Nothing But A Memory
written by Melody Yuan
"Over the past year, I have learned that happiness is always a choice. You either choose to be happy or you choose not to." Sophia Collins has never been a particularly "important" person, due to her shyness and nerd-like looks and actions. So when her parents are murdered in a house fire and everything close to her slowly crumbles, she's left in shock. Sophia wants everything to be back to normal that's impossible. She creates a promise, that she wants to find out who murdered her parents; even if everyone else thinks it was an accident. However, on her way there, she uncovers many clues to her family history that she never knew.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
3
Reads
555
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
The next day, she woke up at 7 (the time they told her to wake up), did her morning routine and stared outside the window, wondering what would happen next. "Sophia?" A voice made her jump. She turned around and saw Officer Dawson. "Come with me, it's time to go." She said, without giving the still-grieving girl time to answer. Sophia trudged away from the window and followed the officer to her car. They were on the road for thirty quiet, awkward minutes before they finally made it to the airport. They finally boarded their plane, a long boring two hours later. It was a ride of about six hours before they finally got to the Dana Hall School Massachusetts, USA.
It was a rather pretty building but to Sophia, it just made her angry. She didn't know why; it just did. I wish it would burn down as well. She surprised herself by the venomous in her statement and didn't know why she thought it. Officer Dawson and Sophia walked into the brick building and headed to the main office. In the front of the office was a secretary whose name plate said 'Lila Hammonds.' "Hello, may I help you?" "No, we just walked in here for no reason." Sophia said sarcastically. Ms. Hammonds looked offended and the officer glared at her until she physically wilted. "Sorry, my parents just got murdered. That tends to give you a few mood swings. I've very sorry." She glared at both of them. "Name?" The secretary asked carefully. "Sophia Collins." Officer Dawson said before Sophia could open her mouth. "Okay," Ms. Hammonds typed something in on the computer and something came out of the printer loudly, causing Sophia to flinch. "Here you go." She handed Sophia a piece of paper with her name and schedule on it.
It said that she had 'creative writing', 'world history', 'algebra 2', 'AP chemistry', 'French 3', 'orchestra' (she had been playing viola since she was in second grade), and 'journalism'. "Sophia? Sophia?" A voice interrupted her train of thought. "Huh? What?" "You're going to be in dorm five with three other girls, Jessica Cantu, Frazia Johnson and Rose Sky." Ms. Hammonds said, sounding a tiny bit annoyed. "Okay." They don't sound so bad. She thought to herself. She, then, realized that that was her cue to leave. "Sorry. Bye!" She grabbed her suitcase and headed to her dorm. Now, where am I going, again?
Somehow, she managed to find herself in the right place. She knocked on the door and was met by a door in the face. "Ohmygosh, I am soooo sorry! I promise, I did not mean to do that!" Someone said. "No worries. I guess I'd rather get hit in the face than get burned in a fire." Sophia said sarcastically. She then stood up, a hand covering her nose. The girl had blonde hair and clear blue eyes. She opened the door widely so Sophia could drag her suitcase in. "So, you're Sophia Collins, right? I'm Jessica Cantu and she," She ignored Sophia's hostile tone and then pointed to a girl with brown hair and green eyes laying on the top bunk of the bunk bed closest to the window. "Is Rose Sky." Sophia studied the room. The bunk beds all had a blue, red, and white striped blanket and a normal white pillow. There were four mini desks, one for each of them, Sophia assumed.
"What's up?" Rose grinned at her before going back to her book. "Nothing, besides the fact that my parents got murdered in a fire and everyone is convinced that it was an accident when it really wasn't. Wait, isn't there someone else in here?" Sophia said causally, causing silence to fall over them. "Frazia? No, she hasn't gotten here yet. So, how were they murdered?" Rose questioned. Sophia automatically glared at her, mad that she even thought she could ask. "Rose!" Jessica scolded her. "That wasn't nice!" "Sorry. My mom died and then my dad became an alcohol addict and got in a car accident." Rose said, sharing how she became an orphan. "My parents got in a plane and crashed." Jessica shared. After sharing their heartbreaking stories, they all became silent, Sophia fighting her tears. "Do we have any classes together?" Rose asked, desperate to change the subject and lower the tension level.
