Finding My Family

VictoriaTello
8thGradeELA
March8,2015

Old me
WhenIwas10,aregulardayatschoolconsistedofmereadingmybook.Wewere
alwaystogether.InclassIwouldsitinfrontandalwayshadmyhanduptorespondtothe
question.EveryonesaidthatIwastheteachersfavoriteoratleastthatwhateveryoneincluding
theteacherwouldtellme,yetIdontknowifitwasoutofpity.Duringlunch,Iwouldsitatthe
endofthelongtablewith
mytrayoffoodthatlookedlikeagrayblobthatsometimesjiggled
.
OccasionallyIwouldgetsomeofthatblobthrownatwiththewords,Shessoweird,orTo
yourrightyouseeafatperson,butIdidn'tcarebecauseIwasoblivioustotheirhatred.I
thoughtthattheyhadissuesathome,andwellIdidn'tknowthesituationtheywereinsoevenif
theyweremeantome,Icouldntbemeantothem.Itjustwasntme.
Lunchwouldendwithagreatloud
Ringggggg
.Ourteacherwouldwalkoutofthis
gloomyroomtotakeustothepark,Recesswasoneofmyfavoritetimes,especiallywhenthe
daywassunnyandwindy,thoseperfectsummerdays.Allofmyclassmateswouldgoandplay
soccerorcopsandrobberswhileIwouldsitontheslideandreadTheHarryPotterseriesover
andover.IwouldmakeupscenariosofwhereIwouldhavemyownfriends,peoplewho
wouldntuseme,someonewhowouldlikemeforme.Inthelast15minutesofrecessIplayed
bymyself,runningaroundjumpingnotcaringofwhatpeoplethoughtofme.Ienjoyedthatme
timebutsadlyitwouldntlastforever.
Oncewewerebackintheclassroom,wehadmathclass.Wehadthismachinethat
lookedlikeitwasmadeinprehistorictimecalledmaqui.TheMachineprintedoutmathsheets
onyourdesignatedlevel.Theteacher,Mr.Garcia,assignedusourmathlevel.Iwasalwaysahead
sotheteacherhadmehelpingtheotherstudentsbutIenjoyeddoingmathinmyisolatedcorner.

After35minutesofdoinglongboringmathproblems,theotherstudentswouldhaveancillary
butIgottogotothelibrarybecauseIwasexemptfromtheboringactivitymyclassmateshadto
attend.Mr.Sottothelibrarianalwayshadsomethingnewformetoread,andIhelpedhim
everyday.Wewouldorganizethebooks,sortthemout,andsweepthelibrary.Ihadthebesttime
atthelibrary.SometimesIwouldreadbooksandmyimaginationwouldleadmetopretendI
wasatHogwartsorlivingwithTimothy.ThenaloudredbellwouldtellmethatIcouldgohome
andoffIrantomymomscartoshowhermynewbookswhichshewouldshrugawayandjust
getbackonherphone.Thenthedaywouldstartalloveragain.ThedaysIhatedthemostwere
thosewhenIwasreadingontheslideandtwoboysandtwogirlswalkeduptome.Theirnames
Roel,Veronica,Manuel,andCynthia.Theywouldgouptome,takemybookandstartspeaking.
Whyareyoureading,doyouevenknowhowtodosomethingelsebesidesthat,oneof
themtoldme.
Thatsnottrue,shealsoknowhowtocryandbestupid,anothersaid.
Wellbothofyouarewrong.Iknowhowtodoalotofstuff.ForexampleIknowhow
toread,domath,andpasstestsunlikeyouguyswhocan'tdoanythingbutbemeantoothers.
Whatdidotherseverdotoyouguys?IrespondedangrilysincethisdaywasaterribledayIhad
lostmygrandma,myfriendbutwhatwouldtheycare.
Ohlookshealsohasabigmouth,letsteachheralesson,theyallsaid.
No,noImsorrypleasedonthurtme,Ibegged.
Theywerealreadyleadingmetothebackoftheschool,butthebellrungsavingmeonceagain.

