Finding Happiness, page 3
Dong Quan
Attorney at Law
After she finished reading the letter, Isabelle began shaking with anger. That bastard! I knew he would outright deny everything.
Now She knew why Cora almost didn’t show the letter as she thought it might bring on unnecessary stress, but it didn’t. She was surprised that her aunt was able to find a contact for Dexter. Again, her aunt had her ways. With a nod from Cora, Isabelle ripped the letter to shreds and threw it away and agreed never to bring the guy’s name up ever again.
-Back to Present Time-
“And that is the biggest secret I have kept for all these years. I’m so sorry that I kept it from you, Feliciano.”
As soon as she finished telling the whole story about her having a child many years earlier, she closed her eyes and lowered her head. When she didn’t hear anything, Isabelle thought she was in the clear, but she was wrong. She lifted head up and saw a furious look on Feliciano’s face. He clenched his hands so hard that his knuckles turned white. When she finished Feliciano wasted no time; he stomped his foot as he stood up. His voice boomed as he yelled, “Isabelle Santos, how could you!?! I thought we had promised that we don’t keep any secrets from each other. You here you are keeping this a secret this enormous from me for this long.”
Taking a breather, Feliciano had so many thoughts and feelings going through him at this moment that he didn’t know which to harness. As for right now, the air in the house was stifling despite the fact the air conditioning was on. Taking a deep breath Feliciano, “I need some fresh air.”
With that, he left and slammed the door behind him and left Isabelle in the living room with her thoughts once again. Isabelle lowered her head. She deserved this tirade. One thing was for sure though; she was glad that their kids were spending the night with friends and not home to witness their dad being so angry. It was another thing that they agreed on, never to fight in front of the kids or yell and pretend they don’t hear it.
Alone, Isabelle finished up the photos albums and put them away. As Isabelle was putting the photo albums away, Feliciano was on complete autopilot. After the argument with Isabelle, all Feliciano wanted to do to get out of the house. It seemed like he couldn’t leave fast enough. The fight he had with Isabelle was numbing. Once Feliciano got in the car, he started the car and pulled out of the driveway and sped off. He had no destination in mind he just wanted to drive. He thought to himself, hey had promised early on not to keep secrets from each other. How could she keep a secret that big and not tell him?
As he continued to drive, he could only think of one thing: Isabelle. He wanted to stay mad at her, but he found out that he couldn’t, for several reasons. One was the love he had for her and how he was sympathetic to her losing her parents early. Another being the Isabelle is the mother of his children for whom he dearly loved and adored.
However, unbeknownst to Isabelle, he hadn’t been entirely truthful either. He had been carrying a secret as well. Many years ago, way before he was teaching ballet, he was married to his first love Kalaya Ju. He had met her during their freshmen year in high school. She was different from the type of girl he usually associated with. She was half Thai and half Korean, and he was Portuguese. Her parents weren’t happy based on their ideas about race and barely tolerated it. However, it was high school, so they let it slide thinking it would pass eventually. However, by the end of their junior year, they were in love and wanted to get married. At this point, his parents were had grown to love her like a daughter and were supportive of the idea. Her parents, on the other hand, were vehemently opposed as they only wanted their daughter to marry an Asian guy from a wealthy family.
That didn’t deter them. Not long after the start of their senior year Feliciano and Kalaya got engaged. Her parents disowned her outright, so she moved in with Feliciano and his family. It was rough, but they toughed it out and continued to attend school. Both Feliciano and Kalaya did well, and both graduated at the top of their class. They decided on a long engagement to save money up for their wedding. They began taking classes at a vocational school, him towards being a dance teacher and she a beautician. He had found part-time work as a teacher’s assistant at a dance school. Soon, however, they received big news—Kalaya was pregnant with their first child. He was ecstatic and scared! He was ecstatic! He was from a large family and wanted a large family. He was scared because he would be a young father. But with support from his family, he could do anything.
