Second Chances
Authors: C.A. Harms
Table of Contents
Moving to a new city at the
beginning of my senior year in high school was the last thing I needed. I had
just lost my dad four months ago in a motorcycle accident and things were
really tough on us. Lily my little sister is only ten and I had just turned
Eighteen three days ago. After I lost my daddy I lost myself I became withdrawn
from the world. I stopped doing things with friends and talking to anyone. I
was definitely a daddy’s girl and had always been. My world crashed when the
policeman showed up on our doorstep. My mother tried to hold it together as
much as possible. I wasn’t much help which I know was completely wrong but the
funk that I was in I just couldn’t shake it. Lily was so shy and quiet but that
was normal she always has been. After things were settled with my daddy’s
personal affairs my mother decided it was time to pick up and leave my home in
San Antonio Texas. My Mother would be moving us to Santa Monica California to
be closer to her sister…Aunt Lauren and my stuck up bitchy cousin who has
always thought she was so much better than me. Ashley and I are the same age
but that is the only thing we have in common. Grace my mother is the younger of
the two but only by a little over a year. I guess she needed to get out of the
place that everywhere she looked reminded her of my daddy. They had met in
college and fell in love I was the result of their young passion. They
struggled to finish school with a baby but they both made in through. They
waited of course until they were more stable and secured in their lives before
they decided to have a second child. Lily came along eight years later which
was wonderful because I absolutely adore her. We are renting a condo in Santa
Monica with the money my mother gets from my daddy’s pension things should be
fine. My mother is a nurse and loves it. She has already lined up a job and
enrolled my sister and me in school. She flew out a few weeks ago to get
everything in order for us. So here I am in my Blue Ford Escape following
behind my mother’s Chevy Tahoe threw a city that feels so foreign. All I see is
convertibles and cute little sports cars everywhere. We are definitely going to
stick out like a sore thumb here. Pulling into the driveway of the place I
would now be forced to call home all I could do was groan. Here comes the so
called new beginning….
*
Zoey
*
“Mama did you unpack my pink
boots?” Lily hollered from her bedroom. I couldn’t help but smile. “Lily
sweetheart, are you sure you should wear your cowgirl boots to school?” I hear
my mother and Lily going back and forth in debate as I stand in my room in
front of my full length mirror wondering what the other girls at school would
be wearing. I think I had changed a hundred times and still wasn’t sure that
what I had settled on was the right thing. We had gone shopping over the
weekend to get some appropriate clothing. Still we were struggling with the
entire idea of it. I walked downstairs to the kitchen to find Lily sitting at
the table eating breakfast. She had decided on wearing a cute little dress and
sandals. I winked at her and she giggled…gosh I love that kid. Momma leaned over
and kissed my cheek, “You ready for today sis?” I just took a deep breath “Not
but I can’t drop out…or wait a minute…I can now that I am eighteen.” She just
stuck her tongue out at me and then continued to walk over to the table to join
Lily with a smile on her face. She knew I would never even consider it. We made
a packed after daddy died before leaving Texas that everything we did from that
point would be to make my daddy proud of ‘His girls’. We decided since Lily’s
school was on my mother’s way to work she would take her and I would pick her
up after. I had to go in the opposite direction to SAMOHI, Santa Monica High
school home of the Vikings …YIPPEE! I was dreading the very moment when
everyone gave me the look. You know the one when they realize that there is no
way I will ever fit into their world. I had decided to wear a frayed and faded
jean skirt which rested mid-thigh and a cute fitted light blue tee with a pair
of flip flops. I have wavy blond hair and it can be untamed and wild at times
but I chose to leave it down today which I had hoped would allow me to hide for
the most part and maybe shield some of the curious stares. I wasn’t
unattractive in fact a lot of guys back home paid attention but I just really
didn’t return the favor much. I had a boyfriend named Noah but it really wasn’t
anything serious just kissing and hanging out mostly. My daddy was really
strict and kept me on a short leash when it came to boys and their intentions.
