Prompt — First Sentence: “She had no idea what was to come next.”
Goal: 500-800 Words
She had no idea what was to come next. She had never been called down to the principal’s office before. She was sitting in a wooden chair just outside the office looking around the many teachers and students that passed her by without bothering to give her a glance. Her knees were shaking and she tapped her fingers on the pink binder that rested on her lap.
“Emily?” Principal Williams poked his head out of his office and smiled down at her. “You can come on in now.”
Emily cracked a small shy smile as she entered his room. She paused in the doorway when she noticed both her parents sitting in two out of three chairs on the other side of Principal Williams’ desk.
“Hello, Honey.” Her mother smiled sweetly. Emily’s father twisted his neck and gave her a grin as well.
“Um…hi,” Emily said almost inaudible. She gave her parents a slight wave of her hand and sat down in the comfy black leather chair in between her mother and father. “What is this about? Am I in trouble?”
Emily was a straight-A student. She always did her homework, she always arrived to school and class extra early, and she even stayed after every single day for various extracurricular activities. She was kind to her teachers and peers, always helpful, and never got into any trouble. One could understand why she was so nervous to be called down to the principal’s office and her parents happened to be present.
“Trouble? You?” Principal Williams chuckled. “You’re our star student, Emily!”
“Dear,” Emily’s mother placed a gentle reassuring hand on her daughter’s knee. “Your father and I have some fantastic news.”
“We heard back from that prestigious high school academy you were raving about all summer long.” Her father added.
“You got in!” Emily’s mother squealed.
Emily’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know whether to smile or to cry—happy tears, of course. She stared with wide eyes at her mother glancing back and forth between her, her father, and Principal Williams. Principal Williams was grinning from ear to ear.
“We came here to let you know because you’re able to start attending that school right away. As soon as possible,” her mother clapped her hands together in excitement.
“Wait…” Emily stood up and glanced between the three adults around her. “You mean I’m going to get pulled out of this high school to start the new one?”
“Well, it is only October. It’s still early in the school year, so you wouldn’t have missed too much.” Emily’s father shrugged his shoulders.
“You’ll be missed, Emily. You’ll flourish at this new high school, though. I just know you will.” Principal Williams winked at her.
“This is a dream, right?” Emily smiled then frowned.
Sure, she wanted to go to this academy more than anything in the world. However, she had never expected to be uprooted from her old life so quickly. She would have to leave behind her old friends. She was going to have to move to a new town. She’d have a new house and new neighbors. She needed time to prepare for that.
“A dream come true, yes.” Her mother nodded, not understanding the context Emily was using.
“We’re going to be living with your grandparents while we find a new home. But they live in the district, so you’ll still be able to start the school without any issues.” Her father explained.
“But what about my friends?” Emily protested.
“You’ll make new friends.” Her mother nodded.
“I’m going to have a lot of packing to do. It’s going to take me a while.” Emily sighed.
“That’s why we’re taking you out of this school now. You’ll have all the time you need before you start your new life.” Her father replied.
“Again, I need to talk to my friends. I need to have time to say goodbye to them.” Emily grumbled in frustration.
“They’ll understand. You need this for your academic career. You’ll be able to keep in touch with them, I’m sure.” Principal William butt into the conversation.
Emily’s mother and father stood up from their seats and began to discuss last minute plans with the principal. They needed Emily’s records, her teachers needed to know that she would not be passing in her latest homework, and the government needed to know that Emily did not drop out of high school—she just moved onto a new school.
Emily took a deep breath and sighed. She looked down at the pink binder she was still clutching in her hands. Suddenly, she wasn’t too sure if this was what she wanted.
Words: 774