The pregnancy was rocky from the start. Kalaya was always throwing up, not able to keep anything down, and became bed-ridden. The doctor diagnosed her with hyperemesis gravidarum and ordered a tube inserted into her so that she received her nutrition by fluids. Fourteen weeks in, the vomiting subsided, and she began to eat more and gain the necessary weight.
However, their happiness was short lived. Six weeks later, Kalaya began to get pain in her upper right abdomen, extreme headaches, blurry vision and massive mood swings. Her doctor ran some tests, and her diagnosis was pre-eclampsia. It was at that time Feliciano found out that Kalaya’s estranged mother had a family history of high blood pressure; he was shocked. Now wasn’t the time for pity. The doctor suggested she deliver the baby now, but both Feliciano and Kalaya balked. They knew that an early delivery would give their fetus very little chance at survival. Kalaya was admitted early for her doctor to keep an eye on her condition. At first, things went well, but at thirty weeks Kalaya began having seizures. Once they had her stabilized, it wasn’t long before she was rushed to the operating room so the baby could be delivered before further damage was done.
Feliciano got to his hospital issued scrubs and sat at the head of the bed with Kalaya. He comforted her and kept her calm. The doctor got the baby out and rushed the preemie to NICU. No sooner had that happened, when Kalaya suffered another seizure. Feliciano wanted to say with her but ushered out of the operating room. He felt helpless. He walked to the hospital waiting room still in his scrubs. When his parents and siblings saw him, they came to him thinking it was good news. He shook his head, and they went back to waiting. It seemed like an eternity, and the doctor came in. Feliciano was the first to rush up to the doctor only to see the sadness on her face. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save Kalaya. Her condition caused her brain to start bleeding. As for you son, we were hoping to have him delivered could prevent damages. We were wrong the damage has been done. I’m afraid he only has a few hours. Go see him, give him a name and hold him in your arms before he breathes his last breath.”
Without much else to say, the doctor left the waiting room. The weight on him becomes too much, and Feliciano collapsed to the ground, sobbing. His parents and siblings went to him, catching him. They all pulled him in and comforted him. It seemed like his life is over and his future uncertain. After a few minutes of crying he realized again, now wasn’t the time to be paralyzed by grief, his son needed him. He wiped his tears after thanking his family nonverbally, he stood up and headed to the NICU to see his son. When he saw him for the first time, he gasped. At only thirty weeks, he was the size of a large cabbage. The nurse took from the incubator wrapped him up, and placed him in his arms. Right away he knew of the name for his nearly lifeless son, Kyle, after his deceased fiancée, Kalaya. He said, “Kyle Ju Santos, remember I love you, and your mother did too. Make sure the two for you stay safe in Heaven. I’ll always love you both.”
Feliciano was devastated. He was only twenty and already a widower and grieving two losses. While he and Kalaya were married yet, it felt like they were. After the double funeral, he threw himself into work. At the dance studio, he worked himself ragged to the point where fainted. That was how he met Isabelle. At first, Isabelle was a replacement for Kalaya. As time went on, he saw the one thing about Kalaya that helped him fall in love with Isabelle, her tenacity.
Today when he heard about what she went through at the hands of Dexter Kong. Dexter Kong. Feliciano tightly gripped the steering wheel. Just the thought of that name made his blood boil. He realized that he couldn’t stay mad at Isabelle. She had been rejected once. If Isabelle found out she has been rejected again, that would devastate her.
After some time, he saw that he arrived at a park. He sighed. This place held meaning as it was the place where he had asked Isabelle to marry him. He knew he needed to go back to her and be with her. Isabelle was about to make dinner when she heard the door open. She turned around and saw Feliciano stand there. Apprehensive about what might happen next, she walked over to the door, and before long he pulled her into a hug. Isabelle was relieved. Feliciano said to her, “I should still be angry, but the past is in the past, and there is no point in putting you through any more misery.”
Isabelle breathed a sigh of relief; now she knew Feliciano was no longer mad at her.
Feliciano added, “Nevertheless, I do want to say that Dexter Kong is a real piece of work from the way you described him in the aftermath.”
