"I can't believe you're leaving already, Aryana!"
"Yeah why don't you stay, you can live with me. We’ll be like sisters! "
"Come on guys, stop kidding around. You know I gotta go, I just came over to say bye before I leave!" I said. I’d gone through this so many times. I could almost guess what they would say. I’d moved so many times. Always hoping the promises would be kept, always hoping it would end differently, that we would stay in touch.
"Fine be that way." said a sarcastic Jenny, a short blond girl with a carefree attitude and a bitingly sarcastic sense of humor.
“Real mature.”
We burst out laughing. Once we quieted down I said, "Well I better go, I’ve packing left to do.”
"I can't believe you’re moving you’ll be so far away!" said Vanessa, my gossipy, excitable, and chatty friend.
"You’ll call us all the time!" Ronnie, tall, brainy with strawberry blond hair, commanded.
"And you’ll visit, right Aryana?" said Yolanda, expectantly. She’s such a clown. She couldn't resist a joke and would laugh anything. We had so much fun whenever she’s around.
"Of course!" I replied, but I couldn't help having my doubts. How long would these promises last? I was afraid that after a while we would get so immersed in our own lives, school, and families, that we wouldn't have that much time for each other. But there was one thing I was sure of, "I'll miss you guys!" They murmured their replies, too choked up to speak. I hugged each one in turn and left.
I finished packing, but all I could think about were the promises my other friends and I made. Broken promises. Promises so similar to the ones I made a little while ago. But this’d be different I told myself. It wouldn't be like with Sara and how we promised to send gifts on every birthday. Or with Annabel and Natalie, when we decided we would e-mail all the time. Or when Elizabeth and I said we’d call every day. How could we think that would happen? We were only seven!
By this time I was in the car. My dad was driving, my mom sitting beside him. They were talking and my brother sleeping. I decided to take a nap; I had a horrible headache remembering all these sad memories.
When I woke up we had arrived. My parents were unloading the car and I started to help. The boxes had just arrived so I went to unpack my room. I fixed my bed and as I lay down all the thoughts from earlier came rushing back. I fell asleep with these thoughts in my head.
My mom woke me up the next morning. “Get up; you don't want to be late! It’s your first day!" As if I didn’t know. As if I could forget. I couldn’t help but be excited though. Moving was always such an adventure. New school, house, people, and a city to discover and make your own.
I got dressed and headed to the bus. The first thing I saw as I walked into my new school was a giant banner saying “Welcome to the school of your dreams!” in cursive letters. Kinda cheesy, but oddly reassuring.
I walked to my locker and caught a flash of unmistakablely familiar blond hair.
“Jenny?!” I exclaimed incredulously.
She turned and I caught sight of her face. She had the same blue eyes, but otherwise she looked unlike Jenny.
"Oh hi, I’m Juliet." I wondered why she turned when I said Jenny. The Jenny twin said," You must be the new girl, Aryana, right?"
"You know my name?" This was getting weird.
"No, I just guessed." Juliet said sarcastically. A blond haired, blue-eyed girl with a sarcastic sense of humor. Freaky.
We had the same first period and walked together. It was a typical first day; we went over rules and expectations. Much of the morning passed this way and I began to think Juliet's appearance was just a coincidence. It was time for lunch and I went to the table where Juliet told me to meet her.
I put down my books and looked up. My jaw dropped. I scanned the table again. I still saw familiar faces of my best friends. Their faces had very subtle differences, like a different hairstyle or eye color. This was getting really strange. Juliet arrived and introduced everyone. Victoria, René, Yasmine, Eliza, Samantha, Anya, and Nicolette.
Everyone smiled as I sat down, still shocked and confused. Samantha asked if I read this book. Victoria filled me in on all the school gossip. René asked about my favorite subject while Eliza asked how I like the school and reassured me that everyone was really nice. Yasmine cracked jokes. I never imagined seeing them together. All my friends’ personalities reflected in their words. The athlete, the sweet caring ones, the chatty one, the brainiac, the clown. Gosh, I had an interesting variety of friends.
I couldn't focus after that. I came home and told my mom about it. She was intrigued.
"It's magical, your friends being here!" she exclaimed.

"It's not creepy?"

"No, you’ve been given an opportunity, take advantage of it!"

This changed my perspective. I began thinking of this as something to enjoy.
I kept thinking about how incredible and memorable I’d make it! Relive fun times. I went to sleep in my unfamiliar new room on my comfortable old bed.

The next day, I walked through the doors and had the answer to my biggest question, why? I realized everything would be okay. I would keep in touch with my old friends and be with my new. I’d have fun, get good grades and graduate. I knew I’d have the time of my life. I never felt this way before. This...confident. Like this was where I belonged. Maybe because this was the school of my dreams. I guess promises have a way of fulfilling themselves.