New Scales and Tails

A Not-So-Good Morning

Sammy woke up. School! New girl! were her first thoughts.

She jumped out of bed, and looked in her closet. She wanted to look nice. Friendly-nice. Something that would make her stand out. A new girl meant Sammy starting over. She didn't know Sammy's past or Avery.

A new start. Sammy grinned at herself in her mirror. Say hello to the new Sammy.

She raced downstairs to get breakfast. Another waffle hopefully, if they were still there and Avery hadn't eaten them all.

In the kitchen, her mother was leaning against the counter on her phone, biting her fingernails. On the counter beside her was a plate of already-made waffles.

"Is...is that for me?" Sammy asked, making sure.

Once, when Sammy and Avery were littler, Sammy accidentally ate Avery's breakfast. Avery was mad. It was the last waffle in the box, apparently. She said that if Sammy ate another one of her waffles, that something bad would happen.

Sammy thought it was unlikely and foolish to believe her older sister, but she didn't know for sure.

Her mother glanced up to see if it was Sammy. "Yep."

"Thanks!" Sammy smiled, grabbing the plate thankfully and sitting at the table.

Also at the table was a fork and butter knife, along with a napkin. Sammy wouldn't use the napkin - not for waffles, anyway- and just ignored it.

She looked at her mother. She seemed unsure of something, like she was debating with two ideas inside her head. Her mother did that a lot, especially when it came down to "is it safe to give Sammy or Avery this chemical?".

"Mom?" Sammy asked, concerned. "Something wrong?"

She hoped it wasn't another experiment. It was her turn to test it.

Her mother put down her phone on the counter - not a good sign - and looked at Sammy, nodding. "I'm just thinking of pulling Avery out of school today."

No no no.

"Mom; you can't do that. The effects should've, well, effected her by now. Don't you think?" Sammy explained, shrugging.

She just wanted Avery to come to school. She knew school wasn't one of Avery's first picks.

Her mother nodded. "That's what I was thinking too. Alright, then. It's settled. She's going to school."

Sammy evilly grinned when her mother wasn't looking. One point for Sammy.

She took a bite of her waffle. It was still hot from the toaster, and the syrup made it gooey and nice.

Someone knocked on the door.

Sammy's mother looked up from her phone again.

"I'll get it." Sammy offered, already out of her seat.

She ran into the living room, and opened the front door. Cool wind shifted in.

On the porch was a girl her age. She had straight, light brown hair that was shiny as the sun touched it. She had a spray of freckles across her face. She had dark brown eyes, which were close to Sammy's eye color.

"Sorry! I thought Avery was home." She frowned, turning to leave.

Sammy heard that too many times, it seemed like. Avery was always the social one, making friends left and right. There were endless sleepovers when it was summer. Her mother always told her to meet new people, and that was exactly what Sammy wanted to do with the new girl.

Is this the new girl? Did Avery already meet her? Oh gez! Don't tell me...!

"No! She's here! Sorry. I won't bite. Come in!" Sammy welcomed with a warm smile.

The girl nodded, but looked a little frightened at her.

What did Avery say?

"Why are you friends with Avery?" Sammy asked, trying to joke around to make her feel more comfortable. "She's the ugly one! And she acts weird around water, also. I wouldn't invite her to a pool party. Just saying."

The girl stood up straighter and taller, making Sammy seem small. "She's not ugly! And some people happen to dislike water! Like me!"

Not good. I just offended her. What do I say now?

"I-"

"Katie!" Avery came out of nowhere. "Nice to see you! Where's Jake?"

Sammy was annoyed yet glad that she got out of apologizing. Saying sorry is so complicated and sometimes useless.

"Left without me." Katie rolled her eyes, ignoring Sammy.

"Sammy, she's walking with us, so hurry up." Avery ordered.

Sammy scowled. She hated when Avery treated her like a child. She was only a year younger than Avery!

Katie was too.

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"Um, my name is Katie." Katie introduced to her new classmates.

She'd only just started and her hands were sweaty. Everyone was looking at her. Even the fish in the fish tank in the back of the room were staring at her. She wiped her hands on the back of her new jeans.

"I have a brother named Jake." She continued, looking at the door, secretly hoping Avery would enter and help her.

Speaking of Avery... "I have friend named Avery."

One more fact about me. "I like to swim."

Katie's new teacher looked around the room before nodding approvingly at her. "Any questions for Katie?"

A few hands went up slowly, like they were regretting it.

Katie picked a girl's hand. She looked nice enough, but she had the kind of eyes you would see in a picture of a snake's. "Do you, like, do swim competitions?"

"No." Katie answered. "I'd much rather swim alone."

"Why?"

"Gina, don't be nosy." Her teacher warned.

Gina blushed.

"It makes me more comfortable." Katie answered Gina anyway.

She saw a boy's hand go up. He was wearing blue jeans and a red shirt with a picture of a bed. Above the bed, in all capitals, stated, "I'M SLEEPING NOW".

She nodded toward him.

"So, Avery? Like Sammy's sister?"

How do they know who Avery is? She nodded as an answer.

"A 5th grader? Really?"

"She's not that bad." Katie defended her friend.

The boy shrugged.

"Any more questions?" Her teacher asked the room.