Pausing for a moment, Feliciano led Isabelle to the couch. After sitting down, he asked, “Tell me about your daughter.”
Isabelle smiled, breathed a sigh of relief and began talking her first born. She had mentioned her name, and Feliciano smiled. He asked, “Do you have any pictures of her?”
Isabelle smiled. She pulled out the few photos that she had and showed him. Feliciano reached the photos of when Geneva was a toddler and saw how cute the little girl was and how much she resembled Isabelle, despite the brown eyes that Feliciano guessed was the only trait the little girl inherited from her useless father.
As he got to the last picture, he began to think hard. Isabelle noted a change in his facial expressions and asked, “What is it, meu amore?”
Looking at his wife, Feliciano replied, “Isabelle, I think I may have seen her before at the dance studio. Many years ago there was a Kelsey Aston in my ballet class. There was a little girl with her parents waiting for Kelsey to finish—I remember how the sisters were hugging each other like there was no tomorrow.”
Alarmed at the detail that her husband provided, she thought Kelsey Aston? Could this be the Kelsey Aston who had once volunteered as the dance team’s assistant manager a few years back? Isabelle was stunned and overwhelmed by the information. What were the chances her daughter was in plain sight that she didn’t even realize the fact until now?
Isabelle had to ask. “What color was the little girl’s hairdo you remember?”
Feliciano thought for a bit and added, “I think it was chocolate brown.”
Isabelle could only nod. She was rendered speechless.
That night as she lay in bed utterly lost in thought. One was how she couldn’t have known that her daughter was in plain sight? However, the pictures were from when she was young to now. There was only one thing to do—wait for the school year to start. Isabelle knew it was also possible that Geneva may not be Geneva at all.
Either way, Isabelle was determined to find out, and with that, she managed to fall into a fitful sleep.
Chapter Five
* * *
Today was the first day of high school, and Geneva was in the bathroom getting ready.
She was prepared, ready to face the new challenges that would be coming her way. In middle school she had grown, matured and become more independent. Geneva knew that a new school meant new adventures, she was glad Kelsey was at the same school should anything arise. Before the start of the school, she had attended the orientation and listened to Kelsey’s tips, which she took that seriously. Afterwards, they got her locker set up and walked around the school with her in hand making sure she knew where the classrooms were located.
Looking in the mirror and satisfied with her outfit, she went to get breakfast. Half an hour later, Kelsey drove them to school. After reaching the front of the school, Kelsey placed her hand on Geneva’s shoulder and said, “Remember sissy, if you need help come and find me.”
Geneva nodded. She was so glad to have a loving big sister. She and Kelsey went in separate directions. Taking a deep breath, now the new adventure begins. Geneva went and found her locker. When she got what she needed and met up with her best friends, Annalise and Justina at their lockers.
Once there Geneva said, “Hey, you guys, are you ready for a new adventure?”
Justina replied, “Of course!”
Annalise said, “Yep!”
There they compared their schedules. They saw they had two classes together, homeroom and English I. Geneva and her friends chatted as they walked to the classroom. There they saw students milling around talking with the other students. Well, the super social ones. The other students were getting into their seats, waiting for homeroom to start. Geneva and her friends were talking with their new classmates. At that moment, Michelle Helms took a break in the book she was reading and saw one student that got her attention. She wasn’t sure why but she was sure she would find out soon. The bell rang signaling the start of homeroom. The students scrambled and got in their seats, and they went through the pledge of allegiance. Once that was done, there were the announcements. The final announcement, for any new freshmen or returning students, the coach for the dance team, Coach Santos, is holding an informational session for new prospective members. If you are interested, please go to the football field after school.”
Remembering what Kelsey said about extracurricular activities, Geneva jotted that in her notebook. She loved dancing and wanted to find out more about the team. As the announcements came to an end, the bell rang signaling the end of homeroom. About half the students left to go their first class. When the classroom filled up, and the bell rang, Michelle cleared her throat; she said, “Welcome to English I, I’m your teacher, Ms. Helms. Get ready because this year will be a challenging and engaging learning experience. You will not only learn to think critically, to write analytically but also foster a love of reading great literary works.”
