Chapter two

 

 

I had no idea, how I was going to go to Public School... Worse yet! TWO Public Schools! Or maybe just one, I wasn't sure at the moment.

 

But I have to admit, I was more concerned for my siblings. I was sure that they'd have a harder time then I would, and I didn't want anything to happen to them. Sandro was going to have the easiest time... well maybe? He was sort of violent, and both my mom and I were afraid that he'd push many kids over and be kicked out of Day Care.

 

Well, before I start my first history lesson, I think you need a quick History class first!

 

 

My father and mother met at a young age. They fell in love, had me, got married, and found out that money actually mattered in real life. My father drew a painting, it was quickly bought and put in a museum of art. So we had that money for a while. Urian was born and my parents decided that my father should get a job. He applied for movie animation, which gave him a lot of money, and he has been very busy with that ever sense. That is probably the reason they divorced. I knew that my mother hated it when my father would come back at midnight and always seemed to be away for work and not share time with us... The times he did have off work, it was like month breaks.

 

So now you have the background story, lets get back to my torture!

 

 

 

“Uri!” I called out for Urian

 

“What?!” He called back from his bed.

 

“Get up! It's almost time for our first day in... in Hell!”

 

Urian moaned, rolling over unto his stomach and burying his head into his squishy pillow, “I hate my parents!”

 

“Oh come on Uri! Look on the bright side...” I paused, trying my best to think what the bright side was. Honestly, there were none, but I didn't want my siblings to give up hope. The last thing a big sister wants, is for their siblings to be sad and to hurt, “You'll make new friends!”

 

He moaned and when he spoke again, I knew by his voice that he was starting to cry, “I hate friends! I hate everybody!”

 

“Do you hate me?”

 

“No... You know what I mean Hestia!” He growled and breathed shakily.

 

“Sorry, well... get up! Get dressed and get downstairs.” I left him and walked downstairs, waking up Rhodelia and Tony on my way. Thankfully Sandro was already dropped off at Day Care, when mother went to work. So I only had the rest to round up out of bed, which I didn't mind too much.

 

“I can't wait to meet some one!” Rhodelia exclaimed, slipping on a t. shirt, “I'm so glade we don't have to wear uniforms like the movies make kids do! Aren't you Hestia? How about you Tony? Oh never mind! I'm so excited! Everybody says that Public School is awful, but I think it will be great to meet new friends... and we can learn better math skills!”

 

If there was anything my siblings were good at, it was math. They knew much more then me (for a reason, sense I didn't really do math so much... I was freaking out about going to my math class... sense I had no idea what was what signs and symbols), I was more into Astronomy and philosophy, ancient history and literature!

 

“Oh yeah! It will be fun...” Tony said in an unenthusiastic voice.

 

I was surprised by him, sense he was usually the one to be like Rhodelia. They were both the jumpy, annoying and talkative types. Rhodelia seemed to be ecstatic about everything that would benefit her and make her happy and Tony was the same.

 

“What the glum mood? What's the matter Tony?” I asked, pouring a bowl of cereal for Urian.

 

“I don't want to go to school... I don't want mommy and daddy to be separated! I liked it when mommy would stay home!” Tony said, pouting, his head resting on his folded arms that were on the counter-top.

 

I sighed sadly, “It'll be alright! We'll all be alright!” I doubted my words as soon as they were spoken, but sadly I couldn't take them back, “But you know what... I'm sad to! We need to be strong though and look on the bright side! It might actually be a good thing!” I said, really trying to believe it myself.

 

“How could it ever be a good thing?!” Urian complained behind me.

 

I was getting tired of this dreary talk, and I really didn't want to feel bad anymore. The bad feelings had been locked away for today, and my siblings were not helping by poking the feeling around in its cage, “Enough!” I nearly yelled at everyone, “Enough talk! We will have a good day! And we will not talk about this anymore! No point of dwindling on such matters.”

 

Rhodelia giggled and whispered to Urian, “She's been reading Jane Austen!”

 

Rhodelia giggled and Urian chuckled halfheartedly.

 

I was a bit angry, but I let it slide. At least they were laughing! That was a good sign...

 

There was a honk from outside and I knew that the bus had come to pick us up, which really was ridiculous, sense the school was just a block away, but mother had insisted on us traveling to school safely. In my perspective, walking was the safer option! Think about it, no seat belts, lots of kids, and not really quick brakes! Next time I got the time, I'd talk to my mother about it.

 

“Oh!” I exclaimed in surprise and rushed around, getting on every bodies shoes and backpacks and lunch.

 

“Hurry!” Urian yelled grabbing Tony's hand and leading him out.

 

I was really relieved to find out that we were all in the same school facility. That made it easier for my mother and me.

 

“Odel!” I called for Rhodelia to hurry up with her friendship cards she had made the night before.

 

“Coming!” She called shoving them into her stuffed backpack.

 

I groaned and raced out the door, not forgetting my purse that I brought everywhere.

 

We climbed aboard and had to find a seat in the very crowded and noisy bus. Kids of all ages sat. Oldest in the back and youngest in the front.

