I originally wrote this for school...it's based on what really happened to me on my first day of school, only slightly ficionalized.

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Zaneheld Sara close as she began to cry.
”I don’t want to leave you. I love you so much.”
”I love you too.”Zane kissed her and held her tighter.
”I’ll call you when I land, okay?”
”Okay.” A tear fell down his cheek as he held his girlfriend for the last time. “I love you Sara. I love you so much.”
”I love you Zane.”
”FLIGHT 3206 TO TENNESSEE IS NOW BOARDING.”
The announcement of Sara’s flight made her cry more.
She picked up her bag with one hand and held onto Zane’s hand with the other.
”I have to go.” She said in a quiet voice. She kissed him one last time and walked away.
Sara turned around to look at him one last time, but nothing was there. It was complete blackness, as if everything had been engulfed in shadow.
”Zane! Zanecome back!!” Sara ran around frantically trying to find him, calling out his name, but he never came back. Sara fell to her knees crying.
”Zane…you promised you’d never leave me…”

“Zane!!” Sara seemed to yell as she awoke. It was just a dream. She looked around at her room. She was still in Tennessee. Her room was painted a crimson red, had long black curtains over the windows which seemed to make the room seem even more depressing than it really is. Sara crawled out of bed and glanced over at her alarm clock. 5:57. She walked over and turned the alarm off since she woke up before it was supposed to go off. Walking over to her closet to get her clothes, Sara tripped over her boots.
”Ow!” She hit the ground and felt like her elbow was burning. “Stupid rug burn.”
She rubbed her elbow as she got up.
”Sara honey? Are you okay?” Sara heard her father on the other side of the door.
”Yes father.” Why is he up? Sara thought to herself.
As Sara walked into the bathroom with her clothes, the fluorescent light seemed to blind her. She placed the clothing on the counter and tried to regain her vision. She stared into the mirror. Her short black hair had become a mess in the night. She had black make-up smeared under her eyes, and against her pale skin, it seemed to make her seem dead.
Sara turned her music on and then took a shower. About twenty minutes later she walked back into her room and collapsed on her bed. Her hair was still dripping wet.
”It’s too damn early.” She said as she rolled over onto her back and starred at her ceiling. She sat there for ten minutes before she finally decided to get up and do her hair and make-up.
Sara walked back into the bathroom and started to blow dry her hair. She got one side dry when her mother knocked on the door.
”Sara honey, would you like a bagel?”
”No thank you mom.”
”Are you sure?”
”Yes mother!” Sara reached over to her CD player and hit play. The band ‘As I Lay Dying’ soon filled the room. Their angry music somehow made Sara feel better.
Once Sara was done with her hair, she pulled out her make-up bag. She pulled out her black eye shadow, black eyeliner, and black mascara and placed them on the counter. Sara picked up the black eye shadow and applied some to upper and lower eyelids. She then took the black eyeliner and lined her eyes. Once she was done that she caked on her mascara.
Sara sighed as she looked in the mirror.
Her short black hair didn’t seem right. She took her brush and fixed her bangs. She moved them off to one side so the covered her right eye.
”Well Sara, this is as good as it’s gonna get.”
Sara pulled at her maroon ‘Charlie and The Chocolate Factory’ shirt. She then adjusted how her long black skirt was on her waist. Sara stood sideways and looked in the mirror.
Sara was skinny, but not skinny enough. So she thought anyways. She was a size 4, but wanted to be smaller.
Sara sighed and walked out of the bathroom into her kitchen. The disgusting smell of burnt toast met her nose. “Ugh…” Sara said as she turned around and walked into her room. She picked up her boots and a pair of socks and walked back into the kitchen.
”Sara, I made you a bagel.”
”Mom, I told you I didn’t want one.”
”You need to eat to keep your strength up. Especially on your first day of school.”
”I’m not hungry.” Sara walked past the table and sat down in the living room. She started putting her boots on when she heard her mother ranting in the other room about how Sara has no appreciation for her. Sara sighed and looked up at the clock. 7:50. Good, Sara thought to herself, I can leave.
Sara grabbed her car keys and her backpack and walked out of the house.
