Chapter 5 - Maisie

It was a typical day at school, and I was sitting in the courtyard with my friends, Taylor and Lily. We were all ten years old almost 11 and excited to be going into the summer holidays together before we started sixth-Grade. As we chatted and laughed, I couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in my stomach. You see, I was waiting for a letter from Max, and I hoped that he was playing a little nicer now that I gave him a taste of how mean he was to me.

Maybe now he will understand that some people just don't like being rude too. Everything works out in the end my mum use to say. I don't think I can get use to the past tense thing of 'Used to' and if I do...when will it be? Next week? Month? Year?

I try to focus on the things that are happening at the here and now like my friends for example.

Taylor and I had been friends since kindergarten, but this year, I started to see her in a different light. She was no longer just my goofy, fun-loving friend. She had become a loving person on top of her goofiness which also caught the attention from the popular girls in our class but she always said she had no interest in being with them. It made me smile every time she spoke about what she and her family did because my crush was literally her brother. I'm talking like I would see him walking by my old house, and I would just stare at him. Unfortunately, he was going into 8th grade and apparently had a girlfriend. Not that he would ever notice me. Not that I would ever want him to, not now anyway.

As I sat there, lost in my thoughts, the school bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. We all gathered our things and headed back to our classrooms. I couldn't wait to get into the classroom and ask Mrs. Jenkins if I had any mail today. She said that I had it and that no one else did, so to save people from staring and asking questions about what my pen pal had sent back, she would prefer it if I put it in my bag and then read it when I got home. I agreed because I was going to do that anyway.

When I finally got home, I rushed up to my room and eagerly opened it.

Dear Maisie,

If you want to be an ass too, then we shall play that game. I will say that it's a very nice response you gave me in your letter, and if I could, I would probably give you a high five for it, but I can't be bothered to waste that much time thinking about you. You're as useless as the "ueue" in "queue," and that is pretty boring.

Even if I did stub my toe, I wouldn't feel it. Feet of steal me. Anyway, I played nice, and I felt bad, but now I don't. For your tea tonight, I hope you get served just a plate full of broccoli.

Not even your friend, Max.

Sometimes I hated how we spoke to each other, but then again, he did start it.

We started our preparations for sixth grade the other week, what to expect, who our teacher is and what we will be learning and seems how my birthday falls in September, and since we start school just before I will be the oldest in my class. At the start of fifth grade me and max started our pen pal writing and over the last year we have sent a fair few letters to each other, each containing insults and mean messages. My natural instinct to be sarcastic kicked in several times over the last year. I focused solely on school and making sure I got the grades I wanted in order to please my sister and whoever was looking after us at the time. Emily is now 15, and she has been finding it difficult because she's got another two years or so before she finishes high school completely and heads to the University of Houston. One of the biggest and one of the best colleges/Universities there is around here for the degree she wants, which is to be a marketing assistant in the long run. She can't wait until she's 18 so she can hopefully apply to have full custody of me, which won't be long, it should be another couple of years which will make me nearly 14 if she gets me full time. So I have to make her proud!

After replaying the letter and feeling more angry than I was before, I couldn't help but laugh at his attempt to be annoying and find it more cute than anything else, even though I was slightly annoyed. I did my homework and then went for my tea with Emily and the foster lady, who has us this week and probably next week too. I don't really like her as much, and neither did my sister, so we spent a lot of time together in our room. I decided to distract myself by reading a book.

Over the next few months, I spent my time not replying to his letter. I had a lot going on, and I didn't want to stress about anything major like him being a complete asshole. And yet, before I even knew it, it was graduation day. The day that's supposed to be so exciting, but it wasn't for me because my sister was at school and I had no one to cheer for me for finishing sixth grade for the summer. I didn't have anyone there, and it hurt because everyone was going to find out that my parents didn't want me.

I clear my throat and imagine how things could have gone in the last year. My 11th birthday, for example, could have been spent with my mom, dad, and Emily, but instead I spent it in a home full of other children. Emily was at school, and she had been seeing this guy called Micky or something, and she said she totally forgot, so I felt like my whole world that day was a complete and utter disaster. I hated feeling so low, and I began acting out to get her attention; it worked, but then she would lecture me on being sensible and patient.

Instead of getting angry today, I sat in my old classroom, pulled a pen out of my bag along with my notebook, and wrote a letter. I knew his birthday was in 3 weeks, and I thought it might be nice to send him a happy birthday letter and an apology for being rude and ignoring his last insult. I just didn't know where to start. So I started with how I usually write my letters...

Dear Max,

I'm sorry I haven't been writing to you for a while. It's been really busy, and I didn't think you would want to read about my boring life. Anyway, I know it's your birthday in a couple of weeks, and I didn't think my letter would get to you on time if I wrote it next week, so I thought I would do it now, and then you would also receive your birthday card to open on the day if you chose to. If not, it's okay; I won't be offended.

I want to be truthful to you about why I haven't been replying, but I'm scared it will only make you stop writing. So in a nutshell, I live with different people every couple of weeks, which is why your letters get sent to my school and will now probably get sent to my high school too if you ever reply back to me. But I wanted you to know that your letters are what keep me going when I feel like crap at night. I read them over and over, and I continuously laugh at how stupid you are because, let's face it,. I must be too if I respond.

When I sent my first message to you, my life was good, and I didn't need to feel like I was alone because my mom and dad loved me, or so I thought, but when I received your second letter, I had just been placed in a home, and I was angry at you. I was angry because everything you said is about right for me. I am boring, and I don't exactly have friends anymore. I had Taylor, but she became popular and didn't want to be seen with me in 6th grade, so I spent most of it alone. I had you, though even if I hated you, you didn't stop writing; it was me, and I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me one day; if not, I understand.

Anyway, I hope you have a great birthday and get spoilt like you don't deserve.

Love Maisie.

I pressed it into the envelope, sealed it with some tape, and put it in my backpack, ready for later. Maybe, just maybe, if he gets this letter, he might reply. Or not. Who am I kidding here?

Today was the biggest day of my life-my graduation day. I was finally going to walk out of this primary school and never really look back. But as I stood in line with my fellow friends and old friends, meaning Taylor, She left me the moment we went into 6th grade to be with the popular girls. I couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. This was the end of a big milestone for us, and she didn't want to be part of my big day either. I tried to understand her reason for leaving me, but she could never give one; she would turn her nose up at me and walk away.

As I gazed around the auditorium, I couldn't help but notice the familiar faces of my classmates. Some I had known since elementary school; others I had met along the way. But the one face that stood out the most to me was that of my sister; she said she couldn't be here and that school was kicking her ass, but she was here. I smiled and cried all at the same time before going to her and hugging her tightly.

"Hey! don't cry. You have this. After summer, you will be in high school, and you'll meet new friends along the way.

As the ceremony began, my heart was filled with pride and excitement. One by one, our names were called, and we made our way across the stage to say a farewell to the principle and for him to hand us our folders of the work we have accumulated over the years of being here.

'Congratulations, Maisie,' Emily said with a smile. 'You did it.'

Tears welled up in my eyes as I hugged her tightly. 'I couldn't have done it without you.'

We spent the rest of the day celebrating together at a local restaurant near our current house. She had been saving up money like I had just in case we wanted to do something like this, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off with her. She seemed distant and distracted, and I couldn't understand why. But I didn't want to ruin this special day by dwelling on it, so I pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

As the night went on, we decided to go home and watch movies in bed with snacks and a bunch of tissues for when she cried-and me, probably more.