Outtake 1 - Peyton's First Day Back to School

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The Breakers: An Outtake – Peyton's First Day Back to School

Peyton POV

"Baby, it's time to get up," I hear Mom say softly as she sits on the side of my bed. I squeeze my eyes closed and hope that if I don't move, she'll go away and let me sleep a little longer. It doesn't work because I hear her laugh when she pokes me in the side.

"Not working, little girl, so scoot and get up. You need to get dressed and come down and have breakfast. It's a big day today." She leans forward and brushes my hair out of my face like she's done every morning for as long as I can remember.

I open my eyes and find her so close to me. She's so pretty. All my friends say so … all the time. I get a kind of butterflyey feeling in my tummy when people tell me I look like my mom. She's the prettiest person I've ever seen, even prettier than Aunt Rose and Ms. Esme. I hope I'm as pretty as she is when I grow up.

I try to snuggle into my pillow but she tickles my sides and makes me laugh. "Mom, stop it! I'm up, I'm up." I giggle.

I roll to try to get away from her and I kinda have to pee now that I've moved and am standing up. My hair's in my face because I didn't put it in a ponytail last night before I went to bed and when I push my hair back, the charms on my bracelet sparkle. My tummy flip-flops and it's not because I can smell Mom's famous chocolate chip pancakes downstairs either. It really is the best present I've ever been given … ever in my whole life. Even better than the Tom Brady poster Pop gave me for Christmas last year that's autographed.

Lucy is gonna be so jealous when she sees it; I know she is. I lift my arm and shake it, smiling when the giraffe twirls and bumps into the football. Edward is the best friend I could ever have.

"P, stop staring at your bracelet and get a move on. You don't want to be late for your first day of school," Mom says. She stands up and straightens out my bed. I giggle a tiny bit. She always makes my bed even though I'm supposed to do it.

I jump from foot to foot and cross my legs because I really have to pee, but hearing her say the word school makes that jumpy feeling in my stomach feel not so good all of a sudden. Ugh. Stupid Brody. I don't want to see him, but then again, I really do, if only so I can rub it in his face that my best friend can ride on a motorcycle.

Mom pats me on the head before she walks out and then I hurry into the bathroom so I can go. I wash my hands when I'm done and then hurry into my room to get dressed. I can smell the bacon now and my tummy is back to growling because I'm starving to death. I put on the jeans and shirt that Edward helped me pick out and slide my feet into my favorite pair of flip-flops. I grab my sneakers and giggle at myself when I remember how I used to forget them all the time.

I'm a big girl now, in third grade, and I can't be forgetting things anymore.

"Pipsqueak!"

Xavier's here! I let my backpack slide down my arm and I drop my shoes without looking where they go and run into the kitchen. He's standing at the island talking to Mom and I throw myself at him. "You came for breakfast," I say as I squeeze him around the neck.

He lifts me up and spins me around and my heart gets fluttery when he kisses the top of my head. "Of course I did, P. We always have breakfast and you didn't think I'd miss your first day of school did you?"

I feel kinda bad for a second because I did think that.

He sets me down and then nudges me toward the table so we can eat. He and Mom talk about the restaurant and I take a drink of my orange juice, watching the charms on my bracelet jingle.

"Hey, what's that? Is it new? Did your mom buy that for you when you went shopping?" Xavier asks in between bites of pancakes.

"Nope," I answer and sit up straight. I hold my arm out and shake it then shove it toward him. "Edward bought it for me so that I don't miss him too much during the day. See, he got me a football because he knows how much I love football and then the book, well, because I read lots. And then this one ..." I take a breath and stare at the giraffe and I feel myself smile. "This is my favorite. You remember at the carnival during the races, and Edward won me that giraffe, this is for that. And the shell is for," and I stop talking.

I swallow, and get a kind of nervous, shaky feeling. Kind of like when I have to work out a math problem on the chalkboard at school in front of everyone.

"Is that a seashell?" Xav asks. His voice is quiet and it sounds funny. I want to look at him but I keep staring at my bracelet. I nod instead. "What's that one for?"

"It's a secret," I whisper.

Thinking about that makes me sad but happy at the same time. I don't want to be sad though, so I look at the giraffe instead.

"Well, it's a really pretty bracelet," Xavier says after he coughs a few times. I hope he's not getting sick. I hate being sick.

