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Chapter Two
“Good morning, juniors. For those of you who aren’t familiar with me, my name is Bridget Folio, Ms. Folio to you”
The lady in the front continues, “Today should be easy for you all, but I can’t promise it will always be. You will get a paper with a series of questions on it ranging from academics to personal life and I expect you to answer and turn them in at the beginning of class tomorrow.”
“Personal life is, not easy, scary,” Margaret remarks under her breath.
Margaret jumps at the sound of a boy’s voice. “Hey, do you have a pen I could borrow?”
“Oh, um yeah sure,” Margaret fumbles in her bag for a spare pen. She handed it to him, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment realizing its the boy in the cardigan.
Cautiously, the brown-haired boy leans over to her and whispers, “Thank you,” flashing her another grin. Margaret can’t help but smile back.
She quickly looks back at the front of the room. Ms. Folio has started to hand out the sheets. As she grabs for the paper she reads “What is your favorite subject in school and why?” Margaret begins to write her answer. She finishes moving on to the next question. “What activities do you enjoy outside of school?” This one takes her a bit longer to answer, but she eventually writes down her love for shopping, tennis, fashion, and reading.
The last question printed is the hardest: “What do you find most challenging in your life right now?”
As the class period comes to an end, Margaret places her paper in her folder, feeling a mix of nervousness and curiosity about what Ms. Folio will think of her answers. She looks over at the brown-haired boy, who is writing a lengthy answer to one of the questions. Margaret catches his eye and she gives a nervous smile. The corners of the boy's mouth turn up into a smile that reveals dimples.
The bell sounds.
Margaret grabs her bag and swings it over her shoulder. As she is walking out the door. Folio’s voice stops her.
“Hey, you’re Margaret aren’t you?”
“Yes that’s me,” she says, turning on her heels.
“Well, I wanted to welcome you to Apple Valley High. I think you will find enjoyment here.” Mr. Folio pauses. “AP Lit is a great class. You will do well. I have seen a few things of your last years work from Benjamin Private Academy. I’m looking forward to teaching you this year.”
Margaret was surprised that her teacher had seen her previous work.
“Thank you very much, Ms. Folio; I’m delighted to be here and to be a part of this community.” Margaret lies through her teeth.
“Well, I’m pleased to hear it,” Ms. Folio replies.” And please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, concerns, or problems about this class or settling in here. We hope to be like a second home to you.”
Margaret nods. “Thank you. I’ll keep it in mind.”
She quickly rushes out of the classroom, relieved that the exchange is done. She knows she doesn’t belong at Apple Valley High, but she’s focused on making something out of nothing and maintaining the appearance of a normal student. But the incidents that contributed to her family’s relocation continue to haunt her, and she wonders if she can ever truly feel at home again.
As she walks down the hall, Memories fill her mind, transporting her to a carefree past before everything got so painful. She remembers wonderful times spent with her family including her dad and the fun she had with friends along with other great childhood experiences.
Except as she continues passing from room to room, her thoughts get darker. She recalls her parents’ fights, the sadness of broken relationships, and the stress of responsibilities.
She tries to push such thoughts aside, to concentrate on this moment, her first day at a new school, a brand new start. Despite everything, life can be lovely. But sometimes the bad moments seem to outnumber the good, and she wonders whether she’s simply deceiving herself.
Margaret moves into her next lesson, trying to shake her gloomy thoughts. She looks around the room, no one from her previous class is in the room. Determined to stay focused she grabs a notebook and a pencil.
The second the bell signaled the start of the class, the physics teacher strode to the front of the room and began speaking with authority about vectors and force. Margaret scrambled to start notes.
As the class progresses, she forgets her past thoughts and goes back to her educational mindset.
Margaret had developed herself into an outstanding, high-achieving, and exceedingly hardworking student. Her teachers admired her for her continuous efforts, and she managed to obtain Straight As well taking all Honors and AP classes.
Margaret's best friend constantly teased her for being a teacher's pet.
The friends had plans for tutoring freshmen students together during their junior year, but the unexpected turn of events changed everything. Margaret's life was plunged into chaos when her father's negligent decisions damaged her life.
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