talked to each other, laughed, and made jokes. It was just like at school.
I began to feel shy and alone. I wanted to try to sneak back to my room, but Ms. Mosley was watching me. I was starting to think that the kids would look at me and find something to laugh about. They would say that I looked funny, or that I didn’t fit in. I hadn’t really had any friends in high school. I hadn’t even had a boyfriend.
Mom had thought I was crazy for wanting to home school. She had asked, “What about the pep rallies and the football games? What about Homecoming and your Senior Prom? Oh, wait, and the Writing Club? What about the Writing Club? You love being in your Writing Club. I know those were things that you were crazy about.”
I was not crazy about those things. Those things made me crazy. I loved the Writing Club, but I hated the pep rallies. I never went to a football game. There was no chance that I’d ever be nominated for Homecoming Queen, and no one would ever ask me to Prom.
I’d told Mom that home schooling would give me more of a challenge than regular school. I’d told her that I had felt that public school just wasn’t getting me through, and that I’d work and be able to pay for it myself, and even be able to help her out with a few bills. After I’d told her that, she was excited about it.
I’d been in public high school until the end of my sophomore year. I’d left and had started home school when John had left. He and Lexus had graduated two years before me. I hated school. I hated being stared at and teased by the other kids. I hated to be singled out. I was always alone.
There I was in Bent Creek, feeling trapped. It felt like a school that I couldn’t escape. My mind started racing with uncontrollable thoughts. I knew they all could see the bandages around my wrists. They’ll know everything. They’ll call me weird. They’ll make fun of me, I thought to myself.
“Hey,” said a voice from beside me. I turned, and big, brown eyes stared back at me.
“We’re roommates,” said the pretty girl.
“Hi,” I said.
“I’m Janine. Bulimic Manic Depressive,” she introduced herself. “Come over here with me. Meet our group.”
I hesitated. Before I could decline, she yanked my hand and pulled me over to a table full of other people. At the table were three girls and two boys. Janine went over to another table and yelled for one of the boys to help her push the tables together to make room for me. When they finished setting up, Janine and I grabbed a chair and sat down.
Janine looked around at everyone and said, “Hey, you guys, this is my roommate. Her name is – wait, what’s your name?”
Still looking down and not making eye contact, I told her that my name was Kristen.
“Okay, this is Kristen. Kristen, this is Daniel, Tai, Chris, Cadence, and Lenni.”
“Hey, Kristen, welcome to The Insane Part Two,” said Chris. He was trying to be funny and nice.
I couldn’t smile. I was too nervous. I looked away from his smile.
“Thanks,” I said in a low voice.
“When did you get here?” Janine asked.
“Early this morning,” I told her.
“That check in stuff takes way too long,” Janine sympathized with me.
“Man, I need a cigarette,” a very shaky and sleepy-looking guy said.
I looked up at him. He was the first boy in a long time that I had seen with long hair. He didn’t seem to care that it was long and hanging down. His hair half-covered his eyes, but I could see them, very bright and beautiful. His name was Daniel. When Daniel looked up at me, he caught me staring. I quickly looked back down, away from his beautiful eyes.
“I hear that,” Tai agreed with him. Tai had a tanned complexion. She was very even-toned and had wild, curly, sandy-brown hair. She was thin. When she smiled, her teeth were yellow. It was obvious that a simple toothbrush wouldn’t get the job
I began to feel shy and alone. I wanted to try to sneak back to my room, but Ms. Mosley was watching me. I was starting to think that the kids would look at me and find something to laugh about. They would say that I looked funny, or that I didn’t fit in. I hadn’t really had any friends in high school. I hadn’t even had a boyfriend.
Mom had thought I was crazy for wanting to home school. She had asked, “What about the pep rallies and the football games? What about Homecoming and your Senior Prom? Oh, wait, and the Writing Club? What about the Writing Club? You love being in your Writing Club. I know those were things that you were crazy about.”
I was not crazy about those things. Those things made me crazy. I loved the Writing Club, but I hated the pep rallies. I never went to a football game. There was no chance that I’d ever be nominated for Homecoming Queen, and no one would ever ask me to Prom.
I’d told Mom that home schooling would give me more of a challenge than regular school. I’d told her that I had felt that public school just wasn’t getting me through, and that I’d work and be able to pay for it myself, and even be able to help her out with a few bills. After I’d told her that, she was excited about it.
I’d been in public high school until the end of my sophomore year. I’d left and had started home school when John had left. He and Lexus had graduated two years before me. I hated school. I hated being stared at and teased by the other kids. I hated to be singled out. I was always alone.
There I was in Bent Creek, feeling trapped. It felt like a school that I couldn’t escape. My mind started racing with uncontrollable thoughts. I knew they all could see the bandages around my wrists. They’ll know everything. They’ll call me weird. They’ll make fun of me, I thought to myself.
“Hey,” said a voice from beside me. I turned, and big, brown eyes stared back at me.
“We’re roommates,” said the pretty girl.
“Hi,” I said.
“I’m Janine. Bulimic Manic Depressive,” she introduced herself. “Come over here with me. Meet our group.”
I hesitated. Before I could decline, she yanked my hand and pulled me over to a table full of other people. At the table were three girls and two boys. Janine went over to another table and yelled for one of the boys to help her push the tables together to make room for me. When they finished setting up, Janine and I grabbed a chair and sat down.
Janine looked around at everyone and said, “Hey, you guys, this is my roommate. Her name is – wait, what’s your name?”
Still looking down and not making eye contact, I told her that my name was Kristen.
“Okay, this is Kristen. Kristen, this is Daniel, Tai, Chris, Cadence, and Lenni.”
“Hey, Kristen, welcome to The Insane Part Two,” said Chris. He was trying to be funny and nice.
I couldn’t smile. I was too nervous. I looked away from his smile.
“Thanks,” I said in a low voice.
“When did you get here?” Janine asked.
“Early this morning,” I told her.
“That check in stuff takes way too long,” Janine sympathized with me.
“Man, I need a cigarette,” a very shaky and sleepy-looking guy said.
I looked up at him. He was the first boy in a long time that I had seen with long hair. He didn’t seem to care that it was long and hanging down. His hair half-covered his eyes, but I could see them, very bright and beautiful. His name was Daniel. When Daniel looked up at me, he caught me staring. I quickly looked back down, away from his beautiful eyes.
“I hear that,” Tai agreed with him. Tai had a tanned complexion. She was very even-toned and had wild, curly, sandy-brown hair. She was thin. When she smiled, her teeth were yellow. It was obvious that a simple toothbrush wouldn’t get the job
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