time you woke up.” She handed me my bag.

I looked down at it and I felt my tears start to act up again, but I refused to let them spill twice in one day.

“I guess this is our home for the next four years, huh?” Lisa said.

I looked up and was taken back by the size of the building.

“How’d they get this thing here?” I asked, following Nicole and Lisa towards the entrance.

“You know, the usual. Kitler signs a paper, a billion people nod their bobble heads, and BAM!” Nicole made a loud sound with her hands, “there you go! A thousand new boarding school’s in the country.”

Lisa softly laughed and rolled her eyes.

“You know, I heard that the boys are in the next city over. Maybe-“ Lisa stopped and motioned for us to face the front of the room.

A tall lady with bright red hair, that was pulled up into a tight bun, and dark green eyes stood with a long stick in her hands. She looked as if she were some sort of old fashioned lawyer, her clothes plaid and brown. I cleared her throat in the most threatening way I’ve ever heard. Every eye looked towards her, silencing the entire room.

“Welcome to Big Bear Academy for Girls. I am Ms. Redingham, your new principal. There are four building total in the academy; one for sleeping, one for learning, one for eating, and one for sweating. There will be four girls to a room. Choose wisely because those girls will be with for the rest of your stay here. There are 347 map of the school on the table behind you; one for each girl. If you loose it, you will not receive another one. Once you have chosen your roommates you may come to the front desk and they will assign you a room according to grade and or age. Class begins tomorrow at exactly 7:30am. Do not be late. Once again, I am Ms. Redingham and welcome to Big Bear Academy for Girls.”

I grabbed Lisa and Nicole’s arms and nodded.

“I got my roommates right here.”

They both nodded and agreed.

“But that lady said that we needed four to a room and there’s only three of us.” Lisa said.

I shrugged and looked around the room for someone who looked as if they needed some help. My eyes widened as I saw Abby, another friend of mine who I thought had been sent to another school. I pulled Nicole and Lisa towards her.

“Abby!” Lisa yelled.

She turned and seemed to be showered with a wave of relief. She linked arms with us as we made our way through the sea of girls. The receptionist, luckily, was much nicer than the principal. She was a rather big lady with dark blond hair and bright blue eyes. She smiled at us and spoke in the sweetest country voice I had ever heard.

“Ello, ladies. Ya’ll set?”

I nodded, being the one to speak for all of us. The three of them never did like to speak to strangers.

“Alrighty then. Can I have yer names an grades, please?”

I nodded again.

“Rebecka Zumaya, ninth grade.”

“Lisa Holfield, ninth grade.”

“Nicole Lopez, ninth grade.”

“Abigail Mendez, ninth grade.”

The receptionist smiled again as she finished typing. She spun around in her chair and took a four keys off of the wall behind her.

“Here you go. If you need anything else, just come and see me, alrighty miss?”

I made a small smile and took the keys from her.

“Thank you, Miss…”

“Ya’ll can call me Ms. Pecks.”

I nodded again and waved goodbye.

“You see, now why couldn’t she have been our principal?” Lisa asked.

“Because she’s too nice and the other vultures would have eaten her alive.” Abby said.

We went to the 9th floor and found room 123. It was the biggest room that I had ever seen. It had two bunk beds, three windows, two computers, four desks, four wall sized closets, a bathroom with a shower and toilet, and four dressers that were bigger than most people.

“Wow…” Nicole said as we walked inside.

Lisa and Abby shared one bunk, Lisa being on top; and Nicole and I shared one, myself on top.

I didn’t realize that the saddest part of the whole thing wasn’t leaving my friends, entering the bus, or meeting the principal but that it was what was inside my bag. I pulled out a large photo album and set it on my bed. I felt my tears start to come, but I held them back with all that I had left in me. On the cover of the book there was a picture of me and all of my friends.

It was from my fifteenth birthday, the only day that I had seen everyone I loved all at once. I slowly opened it up and was taken back by an envelope with the words, “Read Me” sloppily pasted onto it.

I picked it up and hesitantly opened it. This time I couldn’t help but cry. I didn’t care anymore. This was it. This was all I needed.

Lisa turned around from her claimed dresser when she heard me sniffle. She walked towards me with a questioning look on her face. I looked up at her with a small smile and handed her the envelope. She nearly dropped it for what was inside was nothing she expected.

The boys had each written us a letter of hope and goodbyes and promises. They had taken silly pictures of themselves and had taped them to their letters. But the best thing that we found was a DVD with the words, “Remember Us” written in black permanent maker on the cover.