Eli-

So, finally, somebody doesn't take the bus to school.  Kate also takes the subway to school.  When I told my dad, he suggested inviting her over sometime.  I said, "Invite her over to where?  This basement we live in?"  That gave him a good reason to change the subject.  We didn't talk much after that, we had seen each other the night before and I had to go.  I'd heard a rumor on the way back that Jess found some chalk and we might have a four-square tournament.  We almost never try to do four-square, because without chalk it gets really confusing.  A couple years ago, we rustled up some paint, but that didn't turn out so well.  We forgot to let it dry.  When I got there, the rumors were true, an art supply store had ordered too much chalk and gave it away.  The tournament had been going on all day while I was at school.  Fortunatly, it almost ended and Eric slammed the ball into the ground, while Jess fruitlessly tried to save it.  We declared Jess honorary champion anyway, because he was the one who found the chalk.  The second tournament was just as good. I came in second place behind Jess.  Brinna normally would have won, but she was sick.

Thanks, Saz! Is it okay that my post is set a week after school starts? I hope it is. :D 

Watermelon-

My parents aren't what you would call on-time people. They're more like really-really-late people so naturally they drop me off a week late at the boarding school that I see no point in going to. Normally when they go on exhibitions and follow the migration of penguins (is there such thing?) or other animals, I've always come, but now they don't want me to. Their excuse: danger. 

When we get to the school the principal seems to think that people from Antarctica aren't smart so she puts me down into 10th grade (that's where all of you guys are, right?). Lovely. Now I'm late and too old for my class. 

"Bye Watermelon. We'll try to call you when we find a place with electricity and a connection." Dad kisses my forehead and I roll my eyes because we both know that there's no such thing as a connection in the middle of the arctic tundra.

"It's Mela, Dad. Please don't call me Watermelon."

"And why not? It's such a beautiful name."

"Because most kids are named after their grandmothers or something not after ten-pound fruits!" As you might've noticed, my father doesn't understand how mortifying the name Watermelon is.

"Bye, dear." Mom ignores my anger and hugs me too. "We'll see you as soon as we get back." She looks at the door to room 145, then back at me. "Are you ready?"

I nod, though I'm not. At. All. Yet they believe me and leave.

I could actually just walk out of the building and they'd never know, but I think I would feel guilty about not going to school so I turn the doorknob and walk into the classroom.

The first thing I notice is that half the class is dressed in designer clothing. I look down at my shorts - or rather, jeans that have their bottoms cut off - and my sweatshirt and feel a something I usually never feel. Embarrassment. 

The teacher clears her throat. "Hello?"

"Uh... I'm new."

"New? You're a week late."

Someone giggles. My face becomes red.

"Yes... Antarctica is far away."

"You come from Antarctica?"

Someone acts like a penguin.

"Yes."

She studies her list for a moment. "I don't see anyone who's missing on here. The only name that hasn't been marked off is Watermelon Altkirch, but that's a practical joke."

I bite my lip. "No. That's me."

The giggles sound like cackles.

"Well, Watermelon-" 

"Mela."

"Well, Mela, how about you sit down over there." She points to a seat in the first row, right in front of her desk. No wonder no one wanted to sit there.

I take my seat.

"Oh and by the way, I'm Ms. Cameron."  

~Heather~

"Wow,“I laughed to Mo. "She’s really got style."

Mo snickered back, “Antarctica? Nobody comes from there.”

“Ah, Mo. She is a nobody,” I smiled.

“Hush you girls back there,” Mrs. Cameron called.

~Brittany~

“Hey are you okay?” I reached over and touched Mela’s hand while the teacher wasn’t looking.

“I’m fine,”she whispered, hastily getting out her stuff.

“Don’t worry a book being late,” I told her in a voice that was less than a whisper. “I was late too.”

“A week late?” Mela raised her eye brows.

“No, but-”

“It's fine really. Just leave it, I’m use to it."

~Heather~

“Freedom!” one of the girls in my gang yelled, as the end of the day bell rang.

Everyone was going in different directions, only Stella and I were going to the bus stop. Mo normally would come but she seemed to busy with stuff.

“Want to come over to my house?” Stella asked.

“Can’t, got stuff to do,” I answered.

“Okay then see you.”

I slipped quickly onto my bus and sighed with mega relief, as always.

The bus bounced along the road; when I got to my place it was happy to zoom off. I was on babysitting duty, Joy.

“I’m home guys,” I yelled and heard what could be a thousand feet thunder down the stairs yell, “Heather!”

~Brittany~

“I’m home everyone!” I called, walked in the door.

Mum appeared, hand on her stomach. “Hello darling.”

I run to give her a huge. But there wasn’t much room.

“Is dad home?”

“He’s...” Mum paused, “I have no idea. Anyway if you haven’t got much homework, could you help me unpack stuff in the kitchen?”

“Sure,” I had loads of homework, but what she didn’t know wouldn’t kill her.

Eli~

First class was hilarious.  This girl, her name was Cantaloupe or something awful like that, came in to class late and when Ms. Carmon asks her why she's late, she says, 'Antarctica is far away.'  I could have died laughing, it was so hysterical.  It was like that book the teacher read us in first grade about a kid named Goony Bird Green.   It just goes to show you how normal Maine was.  I had the weirdest name there, and that was just because I spelled it funky.  Pineapple turned out to be in the same boat as Kimberly.  Argh.  I'm hoping that she lives in the same place as Kimberly, too.  It seems we have had our share of laughing in Ms. Carmon's class these days.