Geneva listened to what Ms. Helms said, that throughout the semester and the year she had high expectations for all of them. They completed the first lesson early, and Michelle went around and chatted with each student briefly. As she got to Geneva’s desk, she began talking with her Michelle remembered how earlier Geneva had gotten her attention. Now she knew why; Michelle saw the uncanny resemblance between her student and her friend, Isabelle’s first-born daughter. She knew that Isabelle gave up her firstborn for adoption. She had seen the photos of Isabelle’s first-born years ago, but again those were photos of a baby and toddler. In front of her now was a high school freshman. Following a short chat with her English teacher the bell rang. Geneva, Annalise, and Justina thanked Ms. Helms, gathered their items and walked to their next class. As they together Annalise said, “I like Ms. Helms. I heard from my older brother that she is tough but is always willing to help.”
Geneva nodded in agreement. She remembered Kelsey told her the same thing a few years ago, that she was tough but fair. Once Geneva and her friends reached the classroom where she had math she bid her friends farewell and promised to meet with them later. The rest of the first day went well for Geneva and her friends. Soon her first day of high school was let out for the day; Geneva met up with Kelsey. Kelsey wrapped her arms around kid sister’s neck and lightly ruffled her hair asking, “How was your first day of school squirt?”
Geneva scrunched her face up. One of the nicknames she has to put up with. She answered sarcastically, “It was good.”
Kelsey asked, “Ready to go?”
Geneva replied, “Not yet. My English teacher announced this morning that the dance team has openings. I want to go and get more information.”
Kelsey smiled. “That’s great. You’ll love the team’s coach, Coach Santos. I got to know her a few years ago. I think you may have seen her before. Come on.”
Geneva looked at her sister with an eyebrow raised. They went to the football field to get more information from Coach Santos. Meanwhile, Isabelle had been talking with the team captain waiting for the possibility of prospective new members. Isabelle heard dance team captain spoke up, “Coach we have prospective members coming your way.”
As soon as Isabelle saw Kelsey walk over someone, she presumed was Kelsey’s little sister she froze; now it was getting eerie. She thought is she the one Feliciano had seen as a little girl with Kelsey and her parents? Wait that can’t be right—Feliciano said he last saw the little girl eight years ago. However, if it is her oh my word, she has grown to be a beautiful young lady. If it’s all correct, she is my daughter!
When Geneva and Kelsey reached the football field, they noted that Coach was staring out into space. Kelsey leaned over and said, “Don’t worry Coach Santos isn’t like this. I know this from working with her.”
Kelsey greeted Isabelle first, “Hi there, Coach Santos!”
Gently shaking her head, Isabelle went over and greeted her former assistant manager. Turning to face the sisters Isabelle asked, “What’s happening Kelsey?”
Kelsey said, “My little sister here is interested in the dance team. Coach, I would like to introduce to you, Geneva Aston.”
Geneva smiled and held her hand. Isabelle zoned out again when she saw Geneva smile. She was lost in thought once again, the way she smiled it is the same way I smiled when I met someone new.
She quickly came back to reality when she heard Kelsey clear her throat. She quickly gathered her thoughts and talked to Geneva and gave her information about the dance team. With the information and forms she received; Geneva decided she wanted to try out. After letting their parents know, Geneva tried out and made the team and loved every moment of it! The coach even had purchased her dance outfit with her own money.
Meanwhile, Annalise made the cross-country team, and Justina made the water polo team. While they had different interests, they all stuck together, they made it to each other’s events and cheered each other on. Once Geneva and her friends got used to the daily routines of being a freshman, they were having the best experiences of their freshmen year. Classes that provided the right amount of challenge, hanging out with each other, making new friends, and participating in other new extracurricular activities such as the art and writing club. Despite the fact that Geneva and her lifelong friends had different interests, they were there for each other.