Sara drove down her street and drove by kids waiting for the bus. Sara was thankful she wasn’t one of them. Sara drove by a lot of groups of kids waiting for a bus. She sighed and hoped she wasn’t leaving to early.
When Sara arrived at school, she parked in what she was told was the junior parking lot and where she was supposed to park, since she was junior. She saw a group of kids standing outside of the school waiting to go inside. She sighed and sat in her car for a little while, not looking forward to going inside. When she saw kids starting to go inside, Sara decided it’d be a good time to go too. She grabbed her book bag and got out of her car.
As she walked towards the school, her long black skirt blew in the light breeze. Sara gripped the strap of her bag tight as she walked towards the school. She knew she was going to be late for her first class because she had to go to the guidance office first to pick up her schedule, and hopefully a map.
Sara walked into the building and then into the front office.
”Yes? May I help you?” The secretary asked in a polite, yet fake, voice. The southern accent threw Sara off.
”Um, yes. I’m new and I’m supposed to meet with someone about my schedule?”
”Oh. Well you need to go to Ms. Graves’s office then. Her name is on the door.”
Sara nodded and headed in the direction the secretary told her to go. She found the office and knocked on the door, even though it was open. Ms. Graves turned around and smiled. She must’ve recognized her from the day before when she got registered.
”Sara, hello! Welcome to LaVergne High!” She smiled at her, but Sara wanted to crawl under a rock and die.
”Um, I need my schedule.”
”Right. Come with me.” She led her into another office and walked behind a desk. Sara looked around the room and saw guys who didn’t seem to be much older than her sitting on a couch. One of them smiled at her and she just looked away.
”Okay Sara. Here’s your schedule and a map so you can find your way around. Wes?” She looked over at the boy that smiled at her. “Can you show Sara where her classes are?”
”Yup!” He jumped up and walked over to the desk and looked at her schedule. He then circled certain rooms on the map, and Sara figured those were her classes. “Okay then. Sara, follow me.”
Sara did as she was told, and didn’t really mind doing it. He was pretty cute. As the walked out into the main hallway, it seemed to be deserted. Everyone’s in class, Sara thought to herself.
”Okay, would you rather look at your schedule or the map?”
”Um, the schedule I guess.” Sara took the schedule and looked down at it. She frowned when she saw that she didn’t have any art classes.
”So, what grade are you in?” Wes asked her.
”Eleventh.”
”Ouch, harsh. I’m a senior.” He smiled at her. Sara knew he wasn’t that much older than her.
Sara and Wes chatted as he showed her around to her classes. At 9:15 he showed her back to her first class.
”Well, this is where I bid you goodbye.” He waved at her and gave her that gorgeous smile of his. She waved at him as he walked off.
”Thanks Wes!” She finally said to him.
”No problem!” He said and turned around to look at her.
Sara took a breath and walked into the classroom.
”Um, excuse me?”
”Yes, may I help you?” The teacher asked her as Sara slowly walked into the class.
”I’m supposed to be in this class…I think.” Sara showed her the schedule she was given.
”Okay then. Take a seat; I’ll be with you in a second.”
Sara walked towards an empty seat and sat down. There weren’t many kids in the class, and most of them seemed to be acting like small children. Must be a substitute, Sara thought to herself.
”Okay, now what’s your name?” The teacher asked as she walked over to her.
”Sara. Sara James.” The teacher scribbled her name down at the end of the attendance sheet.
”Okay Sara! Welcome to World History.”
Sara sat in silence for the rest of the period. At 9:25 the bell rang, and Sara followed everyone out of the class room.
Sara knew she had Theatre next, and knew it was near the cafeteria, but getting there was a whole other story.
Sara walked down the hallways longing to look at her map, but knew if she stopped she’d just end up getting pushed into movement again. Sara saw a boy who looked like he’d be in Theatre, and hoped he was because she decided to take the risk of following him.
Following him wasn’t such a bad idea after all because he was, in fact, in her Theatre class. Sara breathed a sigh of relief as she walked into the classroom and no one from her History Class was in this class with her. She looked around for the teacher and saw her standing at the front of the class. Sara walked over to her and the teacher smiled at her.
”Hello.”
”Hi, um I’m supposed to be in this class.”
