 | ||||||||
|
Click here for reading level. This book is part of the Bayview High series. To read a sample chapter of New Girl, click here. Enjoy! Other Tea Leaf Press books by H.A. Levigne: The Big Split Dear Liz High Stakes Muscle Bound Striking Distance New GirlOne sunny day in June, Mrs. Kelley came home from work with a big smile on her face."Anna, where are you?" she called. Her keys clattered on the countertop. "We need to talk." "In here," Anna called back. She was a tall, lanky girl of sixteen. She had glossy black curls and deep brown eyes that always seemed to be laughing. It was the last day of school. Classes let out early so the students of St. Mary's Collegiate could clean out their lockers. Everyone was excited about the summer ahead. Many of her friends were going on vacation with their families. Some were looking for summer jobs. Anna's friend Jennifer Reuben was going to work as a camp counselor for a month. Anna and her friend Colleen Macdonald were not getting jobs. They were planning to spend the summer hanging around Colleen's pool. On the last day of school, the three girls hugged and signed one another's yearbooks. They parted with promises to meet at the beach when Jennifer got back from camp. Feeling relaxed and happy, Anna was stretched out in the living room. She was watching the music video channel on TV. She held a peanut butter and banana sandwich in one hand. It was past four o'clock, but she was still wearing her school uniform. It was a blue-and-green plaid kilt and a white button-down shirt. Her long legs dangled over the arm of the flowered sofa. Her navy school sweater was draped over the armchair nearby. Her mother's heels clicked across the gleaming hardwood floor of the living room. She was very tall for a woman--nearly six feet tall. Gran always said Anna was lucky because she got her mother's height and good skin. Her mother's flawless skin was like smooth milk chocolate. Mrs. Kelley always looked elegant, even when she wore jeans and a t-shirt. Today, Mrs. Kelley was dressed for court. She was wearing a cream-colored silk suit with a pearl necklace. Her curly black hair was twisted up in a smooth knot on top of her head. She switched off the TV and sat down on the oversized footstool in front of Anna. "I have some important news." She looked excited and nervous at the same time. Anna frowned. "Hey, I was watching that." She bit into her sandwich. "What's the news?" Her mother took a deep breath. "I quit my job today," she said. Anna stopped chewing. "You what?" "I quit--" "I heard." Anna tried to swallow, but the sandwich seemed stuck. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. No sound came out. Mrs. Kelley squinted at her daughter. "Do you want some milk?" She got up and went to the kitchen. Anna sat back against the cushions of the couch. She was in shock. A million questions raced through her mind. Mrs. Kelley returned and handed Anna a cold glass of milk. "Why? What are we going to do? How are we going to buy groceries? Or clothes?" Anna asked with a worried frown. "Don't worry. I have a plan," Her mother said. She seemed very excited about something. She could hardly sit still. Anna's eyes were as round as saucers. She stared at her mother over the rim of the glass. "So, what's the plan?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "That's the best part," Mrs. Kelley said. She paused. "I bought a bookstore." Aha. So that's it, Anna thought. She wasn't really surprised. For the past five years, her mother had talked about leaving her law practice. It was her dream to work with books every day. She loved to read everything from newspapers to novels. Mrs. Kelley was a good lawyer, but Anna knew her mother did not love her job. She did it because it paid well. Anna didn't really know what to say. Her mom was happy about it, so Anna tried to be happy, too. "That's great, Mom," she said with a small smile. Mrs. Kelley smoothed back her hair and smiled. "It's going to be a lot of hard work, but I'm ready to do this. It feels like the right time," said Mrs. Kelley. "I'll be making less money, but we'll be fine." "Yeah, we'll be fine," Anna echoed. At least I hope so, she thought to herself. "Of course, we'll have to make some changes," her mother continued. "I won't be able to pay for private school anymore." Mrs. Kelley sat back and waited for Anna's reaction to this news. For the second time, Anna's jaw dropped. "What?! You mean I can't go back to St. Mary's next year?" she asked in disbelief. "I'm sorry, honey, but--" "But what about my friends?" Anna interrupted. "What about the basketball team?" Colleen, Jennifer, and Anna played basketball together. Anna had already earned a spot on the starting lineup at St. Mary's. It wasn't fair that she would have to start over at a new school. "Don't worry, Anna. You'll still see Colleen and Jennifer even if you don't go to the same school," her mother said. "You'll make friends at your new school, too. And you can try out for the basketball team there. Everything is going to be fine." Anna wasn't convinced, but there was no point arguing about it. Once her mom made up her mind, it was final. A new school and new friends. Everything was changing. Anna wasn't sure whether it was a dream or a nightmare. Mrs. Kelley soon made another big decision. "This house is too big for just the two of us," she said one day. She began looking for a smaller house. Before long, the Kelleys were the new owners of a small, white house on Fairwell Street. It had two bedrooms and a small backyard lined with apple trees. With all the new changes, Anna had no time to spend lying around Colleen's pool. Instead, she helped her mother get ready to move that summer. They cleaned the garage and had a yard sale. Mrs. Kelley sold a lot of Gran's things in the sale. "Keep things that belonged to Gran that are special to you." she told Anna. "But remember, we don't have enough room at the new house to store a lot of stuff." So Anna kept a blue-and-yellow blanket Gran had knitted. She also kept some of Gran's books. Her mom was trying to be practical. But Anna saw her take Gran's favorite teacup out of the box of china that was ready to be sold. Before long, they sold the big house on Bluebird Hill. Less than two months later, Anna found herself in her new bedroom on Fairwell Street. She sat on the bed and stared at the walls in horror. |
||||||
|
All the books! • Search the site • Fun stuff for readers Info for parents & educators • Order books • Contact us • Home  |
