I wake up 7:30 a.m. on the dot. I run down the hallway to my mom's room and wake her up with a smile as bright as the sun.I jump on her bed so hard it started the next earthquake. When I was a little girl my mom used to say when I jumped on the bed with a smile the whole world can feel my happiness. Ever since then when I was feeling sad I would jump on the bed to remember how happiness is stronger than sadness. When I was young me and my mom was really close.We used to do everything together. She would take me out for ice cream when I was having a bad day, she alway knew exactly what I needed. Now that I’m older I need to start focusing on my education, that’s why I’m going to live with my grandma for the rest of the year so I can finish out 9th grade and go to a summer program for youth who want to study and make there own empire. My mom and me think it’s a good program for me.
“Wake up mom! Todays the day its finally here!” I said with a hint of anger in my voice even though mom has a rule about the way I talk to her. She always says respect my elders,but she's my mother not a elder.
“Im up, Im up. Hold on let me get dressed.” She said with a smile. I was surprised when I saw her smile. She thinks this is a good idea but that doesn't help the fact she will miss me when I'm gone for so long. 5 months to be exact. She’s been really weird lately though. Like she’s extra nice. I think she wants me to have a good memory of her when I’m gone or maybe she wants a good memory of me. I love my mother that's why I'm leaving. When I get older I want to make money and move my mom out of our neighborhood to a really nice house. I'm a little excited because my grandma lives in Orlando,Florida.

When we get to the airport I get my bags out of the back of our car and walk to the fancey doors that open by themselves. I like to act like I have powers and I’m opening it with the force of my mind. Just like in Star Wars. When I get to the door I look back at my mom standing by the car trying not to cry. If I’m being honest I wanted to cry too. The longest I've been away from my mom is 1 month at a camp, and that was hard I don't know how I’m supposed to go 5 months. ”I love you mom”. I said to my mom as the lady that's supposed to get me to my plane arrives to the doors.
“Make sure you call me and check in and tell me all about your new school,and make sure you have your sunscreen, and don't talk to strangers, and Grandma should be waiting for you when you get off the plane.”My mom takes a little pause and a deep breath while she wipes her tears. “ I love you so much.” She said with a smile and tears drowning her face.
Me and the lady walk to my plane and I start to get nerves. I wish my bestfriend was here with me she always knows how to calm me down when I start to get nerves. When I was in 7th grade and I had a crush on David Delveno, the hottest guy in my class. He was sitting next to me in my Art class and I was so nervous that I didn’t go to class for a whole week. When I told my best friend she helped me and walked me to class every day to help me get over seeing him. Everyone at my school called her by her first name Jessica, but I called her Jess because I was her best friend. Me and Jess have been friends since the 2nd grade.

When I got off the plain and saw my grandma i was happy as can be. Ever since I was a little girl when I saw my grandma she would bring me a chocolate bar and say ”Nice to see you sweet thing.” That always made me smile and laugh before eating a perfectly package piece of chocolate. She alway did that and every time it was just as funny like I never heard that joke once in my life. Grandma has always had corny jokes. When my grandma sees me she looks at me and scrunches up her nose, squints her eyes and makes a bunny face.
“Oh my goodness I've missed you so much!” Said Grandma as we get in the car. “How's everything going in life.”
I think to myself how I could answer this bizarre question. After a second I spit it all out. “Good so far” I lied,but not sure why.
Things are pretty quiet in the car as we drive home. Grandma asks if I wanted to see my new school. I said yeah. I don’t know why I said yes… It’s not like I like school or anything. I think in my heart I knew she wanted to show me how big it was. I think it made her happy that she was doing something so important for me considering I don’t see her all that much.
As we get home I pull my stuff out of Grandma’s nasty old Citroen DS. Grandma’s house is old. One time she told me it was 150 years old. It  has that old people smell that makes you crumple up your nose and make a face that looks like you stepped in dog donkey stain. When you step on the old wood, that has been slapped to the ground, it makes a squeaky sound like the boat made in the movie we watched in Mr.Stan’s science class last year.
When we get on the porch we see a sign on the door that says this house will be taken by the bank. I look at my Grandma and ask her what will she do. She looks at me with crazy eyes. “I know what to do” Grandma said
“What are you going to do” I say with astonishment about the fact that she comes up with a plan that fast.
She’s not telling me the plan. I start to get hot as I wait her to answer. I'm starting to regret asking her this outside. Grandma always does this. She waits a while and plays games in her head about the question. Maybe she doesn't  have a plan and she just said that because she wish she did.
“I got it!” She yells not realizing that we already know that. She bent down and got really close to me. It kinda freaked me out because of her smell. I'm not saying she smells bad… never mind yeah I am. Not just bad but really bad.
“We can start a petition” Grandma said with hope in her eyes so bright it hurts the sun.
“Do you think that will really work” I said with a little hesitation in my voice. Grandma came up with that plan way to fast. If this really works than you can declare me impressed.  
“You can take it to school and I can walk around tomorrow and ask people or maybe even get a table set up for you at lunch.”Grandma said.
She had such a calm voice. It was like she was filled with confidence. It was almost like she knew exactly what was going to happen. I just hope her confidence doesn’t consume her. 

