I know this is early, but I am going to edit all the chapters I've posted. My story seems to be falling apart, I would've deleted it, but I'll try and give it another go and edit all the chapters.

AN: New story. : ) In dire need of a new title. Review!

Life As We Know It, Sucks

I'm sorry
I can't be perfect.

-Perfect
Simple Plan

I wasn't a delinquent.

"How could you?! I can't believe you did that! And on your first day of school too!" my mom yelled at me in Japanese, bustling into the kitchen..

Believe me.

I slumped into a chair at the dining table, waiting out the lecture.

"Why did you do that, Norioko? Why'd you get suspended?! Now you'll have nothing! No career, no future!" my mom hollered from the kitchen, reverted back to my Japanese name.

I just made bad choices.

"You pushed a girl down the stairs!" she repeated my fault once again. "That is going on you permanent record!" she cried, stepping out of the kitchen.

Believe me.

Oh and note, I pushed a bunch of girls down the stairs.

"What if you got expelled?" she worried.

I am expelled, but I decided not to voice that out. For the sake of my mother's health.

"What if you're not going to get into Harvard! Then you'll have no future. No boss will want you now! Oh my god!" she stressed, pacing in front of me; back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Now she was just overreacting.

"Mom--" I started, but was interrupted by her.

"Oh my god, your dad! How will he react? Oh dear, oh dear.." she mumbled, running a hand through her gray and black hair. Then she turned away and walked back to the kitchen, the conversation presumed over.

I sighed and stood up. I padded through my carpeted house and into my room. I dropped onto my bed and grabbed my pillow. I stared blankly up at the white plaster ceiling, my eyes strangely dry. I usually would have been crying by now, begging for forgiveness.

"Life sucks!" I groaned, before abruptly smashing my pillow into my face; screaming loudly into the pillow and partially trying to suffocate myself.

Why did this have to happen?!

Why was I so stupid?!

Why was I so impulsive today?!

This morning...

I walked down the stairs, hoping today would have mercy on me. It was my first day as a sophmore.

But no, it was a Monday.

I glanced up and saw Tasha heading up the stairs.

Tasha, I scorned in my head. She was a total bitch, everybody hated her. Well, the girls did. But unfortunately, the guys fell for her large breasts and pretty baby blues. She was pretty much snobby and mean to everyone, but particularly me. It all started when I accidentally called her a bitch, and she accidentally heard. She's been hating on me ever since freshman year.

I averted my eyes and prayed that she wouldn't notice me.

But no, it was a Monday.

She saw me.

"Why if it isn't the chink?" she snorted to her cronies.

Mind, I forgot, she has cronies 24/7 that come to her many needs. They, of course ,laughed, in a high and annoying way. It would drive anybody up the wall.

I kept my eyes avert and my anger in check, ranting in my mind and glaring at the ground. Though I was really tempted to say, no yell that I was Japanese, not Chinese! But I shut my mouth, and held it all in.

"Chink-ity Chink Chink!" she chimed, leering as I pressed myself up against the wall.

Breathe.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

My hand were itching to wrap around her pretty neck, itching to choke the voice out of her.

"Come, friends. We should leave others as they should be." she sighed, batting her eyelashes prettily and hooking arms with the girls around her. "Go back to where you belong, chink. You don't belong here." she said, her tone turning serious.

I still stared at the ground, hoping it would open up and swallow Tasha and her group.

She started heading up the stairs, painfully elbowing past me.

And before I knew, my hands had somehow grasped onto her wry shoulders and I had pulled her down. I stared wide-eyed as a chain reaction happened; Tasha fell first, and as she tumbled, I realized that she still had her arms hooked around her cronies. I gaped, horrified and shocked as the bunch tumbled down the stairs, their own shocked eyes looking back at me.

I pounded profusely at the hollow mattress.

Damn it! Why did I do that?!

I punched it harder, hoping either I or Tasha could feel the pain.

I groaned mournfully, I'm in such deep trouble.

Suddenly, I shot up as I heard the front door open.

"I'm home!" he greeted loudly.

Then I heard my mom approach him, followed by my parent's hushed whispers. I winced when I heard my father exclaim loudly.

Oh god. I'm going to die now. I gulped nervously as I heard thundering footsteps storm through the house. It was coming up the stairs now, I could hear my mom's light steps and her voice trying to calm my father.

I gulped again, and hoped it would take him longer to get into my room. It was at the end of the hall!

But no, it was a Monday.

