Don’t back Down




I stare down at my plate wondering why my mom even put this slimy, green stuff on my plate. She knows I hate vegetables.
“Addison , so your father and I have very bad news for you…,” My mom said while looking down.
“Yeah? What’s up?” I said getting worried.
“Okay, um I don’t know how to put this but, your dad got a job and the thing is that it’s not here,” Mom said quietly.
“Oh my gosh! Where?” I screamed.
“It’s in Tennessee. You’re moving to a different middle school,” She said.
“Okay, but what about all my friends and-and what about our family here? You just can’t leave them!” I said.
“Well go up on to bed. We need to start packing tomorrow.”

How could she do this to me? All of my friends are down here! All of this is just too much. I look up at the ceiling for a while trying to drift off into sleep. I close my eyes. Why can’t my dad just have a job here? That would be much easier than driving five hours for another stupid job. I don’t know what I am going to do about this! I don’t even know what Tennessee is like. I’ve never even been there! My head falls to the right side as my mind drifts off into a nightmare.

The next morning I wake up and I walk down the hallway seeing no pictures, no decorations. Nothing. I walk into the living room and I see boxes piled up everywhere. I can’t stand the look of this. Boxes everywhere, piled up on each other.
“MOM?! WHEN ARE WE MOVING?!?!?” I asked loudly.
“Oh well good morning!! We’re moving this weekend, so get to work!!” She answered back.
I walk into my room putting my clothes in separate bags, putting up my photo albums, and emptying my shelves. I open my last scrapbook and open to the first page. The first thing I see is the picture of my best friend and me when we were two years old. How am I just going to leave her like this? We leave in two days to head to Tennessee. Just think….in hours this house is going to be gone. Gone. Forever.


These have been the quickest two days of my life. Two days passed.


“C’mon Addison! Get in the car, we need to leave!” Dad said from the other end of the garage.

“I’m coming, I’m coming…,” I said mumbling to myself.

I get in the car thinking of how long of a drive this was going to be. I shouldn’t think about that because it will only make me angrier. I put on my beats looking out the window at the house that I grew up in, the house that I came home to when I was born. My eyes drift off into the back of my head and my thoughts get heavier and heavier.

I wake up with my head resting on my pillow leaning against the window. I notice that my parents aren’t in the car. I pull myself out of my blanket and open the car door. Hopping out of the car I see a two story, tan house with dark brown shutters. Hearing a loud noise I jumped when I heard it behind me. A big green furniture truck was behind me. The next I know I see my mom and dad walking out of the house talking to a man that looked like he hasn’t taken a bath in forty years. It might be because he was been unloading furniture all day, but still….
Three days later, I’m ready for my new school! My mom is busy packing my lunch down stairs. Should I be scared? At my old school people were nice and gentle but I’m not so sure about this one. Dad took me to a meeting with the guidance counselor to tour the school, and the kids were nuts, and I was getting all sorts of looks.

I hopped into the truck with my heart beating a mile a minute. My dad slammed on the brakes and unlocked the door. I see a huge, clean, rich looking school; the school that is going to scar me for life.

“Yup, we live two minutes away from your new school! Isn’t it so exciting?” Dad said smiling.
“Um, bye dad!” I said jumping out of the truck as fast as I could.


I walk in noticing every one staring at me with dirty looks. It looks like all of them just got slapped across the face. I mean, really, did I do anything to hurt them in anyway?
“Hi! My name is Avery! So, you want me to show you to your locker?” A girl said with long red hair and huge hazel green eyes.
“Yeah, I mean, sure if you don’t mind,” I said kind of shyly.


We walk slowly down the hall to what seems like the eighth grade hall. We talk constantly about who not to hang around at Jefferson middle school. The first name that came out of her lips was Savannah Briggs. The look of disgust appeared on her face. As we walk down the hall I see writing all over the walls and I hear girls gossiping and boys laughing. This is nothing like my old school.
“Okay, so that is your locker right over there. Locker two ninety three,” she said pointing.
“Aright! Thanks!” I said spinning the lock to the right numbers.
As Avery talks about her second period class, I try to zone her out. I try to remember how to unlock the locker. Right three times and land on the first number, then turn left three times and land on the second number, then spin back to the last number. I look into the locker. Nothing. I bend down to get one of my books and I hear my locker shut. I look up noticing a blonde haired girl standing next to me rolling her eyes with her hand on her hip.
“What was the point of that?” I said to her.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I’m Savannah. Just sayin’, if you want to fit in around here, never wear those shoes again!” She sneered.
“Um…I’m sorry but I’m not interested in your little clique group…so good bye!”
“Alright whatever! But, at least I’m decent…,” She said with a smirk.
“I don’t get why you need to treat people like they are nothing,” I said.
All the girls behind Savannah started laughing with her. I can’t just stand here and let them make fun of me. I turned around seeing that Savannah and her friends were pointing and laughing at me.
“Aww!! Look! The new girl’s trying to stick up for herself!” Savannah said walking away.

I wanted to take my anger out on her but I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. I walked up to my homeroom class room noticing that Savannah was sitting right next to my assigned seat. I walk over two rows and go to the third seat down. The next thing I know I’m on the ground face first and every one’s laughing and pointing at me. There was something under my foot. There lies Savannah Brigg’s foot. That girl tripped me!
“What’s going on here, ladies?” Mrs. Caldwell asked.
“Savannah just-,” I said being interrupted.
“Nothing, Addison just tripped over her own foot that’s all,” Savannah explained.
“Okay, enough playing around. Take out a book and read!” Mrs. Caldwell yelled.
“Yes, Ma’am!” I said giving Savannah a really cold look.
The next day I walked into the eighth grade hallway. The lovely smell of sweaty socks and wet dog filled the hallways.
“Hey Addison!” Avery yelled across the hallway.
“Um…hey?” I said.
“Yeah so how are you? You know, in all your classes?” She asked
“I’m doing fine except one thing,” I said with a deep voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“That Savannah chic, she’s really bad…you know what I mean?”
“Yeah, don’t hang around her. She’ll turn on you in a split second. I have to go, talk to you later.”
“Alright, Bye!” I said waving.

Walking to my fifth period, I bump into Savannah.
“Hey, Addison, didn’t I tell you not to wear those shoes, ever? I’d rather see your feet than those ugly things,” she said with her hand on her hip.
“That’s it! If you have a problem with the way I dress, then get over it. It’s not gonna change for someone that judges people twenty four seven,” I said with a firm voice.

Everyone in the hallway started to smile and clap. Was this the first time someone had stood up to her?
“You go girl!” One boy said.
“That’s right! You tell her, Addison!” Another girl yelled.
Savannah started crying. She ran to the bathroom without saying anything. I ran after her. I walked inside the eighth grade bathroom, and I saw her in the corner.

“Go away! You already hate me enough,” Savannah said.
“No, no, Savannah, I don’t hate you! You’re just judging people way too much!” I said.
“I’m sorry for being so mean. I didn’t realize it hurt this bad,” Savannah said while wiping the dry mascara off of her face.
“It’s alright, now come on let’s go. We’re already late for fifth period.”