Young Writers Society

There, she saw herself looking back at her. She was an attractive 12 year old. So, she wasn't paticularly pretty. She wasn't ugly either. She looked at the reflection of herself in the mirror- high cheek bones that ascended up the side of her face and thin lips that were pressed tightly together. Plain, but decent clothes, and long shiny brown-golden hair that just hung loose down her back and gleamed in the bathroom light.

She sighed. First day of her first period of her first year in middle school. The next station along the road was math class. Room 208, advanced math, with Miss Clarke who was young, perky, preppy, and nice. Just as Dawn had hoped. She had met her a week ago when it was "Meet the Teacher" Day. Now, before the class even started, Dawn knew advanced math would be her favorite subject at Ridgebrook Middle.

Peeking another swift glance at herself, Dawn readied herself and marched confidently out of the bathroom and into the hall. Many other kids were looking at her and Dawn felt awkwardly embarassed. She felt her arms and legs jerk stiffly as she walked, looking down at her new beaded flip-flops, cheeks glowing and turning crimson by every bouncy step she took.

No new friends yet, she thought. Her parents had decided to move from Ohio to New York. Suddenly, her life was flipped upside down and turned inside out. The last she remembered was waving at ther friends at the airport as her mom cried silently and her parents pulled her away from her sadness and onto the airplane.

The classroom was still empty. Except for the blonde cutie. Dawn's temples pulsed as her handed fluttered up to her head to smooth out her hair. No Miss Clarke? Just this pretty blonde girl who sat confidently in the chair in the back, arranging her supplies? Dawn silently prayed someone else would come into the classroom and break the quirky silence.

Dawn took a seat in the third row next to the window. She wouldn't be completely bored looking out the window. Then another girl and four boys suddenly ran into as the clock ticked loudly, urging them to take their seats. Dawn eyed them carefully. The girl had shoulder length, straight black hair. No, she had not been in Dawn's class before that morning. The boys weren't familiar either. She sat next to her best friend-the blonde chick.

Dawn sat nervously in her chair, legs crossed and arms in her lap. she was done arranging supplies. The blue math notebook sat impatiently on her desk. The pages were so empty. the rows and rows of lines that filled the pages screamed up at her to scribble out the math equations and problems. Her 5 pencils were placed carefully on her notebook. all pointy and new, the smell of fresh wood shavings. New day anxiety wafted like an aroma around the squeaky clean classroom.

Finally the bell rang and Miss Clarke, dressed nicely in a light blue sparkly blouse and denim skirt, came into the room, high heels clicking on the clean first-day tiled floor. Large hoop earrings dangled by her face and her hair was pulled back elegantly with a clip. No bright red lipstick and that was good. Mrs. Wood, her social studies teacher had bright red lipstick that was dry and cracked, caked and plastered onto her lips that distracted everyone from their work. Miss Clarke's soft gloss was so much better. Dawn drew in a breath. A good sign so far. "Good morning class!" Miss Clarke said happily, as if she'd never want to be anywhere else. She was bright and enthusiastic and cheery.

The rest of the class loosened up and turned their heads nervously to look at others. The blonde cutie just seemed self-absorbed and spent the first few minutes fussing with her outfit, her hair, her nails, and her sparkly notebooks and matching sparkly pencils. Totally girliegirl. How smart would she be, wondered Dawn?

Miss Clarke started out by informing us about advanced math for 6th grade and we got a chance to ask questions. Turns out that the blonde cutie was Lea-Katy Rachel. The other girl was Jessica Hutcherson, Lea-Katy's best friend, who was also pretty chick herself. The boys were Mike Ronald, Sam Hans, Ryan Tyke, and Zack White.

Dawn tried with all her effort to pay attention to Miss Clarke and math but all she wanted to do was take in Ridgebrooke Middle. Afterall, this was the start of a new life in New York City!

Dawn was not surprised when she found out that Lea-Katy and Jessica were of the "higher-level" at the school. People, other girls especially, looked up to them. They were part of the popular crowd, and Lea-Katy and Jessica as well as their other 5 friends, casually made their way down each hallway with confidence. All of them had stick straight hair, dangly earrings, and cute clothes. Dawn, simply, who was unique and attractive herself, was not impressed.

She had started to loosen up as she walked down the hallway. She was building up her new, comfortable and confident stride. People always seemed to notice her. Today, people stared at her long honey colored hair and swayed like willows in the wind, and her first-day outfit. Simple, casual, preppy, and pretty, in her own way.

At the end of the day, Dawn actually felt that life in New York City and school at RidgeBrook wouldn't turn out to be so bad...