“Hurry up Missy! Adeline and her mom are waiting for you okay Lily. You’re gonna have to carpool with them so go make a good first impression,”my Aunt Lin hollers.

“Okay Aunt Lin. I’m coming”  I say with an exasperated sigh.

I hate having to repeat fifth grade. It’s not fair! None of my friends have to, so why should I? Just because my parent’s divorced, I have to repeat a grade. It’s just not fair! I’m the only one who has to. I feel tears swelling in my eyes when I a spark ignites in my head.

How about I make a deal with myself? If the first day of school goes well then I will stay the whole year, but if I hate it, and I probably will, then I’ll ask Aunt Lin to sign me up for a  private tutor. Aunt Lin won’t mind. She thinks private tutors are amazing because her cousin had one and next thing you know, he ended up going to Yale.

Where are my stupid socks?!? I can’t be late on the first day of school. I need to make this go well. I hurry out the door with a half-eaten peanut butter and jelly  sandwich still in my hand. I walked to the car where I a brunette girl slightly shorter than me sitting inside the backseat. She seemed more on the nerdy side and was wearing huge blue glasses. She waited for me to get settled then punched me with a wall of words as we started driving.

“ Hi! My name’s Adeline. You like peanut butter and jelly! Me too! How do you think your first day’s gonna go? What teacher do you think you’re gonna get? I’ve heard that Mr. Wong is the best. I recently read It’s Not the End of the World. The main characters parents divorce. That’s the saddest part in the book. Have you read it? It would be so sad if my parents actually divorced. Hey! Why are you staying with your aunt anyway? ”  Adeline rambled on.

“My parents aren’t here. You swear you won’t tell anyone what I tell you now,right?” I say in a silent whisper wondering if I can possibly trust a random stranger yet still desperate to tell a anyone to get it off my chest.

“Sure. I won’t breathe a word of it.” assures Adeline still unsure and uncertain about what’s coming.

“Okay then. My Mom lives in Boston while my Dad lives in Chicago. I wanted to get away from them and their problems so I came here, to Fresno. They’re divorced” I suddenly say very quickly, desperate to get it out.

Adeline tries to change the subject back to her comfort zone so she doesn’t accidentally say something rude. “The weather today is nice isn’t it?” she says looking out the window with an air of awkwardness and uncertainty.

“It’s okay. I won’t deny it. My parents are divorced. They’re the reason I have to repeat fifth grade.” I say.

“Wait, you have to repeat a grade?” Adeline asks with curiosity in her voice.

“Yah…,” I reply. “Did your parents not tell you?”I say with a new kind of reverence to her benign parents.

“No. They said nothing. Does that mean you already know the teachers? Can you introduce me?” asks Adeline eagerly.

“Okay,” I reply still deep in thought, my brain swirling with confusion.

That’s not how people usually ever react when I tell them that my parents’ divorced.Usually they pity me and make a big deal about it.

“Hey. Do you wanna sit with me during lunch?” I ask Adeline.

“Yah...Sure,” she replies then she goes on to her own thoughts.

The rest of the car ride is spent in silence.

Once Adeline and I reach school I see a lady handing out schedules. Dang! Me and Adeline aren’t in the same class period for anything. Well, except for math where I’ll just embarrass myself.
The morning passes by in a flash. Next thing I know, it’s lunch. I look all around for Adeline but I don’t find her. I decide to sit alone near the lunch tables.

“Hi. I’m Mackenzie Hollister and you must be the stupid girl,” says a girl with a group of her friends nearby staring at her in pure awe. “ I heard that you had to repeat fifth grade.”

This brought a lot of snickers from Mackenzie’s group of friends, or should I say demons.

“You must be so stupid. What are variables?” smirked Mackenzie.

I stare back at Mackenzie, too  confounded to even answer.

“I knew I was right. You’re stupid. And you always will be.” Mackenzie says haughtily.

She then left me and walked away with her chin held up high.

As soon I’m out of her sight I run to the bathroom. I can already feel tears rolling down my face. I knew repeating fifth grade was a mistake. I rush into the first empty stall I find and burst into noisy tears. I start to sob when I hear someone enter the bathroom.

“Lily. You there? It’s just me. Your friend. Adeline. I overheard Mackenzie telling her little cronies  about you and thought you might be here. You’re not her only victim,” whispers Adeline encouragingly.

I slowly exit the stall, my eyes still puffy from crying and my cheeks still littered with tears. Adeline persuades me to stand up for myself when she hears Mackenzie coming and rushes into the stall with her phone.

I see Mackenzie enter the bathroom as she steals a glance at me.

“Crybaby…,”murmurs Mackenzie still oblivious to the fact that Adeline was right there in a stall. “I was right when I said you’re stupid. You really are.”

Mackenzie left as quickly as she had come.

Adeline and I meet up again after school and go to the office together, butterflies still in both our stomachs in anticipation to what we were about to do.

“Hello. We would like to speak to the principal regarding bullying,”said Adeline to the secretary. “This is a matter of urgency and importance.”

“I believe you are looking for me,” replied an old man with a voice of authority and wisdom. He had white hair and was balding.  He looked just like the archetype of the old and all-knowing person in stories. “My name is Mr. Jones.”

Adeline took out her phone and handed it to Mr.Jones.

“I am well aware that phones are not to be used during school so after you listen to the recording, you may decide what to do with me” Adeline announced, scared for herself. “This device contains proof that Mackenzie Hollister was bullying Lily Smith. I believe that it is sufficient enough to suspend Mackenzie as a punishment. Lily Smith was sobbing moments before this recording takes place which drew Mackenzie to the area. I was hiding in a stall recording the conversation on my phone” said Adeline trying her best to sound official.

Mr.Jones carefully listened to the recording and then...

“Mackenzie Hollister, please report to the office,” said Mr. Jones on the intercom.

Mackenzie came to the office, a look of surprise on her face when she saw me and Adeline.

“I must say, I thought you were a better student. I’m sorry but you leave me no other option, but to suspend you. Please return next week. Adeline you have been pardoned for using your phone,” said Mr. Jones calmly with a sense of completion in his voice. Even Mackenzie realized that there was no point arguing with him. She shot me and Adeline a dirty look then left us, still frothing with rage.

I guess the day wasn’t so bad in the end. I made a friend, met the principal, learned where the bathroom was, and sure, I did have a few ups and downs. But who cares, that’s life and I don’t wanna miss it.