Kathrine Banks (part 1: New Neighbor)

Alone in her room is where Kathrine Banks stayed.  She didn't really have any friends, for people judged her on the outside.  People called her ugly and fat.  Truth was, her doctor said she was at a healthy weight, and her skin was fair.  So, she never realized why life was like this to her.1

She sighed, thinking about school and how she dreaded to go the next day.  She hated it.  Going to school, hearing whispers about her and seeing people point and laugh.  Most of the time, she wanted to go off by herself to escape from the mean world.  She was alone.2

Kathrine, age 16, was the only girl in her class of 2006 that didn't drive a Porche or a Mustang, or any fancy car.  She drove a beat up Chevy truck that got her from A to B, occasionally breaking down.  She had long brown wavy hair and beautiful hazel eyes.  Her clothes were to her satisfaction, but she wasn't rich.  Her rusty was the only thing that she had that was to any value of her, money wise.  Her family wasn't rich like the rest of the people at her school.   She couldn't figure out why you had to be rich for other people to like you.  But, it's the year of 2004, and that's how it was in her life.3

The phone rang at the Banks resident.  She picked up the phone.4

"Hello?" she asked into the phone.5

-Click- went the other line.  Someone either had the wrong number or someone wanted to prank call her.  She exhaled deeply and hung up the phone.  The phone was never for her.  It was always for her sister, who just happen to be one of the most popular girls in their high school.6

Her sister was the picture perfect girl.  She had blond hair and her eyes were blue.  She had the perfect curvy body and she was beautiful.  She didn't understand how she managed to look good, but she was the ugly duckling.  Her sister tried comforting her that she was pretty too, but it didn't work very well on her self esteem.7

She got up from her seat and looked out her window.  Her house was big.  That was probably why they didn't have much money.  It all went to bills.  Her room had a balcony and she walked onto it.  She leaned on the wall over looking the edge and sighed heavily.  She saw a sight that was rare to her.  A week before she found out they were getting new neighbors.  She looked down and saw a very pretty girl get out of a 2004 convertible Mustang and couldn't believe it.  "Another pretty girl," she muttered to herself.  The girl looked up and waved.  Kathrine was caught off guard.  She gave a weak smile and waved back.  She walked back into her room and within minutes, the doorbell rang.  She ran downstairs, fearing who was at the door.  She opened the door and saw the new girl standing there, her perfect teeth showing in her perfect smile.8

"Hi!" she said in her bubbly voice.  "I'm Heather Dunklebrook.  I just moved here from Michigan."  She offered her hand, and Kathrine was overwhelmed by her politeness.  She was close to closing the the door into the girl's face, but she knew she couldn't be rude.  She just wasn't use to it.9

"I'm Kathrine," Kathrine said, shaking the girl's hand.  Heather's perfume filled her nose and she almost sneezed.  It was strong.  Pretty, yes, but strong.  "Would you like to come in?" she asked.10

"Sure!" Heather said happily, walking past Kathrine.  "So, Kat, do you mind if I call you that?  Well, since we're going to be neighbors, lets talk about each other.  What do you like to do in your free time?"11

The girl was going at it.  "Um, no I don't mind it if you call me Kat, and I play the guitar, and listen to music," she answered.  Heather gasped and said, "I do too!  Do you have an acoustic or an electric?"12

Kat smiled.  "Both, actually.  But soon I'm going to learn to play the bass."13

"I know how to play those too, but also bass.  I can teach you," she said.  She looked down at her watch.  "Oh gosh!  I've got to go.  My mom wanted me to help her with dinner.  Here's my cell phone number and we'll hang out after!" she said.14

Kathrine took her number from her and nodded.  Heather left and Kathrine sighed a breath of relief.  She didn't seem that bad, and maybe she'd become her first friend.15