Selena, Beach Girl Chap. 2

2. Packing is Boring1

Selena flopped down on her bed, analyzing the thoughts that invaded her mind. Should she call Lilly and tell her, or break the news in person tomorrow at school? In person, she thought.2

She looked around her room, her favorite of the house. It had deep indigo walls with pale yellow crescent moons painted over and dark, smooth clouds. How could she leave the place where her life was?3

Selena shuffled over to the window. It was fall now, but all she could think of was her new lifestyle. Where were the seed pods going to be, falling off the big sycamore, littering the driveway to remind her spring was on its way? The only trees down in Myrtle Beach, she thought vengefully, will be palms. 4

“Guess I’ll pack if Mom and Dad are really going through with this stupid moving thing,” Selena said to no one but herself. 5

She retrieved a large box from the basement and a few suitcases from the spare bedroom. This oughta do for all my clothes. Selena spent the next hour packing all of her clothes and found she had to get three more suitcases to fit all of her clothing into them. Then she found her beachy things – bathing suits, beach bags, boogie boards – and put them in a large trash bag. 6

“Sel? Want dinner, it’s KFC.” Mrs. Hernandez’s soft voice floated to Selena’s ears.7

“I, uh, I’m not hungry right now.” Selena frowned. She didn’t like to lie, but she wanted to be alone. But instead she packed until her room was bare, besides the bed. And she fell asleep, forgetting about the world.8

*9

Selena’s eyes shot open when her alarm clock rang at 6:45. It’s so stupid to have to wake up so early and have to be at school by 8:00. She combed her unkempt wavy black hair into something presentable and slipped on a skinny pair of jeans and a cute pink short sleeve top. Selena fastened in her ears some huge silver hoops and put a cute, fake-gem headband on top of her hair. Then, she looked nice.10

“Your bus is coming soon!” Mr. Hernandez warned at the breakfast table, skimming the daily paper.11

“Dad, the bus doesn’t come until 7:40. It’s only twenty after.” 12

“Same difference,” her dad chuckled.13

Selena rolled her eyes and finished her breakfast and headed out the door with her bookbag after brushing her teeth.14

The whole long bus ride, Selena didn’t even bother to make fun of the funny-looking eighth grader next to her. She just laid her head on the frosty window. 15

“Kid, like, wake up,” said the funny-looking eighth grader.16

“Oh,” Selena cleared her throat. “Sorry.”17

“Whatever.” The kid got up and ran off the bus. Selena watched him as he looked around and then, sighing, walked inside.18

Selena got off the bus and made her way into her school to her locker, where Lilly stood. “Erm.”19

“Oh. Um. Hi.” Lilly fidgeted with her hair.20

“Hey, um, listen, I…”21

Lilly cut her off. “We should be friends again!” she blurted.22

“Yeah, I know, but…”23

“And next weekend we can have a sleepover and…”24

“Lilly. No.”25

“What?” 26

“Wanna know why I can’t have a sleepover next weekend?”27

“Why?” Lilly’s voice shook.28

Selena felt her lip tremble. “I’ll be in Myrtle Beach.”29

“Oh, that’s okay. The next weekend.”30

“No.”31

“The next?”32

“No.”33

“When?”34

“When I come back to visit?” Selena tried, biting her lip.35

“What do you mean?” Lilly demanded.36

“Lilly, I’m…moving.”37

“WHAT?”38

“Uh-huh.”39

“No!” Lilly screeched.40

“Yes, Lil.”41

“No! You can’t!”42

“I have to.”43

“N-…”44

“Stop saying no, because it’s not gonna get you anywhere.”45

“Fine. But…”46

“What?”47

“How am I supposed to face the rest of seventh grade without you?”48

“I don’t know. You were always really outgoing.”49

Selena saw a tiny tear race down Lilly’s pale face. “I don’t want new friends. I want you to stay.”50

“I – I can’t, Lil. Dad can get a better job, and I’ll be near the beach.”51

“But that’s what you get. I don’t get any part of the deal.” 52

“I know. I know. But…” The bell rang, cutting off Selena’s pointless explanation. As she walked to English, frustration overwhelmed her. Lilly just didn’t get it, did she? Her protests were too much more stress put on Selena’s shoulders. 53

By lunch, Selena was so tired of Lilly’s persistent complaining, pleading, and protesting. Finally, on their way to their locker, Selena spun around on her heel and said, “Lil! You’re making me more stressed then I was before I told you.”54

Lilly put on a pouty face. Selena giggled. “Just stop, ‘kay?”55

“Okay.”56

“You can still ask me questions, but no, like, ‘OMG! Don’t move!!!’”57

“Okay, sorry.” Lilly grinned deviously.58

Selena rolled her eyes.59

*60

Selena dug into her neat salad, while next to her, Lilly splattered spaghetti sauce all over her baby blue cami.61

“Lil?”62

“Sel?”63

“Ya got a little somethin’…”64

“Oh, yeah, right.” Lilly giggled and wiped off the sauce65

Selena nodded and looked down at her salad. Her face grew hot. Someone – rather, two someones – were approaching the table. “Lil,” she whispered. “Them.”66

“Huh? Who?” Lilly chewed.67

“Cristabel and Calista.” Selena spoke of the most popular girls in their middle school, and they were twins.68

“So, Selena, heard you were moving.” Cristabel started, flipping her hair.69

“What a shame,” Calista smirked. 70

“Who told you?” Selena demanded sharply.71

“Well, Marilynn overheard Lilly telling Kaela this morning, then Marilynn told Cece, and she told Brian, and Brian said some stuff to his buddies on the track team, and they told the football team, and they told their girlfriends – you know, us, the cheerleaders, and so…yeah.” Cristabel huffed.72

“Oh. Oh, um, okay. Well, I guess, you know, since this is the weekend, well, I’m uh, moving in three days, you know, so, um, I won’t see you on Monday, so, I guess, um…bye.” Selena stuttered.73

“Whatever.” The twins said together, walking away. 74

“I strongly dislike them,” she whispered to Lilly.75

“Don’t cha mean hate?”76

“Nah.”77