Attorney at Law
After she finished reading the letter, Isabelle began shaking with anger. That bastard! I knew he would outright deny everything.
Now She knew why Cora almost didn’t show the letter as she thought it might bring on unnecessary stress, but it didn’t. She was surprised that her aunt was able to find a contact for Dexter. Again, her aunt had her ways. With a nod from Cora, Isabelle ripped the letter to shreds and threw it away and agreed never to bring the guy’s name up ever again.
-Back to Present Time-
“And that is the biggest secret I have kept for all these years. I’m so sorry that I kept it from you, Feliciano.”
As soon as she finished telling the whole story about her having a child many years earlier, she closed her eyes and lowered her head. When she didn’t hear anything, Isabelle thought she was in the clear, but she was wrong. She lifted head up and saw a furious look on Feliciano’s face. He clenched his hands so hard that his knuckles turned white. When she finished Feliciano wasted no time; he stomped his foot as he stood up. His voice boomed as he yelled, “Isabelle Santos, how could you!?! I thought we had promised that we don’t keep any secrets from each other. You here you are keeping this a secret this enormous from me for this long.”
Taking a breather, Feliciano had so many thoughts and feelings going through him at this moment that he didn’t know which to harness. As for right now, the air in the house was stifling despite the fact the air conditioning was on. Taking a deep breath Feliciano, “I need some fresh air.”
With that, he left and slammed the door behind him and left Isabelle in the living room with her thoughts once again. Isabelle lowered her head. She deserved this tirade. One thing was for sure though; she was glad that their kids were spending the night with friends and not home to witness their dad being so angry. It was another thing that they agreed on, never to fight in front of the kids or yell and pretend they don’t hear it.
Alone, Isabelle finished up the photos albums and put them away. As Isabelle was putting the photo albums away, Feliciano was on complete autopilot. After the argument with Isabelle, all Feliciano wanted to do to get out of the house. It seemed like he couldn’t leave fast enough. The fight he had with Isabelle was numbing. Once Feliciano got in the car, he started the car and pulled out of the driveway and sped off. He had no destination in mind he just wanted to drive. He thought to himself, hey had promised early on not to keep secrets from each other. How could she keep a secret that big and not tell him?
As he continued to drive, he could only think of one thing: Isabelle. He wanted to stay mad at her, but he found out that he couldn’t, for several reasons. One was the love he had for her and how he was sympathetic to her losing her parents early. Another being the Isabelle is the mother of his children for whom he dearly loved and adored.
However, unbeknownst to Isabelle, he hadn’t been entirely truthful either. He had been carrying a secret as well. Many years ago, way before he was teaching ballet, he was married to his first love Kalaya Ju. He had met her during their freshmen year in high school. She was different from the type of girl he usually associated with. She was half Thai and half Korean, and he was Portuguese. Her parents weren’t happy based on their ideas about race and barely tolerated it. However, it was high school, so they let it slide thinking it would pass eventually. However, by the end of their junior year, they were in love and wanted to get married. At this point, his parents were had grown to love her like a daughter and were supportive of the idea. Her parents, on the other hand, were vehemently opposed as they only wanted their daughter to marry an Asian guy from a wealthy family.
That didn’t deter them. Not long after the start of their senior year Feliciano and Kalaya got engaged. Her parents disowned her outright, so she moved in with Feliciano and his family. It was rough, but they toughed it out and continued to attend school. Both Feliciano and Kalaya did well, and both graduated at the top of their class. They decided on a long engagement to save money up for their wedding. They began taking classes at a vocational school, him towards being a dance teacher and she a beautician. He had found part-time work as a teacher’s assistant at a dance school. Soon, however, they received big news—Kalaya was pregnant with their first child. He was ecstatic and scared! He was ecstatic! He was from a large family and wanted a large family. He was scared because he would be a young father. But with support from his family, he could do anything.