New Start
Itwasthreeinthemorning.Icouldn'tsleepbecauseinafewhoursIwouldbegoingtoa
newschool.Whatwillitbelike?Ithoughttomyself.WillIhaveanyfriends?Iwonderifthe
teachersarenice.WillIgethomeworkonthefirstday?OhIhopeIdo.TheseQuestionsrobbed
meofsleep.SinceIcouldn'tsleepItookanothershowergotintomyjamiesandpickedmy
clothingfortheday.Finallythosehoursthatseemedtotakealleternitypassedanditwas5A.M.
Idecidedtowakemymother.Gobacktosleep,whyareyouupso,sheyelledatmebutI
wasntsleepysoIgrabbedmyfavoritebookandstartedreadingtohelpmakethehourleftpass
fasterbutitonlymadeitworse.Thatonehourfeltlike50years.Whywontyoumove,I
shoutedtotheclock.Mymomthenwalkedoutofherroomandsaidcomeonletsgo.Ijumped
upwithexcitement,rantogetmybackpack.ThenIspedoutofthehouseandgotinthecar.My
motherwaswalkingslowerthanasnail,MomhurryupthebuswillleaveusIshouted.Noit
wontwereleaving20minutesearly,sheshoutedback.Wehadtowaitfor15minutesatthe
busstation,averyuglyburgerking,beforethebusarrived.Iwasthefirstoneonthebus.I
introducedmyselftothebusdriver.
Hi,mynameisVictoria.Whatsyourname?Iasked.
MynameisAnita,soareyounewtotheschool?sheaskedme.
Yea,Imnewhere.Imgoingto6thgrade.Irespondedwithasmilegrowing.
Welldon'tbenervousorscared.You'llloveithere.shetoldme.
Isatontherightsidethirdseatnexttothewindow.Iwaseagertomakeafriend.
Whenwegottothesecondstopalotofpeoplegoton.Noonewantedtositnexttome.
theonlythoughtgoingthroughmymindwas,ohno,notalready.Everybodyseemedto

knoweachotherbutme.Wepickeduptherestofthestopsandthebusgotcrowded.
PeoplestartedtoshareseatwithathirdpersonandIstillremainedalone.My
encouragementtomakeafrienddiminished.IhadtoremindmyselfDontgiveup,give
themachancetogettoknowyou.WhenwearrivedtoschoolIwasthefirstoneoffthe
busIseemedtonotknowwheretogosinceIwasearlyadmittedsoIwaitedjustoutside
thebusdoors.Isawagirlalittlebittallerthanmebutshelookedlikeshewasgoinginto
6thgradesoIapproachedher.
Hey,Umwhatgradeareyougoinginto?Iaskedher.
Imgoingto6th.Whataboutyou?sheresponded.
Metoo,sowhatsyourname?MineisVictoria.
MynameisAngie,sheresponded.
Sodoyouwanttobefriends?Iaskedwhilethinkingtomyself,Pleaseplease,
sayyes.
Yea,sheresponded.
Afterourlovelychatwewalkedthegymforthecircleceremonyandtoreceive
ourschedules.ThenMs.Edwardstookustoourfirstclassoftheday.SocialStudies,but
thisdayweplayedagettingtoknowgame.ThesecondpersonImetwasaweirdboy
weirdindeed.HisnamewasJos.Hisfirstremarkwas,Wellyou'reshort,Iknow,I
responded.AtthattimeIwasn'tsureifthatmeantwewerefriends.Duringthegamewe
hadtotellournameandsomethingthatstartswiththesameletter.WhenitwasmyturnI
waslostIdidntknowanythingthatstartedwiththetheletterVbesidesmynamesoI
justsaidVictoryVictoria.

