The Most Beautiful Bully (Summit Middle School) Read online

  The Most Beautiful Bully

  Shannon Freeman SUMMIT MIDDLE SCHOOL

  The Most Beautiful Bully Silentious

  The Alternative All About My Selfie

  Copyright © 2015 by Saddleback Educational Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, scanning, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher. SADDLEBACK EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING and any associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Saddleback Educational Publishing.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-68021-006-4 ISBN-10: 1-68021-006-8 eBook: 978-1-63078-288-7

  Printed in Guangzhou, China 0000/00-00-00

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  Acknowledgements

  First, I have to thank God. This has been a dream come true. I’ve picked up books and read the authors’ biographies all my life, wondering how they did what they did. I never thought that one day I would be an author myself. It was beyond my imagination at the time. But God said “Yes!” and here I am today.

  I would like to thank Saddleback Educational Publishing for entrusting me with this new venture. I was headed in the direction of another high school series when Arianne approached me about focusing my writing on middle school students. This series has blessed my life so much. I am happy to write books that my nieces and nephews can read. What a blessing!

  Thank you to my readers. I try hard to write books that you can relate to so that you can find a piece of yourselves in the characters. I hope that I have hit the mark.

  Thank you, Felise Collins. You keep me accurate. You are my little middle-school insider and keep me abreast about this emerging generation. Love you!

  Thank you, Mama! I would not be able to do any of this if you weren’t there to pick up the pieces. Thank you for helping me, believing in me, and loving me unconditionally.

  Thank you to my kiddos. You are my reason. I push, fight, scrap, and get the job done because of you. I just want you to be proud of your mom. Love my babies.

  And the last shall be first …thankyoutomy husband, who is always by my side. I love you more than words can say. God gave me the best he had to offer. The sky is the limit. I love you.

  Dedication

  To those out there who are living or have lived this story. Just know, this too shall pass. Keep your head held high, get help, and know that it’s more the bully’s problem than your problem. You are beautifully and wonderfully made.

  Chapter 1

  The First of Many

  It was a cool fall day in Texsun City on the Texas Gulf Coast. Carson Roberts shivered as she ran from the warmth of home to the cold of her mom’s beat-up old Honda Accord. A car that had been around for as long as she could remember.

  Carson was starting a new school today: Summit Middle School.

  “It’s a great opportunity,” her mother said. “You will love it.”

  “It’s really an honor,” her mother said.

  “You’re too smart for your other school,” her mother said.

  Her mother said many things. Everything except what Carson was supposed to do after transferring midstream.

  She had to leave behind all of her friends to go to Summit. The school was across town and catered to Texsun City’s brightest students. They were the ones who “showed great promise” as others in the community liked to say.

  This was the first year that Summit would bus students in from urban schools, allowing disadvantaged kids to benefit from a program that had been designed for the community’s elite. Carson would soon ride the bus too. But her mother opted to drive her there for the first few days.

  The school was located near the coast. That’s where the town’s wealthiest lived. Anyone else interested in a superior education had to apply, then be accepted. The school looked at everything: state exams, grades, and personality.

  Mothers could be heard in grocery stores, bragging that their child had been accepted. Carson’s name was not on the original list of students admitted. She was waitlisted. But her mother didn’t stop until her daughter was in: one of Summit’s fifty new sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.

  “You’re in, Carson! A seventh-grade spot opened up. Someone dropped out. Better a few weeks late than never,” she said as she held her daughter’s acceptance letter in her hand.

  Carson knew that her mother had worked hard to get her in. But it didn’t make it any easier. “I’m going to miss my friends,” she complained. She knew that her mother would never understand.

  “Jody will be right here when you get home. She lives across the street. You hit a wall at Carver Middle School. Mama wants more for you.”

  Carson rolled her eyes. She knew that her mother was right. But it didn’t make it any easier.

  As their car turned a corner, she could see the sign:

  Summit Middle School Striving for Excellence It grew bigger and bigger as they approached her new school. It wasn’t like Carver at all. It was a newly built school, home to around three hundred middle school students. Summit had a reputation. The kids were privileged and snobby. That’s all Carson knew and all she wanted to know.

  “I don’t want to get out,” she protested, watching groups of students laugh and joke as they entered the school. Friendships had already been made. Cliques had already formed.

  Her mom let out a big sigh and turned to her. Grabbing her daughter’s hands, she gently kissed them both. “I love you, baby. Does Mama ever guide you down the wrong path?”

  Carson shook her head as her eyes studied the cracked leather of the passenger seat.

  “Exactly. Now look at me. This is a good thing for you. There’s a price to pay for what you want in life.”

  “I don’t want to go to school with preppy rich kids, Mom. I was fine at Carver Middle. Just let me go back.”

  “No, I can’t … we can’t do that. Move forward. You’ll be fine.”

