The New Girl
Chapter 1
Chapter 1:
1976
“But Mum, do we have to move? I have perfectly good friends here.” Cassie whined to her mother, who was busy cooking their tea.
“You mean those kids at your school who tease you?”
Cassie sighed. She had hoped her mother hadn’t known about them. “I’ll be in my room.” She started up the stairs.
“Don’t forget your homework!” her mother called up the stairs to her.
“Yeah, yeah.” Cassie muttered as she walked up the stairs to her room.
*
She was totally engrossed in a book a few hours later, and her mother, walking into her room, caught her. “Have you done your homework yet?” she asked.
“No, Mum.”
“Reading again? How many times have I told you to do your homework first?”
“Many. I’m just gonna do it now.”
“Right. Just get it over and done with so you can have an early night, because tomorrow we’re gonna have a look at Pa Iti!”
Cassie gave her mum a blank stare. “Where’s that?”
Her mother gave her a map- one that she always had in readiness at these moments- and pointed to a tiny pin dot so tiny that Cassie wondered why it was even on the map. It was in the middle-ish of the North Island, a bit closer to the west than the east, and a bit below Taupo. “It’s a rural town in the middle of nowhere, but just perfect for us.”
Cassie stared at her mother. “But that’s ages away from South Auckland!” she cried out.
“Maybe it’s just as well. So you actually are getting exercise.” Her mother said, patted her on the head, and walked out. Cassie felt humiliated.
*
Cassie drew the covers over herself and looked at the clock. 7:30 pm. Goodness knows she’d be getting up early tomorrow morning! Her bedtime was in an hour. No doubt she’d be board stiff for at least an hour.
After half an hour of tossing and turning, she had had enough. After listening cautiously to ascertain that her mother was watching Happy Days on their tiny black-and-white TV- she was; Cassie heard her bell-pealing laughter at something that Fonzie had said- she quietly got out of bed. Half-way across the floor, the floorboards creaked loudly. Instantly she froze, her hand over the book resting on her desk.
The laughter coming out of her mother’s mouth stopped. Cassie couldn’t be sure if the rounds of jokes had stopped, or if her mother had heard her. Soon, there came the noise of her mother climbing the stairs. Cassie quickly left the book on her desk and fled back to her bed, yanking the duvet over herself so hard her toes poked through. But her mother was nearly at her door, so Cassie resigned herself to not straightening it up until the danger had passed. She quickly closed her eyes, but the footsteps of her mother passed Cassie’s door. A false alarm.
1976
“But Mum, do we have to move? I have perfectly good friends here.” Cassie whined to her mother, who was busy cooking their tea.
“You mean those kids at your school who tease you?”
Cassie sighed. She had hoped her mother hadn’t known about them. “I’ll be in my room.” She started up the stairs.
“Don’t forget your homework!” her mother called up the stairs to her.
“Yeah, yeah.” Cassie muttered as she walked up the stairs to her room.
*
She was totally engrossed in a book a few hours later, and her mother, walking into her room, caught her. “Have you done your homework yet?” she asked.
“No, Mum.”
“Reading again? How many times have I told you to do your homework first?”
“Many. I’m just gonna do it now.”
“Right. Just get it over and done with so you can have an early night, because tomorrow we’re gonna have a look at Pa Iti!”
Cassie gave her mum a blank stare. “Where’s that?”
Her mother gave her a map- one that she always had in readiness at these moments- and pointed to a tiny pin dot so tiny that Cassie wondered why it was even on the map. It was in the middle-ish of the North Island, a bit closer to the west than the east, and a bit below Taupo. “It’s a rural town in the middle of nowhere, but just perfect for us.”
Cassie stared at her mother. “But that’s ages away from South Auckland!” she cried out.
“Maybe it’s just as well. So you actually are getting exercise.” Her mother said, patted her on the head, and walked out. Cassie felt humiliated.
*
Cassie drew the covers over herself and looked at the clock. 7:30 pm. Goodness knows she’d be getting up early tomorrow morning! Her bedtime was in an hour. No doubt she’d be board stiff for at least an hour.
After half an hour of tossing and turning, she had had enough. After listening cautiously to ascertain that her mother was watching Happy Days on their tiny black-and-white TV- she was; Cassie heard her bell-pealing laughter at something that Fonzie had said- she quietly got out of bed. Half-way across the floor, the floorboards creaked loudly. Instantly she froze, her hand over the book resting on her desk.
The laughter coming out of her mother’s mouth stopped. Cassie couldn’t be sure if the rounds of jokes had stopped, or if her mother had heard her. Soon, there came the noise of her mother climbing the stairs. Cassie quickly left the book on her desk and fled back to her bed, yanking the duvet over herself so hard her toes poked through. But her mother was nearly at her door, so Cassie resigned herself to not straightening it up until the danger had passed. She quickly closed her eyes, but the footsteps of her mother passed Cassie’s door. A false alarm.
♠ ♠ ♠
This story takes place in New Zealand, all right, guys? And for those of you who haven't already caught on, this is 1976. :DThis is also on WEbook, under '1. The New Girl'.