OnlyafewhourshadpassedandIalreadywasinlovewiththeschool.Thetime
forlunchhadfinallyarrived.
Mystomachsoundedlikeadyingwhalearoaringlion
and
wasgettinglouder.Ijusthoppedthefoodwouldlookbetterandtastebetterthanpublic
schoolfood.Thelinewaslongsincewehadallschoollunchbutluckyformethe6th
gradersatefirst.Aftereatingthatscrumptiouslunchwehadthreemoreclasses.Then
P.E.AngieandIdecidedtotryoutforthecrosscountryteam.AtfirstIwasntinterested.
Ididn'tseeapointtoitbutifitmeantIcouldhaveafriend.
Iwasexhaustedafterhavingrun,allIwantedtodowassleep,butIcouldntthe
dayhadn'tended.SoofftochoresIwent.Ineveractuallylikedchoresbutatthisschool
everyoneworkedasateam.Eventhoughit
wasahotsunnyday
workinginthegarden
wasfun..Schoolwastocometoanend.Ididntwanttoleave.Allthatwasgoing
throughmymindwasthatIwouldbeabletocomeagainthenextdayandthenextand
thenext.

New me
Ayearhadpassed.Iwasnowgoinginto7thgrade.Ms.Anitalefthalfwaythroughthe
yearbecauseoneofherfamilymembersgotreallysickandsheneededtogatakecareofthem.
Wegotanewbusdriver.HernameDebbie.IwantedAnitabackbutsoonIgrewtoloveand
worryabouther.Thelastdayofschoolarrivedwegottosigneachothersyearbook.My
yearbookwasfulltherewasn'tanymoreroomforwriting.Isimplycouldn'twaitforthose2
monthtopassIwantedtocomeback.

FrombeingashygirlwhohadnofriendsandwasasanesmartgirlIwenttoaweirdgirl
whohappentobegoodatmakingfriends.Iwasthatkidwiththecrazyimagination.Iwasn'tshy
anymore.Iwasfinallyoutofmyshell.Myexperienceatchinquapindidntjusthelpmefindthe
realmebutitalsohelpedmefindmyfamily.ThepeopleIfitinwith.SureIhadmyownfamily
butallthepeoplethatImetbecamemyfamilynotlikemyfamilybutmyfamily.Jennifer
becamemysister.Josemybrotherandwedidfightasbrotherandsisteraswell.Angiemy
accompliceingoodandevil,mybestfriendmysister.Icouldn'timaginewhatwouldhave
happenedifIdidn'tcometoChinquapin.
Idprobablybemyoldme.StillbeingbulliedatFonville.Iwouldhavelostthe
opportunityatfindingmyfamily.Iwouldnthaveafuture.ChinquapinhashelpedmyfindwhoI
am.Chinquapinprovideseveryonewithagreatopportunitythatifyouhavethechanceyou
shouldseizeitandtakeadvantage.Theteachersaren'tjustteacherslikeatpublicschool,who
don'tevencareaboutthestudentstheyjustwantmoney.Theteacherscareabouttheirstudents
andtheyhatetoseethestudentfail.Theteachersjustwantustosucceed.Eventhoughsome
teacherspretendtodislikeusIknowtheyloveusandtheywouldn'tbearknowingsomethingbad
happenedtous.Theteachersandthestudentsformbondsthatatanypublicschoolwouldrarely
happen.
Chinquapinisultimatelythebestthingthathashappenedtome.Ilovetheteachersthey
havehelpedovercomemanyobstacles.Myclassmatesknowme.Theyveseenmeatmybest
andatmyworstandtheystillloveme.Iwouldn'tknowwhatelsetoaskfor.Ifamagicalpotato
whosenamewasPedroandglowedinthedarkwastoappearandtellmeIhadthreewishesI

wouldsayIdidn'twantthem.IwouldaskPedroiftherewassomewayIcouldgivethemto
someoneelsebecauseIalreadyhadeverythingIneed.