I saw Tony sitting in the third row, with some other six year old's. Urian was sitting in the seventh row, only just sitting on the seat next to two rambunctious and loud twelve years old's. Rhodelia skipped forward and asked if it was okay if she sat next to some girls around the same age as her- nine and a half(Apparently the “Half” counts in something now a days!)- and they were all very quiet and shy looking, next to Rhodelia the attractive, active butterfly, they looked like secluded, shy spiders. I kept on walking down the rows, and stopped at the one that looked around my age and that seemed to have room. Sadly it was next to a boy who eagerly wanted me to sit next to him. I sighed and sat uncomfortably next to him, trying my best to scoot as far to the edge as I dared.

 

“Hi!” He said grinning.

 

I nodded politely, then thought better of ignoring him, sense it was said between public schooler's that home schooler's were unsocial. I really hated that assumption so I returned a friendly hello.

 

“Are you new?” He asked.

 

“Yes... you?”

 

“No, I've been in this school sense fourth grade!”

 

I paused for a bit, trying to remember which grade I was going to exactly, “What grade are you in now?”

 

“Tenth.”

 

I hesitated, I sort of remembered that my mother said I was going into eighth or ninth, but definitely not tenth, “Oh... I think I'm in Eighth... I think?”

 

His eyes widened, “You can't be Fourteen!”

 

“I am!” I assured him.

 

“Your kidding!” He said looking at me with amazement.

 

“No... I'm not... I'm just tall for my age,” I said with a sigh.

 

“Oh...” He said looking into the distance, I guess still puzzling over my age.

 

“Are you... Sixteen?”

 

“Fifteen,” He said grinning proudly.

 

“Oh... What's your name?” I asked, at least I'd get his name before I was kicked into another row because of my age.

 

“Terrence, but I like to be called Rince,” He said, his cheeks reddening.

 

“That's a nice name!” I tried, though it was sort of odd answering to some bodies name, “I'm Hestia.”

 

He cocked his eyebrow, but turned away, hiding his amusement, “That's... Different.”

 

I was silent as we came up on the school, so far, this first meeting was awkward and I didn't like it. Was it always so hard to talk to people without some one or something being made fun of, including your own name!

 

^^^^^^

 

I walked out of my class, appalled. I had never, never, suspected how bad it would be. The teacher was totally disconnected from the class, at their mercy. It was disgusting to see how they disrespected him and didn't pay attention. The teacher was afraid of them and was afraid of giving detention to the people who needed it... severely! More then once I had to ask what the teacher was saying, because he kept on mumbling. I had to correct him in his lecture and that was totally embarrassing, sense he warned me if I corrected him again in front of the class, I'd go to detention. In the middle of the class, a boy stood up and walked out of the room, without any permission and any excuse and the teacher... He did NOTHING!

 

I walked to my new locker, which I had just learned the code to. The lockers were all ocean blue and had vents in them, which made me wonder if some people got locked up in them. They seemed to be tall enough. I opened it and took out my backpack, putting in my sheet of getting-to-know-you homework, that all students seemed to have to fill.

 

“Hestia!” Urian called, skidding to a halt in front of me, “Get me out now!”

 

“Uri? What are you doing on this side of the school?!” I asked in amazement, “What's wrong? Are there bullies?”

 

“No! Worse! There's history and English language!” He whimpered.

 

I had to smile, “Oh come on Uri! That's not so bad! It can't be any worse then Math! Which... I'm about to go to now!”

 

Urian frowned, “Math isn't hard Hestia! Not if you actually learn how to do it!”

 

I frowned this time, “Go back!”

 

“But!”

 

“Back!” I pointed.

 

“Hestia!”

 

“GO!”

 

“Fine!” He stomped away, then started running when he saw the time on the wall.

 

I looked at it myself, and wished I had took more time learning how to read the clock hand. That was the first thing on my list to get accomplished this term.

 

^^^^^

 

Make that the.... six hundredth and eighty first things on my list I wanted accomplished this term.

You wouldn't believe how many things you could learn... while outside of class!

 

“Hey new girl!” called a girl from my class. She had dyed topaz hair, tipped with turquoise, which I realized was the schools sport team colors.

 

There were two other girls behind her, one with natural red hair but the ends of her hair were dyed green, and the other girl had dirty blond hair, dyed pink at the scalp and ends.

 

All of them wore tons of make-up, mascara that seemed to have been poured unto their eyelashes and sparkly dark blue eyeshadow. Their lips were covered in a dark brown lipstick that seemed to be mixed with a dark red, but the lipstick seemed to be an inch thick and just put on.

 

“Yes?” I asked, my lip trembling with the effort of not laughing. I knew that if my Homeschooling friends saw them right now, that we would all turn our heads and giggle hysterically.

 

She girl that had called out to me came now, , “Hi! I'm Aubrey!”

 

“Nice to meet you! I'm Hestia!” I said shaking her hand.

 

She looked at her hand, as if I had touched it with something dirty or something, “Nice to meet you too... I'm the head basketball player on the girls team.”

 

I nodded, “Neat! I was home-schooled... so I don't really know much off Public Schooling life.”

