My Life In Pieces (Book #1)

Chapter 9

"Hey Momma Jordan."

"Baby girl! I feel like it's been ages since I've heard your sweet voice. Are you all ready for school?"

I sat alone on my bed, thankful to finally see her face and not just hear her voice. It had been almost a week since we had actually gotten to FaceTime. I wasn't sure how much to tell her about the last few days.

"I think so. I'm really nervous though. It's weird going to school this late. Everyone in Dallas has been back for weeks!"

Her motherly smile comforted me. "You'll make it. I'm sure you're gonna make a whole batch of new friends up there. And why are you complaining about a longer summer?"

I missed that southern twang. I hadn't let on to her how easily I was adjusting here. I thought it would hurt her if she saw I was happy even without her around.

"Because it is September and I am ready to get started already! Ughhh." I just let it go. No point in arguing over the Canadian School System. "How's Elyse?"

"She's great, she and Colin are looking at moving in together. She misses her little sister though. Patrick misses you too."

Patrick hadn't exactly been trying to talk to me a lot. I wasn't sure what had crawled up his butt and died.

"How is Patty Cakes?"

"He's doing okay. He has some new little girl he is talking to, taking up all his time. You know how he gets when he meets a new girl." She started to laugh and I tried not to cringe.

My heart hurt a little to hear about life going on without me there. I wasn't sure why it bugged me that Patrick having a girlfriend was why he probably wasn't answering my texts or SnapChats. I felt so split. I was finding it easier to be in this place thanks to my cousins and Ari but I was still dying to hug my family back home. Where was home really any more? We talked until Dad called upstairs to make sure I was getting ready for bed. She scowled when she heard his voice. It hit me that I hadn't been calling him by his first name any more. It made me sad to see Jordan's face scrunch up like that. I quickly said my goodnights to her and then got ready for bed and tried to sleep.

I tossed and turned for most of the night. My nerves kept me up and when I did finally fall asleep I dreamt about a prison called Canadian High School.

The next morning I was in the principal's office taking a placement test. It was mildly comforting that it was Mrs. Stone's office. I wondered why she hadn't gone back to her maiden name. I yawned as I handed her the test. School didn't start for another hour but I had already been here two for that stupid test. Apparently, I had to prove to Toronto that I could hack it in my own grade level. Principal Stone came in with my results twenty minutes after I had finished. She seemed like she could easily switch between the quiet woman I met at the barbecue and a drill sergeant.

"So Miss Harrison the results have come out rather well."

Great. I wouldn't have to repeat the ninth grade?

"I reviewed the transcripts you faxed over a few weeks ago. I saw that you took AP World Geography in Dallas."

"Yes Ma'am. I was supposed to take AP World History this year."

She smiled, " Students usually take Issues with Canadian Geography here. I am working to see if we can substitute your class in since it was still a Geography class and not even a localized one. You are required to take World History in both Canada and Texas as you mentioned. The students here though don't normally take it until Year Eleven."

"History for us was World Geography, World History, US History, and then we had to take a semester of Government and a Semester of Economics."

"So the students take in grade ten a World Studies class and then a Social Science class in Grade eleven and finish out with another World Study in Grade 12. They might take another Social Science Class though in Grade 10 if they aim to pursue a career in it one day."