The Tide - Completed

Part 1

Grey Monday

“WAKE UP! WAKE UP!”

I shoot up in my bed and turn off my alarm. I lean towards my window and open the curtains. Instead of being greeted by blaring sunlight and chirping birds I’m greeted by dark, depressing clouds and the sound of dogs barking. Yep it’s going to be an attack of the greys today. The greys are the worst type of days you can have, especially on a Monday. Mondays are the worst day of the week. Grey Mondays are the worst type of Mondays because everyone is grumpy, tired, and over their lives.

How rude of me; let me introduce myself.

My name is Jamie-Lee Bansen but most people call me Jamie. I have bright red hair, bluish-greenish eyes; my figure isn’t that bad (it needs some adjustments though). I am kind of attractive, but I do have many faults in me. I’m sixteen going on seventeen in October. I live in a boring town called Bettaford. Bettaford is the type of city that’s divided into large, town-like suburbs where everyone knows everyone. As for the people? Some people think we’re American, whilst others think we’re British or some other Western nationality. We’re just people living in this modern, 21st century.

I’m in high school; my school’s name is Kensington High. It’s a co-educational school (a school for both girls and boys). I have three sisters and no brothers. One little sister, one older sister, and a twin sister. My little sister’s name is Gabriella but we call her Gabby. She’s three years old. I call her the “Bawling Brigade”. She once cried in the mall because she got a stain on her dress. The crying became so bad we had to go buy her a new dress and put it on her just to keep her quiet. See what I mean? So unless you want to be drenched in tears don’t get on my kid sister’s nerves. My older sister’s name is Trisha. Well actually, it’s Patricia, but no one calls her that anymore. I haven’t seen her in eight years. She’s been studying Psychotherapy in Canada. I really miss her. Anyway. Trisha’s the best older sister a girl could ask for. We always get along but when we fight it’s like World War 3 has broken out in the house. I still love her though. My twin sister’s name is Ami-Lee. She goes to some posh boarding school in the countryside. We don’t get along at all. The reason why we don’t get along is because of...

 Well that’s enough of my family life let’s get back to the story.

 ****

After showering and putting my clothes on, I’m now sitting on my bed planning my day. Holidays can be a bit of a drag sometimes. I’m always running out of things to do. I think I'll hang out with a friend today. Hmmm I haven't spent time with my best friend, Kal. Let me call her and see what she's up to today.  

 After three dialling tones, a man picks up the phone.

“Spector residence,” he says. “How may I help you?”

It’s Kal’s dad. He’s the only person I know of that answers their phone like that.

“Hi Mr. Spector!” I greet cheerfully. “Is Kal home?”

“Hello, Jamie,” he replies happily. “No, she’s not here. She’s gone shopping with her mother.”

“Oh,” I say. “Do you know what time she’ll be back?”

Kal and her mum believe that mother-daughter bonding is a “vital thing in a healthy family relationship”. The only type of bonding my mother and I do involves arguing. Regarding the health of our ‘relationship’, if our family relationship was a person, it’d be dead.

“Try calling at one,” he suggests. “They should be back by then.”

I look at our Bozo the Clown clock (Gabby’s idea).