Chapter Four

On Sunday morning, Joshua woke up with a start and looked at his cheap, flickering LCD clock his Mom had bought him.
6:00!
They were supposed to be at school by 5:30! His Mom must have forgot to wake him up!
He got dressed and ran into the living room. He thought about waking his Mom but she wouldn't mind himleaving. Anyways he could just Ms. Wilder to call her.
He picked up his skimpy travel bag and ran out of the open door, his feet scarcely touching the floor.
When he got there the buses were just leaving the gates.
"Wait!" he screamed, his arms flailing.
The driver didn't even hear him, not that it mattered, he knew that once the bus left the school property there was no turning back. School board policy. Ms. Wilder had drummed that into their heads in the weks before the trip.
Someone did notice him though. Felicity smiled evily and waved as the bus passed by him.
Brownish water splased him in the face.
Then he woke up for real and looked at his clock.
2:00.
A nightmare.
A nightmare he had three more times.
When it was 5:00 he lept out of bed and into his new(old) jeans, (Garage sales were handy but he hated thinking that someone elses butt had been in his pants) and a comfortable t-shirt. His Mom was allready downstairs. Baking blueberry pancakes.
Caroline only made blueberry pancakes when something really good happened. Like when Josh got his arm out of a sling. This was a really special day. Something Josh was actually excited about. She was beging to worry she would never see his eyes sparkle again.
Before his Mom could even say Good Morning Josh had wolfed down his pancakes.
"Woah, whats the rush? Oh the trip. Well et in the car I'll drive you."
Josh gulped down a glass of orange juice and nodded "Thanks Mom."
Before she could even turn around he was already in the car, with his stuff, ready. She smiled and shook her head. It was way better than watching him mope around all day.
When they got there most of the kids were already there. He got into his place, 7th in line. His Mom watched him for a while then asked, "Are you ok now, can I leave?"
"Sure Mom. Bye." Caroline resisted the urge to hug her son in front of everyone in risk of embarasing him even though, unknown to her that's just what he needed.
On the way out she noticed Mrs. Merendez, Felicity's Mother. They had met before on Open House. Not a bad person but a bit too upity for her taste. She almost had the whole thing cancelled having a fit over why they didn't have caviar.
The bus driver called "All aboared!" and everyone did. Josh ran in to get a window seat but it was already taken. Felicity sat there her long ebony draped over the seat cushion. Hey hazel eyes said "Give me a reason!".
He glumly slid into the outside seat and sulked.
Felicity thought about apologizing but, after looking at him, decided not to.
The teachers on the buses wre supposed to count the students but they both decided not to. A kid has never been lost on a trip before. What were the chances it would happen now? When asked if they had all their students they both answered yes, not knowing how big of a problem their mistake would later cause.

Chapter Three

Felicity walked home, or rather she walked across the street and into a Cadillac and her Dad's chauffeur drove her home.
She slouched in the fur lined luxury seats and sighed. Why had she blown up on him. She knew he was trying to be nice but...
The car stopped in front of a gigantic house. She stayed inside the car for a few moments then rapped on the car door with her knuckes a few times.
Davin, The chauffeur walked out briskly and opened the door for her. Felicity tried to remembered the last time she opened a door out side of school. She couldn't remember any.
Davin ran forward to open the house door for her. She stepped in and slipped off her shoes.
Seeing no one was there the steped through the living room and into the kitchen. The flung the Fridge door open and scanned the contents. She selected a bowl of caviar then went to the couch to eat it.
About half-way through the bowl the door opened. It was her Mom.
"Honey are you home?" Felicity raised her hand because her mouth was full.
"Oh there you are. I was wondering would you want to go shopping. We have'nt done anything together in a while."
She shook her head "No Mom. It's o.k., maybe later."
Mer Mom gasped mentally. She couldn't remember the last time her daughter had turned down a shopping trip.
"Are you o.k.? Did something happen." Suddenly she stopped, "Was it a boy?"
Felicity thought for a few seconds, "Kinda."
Her Mom sat down, "I remembered when I was you age and I started noticing boys..."
Felicity made a face, "It's not even like that Mom. Now can I please have some privacy."
She backed off knowing with all her motherly wisdom that this was a hard time for a young lady. Boys were a difficult subject.
Felicity finished of the caviar then went to bed early.
Three hours early.
Her Mom checked her temperature to make sure the was feeling ok.
She wasn't but the thermomator did not know that.
As she was falling asleep she remembered shoving Josh of an airboat in third grade. That helped calm her down.
A little.

