Chapter 1: There's No Place Like Home

It was the last week of summer before the start of senior year. I had just arrived in town 2 days ago and was still working on unpacking all my earthly belongings... well at least all my earthly belongings that I could fit into 2 suitcases, a backpack, and a duffle bag.

I looked around at the room that was to be my new home for the next year. Mauve coloured walls, light wood furniture, a twin bed with violet flowered sheets and comforter, a small desk with a clear vase on one corner recently filled with daisies, and a small closet off to the side where my host family would inevitably try to pry through my things. It was a cute room I guess if you're into cute... which I'm not... honestly the sight of it made me want to vomit. If I was home I would have bulldozed this wretched room and gone extreme makeover on its ass, but I wasn't at home. I was here now and unless I wanted to be shipped out on the next flight home I'd have to behave like the good little girl I wasn't.

“Mom! I'm home!”

I heard the cheery sing-song voice ring out from downstairs. It was my host parents only daughter Alice. She was the same age as me, well maybe a few months older, but since we were in the same grade I got placed into her class when school started. Like I said before, I've only been here 2 days so I don't really know much about her other than she is definitely the kind of person who will get on my nerves. She's just so... so... nice... and happy... and totally fake. There's no way anyone can be that pleased with their life at 18, it's just not humanly possible. Something about her just doesn't add up to me and before the year is out I'm sure to find out what that is.

“Mom? Mom are you home? ... Mom?” She walked past my doorway before turning back and looking in. “Oh, hi Yuka! How are you doing? How's your unpacking going?” She leaned against the door frame allowing her perfect, long, straight, blond hair cascade over her shoulders. She smiled at me with her big blue eyes, long fluttery lashes, small button nose, tiny pink lips.. it was enough to make me feel sick... again.

“As well as can be expected when you've just uprooted your whole life and moved to a foreign country into a bedroom that is not and will never be yours, are surrounded by morons who look like Barbie, and no one will LEAVE YOU THE HELL ALONE!” Is what I would have liked to have said. Instead I chose to go with “I think I'm almost finished, just have a few things I need to find a place for.”

“That's great!” She replied enthusiastically, “Because I was thinking that you should come out with me and some of my friends tonight. We're having a little get together tonight as a 'goodbye summer' thing. It would be really fun if you could come.”

“Sure, that sounds nice.” I lied.

“Great! Jeremy is going to pick us up at 7.”

“Sounds fun, can't wait!” I gave her the thumbs up for emphasis.

“Oh, tonight's going to be great, I wonder what I should wear...” she trailed off as she walked toward her room.

I shook my head at the empty space she left in my doorway. Was it just me or did she seem like the type of person who dots their “i”'s with hearts? Meeting a bunch of her lame friends was the last thing I wanted to do right now, or ever for that matter, but playing nice with the locals was something I was going to have to get used to. Besides, talking about all the stupid things her friends will inevitably say will give me something to write my friends about back home. Tonight was going to be great all right, because tonight, tonight I was going to stir shit up.