Lost

Chapter one

I ate the last spoonful of porridge, and got up from my table to put it in the dishwasher. Mum gave a big long sigh, making her straggly, curly fringe rise up into the air, almost as if it was getting ready to fly off into outer space.
'I'm going to miss you, Megan,' she said.
I gave an even bigger sigh.
'Mum, that is soooo pathetic,' I said. 'It's not like I'm going to America for six months. I'm only going to school. It's just up the road, and I'll be home at half past three.'
Mum shook her head impatiently.
'Thats not the point, Megan,' she said. 'I've got used to you being around the house during the Christmas holidays. It will be so quiet here when your gone.'
I didn't answer. Even when I was there, the house was too quiet for me.
I love Christmas. I love opening presents (even home-made ones from mum). I love the smell of the Christmas tree (but I hate being the one who has to plant it again when Christmas is over). I love eating the chocolate bars from the selection box my aunt Linda sends me every year (even though she knows it drives my mum crazy). I love being able to stay in my pyjamas for half the day. I love ... well, I just love every single thing about Christmas.
But after two weeks of Christmas with y family, I was ready to I back to school. I was ready to go back out into the real world.
'Your second term at secondary school,' Mum was saying in a dreamy kind of voice. 'How did that happen so quickly?' I remember when-'
Just then the doorbell rang. I grinned. It's like Alice has some kind of radar that let's her know when I'm in trouble. She always manages to come to the rescue just in time.
'Sorry, Mum,' I said. 'I'd really love to hear what you remember, but some other time, OK?'
'Don't be so cheeky,young lady,' said Mum, but she was smiling, so I knew she wasn't cross.
Just then my little sister Rosie appeared in the kitchen. She liked totally sweet in her fleecy pyjamas, with her hair all damp and curly. I felt a by sorry for her - she just gets to go play school in the mornings and then she's stick at home with Mum all afternoon, eating healthy food and ay educational games.
I bent down and kissed her.
'See you later,' I said.
Then I have Mum a quick kiss, grabbed my coat and school bag an ran out to meet Alice.
Alice and I hugged each other. Then I bent down to stroke domino, my pet kitten, who had just appeared and was rubbing her soft fur against my leg. Domino strayed into y life a few months earlier, but it already felt like she had been mine forever.
'Bye, Domino,' I said. 'Be a good girl until I get home.'
Alice rolled her eyes.
'Still talking to animals, I see. Know what Megan? You badly need to get back to school.'
I laughed.
'Tell me about it,' I said.
I picked Domino up and she wriggled until she was comfortable in my arms.
'Isn't she the sweetest thing you've ever seen?' I asked.
Alice backed away. I keep forgetting that Alice doesn't like cats very much. I think she's even a bit afraid of Domino, but she's too proud to admit it.
'We're going to be late if we don't get a move on,' said Alice, not answering my question.
I put Domino down, and Alice backed even further away as the little cat skunked past her.
Then Alice and I set off down the road to school.
,I'm so looking forward I seeing everyone again,' said Alice. 'I think I'm even looking forward to seeing Miss Leonard.'
I giggled. Miss Leonard is our Home Economics teacher, and I'm fairly sure she wasn't looking forward to seeing Alice.
'At least that awful Marcus won't e around to scare you anymore,' said Alice.
I didn't answer. Marcus had been j. My class just before Christmas, an he had started off being really scary, but in the end I felt sorry for him. Even though he did some bad things, he was nice underneath. I'd never found the right time to tell Alice that, in faint kind of way, Marcus had been my friend.
'At Least you're never going to hear from him again,' said Alice.
Once again I didn't reply.
What would Alice say if she new that Marcus had texted me from his be boarding school only half an hour earlier?
Sometimes things are just too complicated to put into words.
Before king we were at the usual corner where our friends Grace and Louise were waiting for us. We all hugged and then continued our walk, chatting about the Christmas holidays. Grace bad been on a skiing holiday, and made us all laugh as she told us stories about the crazy, but very good-looking, German boy in her skiing class.
Just before we got to school, we met my friend Kelly, and the five of us walked through the school gates together. I wasn't scared like I had been back in september.
I felt brave and happy for a whole new year.

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