Jersey Girl Gone So Cali

by ZH

Cops? Why did that old lady on the street call the cops?! So I’m stuck here on the corner of Lakeshore Avenue and Grand Street in Clifton, New Jersey, crying my eyes out, to the point that they are extremely red. If you’re wondering why, it’s because I was frustrated. I was mad at my mother for ruining my life. At that point I thought I hated my mom, when deep down I knew I really loved her with all my heart.

That past week I was doing horribly in school. My grades dropped an entire level. And fights? Yup, getting into stupid meaningless fights over friendship. What was I thinking…? That’s how it all started.

Couple days after that, my mother told me that my father had come to town from Oakland, California. I hadn’t seen my father since I was in fourth grade, so my mother invited him to dinner. My mother was being very kind. She let me order anything I wanted. She even suggested that we all have dessert. It was strange because normally, she never orders dessert. She then went on talking about how I should have a big sleepover, go shopping, and do all these things she knows I love to do. It was really strange how all my mother’s suggestions were fun events; she was being so nice. From then on, I had a feeling that she was going to do or say something I did not want to know.

Finally, she broke the news. I was going to move in with my dad in Oakland, California! That same second, I couldn’t believe what my own ears just heard. I broke down into tears. My eyes were so red for the second time that week. Many memories and thoughts were going through my head. I was scared, mad, confused, and depressed.
I thought my life was going to change forever. I thought I was going to lose my mother and all my friends. I thought she would never be able to see me grow up and scared that she would not come to my graduations. I had no other choice but to go. I was sick of all of the dramas in New Jersey. I didn’t want to bring any more drama in the house by refusing to go.

A few months later …

Now I attend Claremont Middle School in Oakland. All I have to say is this isn’t the best school, but it’s almost over, so I can bear with it until then. There is so much drama here too. Looks like I really couldn’t escape all the drama after all.

Yet, on the other side, I am doing so much better. I have no distractions; no laptop, phone, and I’m just more focused. I am actually getting A+’s on my report cards. I can truly say I am a nerd now; pretty and educated. The funny thing now is that I am a person that my little brothers and sisters can look up to. Back in New Jersey, I was the baby in the house (I do have to admit I miss that feeling). I am planning on going to high school here in California. So I applied for some good ones.

“Yaaaaaaaay!” I yelled. I just had shuffled through the mail and I got accepted! I just got accepted to Bentley High and Oakland School for the Arts. I was so happy that I got accepted, because I know I didn’t want to go to Oakland Tech High. It’s actually my first time doing very well in school. I can now say that I am proud of myself for once. Things finally pulled together for me, and finally made me realize that California isn’t so bad after all.