The pregnancy was rocky from the start. Kalaya was always throwing up, not able to keep anything down, and became bed-ridden. The doctor diagnosed her with hyperemesis gravidarum and ordered a tube inserted into her so that she received her nutrition by fluids. Fourteen weeks in, the vomiting subsided, and she began to eat more and gain the necessary weight.
However, their happiness was short lived. Six weeks later, Kalaya began to get pain in her upper right abdomen, extreme headaches, blurry vision and massive mood swings. Her doctor ran some tests, and her diagnosis was pre-eclampsia. It was at that time Feliciano found out that Kalaya’s estranged mother had a family history of high blood pressure; he was shocked. Now wasn’t the time for pity. The doctor suggested she deliver the baby now, but both Feliciano and Kalaya balked. They knew that an early delivery would give their fetus very little chance at survival. Kalaya was admitted early for her doctor to keep an eye on her condition. At first, things went well, but at thirty weeks Kalaya began having seizures. Once they had her stabilized, it wasn’t long before she was rushed to the operating room so the baby could be delivered before further damage was done.
Feliciano got to his hospital issued scrubs and sat at the head of the bed with Kalaya. He comforted her and kept her calm. The doctor got the baby out and rushed the preemie to NICU. No sooner had that happened, when Kalaya suffered another seizure. Feliciano wanted to say with her but ushered out of the operating room. He felt helpless. He walked to the hospital waiting room still in his scrubs. When his parents and siblings saw him, they came to him thinking it was good news. He shook his head, and they went back to waiting. It seemed like an eternity, and the doctor came in. Feliciano was the first to rush up to the doctor only to see the sadness on her face. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save Kalaya. Her condition caused her brain to start bleeding. As for you son, we were hoping to have him delivered could prevent damages. We were wrong the damage has been done. I’m afraid he only has a few hours. Go see him, give him a name and hold him in your arms before he breathes his last breath.”
Without much else to say, the doctor left the waiting room. The weight on him becomes too much, and Feliciano collapsed to the ground, sobbing. His parents and siblings went to him, catching him. They all pulled him in and comforted him. It seemed like his life is over and his future uncertain. After a few minutes of crying he realized again, now wasn’t the time to be paralyzed by grief, his son needed him. He wiped his tears after thanking his family nonverbally, he stood up and headed to the NICU to see his son. When he saw him for the first time, he gasped. At only thirty weeks, he was the size of a large cabbage. The nurse took from the incubator wrapped him up, and placed him in his arms. Right away he knew of the name for his nearly lifeless son, Kyle, after his deceased fiancée, Kalaya. He said, “Kyle Ju Santos, remember I love you, and your mother did too. Make sure the two for you stay safe in Heaven. I’ll always love you both.”
Feliciano was devastated. He was only twenty and already a widower and grieving two losses. While he and Kalaya were married yet, it felt like they were. After the double funeral, he threw himself into work. At the dance studio, he worked himself ragged to the point where fainted. That was how he met Isabelle. At first, Isabelle was a replacement for Kalaya. As time went on, he saw the one thing about Kalaya that helped him fall in love with Isabelle, her tenacity.
Today when he heard about what she went through at the hands of Dexter Kong. Dexter Kong. Feliciano tightly gripped the steering wheel. Just the thought of that name made his blood boil. He realized that he couldn’t stay mad at Isabelle. She had been rejected once. If Isabelle found out she has been rejected again, that would devastate her.
After some time, he saw that he arrived at a park. He sighed. This place held meaning as it was the place where he had asked Isabelle to marry him. He knew he needed to go back to her and be with her. Isabelle was about to make dinner when she heard the door open. She turned around and saw Feliciano stand there. Apprehensive about what might happen next, she walked over to the door, and before long he pulled her into a hug. Isabelle was relieved. Feliciano said to her, “I should still be angry, but the past is in the past, and there is no point in putting you through any more misery.”
Isabelle breathed a sigh of relief; now she knew Feliciano was no longer mad at her.
Feliciano added, “Nevertheless, I do want to say that Dexter Kong is a real piece of work from the way you described him in the aftermath.”