"What do you have?" They compared schedules and it turned out that the only classes they had together were French 3, orchestra, and creative writing. "Well, at least we have a few." Jessica tried to cheer them up, even though Sophia didn't really care. "We have meals together too." Rose added. "That's enough time to let me be by myself without you guys bothering me." Sophia muttered. "What?" Rose asked, not hearing her clearly. "So, do you know anyone here?" Sophia continued, against her will. Right now, all she wanted was to be in silence where nobody was bothering her. "Yeah, I know someone named Sophia and Jessica." Rose grinned. Jessica playfully glared at her but Sophia just sat where she was, a blank look on her face. "Sophia? Are you okay?" Jessica asked. "I'm fine! Leave me alone!" Sophia shouted, glaring at her.
Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life and announced, "Dinner! Come down to the main hall for dinner." It startled Jessica who fell off the bed and landed on her face. Rose started laughing but went to open the door. "Let's go!" Rose said, jumping out of the room. "Ow!" Jessica moaned. "Hurry up!" Rose jokingly ordered. "You're laughing at my pain." Jessica pouted. "So?" Rose grinned. Jessica got up and looked at Sophia, who had stayed silent with an angry look on her face. "What?" "How can you two be so happy? Your parents are dead!"
Rose glared at her. "Why can't you be happy? You can't control other people's emotions! Our parents died a while ago! Our parents wouldn't want us to live our whole lives in sadness or anger!" "Well, can't you save some time to grieve for them?" Tears pooled in her eyes, and she sniffed.
Jessica, who had been silent through the whole exchange, groaned at both of them. "Quit arguing! Would you rather go eat or starve arguing about people who died? I would rather go eat because I'm starving right now!" Sophia couldn't help but let out a little laugh, but then closed her mouth, looking like she just broke a law or something. "Oh my gosh, chill out. Quit being so touchy." Rose rolled her eyes at her.
"Let's just go to dinner. You two can argue your hearts out later." Jessica said, annoyed at both of them. "Whatever." Rose glared at Sophia and the two had a mini staring contest. "Ugh." Jessica pushed the two of them over, out of the room. "Let's go to dinner. I'm starving." Jessica took off down the hall, leaving Rose and Sophia behind. "Um, Jessica?" Rose called. "What?" Jessica said impatiently, not stopping. "The main hall's that way." Rose pointed the opposite way Jessica was running. "Uh, I knew that!" Jessica coughed, before running the opposite way after Sophia who had already started walking the right way, after picking herself off the floor.
It was a rather pretty building but to Sophia, it just made her angry. She didn't know why; it just did. I wish it would burn down as well. She surprised herself by the venomous in her statement and didn't know why she thought it. Officer Dawson and Sophia walked into the brick building and headed to the main office. In the front of the office was a secretary whose name plate said 'Lila Hammonds.' "Hello, may I help you?" "No, we just walked in here for no reason." Sophia said sarcastically. Ms. Hammonds looked offended and the officer glared at her until she physically wilted. "Sorry, my parents just got murdered. That tends to give you a few mood swings. I've very sorry." She glared at both of them. "Name?" The secretary asked carefully. "Sophia Collins." Officer Dawson said before Sophia could open her mouth. "Okay," Ms. Hammonds typed something in on the computer and something came out of the printer loudly, causing Sophia to flinch. "Here you go." She handed Sophia a piece of paper with her name and schedule on it.
It said that she had 'creative writing', 'world history', 'algebra 2', 'AP chemistry', 'French 3', 'orchestra' (she had been playing viola since she was in second grade), and 'journalism'. "Sophia? Sophia?" A voice interrupted her train of thought. "Huh? What?" "You're going to be in dorm five with three other girls, Jessica Cantu, Frazia Johnson and Rose Sky." Ms. Hammonds said, sounding a tiny bit annoyed. "Okay." They don't sound so bad. She thought to herself. She, then, realized that that was her cue to leave. "Sorry. Bye!" She grabbed her suitcase and headed to her dorm. Now, where am I going, again?
