Chapter 1:

Same old

      It’s a cold Monday morning but I still walk to school. Once I get to Highway Middle I walk straight to class. When I get to class, Krista is already there.

    “Hi loser! Ms. Kirkley already has your principal slip ready!” She teases. I sit down moments before writing starts. “Okay class write about your weekend!” Ms. Kirkley chirps. I fail every time but I still try. I pick up my pencil and begin to write. Once I finish I look down, it’s just a bunch of dusty scribbles. Ms. Kirkley walks around to glimpse at everyone’s paper. She walks by my desk,

    “Aiko”, She shouts, "go to the office.” I moan but I stand up, walk out the door, and to the office.

Chapter 2

The office

    “Hello Ms. Aiko how may I help you?” Asks the secretary.

    “I’m here to see Ms. Shae” I mumble. She nods and points to the door. When I walk in Ms. Shae’s office, she’s expecting me. 

    “Aiko” ,she moans, “ I’m getting tired of seeing you every day.”  I nod and don’t say anything. This is my routine, but today the routine breaks. 

    “Aiko, I don’t understand. You are my number one seen student. You are just disrupting school! Something needs to change or you will be suspended!” She shouts. My face starts to burn and my eyes sting. I burst into tears, and bang my head on the wall. Ms. Shea jumps back. 

    “Aiko, calm down,” She says surprised.

    “Go away!” I shout and then run out of the room. She started to chase after me but then she stopped. She turns to the secretary and whispers and nods. I run to the bathroom and lock myself in a stall. The counselor is right behind me, she blocks off the entrance to the bathroom. 

Chapter 3

Ms. Vanga

    “Aiko, it’s me Ms. Vanga. Can you please unlock your stall. I’ll wait.” I unlock my stall but don’t open it, Ms. Vanga does. “ Aiko, I don’t understand what's the problem?” She asks.

    “ I can’t do work. I try, I have a plan, but it always  just turns out as scribbles, then I get sent to the office. This time Ms. Shea said I would get suspended if I don’t change, but I can't change.” I say. I’m about to cry again.  

    “ You can’t, or you don’t want to?” She asks.

    “I can’t in all my elementary classes we just typed everything, but here in sixth grade we write pencil and paper.” 

    “Why don’t you leave the stall, Aiko.” She says firmly. So I walk out my eyes puffy and my cheeks red. “Thank you. Now let’s go to my office. I'm calling your mom.” She says soothingly. Ms. Vanga unlocked the door and leads me to her office. 

    I like Ms. Vanga, she  has the same style sense as me. Her office is decorated with delicate flowers and pretty birds. I wonder how people so different from each other can like the same things. She has fair skin and red hair that is always up in a bun. I have brown hair and hazelnut skin. 

    “Have a seat, you can color if you like,” She says

    “Ok,” I sit down and stare at the art supplies. 

     Ms. Vanga diles a number on the phone, “ Hello is this Ms. Kaung? It is! I’m Ms. Vanga Aiko’s school counselor, Aiko, got sent to the office which I’m sure is nothing new. Today Aiko had more of a melt down which includes banging her head on the wall and hiding in the bathroom. 

    "Does this ever happen at home?

Ok, well she is ok now but I would like to have a meeting with you later. Would after school work? Perfect, thank you. Buh-bye,” She gets off the phone. She looks at me with great concern, and then sighs. I just sit here too afraid to make any noise. 

    “Aiko,” Ms. Vanga said, turning to me.

    “Yes?” I say scared that she is mad at me.

    “What was your writing assignment? I would like to help you.”

    “To write about what I did over the weekend,” I sigh

    “Sounds easy enough!” She chirps, Mabey for her definitely not for me, “What did you do?”

     “Well we went to the candy store there was so much bubble gum, lollipops, and gummy’s!” I say actually excited for once. 

