Tatiana-

"Mama, I'm home!" 

"How was your day at school, my Ahren?"

"Uh, well, I learned somesing new?" she offered.

"Somesing?" Her mother  raised an eyebrow at her. " Not somesings?"

"Heh, well, is Papa home?"

"He is already gone. So tell me, what really happened at school today?"

"I'm going ta see if I can catch up to him, bye." 

She grabbed her camera and took a quick picture of the river as she hurried along. Her family was not poor, but they were definitely not rich, so they were very lucky to get their small house by the only river in the city.

I hope you guys don't mind if I make another character. I want to make one who's just moved here and is really kind. A great clash for Heather.

Name: Shelby McCombie

Gender: Girl

Nationality: Scotland

Age: 13

Appearance: tallish and stocky, red hair, loads of freckles,

Characteristic: Kind, forginving, gentle, Caring, giving,

Background: just moved from tiny little town. Has an old brother and sister and her mother is expecting a new one. She's a bit cutesy and has loads of animals and junk. Her house and family are quite messy and are not rich at all.

Eli-

"Oof!" Barry (a German Sheperd I picked up on a street corner) jumped on me.  Well, not literally, but let's say he rammed into my chest. 

"Hey, dad" I called out. 

"Hi, Eli.  How was today?"

"It was alright." I said. " I finally found out where someone from school lives."

"Really, who?"  My dad always wanted me to hang out with girls, or at least not girls like Brinna, the other girl in the sort of "pack" I belonged to. 

"Kate.  She's this girl who moved here from Ireland."  We talked on in this fashion for about half an hour, catching up on the others' lives.  He would go to other boroughs for days at a time, hoping to get a job so we didn't have to live in basements.  I told him about the first day of school.  He told me about the people he saw on busses in other parts of the city. 

After dad went to sleep, I stayed up to finish off my homework.  Barry fell asleep next to the cardboard box I was working on.  As I was reading a book for English, my thoughts strayed to Kate.  I thought about she was stuck in that shop and the tiny apartment above it all the time.  I considered asking her if she wanted to play wallball, but then thought better of it.  She'd think it was 'bleedin' borin''  I laughed and returned to the absurdity of "1984"

By the way, I am hereby declaring that Blaire is NOT a room recluse, and that she is more sarcastic, also more pessimistic that I anticipated. She is VERY athletic, and draws manga. Other than that, she's not changed at all. You see how my characters sort of run away from me and NEVER have the personality that they're supposed to have. Ugh. They're very naughty.

..................................................

When I got home, I knew no one was going to be there. It was okay,though, 'cause that's how I like it. My mother says I'm a very solitary person. I beg to differ--at school, at least. I like being home alone, because that is when I actually get stuff done. Even though I always make those lists in class, I know I'll never follow them. This is what I usually do:

Do my chores (whatever is on the list that Mom makes me before she goes out to do errands)

Do a large chunk of homework (by that I mean about a half or so of the ever-growing mound) 

Just sit down to listen to my ipod, or read, or watch TV, or something, when I hear Mom and the elementary kids arrive home. Oh brother.

Anyway, today on the list of Tasks to Do Before the Kids and I Get Home was:

Wash the dishes I used to make you kids cookies

Get a cookie as a reward

Sweep the kitchen

Use the leafblower on the driveway

Chill...

My mom tried to be pretty cool, and usually she was. So, when she got home from picking up the kids, she gave them each a cookie, (oatmeal raisin: my sister-Piper-and my favorite) and told me I would be going to the movies that night with Bailey, my best friend. Sometimes I feel like a real snob, because there are people who live around here who can't afford to go to the movies with their best friends on school nights, or own a TV, or have an ipod, or live in the beautiful large woodsy lot we live in, for that matter. Then I remember about the hulking mansions across town, and my feeling of thinking I'm so rich completely disolves. But if there's one thing that I'm not, then it's jealous. That would be ridiculous. Th mansions don't have woods in the back that I can trailblaze though, now do they. See, there is nothing to be jealous about.

~Brittany~

Carrying a bag full of plates and bowls, I tripped on a cat
and weaved though fifty or so boxes to the kitchen. Putting the box down on the
bench I saw a girl walked by with a huge school bag.

“Dad!” I yelled, “I thought you said school, didn’t start until
next week.”

“It doesn’t.” He walked into the room. “Does it?”

“I just saw I girl walk past with a school bag,” I laughed.

“Oh well the first week of school is always bad,” Dad said,
picking up a cat and putting it in a box to keep it out of the way.

“Yeah, but I’ll miss all the projects they’ll be starting
for the term.” I shook my head at Dad and turned to the box I’d brought in.

“Well you can’t go tomorrow; we havn't found any of you
school stuff yet.”

I cut the box open, and saw it was full of my school stuff.
I burst out laughing and Dad came over to see and got the giggles too.

Mum came in with my big sister Freya behind her. “I thought
you were unpacking.”

Dad and I looked guiltily at her, but we couldn’t hold back
the laughter.

“Sometimes,” Mum yelled at Freya to be heard over our
snickers, “I think I have four children to look after.

“I ain’t a kid mum,” my older brother, Matt, ambled in.

Freya said something to Matt, but I didn’t hear, because I’d
grabbed the box and taken it to my new room. We lived in a large flat, the same
size as their old house, which really was old. I had my own room for now but
when that baby was born, either Matt would have to share a room if the baby was
a boy and if the baby was a girl, it would move in with me.  Freya had decided that she was going to board
at our new school, for some unknown reason.

I organized my school start and went back down the corridor to
tell my parents that I’d be going to school tomorrow and that Matt should too.

Eli-

I ran at warp speed down the street, trying to make up for the late subway.  It worked, the bell rang the moment I walked in the door.  Since there is a strict rule about running in the halls, I walked Groucho Marx style (long strides, swift and pigeon toed) to my locker.  Someone had slapped another post-it on the door of my locker that said "But can she gut a moose?"  Ignoring the insult to my Maine origins, I dumped everything out of my falling apart backpack and strided a la Marx into Math.  To my dismay, the only seat left was next to Kimberly, engaged in conversation with one of her minions.  There was a substitute, the lazy one.  All she did was right the real teacher's instuctions on the board, expecting us to follow them.  The blackboard (although it was really green) said three words in big letters. "Class...play chess."  The sub was taking a nap, as usual.  Some boy from the back, Severus or something crazy like that yelled out, "What are we supposed to do?"  I am assuming he couldn't see the blackboard, because our instructions apparent were to play chess.  As everybody started to leave, a crash resounded from the closet.  A muffled, British sounding voice shouted, "I found it!"  Nobody heard, and if they did, nobody cared.  I walked over to the closet and tried the doorknob. 
"Is someone in there?" I said.  "It's me, Brittany.  I found the chess sets.  I'm stuck under textbooks.  Try the doorknob, please."  Trying to take control of my mirth, turned the knob.  The door did not open. And then I saw the keyhole."It's locked."  I said.  "Oh brother." the girl replied. "Fortuantly," I said, "You happen to be in the presence of the owner, manager and worker of Lockpicking Experitise. For the use of education, our services are free of charge."  I snuck over to the substitute and borrowed a hairpin.  As I have had much illegal practice, the lock was soon picked and a girl I had never seen before walked out, carrying many books that said in big letters across the spine "Pandolfini".  "Are you alright?" I asked. "Xyz" was the only answer I got from the new girl.  "Sorry," she said, "the textbook on top of my face was open to algabraeic equations."  We both laughed, and realized that we were late for our next class.  Thus endeth the escapade of the day.