My door burst open in a matter of seconds with my father's angry red face glaring at me, "How could you?! HOW CAN YOU BE SUSPENDED ON YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL?!" he bellowed.

I tried to breathe normally through my frazzled nerves. Then I stupidly summoned up my courage, "Um, I was expelled." I informed them, smiling nervously.

Okay, now I was going be killed. Skinned alive and roasted into some bitter herbal thing. But they shall keep my ears. So they can complain about my school fees and about moving because I got to expelled.

Note, these are the parents that searched through the Los Angeles area just to find a decent priced gas station.

"What?!" both my parents exclaimed at the same time. My mom gaped at me from behind my father while my father just grew angrier and angrier.

"You ungrateful child! How could you do this?! Now you are garbage!! NO SCHOOL! NO COLLEGE! NO JOB!!" he yelled at me.

"I..."

"After we raised you to be a good child! This is how you repay us?!?!" he yelled some more.

"I'm.."

"We are very disappointed in you." my mother added sadly.

"I'm very sorry, father." I apologized sadly in Japanese. "I"m sorry, mom." I bowed down to them deeply in apology.

I'm still going to suffer a long and torturous death.

My father had finally calmed down, he only grumbled something angrily under his breath and left. My mother stayed behind, standing at my door. She glanced at me sadly, in disappointment, before closing the door and leaving.

I felt a pang of guilt and shame. I stared hard at the ground, then I felt something wet drip down my chin. I touched it, tears! I sniffed loudly, trying to hold them in. But the tears came more merciless now, like rivers. I covered my face, sobs finally wracking my body. The tears came at last.

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Later at dinner, I sat nervously at the table after scrubbing my face clean of tears. I glanced fearfully up at my father, his stern face was set straight. But I could tell he was still angry, I could see the vein on his forehead pulse violently.

I sighed sadly and glanced at my bowl of rice. I picked at it, not hungry at all.

The entire dinner was awkward and uncomfortable. My twelve year old brother fidgeted obliviously under the tension in the room. He glanced curiously between my father and I.

After dinner, my mom picked up our plates. That was when my father cleared his throat.

Rather loudly too.

I reflexively tensed, thinking he was going to announce my punishment.

But no, he only did what he usually did after dinner.

"Gochisoosama. Thank you for this meal." he said gruffly.

It was a Japanese tradition thingy, like saying grace before eating. Only, my dad does it after eating.

My relief was visible, but that still didn't ease my worries. I knew he had something in plan. Something horrible, I bet.

My brother ran off first, silently announcing that dinner was dismissed. And I followed him shortly after, feeling joyous to get out of the dining room and sad that I knew I will be facing something terrible in the future.

I sighed deeply and trudged down the hall. Then I was abruptly pulled by my arm, and into my brother's room.

My little brother shut his door and took no time to ask, "What happened?"

Curious brat.

I sighed, "I got expelled."

He gaped at me for awhile.

"Wow."

Yes, it is a big shock. See, I'm usually a straight A student. I'm perfectly normal, except my obsession with volleyball and my overwhelming shyness. I have never gotten in with the 'bad groups' or gotten into a fight, until now. I didn't dress funny either, no weird piercings or make-up at all!

My expulsion has shocked both my family and everyone that knows me. Which is few, because of my shyness bordering antisocial.

I wasn't that kind of shy, the girl who blushed whenever she saw anybody. I was just the girl who didn't like people. More like peoplephobia.

I've been that way since I was young, the girl hiding behind her mother at the park. The little girl swinging on the swings by herself. The one everybody left alone. I only had one friend, and that was my best.

After leaving my brother's room, my brother's curiousity satisfied. I plopped onto my bed, my personal phone in hand. I had my phoneline, which I was very happy about.

I flipped it open and dialed her number.

"Hello Alice." I greeted with a sigh.

"Wassup, homie." she replied, "I can't believed you got suspended."

"Yes." I agreed, "I'm feel so bad for pushing Tasha down the stairs."

"Hey! She deserved it! I was laughing so hard when she was taken away on the ambulance with that neck thingy." Alice laughed, I could practically see her grinning through the phone.

"Oh Alice." I smiled, grateful that she was my friend.

"So, how're you holding up?" her perky voice asked me.

"Well, my dad is planning something. I definitely know that." I replied cheerily, even though inside I was tearing myself up with anxiety.

"You're scared, huh?" she asked, knowingly.

"Yes." I said shakily. "Monday is the most horriblest day on earth!" I groaned.