    “ Okay! Now write what you just told me.” I pick up my pencil and begin to write: One morning we went to the... That is what I saw this is what Ms. Vanga saw:  

Chapter 4

Back to prison

    “Aiko, why don’t you pause and head back to class, I have a phone call I must make,” She said. I nodded my head and left. When I walked in everyone was reading. Great, another thing I can’t do. I slide into my seat and stare at the pictures. Ms. Kirkley has soft music playing in the background and my mind wanders from the music and back to the pictures. Listen, flip, listen, flip. I do that for the next forever then finally Ms. Kirkley tells us to line up, 

    “Everyone line up for lunch. Aiko please stay in your seat.” Clueless I stay seated while everyone else walks out the door. Ms. KIrkley shut the door and pulled a chair to my desk.

    “ You may eat, but more importantly I want to talk about what happened today,” She said. I opened my lunch box and started to eat my sandwich. How could my feelings be more important than me eating? 

    “ So why did you bang your head on the wall?” She asks in a fake concern type of way. I shrug and move on my cookie. 

    “ Aiko! I’m trying to care about you but you're refusing!” She shouted.

    My eyes bubble with tears, “ You shouldn't have to try, you should automatically care about me!” I scream so loud my throat hurts, grab my lunch and run to the bathroom. I lock myself in a stall and eat my lunch. 

     "Looks like you’re gonna be my best friend,” I mumble. I eat my sandwich not moving from the toilet seat. Krista and Molly walk in. 

    “ OMG, Dillain is so cute! He should marry me,” Krista whined.. 

    “ Totes!” Molly shrieked. I rolled my eyes as they blabbed on.              DING! The bell rings to signal lunch is over. I’m not going back to class. I walk in the cafeteria, throw away my trash and step in the phone booth. I dig in my pockets for a coin. A penny! That means one minute of talk time that's all I need. I insert the penny and diel my mom's phone number. It answers admittedly. 

    “ Hi mom, It's Aiko,” I say nervously.

    “ Hi Aiko. What’s wrong?” She asks.

    “ I need you to come pick me up,” I pause, “ please.”

      “ Fine I’m on my way,” She sighs. I hang up. Yes! I know it won’t be this easy, she will have lots of questions.

Chapter 5

Home

     I walk out the back door so no one notices I am leaving school. I walk to the pick up curb and see my moms dirty blue car. I hop in the front seat. Surprisingly the drive home is silent. Not a single peep. Not too long later we arrive at my house. It’s small but comfortable. As soon as you walk in you enter the kitchen. In the kitchen there are dull gray cabinets and counters. In the middle there is a table. I walk in smelling my favorite meal, soba. I smile at the smell but I continue to walk. I enter the living room that has a small TV and a gray couch that Akia is sitting on. Akia is 18 and is out of high school. 

   “ Hi girly. Heard today was rough,” She says smiling sadly. I ignore her and walk into our bedroom. We share one. She has her side and I have mine. I flop on my bed and begin to cry. 

    Mom hurries in, “ Aiko, what's wrong?”

    “ Well today I got sent to the office and the Principal said I would get expelled if I don’t change, but I can't. Then I hid in the bathroom. Ms. Vanga caught me and called you. Then I wasn’t allowed to go to lunch because Ms. Kirkley wanted  to talk to me. Then she said she didn't care about me. So then I ate in the bathroom,” I sob. 

    “ Oh honey I’m sorry. What do you need?”

    “ Peace!” I scream. Mom nods and scurries out the door. I cry and cry for what feels like hours and then finally I get up and walk into the living room.

    “ Perfect timing! Soba is ready,” Akia said. I scoot into the chair and slurp up the hot soup. 

    “ Akia, can you watch Aiko for me?” Mom asks.

    “ Sure! Why?” 

    “ I have a meeting with Ms. Vangae!” 

    “ It’s Vanga,” I mutter.

    “ Well I have a meeting with her,” Mom says sternly.

    “ I would love to!” Akia chirps.

    “ Thank you. Now Aiko be good I’m leaving now.” She Washes her bowl, grabs her keys and leaves. As soon as she is out the door Akia looks at me and doesn't drop her gaze. 

    “ What?” I ask.

    “ Why is mom going to see the counselor?” She asks.