Parallel Needs: Chapter One: Part One

MADDIE

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. I slammed my hand down to stop the loud ringing, for I had forgotten how loud it is. I looked to the right of me and read six o’clock am.

On this bright, cool breezed day I wish that I could do something other than go to school. But my day is booked; I’ll be sitting in a daft classroom. Sitting, staring off into”

My thoughts were interrupted when my younger brother barged into my room. Michael stands there in his khaki shorts and navy blue t-shirt. His shaggy, dirty blond hair poking up in every direction. He is standing up straight on my blue carpet, as he does when he is on official business for mom. He opens his mouth, getting ready to talk, showing his yellowish whitish teeth.

“Mom wants you for breakfast,” he began, sounding like he was already bored of this conversation. “She has to leave soon, so if you want waffles you have to get up.” He said this so calmly and normal, which came to me by surprise. He is usually wild, bouncing off the walls, giving snarky comments. But then I remembered that it was six am, and he’s tired.

I threw a pillow his way in response. We both know that that means five more minutes and get out of my bedroom, because we have given this answer several times. “Mom said if you want any trouble, I should go get her. And you know, Madison, that I would just hate that.” Now there is my sarcastic Michael.

He left the room knowing that I wouldn’t bother putting up a fight. I was reluctantly got up from my bright green covers and hobbled over to the closet. I pulled out black leggings and my orange t-shirt, with “Forty Reasons to get out of Bed this Morning”. They’re all answers like, “There’s food in the fridge.” I truly love the shirt.

I struggled to make my way down the stairs. The smell of blueberries and fluffy warm waffles gave me support as I made my way to the kitchen.

I entered the dull, cream room slouching. I got a running start and plopped my bottom down on the granite counter hard. I took my plate and started eating quickly.

“Are you nervous?” my mother asked me, helping me off the counter.

I walked to the table. I still haven’t got a clue and I sat on top of the wood.

“For what?” I asked still clueless.

“Maybe school, smart one,” Michael added.

“Oh yeah, that,” I mumbled. “No, not really.”

“Sure you are, you’re technically in high school?” said mom.

“I’m not nervous.” I got up and left the room, setting my plate in the dishwasher.

I walked back up the staircase, then entered bathroom. I looked into the mirror and noticed that I looked relatively like a zombie. I took the bright, blonde poof ball that I call my hair into my grasp. I combed it; I had to use some muscle to get the comb. Brushing my hair back into a ponytail, I realized that I actually was quite nervous for my first day of ninth grade. But the reason why I’m stressing isn’t because I’m nervous, it’s because I don’t know why.

*           *           *

I walked down the hall with my backpack on and enter the living room. Michael was sitting down on the floral rug in the living room doing heavens know what.

“What are you doing? We have to leave,” Maddie said.

“One second. I’m doing this.”

“Yep, because that totally answers my question.”

“Just wait.”

Maddie looked down at her watch, the dark lines tell me that it’s seven fifteen. I tap my foot for a few moments, but then gets tired of waiting and groans, “Come on, we’re going to be late. Will you please hurry?”

“We are not going to be late, because I held us back a few seconds.”

“Have you ever been on a bus? Let’s go.” I pulled him and walked in place for a few moments until he gave in and began to walk with me. He grabbed his backpack at the door and walked through the entryway.

*           *           *

Making my way towards the bus stop, I began feeling the butterflies in my stomach. I’ve always hated the bus, and I have good reasons too.

It all began in the third grade, with the horrible, Henry Roberts.

I was new at the school; my mom and dad had moved us to Arizona. On the first day of school I walked on the bus, and took a in the middle of the bus. A boy started down the hall, and

I was sitting with my feet out, because I was talking to the girl right next to me. The boy walked down then tripped right over my feet, he flew, and face planted. He turned at me in a rage. “Sorry,” I told him faintly. He was staring at me murderously. He whipped around and sat down by his friends.

The next day, I walked onto the bus. I went down the skinny hallway, then someone had tripped me. I turned and saw the boy that I accidentally tripped yesterday, he was pointing, and laughing. He had a big bruise on his nose. The blue spot made me feel guilty. I went to an open seat alone. Later I learned that his name is Henry Roberts. From that point on he has tortured me, by making me taste the dusty floor each day, by making me taste the floor each day.