Chapter Two

Joshua kicked a coke can as he trudged down the street. What right did she have. He rounded the corner.
"Three." he thought. Three more turns until he came back to the dump he called home(And dump is not even an exzageration. They lived across the street from a dump. It was the cheapest house they couls afford).
He kicked the can again. Since his Dad's drinking problem had gotten worse he had started the counting.
He blew a strand of sandy blond hair out of his face. Two more turns.
Josh wondered if his dad was in a good mood or if is system was overloaded with alcohol like last night. He rubbed a fresh wound hidden under his too short sleave.
Josh crossed the street and made another turn, more slowly to savor his freedom.
One more turn.
He rounded the last corner, almost reluctantly then sighed and reluctantly crossed the property line.
No sirens, that was a good sign. He got closer, No screaming either.
He dug around in his pocket for the key them opened the door.
The living room was dark and dank and smelt like liquor. His dad was slumped on the one chair in the house sleeping with a can of beer on his stomach.
Josh trippeed over a pile of unused books and hit the ground. He lay on the floor for a bit, exprcting a beating but his father just moved his head and kept snoring.
Josh's Mom, Caroline, rushed out silently and shushed him."
"He's been sleeping all day but no need to wake him up now"
Joshua nodded, knowing he was alot less trouble when he was sleeping. He tiptoed over to his room and his Mom folowed.
She sat cross-legged on his bed. "So ow was your day."
She asked him this every day. No matter how buzy or tired she was."
Josh thought abou his day. "I don't want to talk about it" he replied.
Caroline nodded. She had days like that too.
She got up to leave then remembered something.
"Oh, wait. I almost forgot." She walked out then back in after a few seconds, now holding a giftwraped package.
"Wow, wrapping!" Josh thought. They did'nt use wrapping unless it was absolutly nessesary or special.
"Well what are you waiting for? Open it up!"
He tore at the wrapping untill he saw the present underneath and gasped.
It was, simply put a sleeping bag but not like the one he used to sleep outside when his Dad was on a rampage. It was an expensive one. The type you would find in an outdoors stoor. With down lining to keep it extra warm.
"Mom, this must have cost a fortune!" wondering where she got the money from. His Dad had deluded himself into thinking that any money made went to his drinking fund.
"Don't worry, I've been saving a few pennies here and there."
She smilled. Caroline liked seeing her son happy.
"O.k., bed tomorow is Saturday. Then Sunday is the big trip. You need to get your rest!"
She started to tuck him in(something she insisted she did every night untill he moved out.) when he stopped her.
"Mom, can I sleep in my sleeping bag tonight? Please?"
She shrugged, "Whatever you want."
She kissed him goodnight and walked out softly. So for the first in many nights Josh went to bed happy.

-End Of Chapter Two-

Chapter One

Felicity looked at the list.
No!
She checked it again, maybe she read wrong.
Nooo! Felicity groaned. Anything was better than this. Anything!
Her best friend, Kimberly, walked up to her
"What's up?" she asked sensing something was wrong
Felicity just pointed at the list. Kimberly scanned the list then gasped."oh I'm sorry. I don't see how you got paired up with him".
"Him" was Joshua Derives.
He was a pretty o.k. guy but the fact that he was at the bottom of his class paired with the fact that he was a slob made him a prime candidate for teasing.
"At least you don't have to share a tent with him." Kimberly mused, "He's a boy."
"Yeah," Felicity agreed, "I would just die if I had to."
Everyone was looking forward to the annual 4th grade camping trip that closed out the nature unit in science. Felicity had specially requested that her partner be Kimberly but she got stuck with Josh!?! That was at the other end of the spectrum!
It was the end of class so she went to see her teacher. She was grading papers.
Ms. Wilder was hurriedly grading papers when a shadow fell over her desk. A dark angry shadow. She looked up, it was Felicity.
Ms. Wilder groaned inwardly. She was expecting her.
It took all of Felicity's will power not to just let out what she was feeling and scream at Ms. Wilder. All of it. But to be fair, Ms. Wilder wasn't having such an easy time keeping a straight face either. It had been a tough day. Jerry Washington had stuck two crayons up his nose and nearly passed out.
But now she just made a mental note to take two aspirins when she got home and plastered on a smile.
"What can I do for you Felicity?" she asked although she already knew what it was about.
"I want to know," Felicity said, struggling to keep her voice even tempered, "How I got paired up with Josh?" she practically spat.
"I won't have you talking about any of my students that way.: she said, frowning slightly because she felt the same way about him.
"Besides, you're always paired up with Kimberly. I thought this time we would try something new!"
Felicity nodded, although on the inside she was fighting back tears. She blinked them back and walked away.
Ms. Wilder shook her head. She would have handled it the same way.
Now while all this was happening, Josh was at the other side of the school thinking almost the same thing.
How did he get stuck with "Miss Snotty Uppity Know-It-All". Sure she was popular and rich, she hated him and the feeling was mutual.
He remembered the last time they had been paired up. The trip to the Everglades. He almost drowned and he got his brand new shirt ruined.
Josh swallowed, he didn't get new shirts very often. He remembered how she and all her friends had laughed at him when he wore the shirt to school the very next day.
They were like vultures. He almost never wore that shirt again but like I said, he didn't get a lot of new clothes. In fact he was wearing the shirt right now.
It's arms were frayed and it was tight. If you looked closely you could still tell which side he had smacked off the swamp buggy and into the mucky swampland.
He knew that he was going to have to wear the shirt until it was absolutely shredded.
Josh thought about complaining but he was already on thin ice with his teacher. He walked off the school's campus and down the sidewalk, absentmindedly swinging his arms. About a block down the street Josh's arms collided with Felicity's books which she was carrying for a change( Usually she paid someone to do it for her).
They slammed on the floor and Josh scrambled to pick all of them up.
"I'm sorry...really,really.. I didn't mean...I-"
Felicity put her hand up.
"Stop talking."
Josh did.
"Drop my stuff." They fell to the floor with a hard thud.
She pulled out a small spray canister from her pocket and sprayed it all over the books. Then she picked them up. Josh got a whiff of it. Air Freshener.
"Now don't you ever EVER touch my stuff again." She turned on her heel and strutted away.
Josh, still a little confused about what happened also walked away.
"Jerk!" they both thought as they walked home in opposite directions.


-End Of Chapter One-

Welcome to-(Deep announcer voice)- "Destiny's writing project"(echo,echo,echo)
I am keeping this under tight wraps for a few weeks but soon I will be releasing things slowly(I kinda hate typing so it makes almost no sence that I am making a blog). I already wrote out the first chapter(Did I say that out loud) but I am still typing it. Also I kida..sorta...lost my notebook-(Turns red in shame)-. Ok, I'm out be back tomorow.