”Oh, okay! Um stay here for a second.”
Sara stood there and felt like an idiot. She started to feel a little nervous too, because she could feel the stare from a couple of people.
”Okay class! We have a new student! This is—“She glanced over at Sara.
”Sara. Sara James.” Sara said quietly.
”Everyone this is Sara. She’s brand new to this class and school, so everyone be nice to her.”
”She can sit next to me!” A girl in the front row said.
”Okay. Sara, that’s Whitley. Like she said, you can sit next to her.” Sara nodded and walked over to the desk.
”Hi, I’m Whitley.”
”Hi. I’m Sara…well you know that.”
Sara and Whitley chatted off and on throughout class. At the end of the class, Sara looked down at her schedule with a confused look on her face. She got up and walked over to the teacher.
”Um, Ms. Hughes, I don’t know how to get here…um it says O hallway…I think.”
”Haha its okay. Um…hold on. Devin, what hallway are you going to next?”
”O hallway.” Devin said in reply.
”Can you show Sara then?” He smiled and said sure. Sara smiled as he led her out of the class.
In the crowded hallway, Devin guided Sara down the hallway by lightly holding onto her arm.
”Okay, this is O hallway. What class do you have?”
”Um…” Sara looked down at her schedule. “English…room…um...34 I think that says.” Devin looked down at the schedule.
”Oh, I have to go down that way too.” Devin led her to her class. Sara knew she had formed a slight friendship with him.
English went by fairly fast. After English, Sara had to go to Lifetime Wellness, whatever that is, the most she knew is that it was in the gym. Sara knew where that was because it was right across the hall from her Theatre class. When she got there she told the teacher the same exact thing she told every other one of her teachers.
Sara went and sat on the bleachers where the rest of the students were. She sat by herself, which didn’t surprise her. A few minutes later, a girl named Ally came in. She looked around at the people on the bleachers and saw Sara sitting by herself. She walked up and sat down next to her.
”Hi. I saw you sitting by yourself and figured since I don’t have any friends in here and you’re sitting by yourself, I’d come and sit with you. My name’s Ally.”
”Hi. My name’s Sara.”
”What grade are you in?”
”I’m a junior.”
”Cool. Me too.”
”Cool.” Sara looked down at her shoes and wished she hadn’t worn them. Her feet were killing her.
”Are you new here? I haven’t seen you around before.”
”Yeah, just started today.”
”Cool. Hmm, there should be some of my other friends in here. They’re probably at health. I should go get them.” Ally jumped up and went down the bleachers and told the teacher where she was going.
About 5 or 10 minutes later she came back with a group of kids with her. She walked back over to the teacher and told her who everyone is. While she was doing that, a girl who seemed like she was Sara’s age went and sat down in front of her.
”Ally tells me you’re new. My name’s Kelli.”
”Hi, my name’s Sara.” Sara shook Kelli’s hand and then they began talking. Kelli turned around and yelled to her friend.
”TJ!! TJ COME HERE!!” Sara wasn’t paying attention and was startled when there was someone suddenly sitting next to Kelli.
”TJ, this is Sara. Sara this is TJ.”
”Hi.” TJ said rather friendly.
”Hi.” Sara smiled at him and then went back to looking down at her shoes.
Throughout the rest of the period Sara sat with Kelli, TJ, and Ally and talked to them, happy to finally have friends.
When they were getting ready to go to lunch, someone who Sara knew she had seen already that day was standing at the bottom of the bleachers.
”Hi. I’m Kelli.” Kelli said to her.
”Brandon.” He shook her hand.
”This is Sara, she’s new.” He smiled at her.
”Hi Sara.”
”Hi.” Sara didn’t really know him, but could tell he was a really nice guy. Maybe it was because he was weird, or just by the way he said hi, she didn’t know, but she did know he was a nice guy, and that they would probably have a friendship formed before the end of the day.
At lunch, Sara sat with Kelli and TJ and some of their friends. She also saw Brandon and talked to him for a little while. By the time lunch was over, Sara finally felt better with being at a new school so far away from Massachusetts; the place Sara considered her home.