  Carson looked out the window as the sea of middle schoolers filed into the redbrick building. No graffiti had ever covered these walls. She was sure it never would. She knew her mother was right. But it wouldn’t be like her if she didn’t first put up a fight.

  Carson got out of the car, clutching her new schedule tightly, as if it were her mother’s hand. She walked down the long path toward the doors. When she entered the building, it was like entering a foreign world. There was so much school pride displayed in the front hall you would think these people bled black and gold. It was very Disney Channel. She was light years away from Carver, and she knew it.

  Just as she rounded the corner, she ran smack dab into someone—a very annoyed someone.

  “Ew! Watch where you are going!” screamed a girl who would have been pretty if her face didn’t look as though she had swallowed two-day-old sushi.

  “I’m so sorry. I’m just—”

  “You’re just what? Who even cares?” She tossed her blonde ponytail, smacking Carson in the face with its strawberryshampoo scent. And that was the first person Carson encountered at Summit. She took a slow, deep breath.

  Just like I thought, total snots, she thought as she continued on her quest to locate her first class.

  “Excuse me,” she said to a man with a bullhorn. He was telling everyone to keep moving and get to first period.

  “Get to class!” he yelled, making her wince at the loudness of his voice as it vibrated through the bullhorn.

  “But … but …” Carson stammered.

  He looked at her as if she had fallen off the stupid truck. Carson thrust her schedule into his
hands. She was unable to get her thoughts together. So much was happening at once. “Where do I go?” she finally said.

  “Is this your first day?” he asked, confused. He looked down at her schedule. It wasn’t often that students started later in the school year. “I’m Vice Principal Briggs. Come with me. I’ll show you to your first class,” he said, changing his tone.

  She had not been far away. She was still a bit jittery as she entered the classroom. Carson didn’t look at the other students’ faces as Mr. Briggs introduced her to the teacher.

  “This is Carson Roberts,” he said to the white-haired English teacher already working diligently with groups of students. She welcomed Carson and assigned her to the smallest group.

  “You need to get Carson caught up on what’s going on. Make her feel welcomed.” The teacher nodded at the group of students and smiled.

  Carson looked at the kids in her group. They were diverse, to say the least. Something she wasn’t used to at her other school. There were only five white students at Carver. But this group consisted of three white kids, one Asian girl, and her. What was cool was that everyone was working together to make the project a success. At Carver she would have been the only one working. Carson would have been up all night trying to pull it off.

  She took her seat. The kids explained the plot of Where the Red Fern Grows. They caught her up on their project.

  When the bell rang, she checked out a copy of the novel to catch up on the reading. She was starting out behind. It was always harder to catch up than to keep up. She knew she would have to work twice as hard to get up to speed.

  “Hey, if you need any help on anything, I’m always just a text away,” the red-haired girl from her group told her. She handed Carson a sheet of paper with her cell phone number on it.

  “Thanks. Emma, right?” She searched her brain to make sure she had said the right name. “I appreciate that.”

  She already had one new friend. Well, she wasn’t a friend-friend. But at this point, even a familiar face would do. She was very different from her bestie back in her neighborhood. But at least Emma was nice. Maybe Summit Middle School wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

  Chapter 2

  And the Winner Is

  Hey, baby. How was your first day?” her mother asked as Carson got in the car. Her backpack was loaded with homework. She didn’t make any friends. And she was tired as all get out. “Fine.”

  “Just fine? That’s it? I’ve been waiting to hear about your first day. And all you have to say is fine?”

  “I’m too tired for this, Mom. I walked into school like you wanted me to. Then I went to my classes. Isn’t that enough right now? Do I have to relive it?”

  “Well, it couldn’t have been that bad.” “It wasn’t bad. It was fine, just like I said before.”

  They rode in silence for most of the ride home. “I’m taking you out to eat tonight. What are you in the mood for?”

  “To a restaurant on a Monday?”

  “My baby got accepted into an advanced school and held her own on her first day. Yes, a restaurant on a Monday.” She squeezed Carson’s hand, letting her know how much she loved and respected her for trying something new.

  Carson tried to change her mood. She could tell that her mother was trying. Her day hadn’t been that bad. She missed her friends. Missed having them there to joke around with during lunch, PE, after school. But overall, she could see why her mom wanted her to go to Summit.

  “Well then, I’m thinking Roadhouse. Their bread and butter are calling my name!”

  They had a great time together. Carson finally told her mom about her day. She told her about her project, and how all of the students were so involved. She even admitted that she could see why her mom wanted her to go there.

  Her mother was pleased. Carson was happy to be able to open up to her. She had been angry for so long, but her mother was only trying to do what was best for her.

  The next day when she arrived at her girls-only gym class, she was surprised that they didn’t dress out. Instead, the instructors had combined their class with the boys’ and set up an improvised bowling alley.

  Carson loved to bowl. When her dad was around, they liked to bowl together. Since he moved to the East Coast, she hadn’t bowled once. Their gym teachers went over the rules and assigned teams. The winning team would win movie tickets and free pizza coupons. It was very exciting.

