a strange new start

James mind,

Usually my life was an adventure, not a good one either. Fights, drinking and parties were all part of my daily life. my school life wasn't great either, being pulled out of class, detentions, my grades were slipping but what was really sad, was that my stupid mind couldn't tell me what I was doing was idiotic.

Seems very confusing, I was near life and death situations, from drinking so much, i was arrested over 7 times, yeah the police already memorized my name. Yet all of those punishments weren't the reasons why I decided to change. Maybe starting from the beginning would help.

My name is James, but, sooner or later I will change that name. So the story started weeks ago, how I remember everything in detail astonishes me. As always causing so much trouble was what defined me. I was basically not where I was supposed to be. I was walking around school, pretty much.  As I was about to be caught,

“James get right back here! I have had enough! You were warned so many times; from tomorrow don’t bother to come to school seeing how much you hate class.” Mr. Simon was definitely angry. 

“Uhh, sir,” she said, I turned around, and then turned back to the hugely built teacher.

“One moment I’ll be right there,” he took a deep breath as he turned his back towards her. But he was cut off again.

“No sir, James was here helping me, I just transferred here,” she lied, and then turned towards me, “I’m sorry James I didn’t know I was causing trouble for you.”

The huge teacher‘s face went red from embarrassment, he seemed very weak, giving the fact that he is enormous.  He spoke, “is this true James?” his voice was very doubtful.

“Yes sir!” I stated automatically.

“Well then, continue”

“Come on!” she said eagerly

Already waking ahead, I chased her, “So, since when was I helping you?”

She smiled widely, “since now, I thought you needed help.”

“Well, thanks, but I have to go.”



I still didn’t get it. Why was I so stupid! I continued days without seeing her. I lay in bed thinking about girls, cars and how I can’t wait to graduate. Weeks passed but I didn’t even see her in the corridors.



Sara’s mind,



Days past but he didn’t seem to care. What could I have expected? Passing corridors, eyeing him, it seemed funny I was laughing at myself. I got along well with the other Muslim girls, there wasn’t many.

Maybe, I got the wrong idea, why would that make us friends?  As days passed I felt like it didn’t matter to me anymore. What mattered were my grades. I needed to get out of this mess. I moved schools 5 times over 6 years, all schools promised my parents with better education.

No, don’t get it wrong, my parents don’t want me to have a good job, this is not what it’s about. They want me to have what they call “ higher status”  they want me to be “worth more” so I can find a husband with a good job and take care of his children, supposedly happy ever after fits somewhere in between.

I go to school after school, a center where people who find school difficult go to better understand the topics, my grades are fine though! At home, I do my school essays, then my center essays after it’s all done I cook dinner, and wake up my dad. My dad has to work 2 jobs to provide me all the education which I really don’t need, but I appreciate it though.



James‘s mind,



Letters go home every day telling Nina and Greg my grades are worrying and if I want to graduate I have to work hard. Social workers invade our home. What I need is a way to focus; home isn’t very good, if you have 8 other foster children living in the house.

My social worker is called Anna; she has always been my social worker ever since I was given away by my real parents. She suggested that she would personally pay for joining an academic program for 2 months if I promised to take it seriously.  I had to work after that for all the money. I knew I had to accept if I didn’t graduate now I would have to start all over in another school. I eventually agreed. The bus picks me up from my house every day.