If you need something to laugh at possibly, then watch the video above! Only if you want also, I'm new to the writing scene, and some things might get confusing, but if you need any clarification, feel free to contact me on Wattpad. There is also going to be some errors just putting out a disclaimer, and I appreciate you reading this thanks!
September 9th
Today is the first day of school. I didn't expect to be this nervous about it. I have to remember that this is a new school and I have to keep an open mind. This school isn't going to be like my last two schools. I've experienced bullying before at a new school. I hope this time will be different.
One time there was this girl who would be nice to be when she would be in my presence, but talk about me behind my back. I remember at lunchtime I had a piece of chocolate cake and she wanted some. I told her no and she got angry.
She went as far as telling everyone the next day that I threatened her because she asked for a piece of my cake. Everyone turned on me that day and I was devastated. So I hope everyone in this school is nice.
My father always told me 'Never let anyone get the best of you. Always defend yourself in the nicest way possible. Always remember that hurt people hurt others.'
I want to start fresh at this school. Today is going to be the start of an old, but brand-new me.
***
My aunt dropped me off at Tribeca Stars High, just a minute ago. Before she left, she told me that 'she loves me' and she hopes that I have a 'great first day of school.' I hugged her goodbye and then walked inside the school.See you guys in the next chapter.
As I'm walking to the front office, I see students at their lockers. They are talking about how good or bad the start of their mornings is going. I wasn't expecting this school to be so big and so clean. Before I walk into the front office, I take a deep breath. I got this.
I see a middle-aged woman wearing a pink fluffy blouse, her hair in a bun sitting at the reception desk.
"Excuse me, ma'am. I'm a new student here. My name is Avery Garcia-Moreno."
"Oh hello. Welcome to Tribeca Stars High. Here is your schedule, a map of the school, a lock and its combination. Your textbooks are provided by your teachers, so don't worry about buying any. Here's your locker number; it is located on the second floor. And lastly, the elevator and steps are straight out of this office. Once you reach the water fountain, take a left turn, and there you'll see them down the hall."
"Thanks for all this information, ma'am. Have a good day."
"You're welcome, Ms. Moreno, you too."
I walk out of the office and take a quick look at my schedule. The first class is math. I hate math. I'm not good at this subject, but here I go into the classroom.
In The Classroom
Teacher: "Okay, guys, we'll be..."
The teacher stops speaking once she notices me at the doorway.
"... It seems that we have a new student with us. What's your name darling?"
"Good morning my name is Avery.
"Good morning Avery, you may take a seat."
All the students in the classroom quickly look me up and down and stare at my face for three seconds. Yes, I counted the seconds.
I turn my head slightly to the left and the back of the classroom by the windows, and you won't believe who I see. It's the airport boy. He's smiling and waving at me. I ignore him completely and he frowns. I don't want to look awkward standing here, so I hurry to find a seat. To no surprise, all the chairs are taken. This is just my luck. Of course, the only seat left is the one next to him.
After I sit down, the teacher walks by and places a textbook on my desk.
"It's great to have you in this class Avery. I'm Mrs. Caddel. The textbook you have is the one you'll be using for the rest of the school year. Take good care of it."
She turns to go back to the front of the classroom to finish talking to us students.
I couldn't resist the urge to peek and see what airport boy was up to. I notice his green eyes. It's like they are staring into my soul. He catches me staring and smiles.
"It's fancy meeting you here, airport girl. I never got to tell you my name. I'm James."
"Hi, airport boy. You're still calling me airport girl. How many times do I have to tell you that my name is Avery, not Airport Girl."
I make sure that I whisper that part so I don't get in trouble with the teacher.
"I keep forgetting sorry Avery."
"Apology accepted James."
We both turn our attention to the teacher.
"Students remember this is a statistics class. You've been aware for some time now that it's important to study every day. The test may appear unexpectedly, so it's best to always be prepared. Please be mindful of that. I have your best interests at heart, which is why I ask that you please take this class seriously.
***
After math class was over, I went to my next few classes. They went pretty well. What's surprising is that James and I are in the same classes together. We were both surprised, but I've come to find him to be quite bearable to be around.
At lunchtime, James invited me to sit over at his table with his friends. He says that Anna, Jackson, and he aren't close, but they still consider themselves friends. He said that they only talk when They are having lunch and rarely on the weekends. Hanging out with them was fun. They're extremely cool. My last class for the day is Spanish.
"Avery, are you ready for Spanish class," James questioned.
"Yes, I am. I'm also excited about it because I've always had an interest in it. My Mom and Dad are from Spain, so I grew up learning Spanish from them."
"That's great! I can cheat off of you then."
I chuckle at his little comment.
"You're funny James, but no you can't cheat off of me. You'll never learn a new language that way. It's best if you do the best you can when doing the work.
We headed to our seats upon entering the class, and the teacher handed me my textbook for this class.
"Hola clase, I'm Mrs. Escarra. We have a new student. Como se llama?
"Me llamo Avery Garcia-Moreno."
"How much Spanish do you know?"
"Un poco. Mi madre es de España. I learned from her."
Everyone in the class had their mouths open and, strangely, started clapping. I find that odd, but I like it.
James leans towards me and whispers, "Impressive."
"Okay everyone," Ms. Escarra says. "That's enough. Stop staring at Avery. Let's move on to the lesson. Today, we will be beginning lesson one, class. "Flip to page two in your Spanish Vista textbooks."
***
After what feels like an eternity in class, school is finally finished. Spending seven and a half hours in school again is exhausting.