Mom asks him a question about Seth and I take a bite of my pancake. I'm glad; I don't want to talk about my bracelet anymore. I think it made Xavier sad for me to talk about it. Sometimes, when he thinks I don't see him, he looks at me with a really sad look on his face, like he wants to cry. It makes my tummy feel yucky when that happens but I've never asked him about it.

I have a feeling it's because Edward is my best friend now. I know last year at school when Lucy told me that Madison was going to be her best friend from now on, I felt really bad, like I wanted to cry, but it also made me feel scared and kinda mad, too.

I don't want Xavier to be mad at me but I don't know how to ask him if he is, either.

I sigh. Sometimes being a big girl kind of sucks.

We all finish eating and get ready to leave.

"Do you have your sneakers?" Mom asks with a grin, like she knows I'm gonna say no but instead I hold them up proudly.

"Yes, ma'am," I tell her.

"Guess she showed you, huh, Bell?" Xavier laughs at her.

I climb into the backseat of Xavier's truck with a huff. I hate sitting in the back. When I get big enough, I'm never sitting in the backseat ever again. I'm not sure when that will happen; Mom won't tell me. I kinda think it's because if I knew, I'd probably drive her crazy by asking about it all the time. The closer we get to school, the more excited I get … and the more nervous, too. I don't know why I'm so worried about seeing Brody, but I sorta feel like I do when I'm watching a Patriots game on television with Pop and they're losing, but they have the ball. I get nervous because I don't want them to lose, and then I get excited when I think they might win. It's pretty confusing.

I wish Edward was here. He'd know what to say to make me feel better; he always does.

"Okay, baby, have a good day and make sure you come straight to the restaurant when school is done, okay?" Mom asks and kisses me over and over again.

"Mom," I whine and try to pull away from her. She's so embarrassing sometimes. At least I'm still in the truck and it's not in front of the school like it was last year. Jeesh. That was awful.

I hug Xavier and he squeezes me, almost hard enough that I can't breathe. "Be good, Pipsqueak. Don't worry about Brody, got it?" He kisses my forehead and I nod.

"I won't. Besides, Edward said the same thing already. Bye!"

I climb out of the truck and see Lucy and Madison walking together and hurry to catch up to them. I want to show them my bracelet right away, but I want them to ask to see it. I don't wanna be all braggy and stuff and show them right away. That's just wrong.

"Peyton!" Lucy yells like she hasn't seen me all summer even though I just spent the night at her house the other day. We had lots of fun at her house; her mom made us rice krispy treats and rented us movies and everything. I think I made her a little mad though because she kept wanting to talk Justin Bieber and all I wanted to talk about was Edward.

He beats Justin Bieber any day.

"Hi, Lucy. Hi, Madison," I tell them as they hug me. Ugh. Why do girls have to hug so much?

Of course Mom and Edward hug all the time … and hold hands … and … kiss.

Gross.

Kind of.

We talk as we walk inside. The school is brand new so it's kind of exciting to see everything, even though we took a tour during Meet Your Teacher night. Me and Lucy are in the same classroom. I'm sad Madison isn't in the same one, but I'm sorta happy about it, too, because she can be annoying sometimes. I hang my backpack up and feel someone push me in the shoulder.

My face gets red when I see it's Brody. I hate when that happens but 'cause it still happens to my mom and she's old, I guess it's something I'm just going to have to live with.

He looks at me kinda funny-like and I worry I have something on my face, but I know I don't, so I just shrug my shoulders. He's so weird sometimes. He makes a strange sound but doesn't even say hi.

The whole morning is kind of like that. My teacher this year is Mrs. Watson. I'm really glad she's my teacher instead of Ms. Briggs like Madison. I shiver just a tiny bit thinking about her. She's old and always wears her hair in a bun. We sit at our desks all morning until it's time to go to art class. I'm so excited to get to take art this year. I love to draw and I start thinking about all the pictures I can make for Edward to hang in his room at the boarding house.

We get to sit at tables in art class and I sit next to Lucy. We're giggling at one of the pictures on the wall when I hear someone pull out the chair beside me. It's Brody.

"Hey," he says and crosses his arms as he looks at me.

"Hi."

We don't have a chance to say anything else because the art teacher, Mr. King, stands up and starts talking. I feel kind of funny, and when I turn to the side, Brody is looking at me … or at my bracelet I guess I should say. I try to pay attention when the teacher is going over the rules because I sure don't want to get in trouble, but I can't really concentrate with Brody staring at me and acting like a weirdo.