 

Her eyes widened in surprise, which must have been hard with all the make-up she had on, “Wow! Really! That's like... really cool! So did you really live like a hermit?!” She asked.

 

I laughed, “No! Actually, I used to live like a wild boar... not much different from public schooler's really,” I couldn't help it. The insult slipped out of my mouth before I had time to think.

 

Aubrey's face contorted into a look of hatred and anger, “Oh really!? Well... at least we don't hide away from the world!”

 

“Who said we did? And who says you have to be obnoxiously in every bodies face all the time?” I knew it was a weak insult, but at least it worked well.

 

She gasped in disgust, “Ugh! We are not in peoples faces!”

 

“Ha! What do you call this then?” I asked, grinning. For some reason, it felt really good to argue. I had never had so much fun arguing! Well... I didn't really have good arguers to argue with! It was fun to test your brain, to see how witty you could be. Like a good (free and online) S.A.T test... Don't ask! What!? They're fun!

 

She turned and stomped away.

 

I starred after her, upset that it had to end there.

 

“Woh!” Said a boy from behind me.

 

I turned with surprise.

 

“Can you teach me that!?” A boy, a little smaller then me (but probably the same age as me) with long brown hair (When I mean long, I mean... the twentieth century hairstyle that is in their eyes all the time and looks like a bowl just curled out... a little? Oh! You know what I mean!) and baggy pants stood smiling.

 

“What?”

 

“You just ticked off the AHH!”

 

“What!” I exclaimed, turning around to see why he was scarred.

 

He laughed, “That's what we call that group of girls, because of their first initials! Aubrey, Hannah and Holly, A.H.H... Get it?”

 

I had to laugh, “Yeah I get it now! Ha! That's funny!”

 

He laughed along with me, “My names Aaron, what's yours?”

 

“Hestia.”

 

“Greek Goddess of the Hearth and home, means 'Star'” He said smiling.

 

I gaped, amazed that some one would know all that, “Yeah! And you're name means...” I thought back, “Enlightened, or Messenger...”

 

He grinned, “You should so join our literature group!”

 

“Don't they call them flicks... or clicks? Or something?” I asked.

 

He smiled, “Well... I guess you could call it a flick... but really its a social group. So, want to join?”

 

I had to think for a moment, then nodded, “Yes!”

 

“Great!”

 

“How did you know about the mythology?” I asked as we walked along in the cafeteria.

 

“Oh... well I liked it a lot... how do you know about Mythology?” Aaron asked.

 

“I liked it too... So... Do you guys... have meetings? Or is there activities?” I asked sitting at a table that Aaron pointed out.

 

“Oh yeah! We have a Gmail Group, and we have a Gmail Chat room! An email to tell of activities and book lists!” He said excitedly, chewing his ham and cheese sandwich.

 

I tried not to gag at the smell of the room, and the many thoughts of germs I was having, “Oh... Neat... What are the activities?”

 

“Oh we do lots of different things... study a certain author, or go to an authors home... or grave... we also get together and discuss issues in writing. Sometimes we even do writing contests. Oh yeah! We have a newsletter and newspaper too!” He finished his sandwich and started on some fruit strips.

 

“Neat!” I was silent for a long time, really trying my best to eat and not get too disgusted with my surroundings. Before long, I had to get up and walk outside to a nearby bench. I tried finishing my lunch, but I had lost my appetite.

 

“You okay?” Aaron asked as we walked to class.

 

“Yeah,” I said, “Just... really gross in there.”

 

“Oh...” He frowned, “I get it... sort of?”

 

“Please take your seats!” Called our history teacher, who was also the principle.

 

I felt confident, this time, I was sure, that the teacher would not be reluctant to give detention. She would have rules, and would not be scared of the students.

 

I was correct, but not in the right way.

 

She picked on every single boy and girl. Pushing their minds to exhaustion, to the point that I felt bad for them. .. and myself.

 

“Miss Duntson! Who was the our twentieth president?” She asked me.

 

This was the one thing I had not learned in history... well, that is to say, I studied only ancient history and the Revolutionary war. So I just guessed, sense nobody else seemed to get things right, “Roosevelt?”

 

“Be specific girl! There were two Roosevelt's!” She snapped.

 

I felt my throat swell with frustrated emotions, “Theodore Roosevelt ma'am?”

 

“Incorrect! Theodore Roosevelt was our...” She left the sentence hanging for some one to finish.

Every one was too afraid to say anything, so she was disappointed and had to say “Twenty fifth! … Who can tell me the the twentieth?”

 

A girl raised her hand timidly, “Garfield?”

 

“Correct! James A. Garfield was the Twentieth president of the united states. Miss Duntson, can you tell me what our president now is?” She grinned.

 

I knew it was suppose to be an insult, and knew I probably shouldn't say what I was about to, but said it anyway, “President Ma'am? I thought we were ruled by a king? Oh!” I mocked a laugh, “How silly of me! He only acts like one!”

 

The teachers face was full of outrage for about a minute then she slammed the desk top with her hand, “Detention, Miss Duntson!”

 

I gaped in outrage myself, but I was silent before I achieved something worse then just detention.