I'm glad the teachers took mercy on me and said that I don't have to do any homework. Since it was my first day, they didn't want to overwhelm me. As I make my way outside, I catch sight of my aunt's car and begin walking towards it. While walking, I feel someone tapping my shoulder. I turn around and James comes into view.
"Avery, you forgot your pen. You wouldn't want to leave school without it."
"Thank you for returning it to me. See you tomorrow. My aunt is waiting for me."
"Looking forward to it. See you later."
"Bye James."
I turn around and get into the car. My aunt is grinning from ear to ear.
"So who was that Avery?" She wiggles her eyebrows.
"That's just James."
"He's handsome. You two would look great together."
Ignoring her second comment I say, "I never noticed, to be honest."
"If you say so. I have a letter to give you when we get home Avery."
***
Once we arrived home, Aunt Victoria gave me the letter and revealed that Grandpa had uncovered it in a box belonging to my parents when they were cleaning the house. I took the letter and my aunt and I went to sit on the couch in the living room. Before reading the letter, Aunt Victoria expressed her hope that I wouldn't hate her after reading it.
Before reading the letter, I took a moment to contemplate the meaning behind her words.
Dear Avery,
Hi, Avery, it's Mom and Dad. If you are reading this, then you know that your father and I have passed away. 'We wanted to let you know that the woman you have known as Aunt Victoria is, in fact, your biological mother.' We acknowledge that you may be feeling upset, however, if you take the time to listen to both your aunt and us, you will gain a better understanding. 'The truth is, we purposely kept this from you.' Aunt Victoria just gave birth to you and your birth father just left. She became a single mother at a very young age. 'She was unable to take care of you by herself.' So we all decided that we would take you in as our own. When she realized that she could be a mother to you, we were in California. We couldn't bear to lose you, which led to our mishandling of the situation. Our love for you is unwavering, but this letter has reached its final words. Please don't harbor any ill feelings towards your birth mother. We take full responsibility for not returning you to her when she was ready, even though she had done nothing wrong. We understand if you despise us for this. We're so sorry Avery.
Love, Mom, and Dad xoxo
So this is what Grandpa and Grandma meant before the funeral. I don't know what to think. They had been lying to me all these years. I feel Aunt Victoria. To think that I would hate her because of their actions is sad. She's my mom. I can never hate her. This isn't her fault at all.
I'm mad at my so-called parents. How could they deny a biological mother the right to be with her child? I get that she was so young when she had me. But that's no excuse. When she was ready to be a mother to me, they denied her that privilege.
It's unclear to me why they would do this to her. She never got to hear my first words or see me take my first steps. She missed all of my milestones because of their selfish needs.
I turn to my right and notice that Aunt Victoria has left the couch. I get up to look for her and I find her in the kitchen.
"Hey. I just read the letter, and I don't hate you. I could never hate you. You are my mother and you tried to get me back. It's not your fault and you shouldn't have to apologize for what they did. If it's okay with you, would you tell me the full story when you're ready?"
"Why don't we sit down at the dining table."
"Okay."
We walked to the table, and she pulled out a chair for me. She's fidgeting with her shirt and she clears her throat before telling me her story.
"I got pregnant with you when I was sixteen years old. My boyfriend at that time, your biological father, was by my side every step of the way. When you were born he held you in his arms before I did. That moment was very special. He thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world.
"Unfortunately, being sixteen years old, he couldn't handle being a young dad. It was three days after you were born that we broke up, and then he moved back to England. For the first two months, I did everything by myself, and I was struggling.
"I was glad they were able to provide you with the life I couldn't at that moment.' I can see that they did a very good job. At first, I was mad they didn't give you back, but over time I let it go."
I couldn't help but be sad with everything she was saying. She put her hand on top of mine and then kept talking.
"You were six months old when they became your official parents. Fast-forward, you were four years old; I saved up money until I was twenty years old, and I was ready to get you back. I begged and pleaded with your parents to let me have you back, but they refused. I tried and tried and nothing was working.
I tried for years. My heart broke each day, not having you with me. I kept asking them to give up their rights. We had an open adoption and I still couldn't be near you. They kept on refusing. Their excuse was that they loved you too much. I realized how selfish they were being."
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I allowed her to carry on.
"They said that I missed my chance, and there was no way in hell they would give you up. So when I saw you for the first time at the hospital I wanted to break down and cry, but I didn't."
I hate that they did this to her. I have the sudden urge to call her mom. She missed it, so it's only right I give her that title.
"It's okay Mom. I am sorry for what you had to go through. "I realize it might be sudden to refer to you as Mom, but it felt right to call you that."
"I would like that very much. You don't have to, you know.
"Calling you mom just feels right. Now it's official."
"Avery, listen I know you are upset with the letter. What your aunt and uncle did was horrible, but they still took care of you like you were their own. I think what I'm about to say is important. Your aunt can't speak for herself, but I will. She couldn't get pregnant, and she had always wanted a child. I don't want to make excuses for her but try to understand their actions."
"I hear what you were saying, but I just don't know. To deprive someone else of their child is still so wrong."
"I understand how you feel. It was very wrong, but please don't hate them for that. After all, you love them"
"Yes, you're right. Sorry to cut this conversation short, but I'm tired. I'll see you in the morning."
I decided to give her a long hug.
"Goodnight, honey, I love you."
"Love you too."
I make my way upstairs I think about when I called her mom. Her eyes light up every time and I love it. She deserves to be called mom. It puts a smile on my face to see her happy.
Thanks so much for reading. Have any of you ever had something tragic happen in your family? I would love to hear all of ya's stories. I know I have been through one, and it's awful. It looks like this story is going to get better. Hopefully.
Words: 2,530