Wow, the new house looked like one of those Mc-Mansion things they were always talking about on the news.It was ginormous, and the grounds looked like my grandma's place in England.Us three kids ran hell-bent for leather towards the front door, already fighting over which rooms we wanted. I wasn't too worried though I know their taste.Jared will want something in the attic so he can pretend that he's living alone in a bachelor pad, so he can have whatever brainless friends he makes come over and talk about stupid football.Maggie will want the room closest to mom and dad because, at eight, she was still very much the baby of the family. And that left every other room inside this beauty up for grabs.I ended up with a room overlooking the gardens with a magnificent view of the mountains off in the distance. I felt my first real burst of excitement and spun around, hugging myself.Of course, the first thing I did was break out the phone to take snapshots and send them off to my

High school is the worse place for a sixteen-year-old girl with growing pains; I mean think about it, you're cooped up with twenty or thirty of your so-called peers. Everyone is judging and critiquing everyone else, everything you do comes under a microscope, and heaven forbid you're anything bigger than a size four, well then you're just not worth the air you breathe.I'm a size ten and I have no interest in starving myself into a lesser size. Apparently that's considered teenage suicide to think like that, bleh.My mom says I'm as beautiful as ever, and my dad says I'm his golden princess and father knows best. I have a full head of the wildest hair you've ever seen in your life. It's red, not fire engine red; what does mom call it again? Oh yeah, auburn, with hints of chestnut and wine. To top it off, this mess is all curls, like Shirley Temples circa nineteen sixties curly. My eyes are the brightest blue I've ever encountered, that didn't need the help of glasses to protect

Just then Jared came over with one of his new teammates and sat down across from us. Belle made a sound somewhere between a screech and a groan and I looked at her questioningly. She just shook her head and chugged her water like she was dying of thirst."Hey sis this is Shane he's the star running back for the team. Shane my sister Sian." I shook his friend's hand but noticed Jared was staring at Belle."Hi Shane pleased to meet you, Jared this is my friend Belle, Belle my brother Jared or as you so quaintly referred to him this morning the new…hmm mpppm huuuuh." The rest of my statement got lost behind the hand she used to cover my mouth while stomping my foot under the table.Jared gave us a strange look and stole my apple off my tray. "So how was it so far sis? you seem to be doing okay." I smiled and told him that I was and the conversation turned to his day so far and of course football practice.Belle I noticed, was suddenly uncharacteristically quiet and kept her head down

He hadn't taken over the reins from grandpa as yet, that came five years later.He's the youngest studio head and according to him, not many held out hope for the continued success of the family business, but twelve years later he was still going strong.I knew the day would come when I would have to step into his shoes, but unlike him, I wouldn't have to do that as early as he had.Grandpa had died much too young of a heart attack in his office one day, and that's why dad had had to step in so young.If not for that, he'd still be looking at at least another five or ten years before he had to make the move.Some of grandpa's old cronies were still heading their houses to the disgust of their off spring who were chomping at the bit to get their hands in.It was their kids that I went to school with mostly, theirs and the children of the men and women who worked for them. Leading men and women.I was very aware that most of my peers didn't have the same upbringing I did, and I ha

I stood in stark fear as they circled around me again and again, shouting their taunts at me.This was nothing new, I had grown accustomed to this treatment at their hands in the last school year, and it didn't look like anything had changed for the new one.My best friend Belle stood off to the side, not able to do anything to help because I'd made her promise not to get involved.I knew it was hard for her to watch, but I didn't want her to come under attack as well.She was spared the worst of their antagonism by some miracle, but me, for whatever reasons they hated me and has been singling me out for their special brand of torture.I'd hidden out all day like a ninny, not wanting to draw their ire. After showing up I'd hidden away in the musty old music room after picking up most of the year's assignment sheets.I knew that today was going to be hard; the new guy was coming. As if I'd have any interest in him. But past experience had taught me that I would be at the receiving