NOT AGAIN

By Sabrina Scoggin

I woke up with a damp towel on my head. My brother was sitting on a chair laughing at me.

“What?”

“Look at you. You’re such a drama queen.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look around Sammy, a throw up bowl, a wet towel over your head, Advil, Tylenol, ice pack and a hot water bottle. You woke up in the middle of the night again whining to mom that you were sick and you couldn’t go to your new school.”

“How did you know?”

“Mom.”

“ She came to my room this morning said, ‘ Jake. Sammy woke up in the middle of the night again and said she was sick. So don’t disturb her.’

I said ok and then came here.”

“Yeah, whatever. I am ok now. Now get out of my room. I have to get dressed.” Jake was right. I never like going to new schools. Our dad moves a lot for his job. So I go to a lot of new schools. I opened my closet door to see my beautiful clothes. But when the door opened my puppy jumped on me and I fell on the floor with a loud thump. My new pajamas were covered with hair and dirt.

“Ziggy,”

“Ruff, ruff, ruff.” I let Zig out to pee and then fed him some puppy chow. When I walked up stairs and went to get my clothes, I practically fainted. All my clothes were on the floor with Ziggy’s paw prints on them. All except my school uniform. I carried my clothes to my bathroom and put them on. I struggled to pull the tiny, uncomfortable, ugly black tights up my legs and onto my waist. When that was over I unzipped my dress and put it on. It wasn’t as hard as the tights but it was really itchy. So I took it off and put on a black tank top to match the dress. Then I put my dress on and started to brush my hair. I made two French braids and went downstairs for breakfast. I sat down with a loud humph.

“Mom, I don’t feel good.” My mom gave me this look that made me say,

“I am feeling better.”

“Good. Kids do you want waffles or pancakes?”

“Waffles,” I said.

“Jake.”

“Waffles, please.” Our mom set the food on the table and poured us orange juice. My dad sat down and started to read the daily paper. The slushing orange juice in my cup made my head throb. I touched the top of my head.

“Ouch,” I said out loud.

“Honey your head is bleeding!” My mom gasped.

“Sammy,” My dad said, “ How did this happen?”

“Don’t worry. Ziggy jumped on me and he scratched my head.” My mom got the first aid kit and put Neosporin on a bandage. It was not just a simple band-aid it was a huge pad with special tap to hold it on. There was nothing you could say except that I looked stupid. We ran to the bus so fast that our school shoes scraped the ground. I got onto the bus and sat in an open seat. My brother looked around and couldn’t find a seat.

“Hey bro.” said a kid that looked to be about 12 maybe 13. I could tell by his grammar and clothing style that he was from Hawaii. He still had the school uniform on but it was different.

“Hey you new here?” Said the Hawaiian kid.

“Ah... yeah.” Jake replied

“You need a seat bro?” My brother nodded his head.

“Come sit with us.”

“Thanks!” There I was sitting alone. We stopped 5 times before a girl about my age came up the stairs on the bus and asked if she could sit next to me.

I said “Sure.” We started talking. I told her about how I move a lot and the passed few schools were hard to make friends.

“I will be your friend.” Said Sarah

“Thanks.” There it was, even though I had a huge bandage on my head I had made a friend and so had my brother. That’s when a fashion diva entered the bus with her posse crew behind her. She was warring a hot pink dress with black leggings.

“Who is this?” She said pointing to me.

“Victoria, this is Sammy. She goes to Bridge School Middle School.” Sarah said.

“Hey doesn’t the school have a uniform dress code?” I asked hoping I was wrong.

“All except me.” Victoria walked away with her posse crew following behind.

“No, not again.”

“What.”

“I always get made fun of.” When I walked off the bus Victoria first commented about the bandage on my head and then pored apple juice on my front making it look like I peed my pants. That was it. I was tired of people making fun of me.

“Listen Victoria I don’t care if I just joined this school, I don’t care if I don’t know anyone here. But I am tired of people picking on me.”

“I guess you are right.”

“I am? I mean I am.” That was that. I stood up for my self and I was not being picked on any more. As I walked through the classroom door a foot stuck out and tripped me. I looked up and saw that Victoria girl smiling.

“Hey I thought we were cool!”

“Yeah right, you really think that I am going to stop picking on you?”

“Uh, that would be nice.”

“Dream on.” That was it I was going to get back at that Victoria girl. But I needed help. I told Sarah to met me at my house after school. We were going to give that Victoria a piece of our mind. We sat on my bed for hours thinking of a plan. It was useless. My brother entered my room with his friends.

“Hey, I heard you guys are trying to get back at Victoria.”

“Yeah.”

“You want help?”

“Thanks.” After we spent half an hour thinking up a plot, we were ready. When I got on the bus the next morning I went to a empty seat so Sarah and I could set next to each other. When we got off the bus, Jake and Jake’s friend Keanu met Sarah and I behind the school dumpster before school started. Keanu said every Tuesday Victoria comes late because she has violin lessons. This was the perfect opportunity. We set a bucket of water on top of the school entrance. So when Victoria stepped on the string in front of the door the water would fall on her front. That all happened when she walked through that door.

“What was that for?” She screamed.

“How’s it feel to be the one that’s humiliated?” Keanu said.

“Ok, that’s enough, you leave me alone I will leave you alone. Agreed!”

“Agreed.” I could tell it was going to be a great year…