《The Midwinter's Dance》


 Chapter 1

    This is my first day at Chestnut High. I¡¯m so nervous¡­ What if I get bullied? What if nobody likes me? What if I get the answers wrong? That''s why I¡¯ve resorted to plan Z and a half, stay out of school at all costs.


    ¡°Oh honey, are you okay?¡± My mom asks, peering into the bathroom door.


    My hands are placed firmly around the rim of the toilet, and I try to will my face to pale. Of course, I¡¯m not going to actually make myself sick, but maybe I can freak Mom out enough to let me stay home from school.


    ¡°No, Mom, I¡¯ve got an eccentric form of dysentery brought from Asia by a trapezist who in turn passed it onto me.,¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been to a trapezist, but that sounds disgusting, I hope the nurse is more sympathetic¡±


    I just groan in response to this comment and walk out the door.


    I¡¯m on the overheated bus on the overrated ride to school. Am I supposed to be happy? I hope not. I¡¯ve read books about students who arrive in delirium.


    My well, thought out, a new plan for the school year is to become popular in any way, shape, or form.


    Oh, my yellow, first-day dress is wrinkled!


    Now I am walking to school, probably looking nerdy already because I¡¯m writing in this journal.


    ¡°Oww, are you¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°How did I run into you?¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m so, so sorry¡±


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s fine, by the way, my name is Tucker.¡±, he said.


    OMG!!!! Squealing sound!  On my first day of school here, somebody of obvious great social importance spoke to me. Calm yourself down, Beth, act cool.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Hey, what''s your name?¡±


    What who was that. That wasn''t Tucker.


    ¡°Uh Hello¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh right, uh, hi?¡± Should I say my actual name? Is it good enough? You can¡¯t make your friends by lying, Beth.


    ¡°I¡¯m Bethany.¡±


    ¡°Bethany, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but, uh, you can call me Beth.¡±


    I spent the rest of the day navigating myself through the crowded halls of high school. I kept to myself mostly and tried to go pretty much unnoticed, ignoring my revised plan. Someone talked to me. He talked to me, and that made all the difference.

 Chapter 3

    We walked into school together, and we sat down in homeroom.


    ¡°Okay kids, time for roll call, the teacher said.¡± Oh, no was my immediate thought. Please don¡¯t say my last name...please...please...please!


    ¡°Chris Urgente¡±. Wait he¡¯s in my class? Yes! Oh, but he won¡¯t like me after this. Here my last words and don¡¯t go to my funeral;


    ¡°Be-thu-ni Butt¡±


    I curl into a ball. Please make it stop...Please Please


    The class erupts into pandemonium, everyone laughing end exploding with amusement.


    ...


    ¡°Bethany,


    Bethany!


    Bethany, wake up right now.¡±


    Who is that? I¡¯ve never heard the sheep voice before.


    ¡°No comatose states in the classroom. Beth, DETENTION AFTER SCHOOL¡±


    ...


    ¡°Honey, time for Day 2 of school!!!!¡± Mom chirps into my door frame.


    ¡°Oh, mom! I don¡¯t wanna go¡±.


    ¡°You know, this girl named Stephanie asked to hang out and walk you to school.¡±


    My first girlfriend!!!! Please don¡¯t let mom have said anything embarrassing.


    ¡°What did you tell her?¡±


    ¡°Just that you couldn¡¯t have a playdate on Saturday because of your tap dance team.¡±


    aaaaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!


    ¡°Mom what do you not understand, Playdate is not the social term. You say hang out. And you told her about my Power Rangers step dance team?


    ¡°Oh honey, don¡¯t be ashamed, you love your super Power Ranger teammates.¡±


    ...


    I met Stephanie at the metro stop near our house.


    ¡°Hey, Girlfriend!! Looking stylish!!¡± Eeek. We fashionably walk to the front of the school, when we see a random student, and suddenly, Stephanie takes off for the back of the school entrance. I decided it was best to stay put, but what the heck?


    Today, the school went on without much drama, but I didn¡¯t get to see Stephanie again ¡®till the end of the day.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Hey Stephanie, why¡¯d ya¡¯ ditch me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡° At the front of the school!!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that,¡± Stephanie trailed off.


    Just like that, she walked off on me! Again! I can''t believe it¡­ something fishy is going on.


    Stephanie is like, being so weird this week like OMG, I can''t even.


    ...


    ¡°Honey bear, time for school!¡± Mom¡¯s voice rings out through the house


    ¡°MOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!! Don¡¯t call me that!¡±


    ¡°That just means you love me, Bethy..¡±


    ¡°Whatever helps you sleep at night,¡± I say, and head out.


    ...


    Now I¡¯m walking to school alone, in a grumpy mood when, no, no,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,no...,NO¡­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    I hide behind a bush near the school. and all of a sudden, I see the WORST THING eVeR. I see Stephanie walking next to that, that kid, Tucker. And she¡¯s holding his hand. Stephanie, has a boyfriend? No way! And Tucker? I thought he had standards! I look back at their intertwined hands and hold back my vomit. Tucker was mine. This is SO wrong!


    Yesterday, I spent the entire day walking the halls, clinging to the lockers, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. I want to see Tucker, and not with her. I finally got through the day and met my bed with open arms. I relaxed my entire weekend, slacking it thoroughly, but as always, Monday snuck up on me like my younger sister, sneaking up on me faster than I could expect.


    When Monday did come, I slowly, yet guiltily walk down the empty corridor, early when all I wanted was to be a little late, (by which I mean, five days late).


    **********************************************************************************************************


    Today I was walking to my next class when Tucker came down the hall, me and him heading in opposite directions. I tried to move but he moved, and we did that ironic little dance. Then I ran into him! Oh, the embarrassment! His skin was unbelievably warm, though.


    ...


    It is currently September 19, and I am beginning to enjoy school. I¡¯ve been avoiding Stephanie for days now, but on the way out of the school for dismissal, she came up to me and asked if I could walk her home.


    ¡°Hey uh, Beth¡­¡±


    ¡°Could you umm, maybe, walk me home?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Stephanie.¡±


    Walking home was a very interesting thing. We talked and talked, end I learned so much about her that it was amazing.


    And she invited me to a sleepover Friday night. Why am I so confuzzled? Why have I never been invited to a stunt like this before?


    OMG MY FIRST SLeePOVeR HeRe!! eeeeeeeK THIS IS GONNa Be LIKe, awesOMe! THIS GIRL NaMeD Becky IS GONNa Be THeRe and Stephanie IS TOO! OMG OH MY GOSH, THIS IS GONNa Be LIKe, TOTeS aDORBS! LITeRaLLY, THe BeST. DaY. eVeR!


    This is gonna be great!


    ¡°Honey you¡¯re getting braces today!¡±


    ¡°But I can''t MoM, I¡¯m going to my sleepover!¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry honey, I didn¡¯t know you had friends¡±


    ¡°Oh my gosh like really you are totes means and rude and that stuff. I hate u so much. If you got run over by the bus, I¡¯d be the driver.¡±


    ¡°Young soul you go to your room right now¡­ go to the sleepover¡­ the end never comes back for all I care. You¡¯re such a big jerk¡±


    Walking to the party. I hate my stupid mother. If she was gone, I would throw a party. She wears so much makeup, I don¡¯t even know what her face looks like! If I did, it probably would look like a demon.