Pausing for a moment, Feliciano led Isabelle to the couch. After sitting down, he asked, “Tell me about your daughter.”
Isabelle smiled, breathed a sigh of relief and began talking her first born. She had mentioned her name, and Feliciano smiled. He asked, “Do you have any pictures of her?”
Isabelle smiled. She pulled out the few photos that she had and showed him. Feliciano reached the photos of when Geneva was a toddler and saw how cute the little girl was and how much she resembled Isabelle, despite the brown eyes that Feliciano guessed was the only trait the little girl inherited from her useless father.
As he got to the last picture, he began to think hard. Isabelle noted a change in his facial expressions and asked, “What is it, meu amore?”
Looking at his wife, Feliciano replied, “Isabelle, I think I may have seen her before at the dance studio. Many years ago there was a Kelsey Aston in my ballet class. There was a little girl with her parents waiting for Kelsey to finish—I remember how the sisters were hugging each other like there was no tomorrow.”
Alarmed at the detail that her husband provided, she thought Kelsey Aston? Could this be the Kelsey Aston who had once volunteered as the dance team’s assistant manager a few years back? Isabelle was stunned and overwhelmed by the information. What were the chances her daughter was in plain sight that she didn’t even realize the fact until now?
Isabelle had to ask. “What color was the little girl’s hairdo you remember?”
Feliciano thought for a bit and added, “I think it was chocolate brown.”
Isabelle could only nod. She was rendered speechless.
That night as she lay in bed utterly lost in thought. One was how she couldn’t have known that her daughter was in plain sight? However, the pictures were from when she was young to now. There was only one thing to do—wait for the school year to start. Isabelle knew it was also possible that Geneva may not be Geneva at all.
Either way, Isabelle was determined to find out, and with that, she managed to fall into a fitful sleep.
Chapter Five
* * *
Today was the first day of high school, and Geneva was in the bathroom getting ready.
She was prepared, ready to face the new challenges that would be coming her way. In middle school she had grown, matured and become more independent. Geneva knew that a new school meant new adventures, she was glad Kelsey was at the same school should anything arise. Before the start of the school, she had attended the orientation and listened to Kelsey’s tips, which she took that seriously. Afterwards, they got her locker set up and walked around the school with her in hand making sure she knew where the classrooms were located.
Looking in the mirror and satisfied with her outfit, she went to get breakfast. Half an hour later, Kelsey drove them to school. After reaching the front of the school, Kelsey placed her hand on Geneva’s shoulder and said, “Remember sissy, if you need help come and find me.”
Geneva nodded. She was so glad to have a loving big sister. She and Kelsey went in separate directions. Taking a deep breath, now the new adventure begins. Geneva went and found her locker. When she got what she needed and met up with her best friends, Annalise and Justina at their lockers.
Once there Geneva said, “Hey, you guys, are you ready for a new adventure?”
Justina replied, “Of course!”
Annalise said, “Yep!”
There they compared their schedules. They saw they had two classes together, homeroom and English I. Geneva and her friends chatted as they walked to the classroom. There they saw students milling around talking with the other students. Well, the super social ones. The other students were getting into their seats, waiting for homeroom to start. Geneva and her friends were talking with their new classmates. At that moment, Michelle Helms took a break in the book she was reading and saw one student that got her attention. She wasn’t sure why but she was sure she would find out soon. The bell rang signaling the start of homeroom. The students scrambled and got in their seats, and they went through the pledge of allegiance. Once that was done, there were the announcements. The final announcement, for any new freshmen or returning students, the coach for the dance team, Coach Santos, is holding an informational session for new prospective members. If you are interested, please go to the football field after school.”
Remembering what Kelsey said about extracurricular activities, Geneva jotted that in her notebook. She loved dancing and wanted to find out more about the team. As the announcements came to an end, the bell rang signaling the end of homeroom. About half the students left to go their first class. When the classroom filled up, and the bell rang, Michelle cleared her throat; she said, “Welcome to English I, I’m your teacher, Ms. Helms. Get ready because this year will be a challenging and engaging learning experience. You will not only learn to think critically, to write analytically but also foster a love of reading great literary works.”