Most guys were pretty scared of my daddy. After his accident I just stopped
seeing Noah and everyone else really. He kept calling for a while and after I
kept refusing to talk to anyone he stopped along with all my other friends. You
could only hear ‘I am sorry about your dad’ so many times before you just shut
them out. I know they really didn’t know what else to say but I just couldn’t
take it.
I pulled into the parking lot and
drove around for a parking space for what felt like forever then I parked and
gathered my things. I spent the next few minutes taking some deep breaths
before walking into my new hell. I had to go to the main office to check in
with my student guide. The school actually assigned one to all the new students
to help us find our way around for a few days until we become more comfortable
with the school. I walked through the main doors and heard a few snickers and
whispers from snobby girls who I bet were probably friends with Ashley because
they seemed just as bitchy and stuck up as her. They had no idea who I was but
because I am new I am a target. Once I entered the office I found the nearest
person to speak to. Before I could say anything I heard “May I Help you?” The
lady behind the counter spoke without even looking up. I looked around and then
back to the gray haired woman that seemed to be just as pleasant as a
constipated pregnant woman. “Yes I am new to this school and I was told to
check in at the main office to meet with my student guide.” She looked up over
the top of her cat woman glasses and then she proceeded to point over to the
small group of kids near the exit door. Without saying another word I turned
and walked in their direction. Mostly the group consisted of girls there were
just a couple of guys intertwined. A small girl with long dark hair turned in
my direction and quickly approached, “Hey I’m Sophia Please tell me your name
is
Zoey
” I didn’t get a chance to answer before she
immediately continued. “Sorry that was weird huh it’s just that well I decided
to do this whole student guide thing this year and well the girl that they assigned
to me
Zoey
…I think she’s AWOL or something because
everyone else has already been paired up with their assigned people and here I
still stand ALONE.” She finally stopped long enough to take a deep breath and I
decided to rescue her and myself from her panic attack. “I’m
Zoey
I really just couldn’t make up my mind whether I
should come in here or head back home to Texas.” Sophia just giggled and
then slid her arm through mine dragging me off toward the exit. I couldn’t help
but think Wow Karma is a total bitch because I am paired up with a complete air
head. Sophia took my schedule and quickly tracing her fingers down it comparing
with her own. “The school counselor always tries to match us up with someone
that may have some of the same classes and interests.” I took the opportunity
to look around finding lots of girls drooling and hanging all over the guys who
in my opinion needed to adjust their egos. “So it looks like we have Homeroom,
Calculus and Gym together with the same lunch period.” She handed me my
schedule back and began explaining the best way to get from one class to the
next. The only thing I kept thinking of was how would I survive here? I just
felt so out of place and I knew that my attitude toward the entire thing was
going to be the death of me. After Sophia had showed me the best way to get
from first period to Homeroom she walked off waving leaving me in the doorway
of chemistry. I went inside and quickly found a seat without even really
looking around. After a few minutes the bell rang and as I glanced up at the
door just as Ashley walked in and locked eyes with me. I smiled trying to be
kind but she just smirked and whispered something to the pixie haired girl
right behind her then they found a seat on the opposite side of the room. She
spent the entire hour whispering to her little shadow causing her to turn
around often to glare at me or laugh. I was lucky enough to get paired up with
Henry a small guy maybe even as small as Lily who only nodded and never spoke
no matter how hard I tried to get him to. When the bell rang I was so glad it
was over and silently prayed that it was the only class I would have to share
with my lovely cousin. Following Sophia’s direction I made my way to Homeroom
right as the bell rang. Sophia had saved me a seat and we were able to talk
through the entire twenty minutes. She told me about her family and how it was
just her and twin brothers who were fifteen and her mom. Her parents were
divorced and her dad has remarried and hardly ever comes around. Sophia started
telling me about her boyfriend she had been dating for almost two years now but
the bell rang and we had to head off to our next class but would meet up
for lunch and then gym. I was really beginning to rethink my earlier
complaint about her being an airhead. Sophia actually seemed nice. I vowed at
that moment to stop judging people until I got to know them…well with the
exception of Ashley and her drones.