Once Mr. King passes out some drawing paper and colored pencils, I get to work. I want to draw Edward a picture of the beach.

Brody pokes my arm and makes me color a blue line through where the sand is supposed to go. I turn and glare at him. I'd call him a stupid head but we're supposed to be quiet while we draw.

He points at my bracelet. "What's that?" he whispers, but it's not very quiet.

"It's a bracelet, stupid," Lucy answers before me.

He looks at it again then at me. "Where'd you get it? And what's on it?"

"Her best friend, Edward, gave it to her. Right, Peyton?" Lucy answers … again.

I swallow and set my blue pencil down on the table. I rub my hand on my jeans 'cause it's all sweaty. I want to say it's because I was coloring, but I kinda think it's because of the way Brody is looking at me.

"Um … yeah, Edward's my best friend," I agree with her.

Lucy leans across the table and holds her hand up beside her mouth. "Well her best friend that's a boy. I'm still her best friend that's a girl."

I giggle when she says that. We had a long talk about that the other night at her house, almost through the whole movie about how it was okay for Edward to be my best friend that was a boy but she still wanted to be my best girl friend.

"Who's Edward?" Brody scowls.

His question should be easy to answer but the more I think about it, it's not. Deciding to just say it the easiest way possible because he can be pretty slow sometimes, I tell him, "He moved here at the beginning of summer and got a job working on my pop's boat. He didn't have any friends so I told him I'd be his friend, and now, we're best friends."

"Yeah, and he even spends the night at her house!" Lucy jumps in and says.

"Your mom lets a grown-up spend the night with you?" Brody asks and he looks really, really mad.

I laugh at him because he looks goofy with that look on his face. "He sleeps with her mom, you dummy. He's Ms. Bella's boyfriend … and he drives a motorcycle. But, he is Peyton's best friend, too." I wish Lucy would stop talking for like five seconds so I can say something.

And people say I talk a lot! Jeesh!

Brody doesn't look mad any more for some reason, but he does look kind of sad, and starts coloring his picture again.

"I thought I was your best friend?" Brody's voice is really soft and he doesn't sound as mean as he normally does.

"You were gone all summer," I tell him. I'm not sure that's the right thing to say because he scoots his chair back real fast.

He tells me, "It's a really pretty bracelet, Peyton," and then goes to ask Mr. King something.

He stays up at Mr. King's desk for a long time, so long that it's time for art class to be done. The walk back to Mrs. Watson's class seems like it takes a really long time but I think that's because I can't stop thinking about what Brody said. I feel a little strange, like I did something wrong, but I don't know what it could be.

The rest of the day goes by really fast, even though I really don't like spelling at all. I wonder if I can get Edward to help me. I bet if I pretend to try really hard, he'll do it for me. It seems like it takes forever for the last bell to ring, but when it does, I put all the papers Mom has to sign tonight in my take home folder and then walk outside with Lucy. I see Brody goofing around with Will and Cade but he doesn't wave at me.

That hurts my feelings some, but I try not to let it bother me too much.

I hurry to the restaurant. I can't wait to show Mom and Nana my picture. Plus, I know Xavier will make something really good to eat.

"Mom, look," I holler when I walk inside and it takes a super long time to tell her everything.

"I'm so glad you had a good day, baby," she tells me and then gives me a big hug. "I'm so proud of you."

Xavier fixes me the best snack and I try not to watch the clock. I'm so excited to see Edward so I can tell him Brody didn't make me nervous. I won't tell him he hurt my feelings though. I don't think he'd like that too much. I keep hearing the door open and the bells jingle and it's making me antsy so I put my ear buds in and start playing Angry Birds on Mom's phone.

A little while later, right when I'm about to beat the hardest level ever, someone taps me on my shoulder.

"Edward!" I yell really super loud and climb on my chair.

He holds his arms out and I jump toward him. He hugs me tight, hard like Xavier does. It feels so good, better even than when Xav does. It always makes me feel all warm and tingly when Edward hugs me.

"So, Sprite, did you have a good day?" he asks with a big smile on his face.

I reach up and put my hands on his cheeks and squish his face. He crosses his eyes and it makes me laugh really hard. I kiss his cheek and then tell him, "Yep, I had the best day ever."

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