Who am I

Chapter 1: The Start of a New Year

                                                                                 

       As I walk through the huge french doors, and into Edward P. Jackberry Junior High School, I feel a swarm of butterflies enter my stomach. I struggle to find an explanation for my nerves, after all I have been going to this school for 2 years and I am familiar with the layout, and rules. I shrug off the feeling of worry, and walk into the 400 hallway where my locker is located. I enter my combination 17-54-00 into the lock, and open my locker. I unpack my backpack and sort my supplies into three piles, CLASSES BEFORE LUNCH, CLASSES AFTER LUNCH, EXTRA SUPPILES. I take the first pile, put my backpack in my locker, close my locker, and begin walking to my Biology class which in the 300 hallway, so I don't have a long way to walk.

I walk through the open door, and into the Biology Lab. I take a seat in the second row horizontally, and 5th seat vertically, so I am in the middle of the classroom. I see a stout woman walk into the classroom, and close the door, signalling no one can sneak into my class late. I hear her high heels click on the tile floor, and she walks up to the chalkboard. she swiftly begins to write her name, and the classroom rules. When she finished, she stepped back so the whole class could see the board. The board read: Mrs. Tuttle. Rule 1. No talking except for when called on. Rule 2. No littering, must pick up all garbage in area around the student. Rule 3. Stay focused, complete all work on time.

All in all fairly basic rules, Mrs. Tuttle glances slowly over each student, but when she looks at me she takes in a sharp breath and says, "Ahh Grace Muntle, I've heard about you, I will decide who I think you really are."

I am clueless on why she would say that, by the way she said it, I don't think she heard good things about me. Over the years I think I've been a pretty good student, on the high honor roll every semester, never getting a demerit of any kind, involved in many extra-curricular activities, I even received the Model Student Award last year. The teachers showered me with praise every school year, have I done something with out realizing it? I focuse my attention on what Mrs. Tuttle is saying, after all I need to prove to her that I am a model student, and stay off of her bad side. After Mrs. Tuttle passes out a homework sheet, and a Biology text book to every student, the bell rings signaling the end of class. I grab my pile of supplies and race out of the door, and into the hallway, where I try to wiggle my way through the mob of people. I exit the mob finally, and quickly walk to the opposite end of the building, in the 800 hallway where my English class is located.

Not a second too late, I slip into a seat near a window, and listen carefully to what my English teacher Mr. Sanche is saying. After English, I have Algebra, and my Algebra teacher is Miss. Piner. Following Algebra is World History, which I have Mr. Hindjim as a teacher for. As I enter my last class before lunch, which happens to be Sign Language, my arms ache from the added load of 4 extremely thick textbooks. Sign Language is my foreign language class, and my teacher is Mrs. Bunting. Five minutes before the bell rings Mrs. Bunting places a Sign Language text book, that it three times the size of any of my other text books on each student's desk. Sighing, I add the book to my pile, and trudge down the 600 hallway, and make my way towards my locker in the 400 hallway.

I open my locker with one hand, and place my BEFORE LUNCH PILE in my locker, and grab my lunch bag out of my locker. I swing my locker door closed, and walk down the hallway towards the cafeteria. the cafeteria is located at the end of the 500 hallway. As I walk, I think about how every teacher looked at me in a weird way, when they called my name during attendance. What do the teachers know that I don't know? Are they mistaking me for someone else? I arrive in the cafeteria and take a seat in one of the last chairs in the whole room.

My seat happens to be by my best friend Carrie Rikardi, I open up my lunch bag, grab my sandwich, turn to Carrie, and say," How are you doing Potatoe?" Her nickname was Potatoe, because for the Pre-school Halloween Party, she dressed up as a baked potatoe. My nickname was Cantaloupe, because I dressed up as a cantaloupe for the Pre-school Halloween Party. The theme of that Halloween party had been food, because well, we were pre-schoolers and would dress up as anything our moms put us in. Carrie always responded when I called her by her nickname, had she changed over the summer? I was about to call her Potatoe again, but decided against it, "Carrie," I said as I tapped her on her shoulder, " How's school, Potatoe?" Instantly I regret saying Potatoe again. Carrie quickly turns around, looks at me, " WHAT did you call me?" She asked. "Your nickname." I answer. I am expecting her to say, just kidding, or I missed you so much and I am so glad you remembered my special name.

         "Grace, I don't know how to tell you this but…" Carrie begins, "well Grace, you see, we are in 8th grade now. EIGHTH GRADE! Got it? And well, Juliana and I think that we should stop calling each other by those names." I am in a state of shock, Juliana practically disappeared for 5 years, and now she comes and takes over Carrie. "But, we've always called each other by those names." I say. Carrie and Juliana share a glance, Carrie takes a deep breath, and says, "We are practically in High School, Grace. Also since Juliana has the same lunch as us, I think we should have a fresh start, but look at it this way, the Terrific Trio is REUNITED!" I wince as Carrie says that. I am expected to forget everything that Carrie and I did for the past 5 years, because Juliana has 1 period with us. We were also NEVER the Terrific Trio, it was Juliana and Carrie as the Dynamite Duo, and me on the side. I should have known that Carrie and I would be separated again, but I never dreamed it would be so soon.