The remaining part of my day went
well I was hit in the back of the head with a basketball in gym class by a kid
named Aaron who actually wasn’t bad looking but seemed to know that to so that
made him less appealing he was just arrogant. He never even apologized for
hitting me with ball. When we were at lunch I sat with Sophia and a few other friends
that she introduced me to. They were all so nice to me and didn’t make me
feel like I had a third eye. I was pretty closed lipped about my family just
told them we moved here from Texas I had a little sister and that we lost my
dad at the end of my junior year. Surprisingly they never apologized for
it which was really nice Sophia just said “Wow that really sucks”. She was
definitely right it did suck big time. As we were getting up to leave the
cafeteria and walked outside for our last fifteen minutes Ashley came in
through the door followed by that same little snotty girl from Chemistry. “Nice
friends Zoe.” Ashley squeaked after she passed I turned around but before I
could say anything Sophia was right up in her face saying “Aw Ash what’s wrong
you still sore at me for stealing Evan away two years ago. I can’t help that he
outgrew Skank…” There were a lot of laughs and hooting by a bunch of guys
standing near and Ashley just stormed off toward the bathrooms with her nose in
the air. After going out through the doors Sophia turned to me laughing “I
really hate that bitch…Wait
Zoey
how do you know
Ashley?” I was really afraid to answer her. The last thing I wanted was to be
judge because I was related to her I could tell that they had some bad history.
“Well she’s my cousin, but I am sure we equally hate her for different
reasons”. They all just looked at me and then Katie the girl with red hair
said, “Oh my, you poor, poor girl.” And then we all just laughed
uncontrollably. I didn’t have to see Ashley anymore until after me and Sophia
walked out of Calculus class and she was coming out from across the hall she
practically ran to get ahead of us. Sophia just rolled her eyes and kept
walking. After we made a stop at our lockers and exchanged phone numbers we
walked outside. Out in the parking lot there was this group of girls hovering
around this black little sports car in the parking lot and once we got closer
Sophia’s face lite up and this cute dark hair, dark eyed six foot tall dreamy
guy got out and walked straight up sweeping her up in his arms and kissing her
so sweetly. I realized this has to be Evan or at least I had hoped it was.
After they finally stopped to breathe Sophia introduced me to him and he said
she should bring me along to the party this weekend. Apparently there was this
big party after the UCLA football game which he played on. I told them I would
have to make sure my mom was off work and I didn’t have to babysit. We walked
back toward the cars mine was just a little passed Evans the passenger window
of the car came down and someone yelled “Dude come on were
gonna
be late for practice”. I turned just in time to see this gorgeous guy with
sandy blonde hair and an amazing smile as he waved Evan and Sophia to hurry and
they crawled into the car. I continued to walk to mine and was just about ready
to get in when Evan yelled “Bye
Zoey
”. I turned and
he was going slowly behind my car as him and Sophia waved and from the
passenger seat the guy was straining his neck to see just who they were talking
to. I left and after picking up Lily from school I went home to start dinner. I
couldn’t help thinking about the dreamy guy who was in Evans car I would have
to ask Sophia about him. His smile was really cute. After mom came home and we
had dinner I went off to my room to get my things together for tomorrow. About
nine o’clock I had just walked back into my room from taking a shower and my
phone started ringing looking at the screen I noticed in was lit up with a
picture of Sophia sticking out her tongue I laughed to myself and then answered
“hey you”. She was a fast talker and if you didn’t pay attention you would miss
half of it “Hey girl I just wanted to warn you. That guy that was with Evan
today well that’s his best friend Luke and he is a major jerk. Big time player
he is with a different girl like every week and after seeing you today he was
all…who’s your friend
Soph
and hook me up…blah
blah
. I hope you don’t mind but I told him you were not
interested and to leave you alone”. After she took a break I just laughed
“Thanks for the warning Sophia I appreciate it”. The rest of the week was
pretty smooth. Aaron had finally found time to apologize for the ball hitting
me. I just played it off like no big deal. Friday my mom text me around lunch
telling me that she was getting done early and would pick Lily up from school
and that I was able to go with Sophia to the party. I felt bad that I had told
my mom it was a girl’s night out at Katie’s after dinner and a movie but I
really wanted to go out.