Speak Your Mind Preview | Chapter One: Miss Unfortunate Disaster

Good afternoon, Arrowheads! With Speak Your Mind releasing tomorrow, today I’d like to share with you the first chapter! So, sit back, relax, and prepare to reminisce the horrors of middle school with Speak Your Mind, Chapter One: Miss Unfortunate Disaster!

Chapter 1:
Miss Unfortunate Disaster

You know how when you reach the age of thirteen that older people start telling you about their “awkward stage”, that horrid seventh grade year? Coming out of the sixth grade at Grahamwood Junior High, I envisioned myself rising over the obstacle like a mighty horse jumping over the last hurdle to win its greatest victory yet. However, although “victory” sounds a lot like my name, my seventh grade year has become an epic failure.

My name is Victoria Harding, and this is the story of my seventh grade tragedy.

Eight o’clock a.m.: I head straight for PE, first period with Coach Jackson. Trudging past the judging eyes of my classmates, my gaze remains in place on my sneakers. I duck into the locker room to find all the change-out benches are occupied, except for the one in the darkened back corner. Stepping over the other girls’ bags littering the aisle, I drop my bookbag on it. The bench collapses under its weight.

I guess it can’t deal with the weight of this school either, I think, struggling to pick up my things.

“Haha, check out Miss Total Victory!”

It is the chant of a thousand nightmares, the ringing in my ear that never ceases its daily presence. Of course, they had to see that. If you haven’t already guessed, Meredith Waters and her best friend, Shaniah King, find it hilarious to make jokes out of my name every time something goes wrong. I’ve let it pass for years, but on the inside, I’m screaming, I hope no one likes your duck-face selfies on Instagram!

On the outside, I am timid, shy, and silent as a Sunday morning. However, there’s also the little voice inside my head… and it’s ruthless.

After changing into my gym uniform, I force myself out of the sanctuary the locker room offers and take a brick wall to the face. No, not literally, but a basketball bounces at my feet. My bottom lip emits a throbbing pain, and I taste blood.

“Nice catch, Harding!” Eric Reese smirks, dribbling the ball away and shooting it off his hand into the basket. I flee into the now empty locker room to the sink in the back. Cupping water in my hands, I rinse my mouth, and spit a pink-tinted pool into the basin. The mirror reveals my glasses are hanging crooked on my nose. I take a moment to bend the legs back into shape.

Yeah, he better act like that now, because when he’s forty he’ll be living outside in a cardboard box, working here as a part-time janitor.

Taking a deep breath, I head back into the gym. Coach Jackson steps in front of me, crossing his arms. “Why are you late to class?”

“I… I wasn’t late. My mouth was bleeding because Eric hit me with a basketball,” I peep, cowering behind my mass of brown curls.

“Reese! Front and center, young man!”

Eric jogs up, flipping his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes. “What’s up, Coach J?”

“Did you mean to hit Vanessa in the face with that basketball?”

Eric’s haughty stare shifts from me to Coach Jackson, and back again. “Snitch.”

“That’s ten more sprints for you today at practice, Reese,” Coach yells at Eric’s back as he rejoins his friends.

Yeah, I highly doubt that.

Great. Just great. I broke a bench, got a bloody mouth, got called the wrong name and now I’m a snitch… and it’s only first period. Just call me Miss Unfortunate Disaster.

What Do You Think, Arrowheads?

I hope you enjoyed Chapter One! I’m so excited to be sharing the rest of Victoria’s seventh grade tragedy with you tomorrow!

That’s it for today, Arrowheads! To view the Character Inspiration for Victoria and the remaining cast of Speak Your Mind, you can view my Pinterest board here!