Chapter 7

              Sally’s grin disappeared as quickly as it had come. Mom exchanged worried looks with dad. Grandma thundered into the living room to see what had happened. Elizabeth and Angela stopped what they were doing to stare at me, and Steve started laughing and screaming in joy. Mom said hastily to Sally, “I told you she wouldn’t take it in that easily!” Sally then said, “Don’t worry, Stephanie. Your sister, Elizabeth is going to school too. Only she’s going to Right Sources Elementary School.” Sally’s statement calmed me down. Elizabeth looked up at Sally questioningly.

“I have to go to school?”

 “Yes you do,” Sally explained. “See, you’re old enough to go to school. You have to go so you can learn and make new friends. Even the person next door─”

“Mary Anne is going?” I interrupted. Sally gave me a look and I said, “Sorry. Is Mary Anne going?”

She nodded and went back to explaining to Elizabeth why she needs to go to school. The only problem was Elizabeth wasn’t listening that much. She was too busy asking silly questions and panicking. Mom then told me, “You have 1 month before you have to go to school. You have plenty of time to get ready and stuff.”

       1 month! That is fine with me, I thought. “But what materials do I need?” Mom said, “That’s a good question. You’ll have to ask Sally. She used to go there you know…”

       After dinner, I decided to teach Elizabeth the alphabet. “No! That letter is “D”! I told you that 7 times already!” I was getting frustrated. It’s very easy to get frustrated with Elizabeet because she just doesn’t pay attention. Finally I succeeded teaching her the alphabet. It took about 2 hours.

       That night I had nightmares about going to school. One was about getting detention for answering a question wrongly. Another was someone blindfolded me and the result was being late for math class. Then the teacher made me recite the multiplication tables. When I woke up, I thought, I never appreciated anything than the morning when the beautiful─

       “Mom?”

       “Hmm?”

       “Why are you in here?”

       “I heard you moaning last night so I came to check on you. And I guess I fell asleep.”

       “Oh, well thanks for checking on me.”

       “No prob!” said Sally. (She was talking to Angela.)

       After breakfast, Sally, Elizabeth, and I went shopping for our materials. I asked:

       “Why so early?”

       “The earlier, the better,” replied Sally.

       “Do you know what we need?”

       “Oh, I got the letter from your principle that has a list of all your materials. You and your sister’s.” She waved an envelope.

       When we got back home, I told Sally that I was going over to Mary Anne’s house. I got there and knocked. Mary Anne came and I asked:

       “Wanna play?”

       “I’m sorry, I have to get my materials for Right Sources Middle School.”

       “Oh, I just got mine.”

       “You’re going to the same school as I am?” she asked incredulously. I nodded fiercely.

       “Cool! Wait.”

       I waited for 2 min. when she had gotten back. “I told my mom I wanted to go shopping tomorrow so I guess we can play now. What do you want to do?” “Talk?” I suggested. “Okay, now…”