The next day I go down stairs and see a paper on the hallway table right before we leave.
“What's that?”I asked even though I already kinda know the answer because I heard Grandma get up early and leave the house. I would have said something but I was in sleepy mode. When i'm in sleepy mode I don't think everything through.
“Oh yes I almost forgot. That's the petition paper” Grandma said
“So…I'm supposed to take that to school” I asked rolling my eyes about the fact that Grandma never gives me enough information.
“Yes and by the way the principal will be at the front of the school waiting for you so they can walk you to your first class and tell you anything that they need to inform you about.” , said Grandma with a smile. She doesn't know that I hate starting a new school.
When we get to school I see a tall old man with a school logo on his shirt “I think that's him” I said
“Ok have a good first day at school and try to get people to sign the petition. I talked to the school and asked for them to give you a table at lunch and have people come over and sign the petition. Hopefully we can get most of the school to sign” Said Grandma cooly. She was so happy and sure this was going to work,that i was determined to get a lot of people to sign for her. I walk up to the man and he looks down at me. He’s about 6 feet tall with a big bald spot and a un-pleasing face.
“You must be our new student” he said.
“Yes I am” I said with a fake smile on my face so he thought I wanted to be there.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Mr.Stotamerson and I’m your school advisor. I will walk you to your first class and help you get names for your petition later” he said with a ugly smile.
Once I got to lunch I had a line of people waiting at my table. I was feeling really good till half way through, and then I saw a girl from my first class. “Oh you're the girl hosting this?” she said.
She was in my english class and when I got to my seat she was looking at me like she had never seen a new girl before. She was rude and mean when she came up to me.
“Oh this is your petition.”She said
“Yes its for my Grandma.”I said so nicely but I wanted to slap her so badly.
“So what am I giving to charity or something” she said. All of her friends laugh at her joke like it was a dog command.
“I wouldn't put it like that” I said with a snarky look.
“Don't worry about it you won't be seeing me that much anyway” she said as she sign the paper and walked away with a bounce in her walk.  Her walk makes her seem like she's all that when she's really not at all.
Later when my Grandma picks me up I see her old car.  I start walking up to it when this guy stops me. He looks really cute and he’s really tall. He has dark chocolate skin and curly hair. I remember him from my english class because he was speaking spanish. It was kinda cute even though it was a english class. As he comes closer to me I get this tight feeling in my stomach. The last time I felt like this was in 7th grade with David Delveno . My best friend is the only person that can control my nerves. I swore at that moment in 7th grade that I would never feel like that again. 3 years later and the thing that gives me nerves is another guy. Not any guy this time, a guy who spoke spanish in english class.
He finally comes close to me. I take the last step to him. “Hey you're the girl with the petition right.” he said with a smile.
“Yeah” I said. I hope he doesn't think of me as some charity case.
“Oh great. I had a test at lunch so I didn't get a chance to sign it” he said. His big brown eyes were staring down my soul with every word he just said.
“Oh ok.”I say as I get out the paper to let him sign it. I kinda hope our hands touch and i'll instantly fall in love with him.
“Oh”he languages “My name is Elijah” His smile is so cute. My Grandma beeps the horn and it takes my focus off his smile.
“Let's go!” Grandma says.I get my paper back and walk to the car.
“Wait what's your name.” Asked Elijah
“Ask me tomorrow . Yall know where to find me.”
I say as I get in the car and drive off.
We get home and I go to my room. I'm starting to unpack and set up my room. I get nervous. I wonder if I got enough people to sign the petition. Basicly the whole school signed it.I hope my grandma was able to get some of the people in the community to sign the petition also. She's not back yet from the bank but she should be back any  second now. She will tell me if we got enough people to sign the petition. Im sitting on my bed and I hear my grandma walks in my the house.I can hear her drop her keys on the table and walk up stairs.She comes in my room. She has a bright smile but I can tell she's a little shocked also. This could be a really good thing or a really bad thing. Most of the time she has a smile on her face and at this point I can't tell if she has good news or bad news.
“I can't believe it. We got enough people to sign the petition.”She said looking at me with big eyes like a bug.
“Oh my goodness that's great!”
“ I just got back from the bank office and they said that the house is back in my name.”She said with the most amazing smile I've ever seen in my life. I'm glad this all worked out for her. Even though I think she might have already knew it was going to  work by the way she was acting this morning.

The next day I go to school and I'm feeling really good. Nothing can get me down not even that nasty girl in my class with the pretty hair clip. I see Elijah.
“So… what's your name?” Said Elijah with a confident smirk.I think he was thinking about me all night because I barely got to the school doors before he stopped me to ask me my name.
“Alice.”I smile and look up at his brown eyes
“Nice to meet you Alice” we look at each other and laugh then we walk into the sunset. Well… not the sunset just english class but I can tell it's going to be a good year.