Although he is the worst thing that has ever appeared to me. That first day I was tripped, my future best friend, Jane, came up to me and asked me if I was okay. We have been friends since that point on the bus; I technically have Henry to thank for it.

Jane Matthews is so, so awesome. She is just like me; only she is herself around people close to her. In public she is personal, and tries to stay on the down low. Except when we sit next to each other in classes, then there is no shutting her up, unless detention enters the equation. Jane is tall, with shoulder length, chocolate brown hair. And I meet her right after Henry had tripped me.

*           *           *

I walked fearfully onto the bus, this time knowing very well why I’m nervous. With my head drooping down, focused on the dusty black floor, not walking to draw any attention to myself. Walking very slowly, I think if I’d make to my seat without trouble. I seem very silly, thinking whether or not I’ll make it to my seat alive, hassle free. As if I was on a mission for my life, I think what could happen to me. I think of my future. Someday I’ll laugh at myself for ever being frightened of Henry Roberts, and his foot. I smiled. What’s going to happen?

“Hurry up,” Michael muttered. I realized that even though I have given myself the pep talk, I was still walking like a zombie. “Seriously Maddie, we’ll be in Tokyo by the time you get to a seat if you don’t walk any faster.” I picked up the pace.

I saw a free seat down the ways a little. I looked up from the floor and started walking, like nothing was troubling me. Which nothing was. But then it happened.

I knew it was going to come. The nuisance has tripped me again! I couldn’t take it. He had lost me my last nerve. “HENRY! You are an immature, little brat, who will never grow up! Guess what?! I tripped you, and it was an accident. But you didn’t get over it; you decided that the only way to go was to trip me too, every single day of your pathetic life! Get over yourself and let it go!” I felt a rush of relief as I said this, I stood up to that boy and it felt great for a whole two seconds. The third second I realized that all the luck that I have ever had, isn’t there. I opened my eyes and noticed that I wasn’t facing Henry Roberts; this was person a girl who looked nothing like him. She looked fairly decent.

I saw that Michael had walked up front to sit next a boy about his age, sure that he felt embarrassed for being my brother. I looked around at everyone, all of them staring at me. Even the bus driver was peeking at me through the mirror.

Moments like this, I really wish that the memory potion Michael and I made as a kid, actually worked the magic it was supposed to.

I turned awkwardly towards the girl I had freaked at. “I am so sorry for that. I thought you were somebody else. That was so uncalled for.”

“No worries. It seemed like whoever that was addressed to really deserved it.” She shot a glare at Henry, who was still laughing in the back of the bus. But I didn’t know how she knew who Henry was. “I’m Kyla, I just moved here from Cincinnati.” She extended her arm out.

I shook her hand, and took a seat next to her. She seemed overly happy about this. “I’m Maddie. I live over on 2300 east. I’m going into ninth grade,” I said. I felt like I was giving too much information away, but then I thought that was no harm in it.

We were talking for the rest of the ride there, and I glared at Michael for ditching me a couple of times. But I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to be weird girl’s sister, especially not wanting people to know that he was my sister before school even started.

*           *           *

I was walking off the bus, feeling free from all the staring eyes. I said bye to Kyla and went to the entrance. On the way up to the front doors, I noticed Jane wave vigorously at me. I made a weird face, because when your best friends with someone, there’s is no need for words. We hurried over to each other. Feeling refreshed that we have someone that we could finally poor our life out to. We walked close together, not wanting anybody to hear what we had to say. The conversation mostly contained of my horrible story, which happened on the bus. Together Jane and I walked into the school. And separated down the halls, to get to our lockers.

As I went to drop off my backpack, I took out my schedule to see what my first class was. Seeing that I had Geography, I twisted my head to make sure I knew where the class was. I got to my locker, and put my pack into it after taking out my books. I took my notebook, pencil and folder to down the hall and walked into the class.

On the whiteboard it said, “Welcome Back!” I looked down at a sheet of paper to find my disappointing school picture, which determined where I sat. I looked up and was happy to see Kyla was sitting to the left of my seat. I smiled and rushed to my seat satisfied.

“Hi Maddie, we meet again,” she said in a low voice. She smiled and laughed. I gave her a sympathy laugh, and took a deep breath, thinking that this was going to be a good year.

The bell rang. “Quiet down students,” Mr. Richmond hushed us.

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