Somehow, she managed to find herself in the right place. She knocked on the door and was met by a door in the face. "Ohmygosh, I am soooo sorry! I promise, I did not mean to do that!" Someone said. "No worries. I guess I'd rather get hit in the face than get burned in a fire." Sophia said sarcastically. She then stood up, a hand covering her nose. The girl had blonde hair and clear blue eyes. She opened the door widely so Sophia could drag her suitcase in. "So, you're Sophia Collins, right? I'm Jessica Cantu and she," She ignored Sophia's hostile tone and then pointed to a girl with brown hair and green eyes laying on the top bunk of the bunk bed closest to the window. "Is Rose Sky." Sophia studied the room. The bunk beds all had a blue, red, and white striped blanket and a normal white pillow. There were four mini desks, one for each of them, Sophia assumed.
"What's up?" Rose grinned at her before going back to her book. "Nothing, besides the fact that my parents got murdered in a fire and everyone is convinced that it was an accident when it really wasn't. Wait, isn't there someone else in here?" Sophia said causally, causing silence to fall over them. "Frazia? No, she hasn't gotten here yet. So, how were they murdered?" Rose questioned. Sophia automatically glared at her, mad that she even thought she could ask. "Rose!" Jessica scolded her. "That wasn't nice!" "Sorry. My mom died and then my dad became an alcohol addict and got in a car accident." Rose said, sharing how she became an orphan. "My parents got in a plane and crashed." Jessica shared. After sharing their heartbreaking stories, they all became silent, Sophia fighting her tears. "Do we have any classes together?" Rose asked, desperate to change the subject and lower the tension level.
"What do you have?" They compared schedules and it turned out that the only classes they had together were French 3, orchestra, and creative writing. "Well, at least we have a few." Jessica tried to cheer them up, even though Sophia didn't really care. "We have meals together too." Rose added. "That's enough time to let me be by myself without you guys bothering me." Sophia muttered. "What?" Rose asked, not hearing her clearly. "So, do you know anyone here?" Sophia continued, against her will. Right now, all she wanted was to be in silence where nobody was bothering her. "Yeah, I know someone named Sophia and Jessica." Rose grinned. Jessica playfully glared at her but Sophia just sat where she was, a blank look on her face. "Sophia? Are you okay?" Jessica asked. "I'm fine! Leave me alone!" Sophia shouted, glaring at her.
Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life and announced, "Dinner! Come down to the main hall for dinner." It startled Jessica who fell off the bed and landed on her face. Rose started laughing but went to open the door. "Let's go!" Rose said, jumping out of the room. "Ow!" Jessica moaned. "Hurry up!" Rose jokingly ordered. "You're laughing at my pain." Jessica pouted. "So?" Rose grinned. Jessica got up and looked at Sophia, who had stayed silent with an angry look on her face. "What?" "How can you two be so happy? Your parents are dead!"
Rose glared at her. "Why can't you be happy? You can't control other people's emotions! Our parents died a while ago! Our parents wouldn't want us to live our whole lives in sadness or anger!" "Well, can't you save some time to grieve for them?" Tears pooled in her eyes, and she sniffed.
Jessica, who had been silent through the whole exchange, groaned at both of them. "Quit arguing! Would you rather go eat or starve arguing about people who died? I would rather go eat because I'm starving right now!" Sophia couldn't help but let out a little laugh, but then closed her mouth, looking like she just broke a law or something. "Oh my gosh, chill out. Quit being so touchy." Rose rolled her eyes at her.
"Let's just go to dinner. You two can argue your hearts out later." Jessica said, annoyed at both of them. "Whatever." Rose glared at Sophia and the two had a mini staring contest. "Ugh." Jessica pushed the two of them over, out of the room. "Let's go to dinner. I'm starving." Jessica took off down the hall, leaving Rose and Sophia behind. "Um, Jessica?" Rose called. "What?" Jessica said impatiently, not stopping. "The main hall's that way." Rose pointed the opposite way Jessica was running. "Uh, I knew that!" Jessica coughed, before running the opposite way after Sophia who had already started walking the right way, after picking herself off the floor.
