CHAPTER I
Danielle
~~~~~
“Wake up, Danielle! Wake up!”
My mom shook me awake. I looked at my clock. It was 6:15 am.
“Why so early?” I asked sleepily.
“Your first day of fifth grade is today! Hurry! You don’t want to miss the bus, do you?”
I didn’t answer. She always wants me to hurry.
I rolled out of bed and got dressed in my favorite, worn out blue jeans and my new olive-green T-shirt.
I got downstairs and the kitchen felt empty. I ate my breakfast of jam and toast in silence.
“I miss Ryan,” I said. Ryan was my little brother that my dad took away when my parents got divorced.
“I know how you feel. That man had better not get drunk again.”
I forced a laugh. I didn’t really find it funny.
My mom smiled and looked up at the clock. “Six-thirty already! We need to go!”
I stood up slowly and quietly got my coat and backpack.
“I don’t know about this new school. It sounds a little shady. I mean, your teacher sounds okay, but that principal! I’ve heard a lot about him. He used to mug people when he was little.”
“We’ll see,” I said as we got to the bus-stop. There was one girl there, too. She was wearing a basketball uniform. The bus pulled up about five minutes later.
I got on. The bus driver was a tall, thin light skinned woman wearing a tight, light pink Baby Phat shirt and blue jeans. She looked like she was about 20.
I sat down in seat 3 and pulled my window down. I couldn’t see anything through the dirt and grime that seemed glued to the glass.
“I’ll tell you about it when I get home!” I called out the window.
“Remember, don’t talk to strangers after you get off the bus and call me if there is any trouble!”
"Whatever," I mumbled.
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