"Aww, you want me to come over? My mom just baked brownies." she offered.

"No, I doubt you could. Under these circumstances, if you're caught, both of us will get into big trouble." I declined sadly. "Although, can you send a brownie?" I asked hopefully.

Did I mention that Alice was my next door neighbor?

Alice laughed out loud. "Nicole, you and your sweet tooth."

I went to my window which was adjacent to hers. I waved, seeing her on the phone. I pulled open my window and hung up the phone.

"Hello Alice." I whispered loudly to my auburn haired friend.

"Hello!" she greeted, smiling warmly. She held up a piece of saran-wrapped chocolate cake.

I smiled widely, "Thanks a bunch."

She tossed it to me, across eight feet of grass and fence. I gratefully unwrapped it and started munching on it.

I loved sweets!

"Look, I've gotta go now. Bradley wants to go with me to the carnival. Sorry." Alice said, ducking her head in apology.

"Don't worry. Do whatever you want with your boyfriend, all I need is my brownie." I replied toothily.

Alice giggled, "Okay, bye!" She closed her window and I couldn't see her anymore. I saw the light close and I was left alone with my brownie.

I leaned against the window, glancing up at the night sky. It was pretty dark here, with no streetlights and all. The stars twinkled lightly in the dark blue sky. I sighed and wondered what tomorrow would bring.

I could hear Alice leave the house and a car drive away, then everything was quiet.

"Yup. It's just you and me, brownie." I sighed to my piece of chocolatey goodness.

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The next morning was horrible.

I woke up late, being that I had no school. My father and brother was long gone, leaving only my mom and me.

My mom scolded me for waking up at such a time and gave me breakfast.

Then she handed me a list of chores. "Do those before your father comes home." she had ordered.

I guess it was as a punishment or something, but that list was long. I started at the top, which was scrubbing the floors.

Thankfully, most of our house was carpet except our dining room and kitchen.

After I had finished my scrubbing, my mom scowled at the excess water I had left on the floor and told me to mop it up. Which I exhaustedly did.

Then there was vaccuming; dear lordy, that was hell. I had to lug a fifteen pound vaccum around the house, up the stairs and down, through every room and back, only to be scowled at for not doing a good job.

My mom was seriously trying to kill me.

So I had to redo the vaccuming, then I had the laundry, ironing, and cleaning the bathroom.

By the time my brother came home from school, I was sweating and halfway getting the laundry done.

"Holy moley, remind me never to get expelled." my brother whistled when he saw me.

I gritted my teeth and continued taking out the hot laundry. As if Los Angeles wasn't hot enough.

But gratefully, by the time my father came home, I had finished all of my penalty chores.

I had also managed to squeeze a shower in between that time, to wash away the heat and the sweat.

But during this whole day, I haven't seen my mom smile once. She kept looking at me with a grim face, but I guess any parent would look at their child like that when they got expelled.

I sighed and tiredly slumped onto the chair. Lovely dinner was being served.

My dinner was as bad as the last. I was left to suffer in my father's scorned silence, so I didn't have much of an appetite.

But during dinner, my dad did something that surprised me.

He cleared his throat and put his chopsticks down, "I have an announcement regarding Norioko's expulsion." he told us.

"Norioko, since you will not be able to attend any schools in the district." he scoffed. "I will be sending you to a boarding school." he said.

I gaped, what?

"This option was gratefully offered to me from a work friend. He helped me fill in applications that I sent in already." my father said happily.

I sighed, I knew something bad was going to happen.

"Note--" my father's sharp tone snapped through my thoughts. "-This cost me a generous amount of money." he warned, so I had better turn out good. "This school is supposedly a very good school. It will teach you better manners and better thinking."

"It is a dorm school, so you will have to be moving in. I adivse that you go pack." my father said.

Oh my god, I'm being sent to a dorm school. I don't even know where it is. How will Alice react? Oh man..

"Now." he snapped, making me feel unwanted at the table.

I shot up and trudged up the stairs to my room.

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AN: Yeah. A little messy at the end, I know. You have no idea how many times I have deleted this chapter, I kept wanting to write it but never really succeeding. Well now I am. I hope it will be good. I got it from Hana Kimi, an awesome manga. You should try it. Its not exactly copying, it just inspired me. Well, review.

Note: if you are slightly offended by the fact that I am using the Asian stereotype. Then leave. Please, I don't want any flames. I, myself is Asian, so yesh. XP

I am not going low. I am not insulting my own, ethnicity. So okay? Okay.