Chasing Courage

CHAPTER 1
All my life I have not really been very courageous… like if I were to be sorted into a house in Hogwarts, I would probably get Hufflepuff, because, as I have said. I am not very manipulative or sneaky, I’m not super-smart (riddles hurt my head, the same thing with mind games), and I definately don’t have any courage or bravery. Or at least I didn’t. One day that changed, I snapped, I showed my frustration at being pushed around and stepped on, and took charge. I am a leader now, and I’m proud of it. My name is Cyan and this is my story about finding my bravery.
But…before I tell you what happened to change me. I will tell you who I was before I changed, then you can be the judge on how much I really changed (if that’s your thing). I was pretty much quiet most of the time in school. A brainiac. I observed and interjected sometimes when my friends were talking about something and I had something to say about it. But when I talked I was loud, and not purposely. Oh, and did I mention my clumsyness. I almost always manage to hurt someone or break something multiple times during the day. mostly though, I hurt my self, by tripping or running into something or falling or… well i think that you get the point. And no I’m still clumsy, that hasn’t changed. I pretty much always wore graphic tees and a pair of jeans with sneakers. Either putting my thin blonde hair in a ponytail or leaving it down. My style changed and now it is uniquely me. So I would tell you what happened to make me change, but that wouldn’t be a very interesting story. So I will tell you the events that lead up to it, then maybe I will tell you what happened. Starting with the morning of...
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! I slam my hand down on the snooze button and roll over. I have seven minutes to wake up. I sit up, rub my eyes, and look at the clock. 5:43. Great… another early monday morning I think to myself. Not wanting to wake anybody else up I turn off my alarm with a click and get ready for the day. Once I am showered and dressed, I gather my things and head out into the kitchen for breakfast. By this time my brother, sister, and mom are all up.
“ Good morning Cyan!” my little sister chirruped, she seemed way to hyper for someone awake at 6:40 in the morning.
“Mornin’ Pheobe”
“Hi Cyan” my brother chimed in, not wanting to be left out
“Mornin’ Jack”
“Good mornin’ Mum”
“Hello Cyan, what do you want for breakfast”
“I’ll just have a bowl of cereal, thanks”
I didn’t want my mom to get up and make me breakfast. She looked really tired, she had bags under her eyes, also she was still in her pajamas.
“Do you two want anything for breakfast?” I ask my younger siblings
“Sure Cyan”
“Nope! I already ate breakfast”
“Okay”
So I make two bowls of cereal one for me and one for Jack. I ate my cereal thinking about homework, and my friends. Jack on the other hand eats his cereal like a starving person, managing to get milk on the table and the floor. When we are finished, I hand him a paper towel and tell him to clean up his mess while I put our bowls in the sink. I have enough time to grab a granola bar and then we were putting in our shoes and coats grabbing our bags giving our mom a quick kiss on the cheek and then we were our the door and walking to the bus. The bus ride was pretty uneventful, so I’m just going to skip to school.
At school I walk in the door quietly while all the other kids that ride on my bus flood around me chattering happily. I get stuck behind some little kids that walk really really slowly. Come on hurry up! I think to my self.
“Walk faster little kids” Someone behind me had called out my exact thoughts. The voice sounded familiar. I look behind me to see one of the girls who rides on my bus. She isn’t one of the popular people, but she isn’t an outcast either, she is in the middle of the eighth grade food chain. I on the other hand am part of the same group in the middle-school ladder except I am closer to the popular group. If the popular people were first class, my group of friends would be second class. If they were gods and goddesses like Zeus, Athena and Artemis. My group would be the minor gods and goddesses. Not quite demigods, not quite major gods/goddesses, and definitely not mortals. So enough about social statuses. My point is that I know this girl, she is in some of my classes, but we are not considered friends.
Science- 13W
Reading- 09W
Social Studies- 17W
Special
Lunch
L.A.- 04E
Math- 22E
Study Hall- 12E
That is my schedule for the day. The W’s stand for west wing and the E’s stand for east wing, but the easiest way to remember is that all the odd numbers are in the west wing and all the even numbers are in the east wing. Same schedule, all day every day, with the exception of the special, of course. Science…… room 13… Easy, that’s in the west wing. On the way to science from homeroom, I pass the kitchen, and smell something burning. You just have to love school food! The science room is full of volcano projects from the sixth grade, so as we file in we have to dodge around them to reach the unused tables. I sat fairly near the back so I wouldn’t have to deal with listening to the Pops talk- wait let me rephrase that- gossip. But, of course they sit behind me and smack their gum. All during class I could hear snatches of their conversation.
“Did you hear…”
“Yeah! They are soo cute together” They started talking in hushed whispers, then stopped as the teacher walked by and glared at them. After she sat back down the burst into quiet fits of laughter and resumed their whispering.
“Did you see her hair?!”
“Yeah, she looked like a poodle”
OMG! They are talking about Melanie. Melanie is my friend that is really short and skinny with strawberry blonde hair that is super curly and pretty. She usually straightens it though. They must think that she got a perm. Ha. Melanie will laugh at this.