Pen Pal Project [Alex Gaskarth]

Chapter One

September 23rd

Sitting in class, it was weird as I watched the leaves falling to the ground due to the strong gust of wind, half listening to the teacher as she rambled on about some new assignment.

"Charlia, will you pay attention!" The teacher snapped and I let my gaze land on her, showing that she'd gained some of my attention.

"Right, the new project we're working on is Pen pals," Instantly the class groaned; she continued on as if we hadn't interrupted her. "we've been chatting with people and we've got a whole list of people. You'll find out who they are at the end of the project, but for now, you have to figure it out. You're all to pick a name out of this hat which has their address on it. By tomorrow, I want to thirty envelopes on my desk."

I sighed. I knew that I was going to be last because of where I was sat.

So as the hat got passed around, talking started and speculations started going around the classroom as to who people had gotten. Finally, when the hat reached me, there was one slip of paper in the bottom.

I sighed as I picked it up before taking the hat to the teachers desk.

Once I was back in my seat, I looked at the slip of paper and blinked in confusion.

It was blank. Silently, I raised my hand.

"Yes, Charlia?"

"Um, my piece of paper is blank." I admitted quietly, causing the sniggers to start. Slowly, I sunk lower into my seat as my cheeks burned.

"Ah. I thought that I'd mixed them up. Here's yours." She held the paper up in her hand and I sighed before getting up once more to collect it.

Twice, Casey stuck her leg out to trip me up, twice I stumbled and felt like crying as the class laughed at me.

Once the class was let out, I could hear the taunts from my classmates.

"I doubt they'd reply to you, freak."

"They'd just abandon you, just like your parents." I sighed as I ignored the voices and went to my locker, picking up my folder and headed out of the school. Being the only one in the house at the moment who went to school, Rosie had one of the older kids pick me up.

Today it was Jake and I smiled as he waved to me.

"Hey short stuff." He grinned as he wrapped me in a tight hug. To Jake, everyone was short. He was just over the six foot mark. "How was school?"

"The usual." I shrugged and he laughed. "But, in English, we've been set a project where we have to write to a pen pal who's assigned to us." At this, Jake laughed.

"Oh we did that once. It went completely wrong because someone got a creep who asked for a naked picture. I'm surprised that they're letting you do it." He commented and I shrugged again as we got into his car.

"I think they've done like background checks on the people just to be on the safe side this time." I mumbled.

"Wouldn't surprise me. Right, so Rosie is cooking for the younger kids and I said I'd take you out for dinner."

"McDonalds?"

"Nope. A proper restaurant this time."

"Can we at least go back so I can get changed out of my school uniform?"

"Sure. You need to drop your stuff off at the house anyway." At this, I grinned as Jake pulled away from the school.

I spotted some kids from my class who were staring at me in confusion and I fought the urge to stick my tounge out at them in a childish manner. I knew that they'd corner me tomorrow.