After lunch Sara had Algebra and Physical Science and then she could finally leave. It didn’t take Sara that long to find her Algebra class because it was in the same hall as her English class, only a few classes before. Sara made a friend in that class too, her name was Nickie. She seemed really nice.
At the end of the period Sara looked down at her map and tried to figure out how to get to her Physical Science class.
”Hmm…” She said to herself.
”What?” Nickie said looking over at her.
”How do I get to J hallway?”
”Oh, that’s on the other side of the school and downstairs.” Nickie looked at Sara’s schedule. “Head towards where your history class is and go down I hallway and then take the stairs at the end of the hall, that’ll take you to J.”
”Oh, thanks.”
”Yep, no problem.” Nickie smiled at her and then left the classroom.
It took Sara a while to find her Physical Science class, but she somehow managed to get there before the bell rang. Monica, a girl Sara became friends with in Theatre smiled at her as she walked in. Sara took a seat behind her. Two other girls took the seats that were next to them. Jessica and Kelly. Sara soon became friends with them too.
”This is probably the worst teacher you’re going to have.” Jessica said to Sara. By the end of the period, Sara agreed completely with her.
At the end of the period, Sara walked outside. She was going to go straight to her car when she saw some of her friends standing near a tree.
”Hey guys.” She said as she walked over to them. Ally, Kelli, and TJ all smiled at her. TJ introduced her to some of his friends and then all of them saw their bus.
”Well, we got to go.” Kelli said. “We’ll see you tomorrow!” They all waved and Sara was alone again. She decided to walk back to her car, well until a girl jumped in front of her.
”Hi! I’m making friends! My name’s Elizabeth, what’s yours?”
”Sara.”
”Are you new? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
”Yeah, I just started today.”
”Oh, well cool.” By this time, Brandon had walked over.
”See, I’m socializing.” She said to him with a big smile on her face.
”Yes, I see that.” He smiled at Sara.
”Hi.”
”You see, people like this,” She did an arm motion down her body. “and people like him are the people you should hang out with.”
Kelly and Jessica from her Physical Science class walked by and waved to Sara, and then gave Brandon a weird look and walked away.
”People like them, you shouldn’t.” Elizabeth said.
”They’re cooler than they seem. They’re in my Science class.”
”Oh, well whatever.” Elizabeth looked around. “What bus do you ride?”
”I don’t. I have a car.”
Brandon and Elizabeth shot her look of jealousy.
”Oh, well where do you live?” Elizabeth asked.
”Randall Lane…it’s in—“
”Lake Forest Estates. That’s where I live! Only not on Randall. I live close to it though!”
”Cool. Do you maybe want a ride home?”
”Nah, that’s okay. I’d feel bad for leaving my friend TJ here to take the bus. And my brother too.”
”I can drive them, its okay.”
”Maybe tomorrow.” Elizabeth smiled at her.
”Okay. Do you want a ride?” Sara turned to Brandon.
”Nah, I live a little bit out of the way for your drive home.”
”Oh, okay.”
Sara looked down at her shoes and then casually at her watch. 4:00. Whoa…it’s late.
”Well, there’s my bus! Sara, it was nice meeting you. I hope to see you tomorrow.” She waved and then said bye to Brandon and then ran off to her bus.
”I should probably get going too.”
”Okay. Take it easy.”
”Bye.”
Sara waved and then walked off to her car. Her first day of school was surprisingly good. She made new friends, lots of them for that matter, and got to her classes okay. Too bad something still didn’t feel quite right.
As Sara drove home, she listened to a mix CD her ex-boyfriend made for her before she left. It had songs that reminded him of Sara, songs that reminded Sara of him, and just songs that he had known Sara would love. Sara was happy with the friends she had made. Really, she was. But she couldn’t help wishing she was back home with him. She missed him so much.
As Sara drove by a street she saw a bus letting kids off and she saw Elizabeth get off. That’s when Sara realized it. Just because she’s so far away from all of her friends back home, doesn’t mean she can’t be happy down here too.
Sara grew a little more that day. The change her parents made for her might end up being okay, and she knew that, and just because she was so far away, doesn’t mean the friendships she has back home will die. They’ll just stay just as strong, maybe even stronger.

For once, Sara was looking forward to going to school.
For once, Sara was moderately happy.

the end