Chapter 1  What Friends?

 

  Beep beep boop! Beep beep boop!

  Ugh! That sound meant it was time to wake up. I opened my eyes. I tried to focus on the color of my bedroom walls.…

  My name is Emily Green. My parents are divorced. Sometimes I sleep at my mom’s house. And sometimes I sleep at my dad’s house. I’m still getting used to my dad’s new house. There’s a lot to get used to here. Besides being in a new place, I have to get used to spending time with my new stepsister, Katie, and my stepmom, Sharon. And when I’m sleepy, sometimes I forget which house I’m in.

  My bedroom walls are pink. That means I’m at Dad and Sharon’s house. My bedroom walls at Mom’s house are yellow. So yesterday was a Dad day.

  I got ready for school. Downstairs in the kitchen, Dad was filling his coffee mug. Sharon had already left to go to work. Katie was packing our lunch bags.

  “Turkey and Swiss okay, Em?” she asked. “We’re out of tuna.”

  “That’s great,” I said. “Thanks, Katie.”

 

   

 

Then Katie held up two cupcakes. Each was in its own plastic container.

  “One for you. And one for a friend,” she said. “The Cupcake Club made a test batch last night. They’re cookies-and-cream flavored.”

   

  I wanted to say, But I don’t have any friends. Not anymore.

  But I didn’t. Instead, I said, “Sounds yummy.”

  Then I poured myself some cereal. I stared into the bowl, feeling sad. A week ago, my entire life had changed. It all felt really scary.

  I used to go to Hamilton Elementary School. Then the whole plumbing system busted. The first floor got flooded. Now everyone has to go to different schools until Hamilton gets fixed. Some went to Fenton Street School. The rest went to Sunrise Hill Elementary.

  I got sent to Fenton Street. And all my friends got sent to Sunrise Hill. Abby. Ivy. Ryan. Samantha. All of them! It was so unfair!

  My first week at Fenton had been awful. I had to get used to a new building. New teachers. It was very confusing.

  I missed my friends. And I hadn’t made any new ones yet. I’m pretty shy.

 

   

 

   

  I’ll probably never have friends again, I thought.

  “Gotta run!” Dad said, kissing the top of my head. “Katie, please see that Emily gets to her bus stop.”

  “When have I ever failed you, Jeff?” she asked. Then she looked at me, smiled, winked, and gave me a big hug.

  Dad left. Katie looked at me again.

  “You okay, Em? Your cereal is getting soggy.”

  “I—it’s just hard going to a new school,” I said.

  Katie nodded. “Yeah, when I started middle school, it was really hard.”

  “What made it better?” I asked.

  “Honestly? Cupcakes!” Katie replied. She put my lunch bag down in front of me. “I’ll tell you the whole story sometime. For now, just trust in cupcake magic!” She wiggled her fingers in a silly way.

   

  I knew Katie was just trying to make me feel better. But part of me hoped the cupcakes really were magic. I needed something to help me get through another day at Fenton Street School!