Geneva listened to what Ms. Helms said, that throughout the semester and the year she had high expectations for all of them. They completed the first lesson early, and Michelle went around and chatted with each student briefly. As she got to Geneva’s desk, she began talking with her Michelle remembered how earlier Geneva had gotten her attention. Now she knew why; Michelle saw the uncanny resemblance between her student and her friend, Isabelle’s first-born daughter. She knew that Isabelle gave up her firstborn for adoption. She had seen the photos of Isabelle’s first-born years ago, but again those were photos of a baby and toddler. In front of her now was a high school freshman. Following a short chat with her English teacher the bell rang. Geneva, Annalise, and Justina thanked Ms. Helms, gathered their items and walked to their next class. As they together Annalise said, “I like Ms. Helms. I heard from my older brother that she is tough but is always willing to help.”
Geneva nodded in agreement. She remembered Kelsey told her the same thing a few years ago, that she was tough but fair. Once Geneva and her friends reached the classroom where she had math she bid her friends farewell and promised to meet with them later. The rest of the first day went well for Geneva and her friends. Soon her first day of high school was let out for the day; Geneva met up with Kelsey. Kelsey wrapped her arms around kid sister’s neck and lightly ruffled her hair asking, “How was your first day of school squirt?”
Geneva scrunched her face up. One of the nicknames she has to put up with. She answered sarcastically, “It was good.”
Kelsey asked, “Ready to go?”
Geneva replied, “Not yet. My English teacher announced this morning that the dance team has openings. I want to go and get more information.”
Kelsey smiled. “That’s great. You’ll love the team’s coach, Coach Santos. I got to know her a few years ago. I think you may have seen her before. Come on.”
Geneva looked at her sister with an eyebrow raised. They went to the football field to get more information from Coach Santos. Meanwhile, Isabelle had been talking with the team captain waiting for the possibility of prospective new members. Isabelle heard dance team captain spoke up, “Coach we have prospective members coming your way.”
As soon as Isabelle saw Kelsey walk over someone, she presumed was Kelsey’s little sister she froze; now it was getting eerie. She thought is she the one Feliciano had seen as a little girl with Kelsey and her parents? Wait that can’t be right—Feliciano said he last saw the little girl eight years ago. However, if it is her oh my word, she has grown to be a beautiful young lady. If it’s all correct, she is my daughter!
When Geneva and Kelsey reached the football field, they noted that Coach was staring out into space. Kelsey leaned over and said, “Don’t worry Coach Santos isn’t like this. I know this from working with her.”
Kelsey greeted Isabelle first, “Hi there, Coach Santos!”
Gently shaking her head, Isabelle went over and greeted her former assistant manager. Turning to face the sisters Isabelle asked, “What’s happening Kelsey?”
Kelsey said, “My little sister here is interested in the dance team. Coach, I would like to introduce to you, Geneva Aston.”
Geneva smiled and held her hand. Isabelle zoned out again when she saw Geneva smile. She was lost in thought once again, the way she smiled it is the same way I smiled when I met someone new.
She quickly came back to reality when she heard Kelsey clear her throat. She quickly gathered her thoughts and talked to Geneva and gave her information about the dance team. With the information and forms she received; Geneva decided she wanted to try out. After letting their parents know, Geneva tried out and made the team and loved every moment of it! The coach even had purchased her dance outfit with her own money.
Meanwhile, Annalise made the cross-country team, and Justina made the water polo team. While they had different interests, they all stuck together, they made it to each other’s events and cheered each other on. Once Geneva and her friends got used to the daily routines of being a freshman, they were having the best experiences of their freshmen year. Classes that provided the right amount of challenge, hanging out with each other, making new friends, and participating in other new extracurricular activities such as the art and writing club. Despite the fact that Geneva and her lifelong friends had different interests, they were there for each other.