  She was put on a team with Mai Pham, the same Asian girl from her group in English class. She was thankful to “know” someone. The two boys on their team were Finn Franklin, who she could tell was the class clown, and Holden Smith, who seemed more serious. The teams played on their own lanes as the gym teachers kept score, posting them on a big wall for everyone to see.

  When it was Carson’s turn to bowl, she concentrated and sent the soft bowling ball barreling toward the pins. “Strike!” Coach T yelled as she marked her score. Her team went wild it. They were congratulating her as the sixth-grade helpers reset their pins.

  “Hey, you’re good,” Holden told her as she rejoined them. “I’m glad you’re on my team.”

  She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. She hoped he couldn’t see it, though. “Thanks,” she said, smiling shyly.

  Mai was next up to bowl, but she missed all of the pins. “Shoot!” she said, stomping her foot. “Can you help me, Carson?”

  Carson immediately went to her teammate’s side, “Lead with your thumb. Point it at the pin you want to hit.”

  Mai sent the ball barreling toward the pins. It made contact. “Hey, that worked!” Mai was excited. “I tried that when Coach told me last week, but I wasn’t so lucky.”

  “I guess I’m just a great teacher,” Carson said proudly. “Well, maybe you can help me,” Holden responded. “Bowling just doesn’t seem to be my thing.”

  She immediately took the bowling ball from his hands and explained what he was doing wrong. She had no idea that she had gained some unexpected haters as she helped her team maneuver through their rough spots. Holden did well with her guidance and even picked up a spare.

  “You’re getting better,” she said, giving him a high five.

  When Finn went up to bowl, he broke into a break dance, spun around, and landed a strike with little effort. Blowing his nails and wiping them on his shirt, he gave his whole team low fives, as if he was an NBA starter.

  Finn’s move put them in the lead. Carson was the last to bowl and got two consecutive strikes, winning the whole game for her team. Finn twirled her around. When Coach announced their win, Finn declared that Carson was their team MVP.

  Carson and Mai retreated to the girls’ locker room with their winning pizza coupons and movie tickets in hand.

  “That was totally awesome,” Mai told her. “We would never have won without— ouch!” she yelled as the same girl who Carson bumped into yesterday slammed into her. “Oh, sorry, Jessa … I must have—”

  “You must have a problem! Watch where you are going next time,” Jessa warned.

  “Why did you apologize? She bumped into you on purpose,” Carson whispered to Mai.

  “You don’t know yet. That’s Jessa. She owns this school. It’s best to stay out of her way, and that’s what I intend to do.”

  Carson watched as Jessa’s friends fussed around her. They even looked afraid of her. Carson had met girls like her before, maybe not as pretty or with as much money, but a bully was still a bully. She planned to stay out of her way. She didn’t want their two worlds colliding. She had a feeling that hers would have the most damage.

  Chapter 3

  A Horse of a Different Color

  Bowling had been fun and exciting. It even ended with a win for Carson’s team. She talked nonstop when she arrived home. Her mother was excited that one of their favorite pastimes had landed Carson a few more friends.

  “This lifetime sports class seems to be fun. Are you enjoying it?” her mom asked.

  “I love it. There are s
o many activities that we get to try. But I don’t think anyone could go to the Olympics with the amount of time Coach spends on each one.”

  “But at least you get experience, right? I’ve never done archery before. The counselor told me that you’d be learning archery. That’s pretty cool,” her mom said.

  “I know. I wonder what they have in store for us tomorrow,” Carson said.

  Well, that was yesterday. Today, she was standing next to a smelly horse that all of the other students seemed excited to see. But Carson was not. Obviously they had all met Coco before. The horse seemed just as happy to see them as they were to see her.

  Carson quietly moved next to Coach T and whispered, “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this.”

  Coach looked surprised. “Most people are happy when Coco comes to visit.” “I’m terrified of horses,” she admitted. “Look, you’re a Texan, right?” Coach T

  grasped her shoulder with her calloused hand. “You are going to ride this horse.” Carson looked toward Coco as the other girls were already practicing their mounts. “I’ll let you start off with the mounting ramp. That should get you used to the process. The next time Coco shows up, you’ll be an old pro.”

  Carson was doubtful and reluctant. The last thing she wanted to do was be thrown from this horse. She had heard horror stories and was not about to become a statistic.

  Mai walked over to her. “What’s wrong with you? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost or something.”

  “I’m scared of horses,” she told her friend.

  “Look, Coco is harmless. Go ahead and talk to her a little bit. You’ll see.”

  Carson looked at Mai as if she was nuts. “I don’t talk to horses.”

  Mai led her by the hand to where Coco was patiently allowing the other kids to mount and dismount. “Coco, this is Carson.” The horse let out a neigh and bent her head a little to the side. It was like the horse wanted to cuddle. Carson was caught off guard. “I think she likes you,” Mai said softly.